by Aimée Thurlo
“Maybe they know your car.”
“I suppose that’s possible.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m going outside to take a look around. I don’t want to leave here with Hope and have someone follow me home.”
“I’m going with you.”
Amanda nodded then changed her mind. “Maybe I’m overreacting, but I’d rather you stayed here on guard. I don’t want to take any chances with the children.”
As she walked out of the building, she looked around cautiously. There were plenty of people just getting off work. She’d be safe.
The narrow cobblestoned streets adjacent to the Santa Fe Plaza made it difficult for anyone to hide. She passed a mural of Saint Francis of Assisi painted on the crumbling wall of an old adobe building. The saint’s ability to talk to the animals was a link between Pueblo beliefs and the modern-day Santa Fe natives, who saw their city as one in perfect harmony with nature. Trouble of any kind here seemed impossible, but the facts were inescapable.
As she headed back, Amanda noticed an off-white sedan parked in the shadows of a narrow alleyway. From there, the driver would have a clear view of the day-care center. Amanda allowed herself a furtive glance. There was definitely someone in the car, but the driver’s face was masked by long, sculpted shadows that made it impossible to distinguish facial features.
Amanda slowed her steps, trying to get a better look. Suddenly, the vehicle sped out of the alley, heading north, away from the center. The license plate was from New Mexico, but Amanda couldn’t make out the letters or numbers. She hurried back to the center.
She pulled Bernice into her office. “That person was definitely watching us,” Amanda said. “I wish I’d managed to get a look at the driver’s face.”
“Maybe you’re safer not knowing who it is,” Bernice said slowly.
Amanda felt her skin prickle. What on earth had she been drawn into? She thought of Hope and her heart began to hammer. No matter what happened, she had to find a way to keep her daughter with her, out of danger.
Amanda went directly to the phone and called the police. She reported the car she’d seen watching the day-care center, but she avoided mentioning anything concerning Tony or the kidnappers.
Bernice shook her head as Amanda hung up. “You should have told them the whole story.”
“I can’t. But this way at least, the police will keep an eye on the center, and make sure that creep stays away from here.” Amanda took a deep breath and gave Bernice a worried look. “It’s getting late, but I’m still not sure it’s safe to take Hope home.”
Bernice moved to the window. “You’ll be okay. That car’s long gone. Go home. Just remember my house is less than a mile away. If there’s a problem, come over immediately. Winston’s the best guard there is. He’ll make sure everyone’s safe.”
“Winston!” Hope, a small dark-haired girl with large brown eyes, ran through the open doorway and launched herself into Amanda’s arms. “Are we going to see Winston, Mommy?”
“Hello, Peanut.” Amanda gave Doris, the nursery attendant, a nod, assuring her that Hope’s unexpected entrance was okay.
“I like Winston, Mommy! He’s my friend.”
Amanda smiled. “Yes, I know.” Winston was Bernice’s gargantuan bullmastiff. When he stood on his hind legs, he could see over the top of Amanda’s head. Nobody ever gave Winston a hard time. Though the dog rarely growled, he had a habit of standing directly in the path of anyone he didn’t know and licking his chops, as if making dinner plans.
Amanda glanced at Bernice. “I may ask to borrow Winston before this thing’s finished.”
“Yippee! Winston can sleep over.”
Bernice laughed. “You’re welcome to him anytime.”
* * *
AS AMANDA DROVE HOME, her eyes continually darted to her rearview mirror. Nobody was following her, she was certain of that. She soon let Hope’s incessant chatter divert her fears and began to relax.
As her daughter sang a nursery rhyme, Amanda’s thoughts strayed to Tony. She’d be calling him tonight after Hope fell asleep. The prospect sent a rush through her. Although she told herself quickly that it was only the product of all the extra adrenaline still pumping through her, she knew there was more to it than that. Tony’s appearance in her life had reminded her that she’d suppressed her womanly needs far too long, concentrating solely on being a mom. That aspect of her feminine side she’d so neglected was starting to demand her attention.
Forcing Tony from her thoughts, she focused on enjoying the drive with her daughter. This was their time, and she wouldn’t let anything encroach on it.
As they left the city behind, Amanda felt more of her tension melt away. She liked country living. Her house was on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe, nestled in a rural area dotted with small, territorial-style adobe houses. Here, prices were more reasonable, and she could afford to give Hope a huge yard to play in.
“Mommy, look! We have company!” Hope pointed ahead.
Amanda felt her breath catch in her throat. A pickup was parked in the shadows of the Russian olives that grew wild along one wall of her house. If the driver’s intentions had been good, he wouldn’t have been hiding there. Sensing danger, she made a sudden change of plans.
“Hang on, Peanut. We’re not going home after all.” Amanda stepped on the gas pedal, shot past her house, and sped on down the road.
Chapter Two
Amanda’s car responded instantly, but the dirt road made high speed precarious, and the rear end of the vehicle fishtailed before Amanda brought it back under control. Fear slammed into her as she raced toward Bernice’s home. Phil, Bernice’s husband, would be there and so would Winston.
“Wow!” Hope squealed. “This is fun, Mommy!”
Despite the thick cloud of dust she left behind, she could see the pickup had shot out after them. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but there was no way she was going to let anyone catch up to her, not with Hope in the car.
Amanda followed the bend in the road, staying away from the edges where she knew the sand would be soft. She hoped the pickup would get bogged down, but the other driver stayed right with her. For the first time since she’d purchased her home, she regretted the distance between houses.
Suddenly, Ernestine, her nearest neighbor’s miniature goat, stepped out into the road.
“Hold on tight, sweetie!” Amanda pumped the brakes and turned the wheel sharply to the right, narrowly missing the animal.
Just then she saw a motorcycle ahead going her way. Amanda raced to catch it, recognizing the driver as Ricky Biddle, who lived about two miles farther down the road. He’d help her out. She honked the horn and saw Ricky turn his head, then start slowing down.
She came up behind Ricky, pulled over to the right and stopped, far more confident now that she wasn’t alone. As Ricky halted his motorcycle a short distance in front of her, the pickup pulled up alongside.
Amanda’s temper flared as she saw Tony step out of the pickup and walk around the front of the vehicle toward her. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Mr. Ramos!” Amanda got out, anger spiraling through her, robbing her of breath. “I should have expected something like this from you!”
Ricky, a sandy-haired young man in his late twenties, headed toward Amanda, removing his red motorcycle helmet as he walked. “Is this man bothering you?”
Towering over Ricky, Tony transfixed the younger man with an uncompromising stare. Ricky took a step back, realized what he was doing, then held his ground.
“It’s okay, son. The lady’s safe with me.”
“I’m sorry, Ricky. I made a mistake. I didn’t recognize Mr. Ramos for a moment. I can handle this.”
Ricky looked at Amanda. “Do you want me to go find a cop?”
“No, that’s not necessary,” Amanda said, noting Ricky hadn’t offered to stay. Not that she blamed him. Tony’s face was set and he looked about as friendly as a stone gargoyle. “I’ll explain
later, okay?”
Ricky glanced at Tony, then at the ground. “Um, okay, Amanda. Call me later. Do you still have my number?”
“Sure. It’s right by my phone,” Amanda said. “Thanks for stopping.”
“I’ll be home the rest of the evening. I’ll stop by later to check on you.”
“No, please don’t bother,” Amanda said, hating what she’d started. Ricky was a nice guy, but she didn’t want him hovering around, which he had a tendency to do. “I’ll be talking to you soon, okay?”
As Ricky restarted his motorcycle and rode away, Amanda glanced to make sure Hope was still safely in her car seat, out of earshot, then glared at Tony. “You owe me an explanation. What were you doing by my house? I don’t recall giving you my address.”
Tony looked at her and smiled. “I took it upon myself to find it.”
“You’re a pain in the neck, Mr. Ramos.”
“Call me Tony. Once you calm down, you’ll see you have no reason to be angry. We do have some very important business to discuss, and this is away from your day-care center. You said you didn’t want me going there.”
He was being so reasonable—and so polite—she felt outclassed as she struggled to keep her temper in check. “I’ll meet you back at my place.”
“Mommy, aren’t we going to go play with Winston?”
“Not now, honey. Maybe later.” Amanda tried to get her pulse to slow down. He was so charming, it was hard not to trust him. Yet no matter how controlled and well mannered he seemed to be, his reputation told a different story. She had to be careful around this chameleon-like man.
She drove home slowly, postponing the inevitable confrontation. By the time she pulled into her driveway, Tony was already there. She had no idea how he’d found her address, but she had to make sure he didn’t feel free to stop by whenever he wanted, bringing his problems here to her home. He was a man with a cause she could respect, but she would not allow him to compromise her daughter’s safety.
“I have to talk to this gentleman, Peanut,” Amanda said, taking Hope inside. “Will you go to your room and play for a bit?”
“Can I take some cookies?”
“One.”
“Two?”
“Ah, you’re learning all about counting, are you?” she said, smiling. “Well, I suppose two, but that’s it.”
Amanda took Hope’s hand in hers. Glancing back at Tony, she gave him the look, a warning for him to keep quiet. To her surprise, it worked as well on him as it did on the kids at the day-care center.
“I’ll get my daughter settled, then you and I will talk,” she said in a glacial tone.
As Amanda poured a cup of milk and fished two cookies out of the jar in the kitchen, Tony walked up to Hope and crouched down beside her. “Hi. I’m Tony. What’s your name?”
Hope smiled. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers, and I don’t think Mommy likes you,” she said.
“You’re absolutely right on both counts, Peanut, but I need to talk to this stranger myself. Now here are three mini chocolate chip cookies for you to take to your room.”
Hope’s eyes gleamed as she noted that the cookie count had suddenly been increased. “Yeah!” She took the cookies and followed her mother out of the room.
* * *
TONY GLANCED AROUND the living room while he waited for Amanda to return. The woman had Spartan tastes. Everything was meticulously clean, but there wasn’t much in the way of furniture. A simple wood-framed sofa with plain off-white cushions stood in the center of the room. Two straight backed chairs that looked like something left over from the Spanish Inquisition had been placed across from it.
He turned around, hearing Amanda’s returning footsteps on the baked-tile floor. Steely anger was clearly etched on her features.
“Mr. Ramos, how dare you show up here at my home? The fact that I’m willing to help you does not give you that right. And while we’re at it, how did you get my home address?” she demanded, searching his face with all the warmth she’d reserve for an insect that had crawled out of her cupboard.
“I have friends who help me from time to time.” He summoned his best smile, hoping to thaw her. Most women considered him handsome, and he wasn’t above using his looks to get their cooperation when the situation called for it. Considering how angry Amanda was, he certainly needed any edge he could get with her. “I’m not as impossible to deal with as you might think,” he said. “Why don’t you give me half a chance?” He kept his gaze steady, penetrating, and locked on hers, a gesture meant to disarm. He’d been told before that it packed a sexual wallop that made it particularly disconcerting to the fairer sex.
Amanda continued to glower at him, apparently unaffected. “Oh, I see. So you obtained my address behind my back and that’s supposed to be okay with me?”
So much for sexy looks. “Well, no, not exactly.” Tony gave her a chagrined half smile, and quickly changed tactics to reasonable concern and an apology. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you, but after your last call, I felt it would be best for us to talk in person. I came by, saw that your home was secluded, and figured it would be okay for us to meet here. Everything would have worked out fine, too, if you hadn’t panicked.”
“So it’s my fault? You have a lot of nerve!”
Tony looked at her admiringly. She was beautiful in a girl-next-door kind of way, all gentle curves and softness. Right now, fury made her look radiant. Her cheeks were flushed and her hazel eyes sparked with life. “I don’t know how to make you understand,” he said in a conciliatory tone, or as close to it as he could ever come. “It’s obvious how devoted you are to your own daughter. Think how awful it would be for you if our positions were reversed.”
He deliberately moved closer to her, standing near enough to hopefully shake some of her self-assuredness. He knew he had to play on her emotions, because if she backed out now, he’d lose his only lead to Carmen. With that in mind, he glanced around. He needed ammunition. Spotting what he was searching for, he walked over to a shelf and picked up a Christmas photo of Amanda and Hope. He smiled sadly.
“Hope looks just like you. She has your eyes...and your smile. I envy you.” He saw her start to thaw.
Amanda moved to the sofa and motioned for him to take a chair. “I will help you, Tony, but if you continue to act like a Neanderthal, I’ll treat you like one, even if it means beating you over the head with a club to prove I mean what I say. Is that clear?”
He blinked. No one had spoken to him like that since Mrs. Trujillo in sixth grade. “Er...sure.”
Amanda gave him the details she could afford to divulge about the call she’d received, then told him about the car she’d seen near the day-care center. “I called the police to ask them to stay on the alert for that vehicle, but I didn’t tell them about you or the messages from the kidnappers. I just told them someone was watching the center.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “The kidnappers—and I think it’s safe to assume we’re dealing with more than one person here—left you no other option. You did what you had to do to protect the children in your care.”
“Right. So what’s next? Like it or not, we’re in this together. Is there any way to stop them? My life, by your standards, might be dull, but I like it. I want it back.” Amanda was determined.
“So you want to go on the offensive?” Tony asked, surprised.
“I didn’t pick on them, they picked on me. I don’t want any trouble with these people. They scare me. But if we go strictly by their rules, they have no incentive to keep their word. I don’t think we can afford to put any faith in their assurances.”
Tony watched Amanda carefully. Something about her had changed and instinct told him that it had something to do with the reason she’d been chosen as intermediary. “This goes beyond your trying to protect the reputation of your day-care center. You’re holding something back.”
“Don’t underestimate how much my day-care center means to me. By encroaching on it, they declared w
ar.”
Tony watched Amanda. From her expression, especially her eyes, he could tell she was terrified of something. Yet she was not about to tell him what it was. He wouldn’t get answers by asking, either. Good thing he still had several tricks up his sleeve. “Their primary interest isn’t your day-care center. That stakeout was focused on you. I’d bet my last dime on it.”
Amanda shrugged, nervously searching for an answer. “It’s not your money you’re betting. That day care is part of me. The question remains. What are we going to do?”
“I want to attach a tape recorder to your phones, here and at work. If the woman calls again, I want to hear her voice, disguised or not.”
“All right.”
Tony studied her telephone. What he needed in addition to the recorder was one well placed bug hidden right in the middle of her living room—one she’d know nothing about. He had one in his surveillance kit in the car. A little gem like that would allow him to hear anything Amanda said, either here or in the adjacent room. A receiver and tape recorder hidden outside in the hedge would ensure it.
He turned around abruptly and caught the unguarded expression on Amanda’s face. She was frightened and trying hard to keep the lid on her fears. She was doing a pretty good job of it, too. He wondered what was going on inside her head. He had to know what secrets Amanda was keeping locked away—the stakes were too high to allow her any privacy. At the first opportunity, he’d set up his equipment and lay her life bare before him. As he contemplated the thought, it twisted in his mind. Passion sent a furnace blast of heat flashing through him.
Forcing the distracting thoughts away, he took out a tape recorder from his pocket and made a show of setting it up. He felt Amanda coming up behind him a few minutes later.
“What good will it do to use that little tape recorder? Surely you can come up with something more sophisticated?”
“Not without getting the phone company and local law enforcement involved.”