Fatal Charm

“I don’t doubt it for a second. I still feel for him, though. What mother wouldn’t? I’ll do what I can to help, but I’ve got my own daughter to think about. I intend to keep my association with Tony Ramos as brief as I can—and as far from Hope as possible.”

Bernice stood as the phone on Amanda’s desk began to ring. “Amanda, one more thing. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on here, but I gather it has something to do with his daughter. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t wait for him to call the police if I were you. He may not, and you need to protect the center on this. If the newspapers ever get hold of this story, you’re going to want it known that you took all the proper steps.”

* * *

THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON went by with agonizing slowness. Amanda had expected to get a call from the police. The fact that none came made her think Bernice had been right to suspect Tony wouldn’t tell them. Uneasiness spread through her and she began to regret her agreement to let him handle things his own way. Tony was obviously unafraid to take the law into his own hands. The thought of him acting on his own, answering to no one and perhaps giving in to his violent side, frightened her. Foreknowledge meant she’d share responsibility for his actions.

Amanda picked up the phone ready to call the police, then set it back down. She wanted to give him a chance to play it his way. Any parent searching for his or her child deserved that much. More important, at this point, he was only checking with his sources. The police certainly hadn’t helped him much, judging by the results. Her gaze fell on the photo of Hope on her desk. She couldn’t even imagine being without her daughter, living in that uncertain limbo Tony had dwelt in all this time. She’d give him a chance, but if by tonight she hadn’t heard from the police, then she’d step in.

Several more hours crept by before Amanda finally cleared her desk, ready to leave. It was almost five, time to pick up Hope in the nursery and go home. The time she spent with her daughter in the evenings was her favorite part of the day, and thanks to Bernice, she now had even more time. Bernice had taken over the job of staying late and locking up after all the children were gone.

Amanda stepped into the outer office and spoke to the older woman. “Hope and I will be going now. We’ll see you tomorrow.” As she reached the door, the telephone rang. Amanda stopped and waited, wondering if the police had finally decided to call.

“It’s for you,” Bernice said, putting the caller on hold. “The voice sounds funny somehow. It’s a woman, I can tell that much, but she won’t identify herself. She says it’s urgent. I tried to put her off, but she says she knows you’re still here.”

“I’ll take it in my office.” Puzzled, Amanda returned to her desk and reached for the phone, identifying herself quickly.

“I’m the one who sent you the bracelet,” the woman answered, her voice pitched higher than ordinary, like an audio tape playing at the wrong speed. “Now listen carefully, because I won’t be on long. Tell Ramos I know where his kid is. I will give him the information, but first I have certain chores for him. He can start by going to the FBI office here in town and getting a copy of the file on the Henderson case.”

“But he’s not an agent anymore,” Amanda countered, wondering how any local person could be unaware of that, as she wrote the woman’s demands down on a notepad.

“He’s still got connections. He’ll manage. Just tell him he’s got two days to meet my first demand, or he can kiss his kid goodbye forever.”

“Why don’t you deal directly with him? Why are you telling me?”

“You’re our ace in the hole in case we need someone to put a leash on Ramos. You see, we know all about you, too, Ms. Vila. You’re the perfect choice, because you have a secret...and something to lose.”

“What do you mean?” Amanda silently denied the words had any connection to her life as she struggled to understand the woman, whose strange voice was clipped and harsh, probably because it was being electronically disguised.

“We know your daughter was adopted, and that you’ve tried to keep that from everyone. If you don’t do whatever we say, we’ll make sure you regret it. We can alter adoption records, even make sure that the age-progression software Ramos is using starts producing an image that looks just like your kid. We can set it up so that there’ll be no doubt in his mind that she’s his little girl. Once he’s convinced, it won’t matter what anyone else thinks or says. Official approval or not, you know he’ll stop at nothing to take her away from you.”

That threat had the ring of truth. Having met Tony, Amanda couldn’t deny it. She felt her blood turn to ice. “Breaking into the state’s computers can’t be easy. How do I know this isn’t just some kind of bluff?”

“Check it out. We’ve set up a little demonstration. There is no longer any computerized record of your daughter’s adoption. We’ve eliminated it from the data banks completely.”

“I still have the original documents,” Amanda answered, unable to suppress the fear that came through in her voice.

“Nothing exists in the computer’s memory to back them up. Ramos could claim they were phony.”

“You’ve obviously been digging deeply into my life. Why? What do you want from me?”

“Just do what you’re told and don’t go to the police, not unless you want to be responsible for the death of his child, and the loss of your own. And don’t even think about running. If you do, we’ll make sure Ramos tracks you down wherever you go. In the end, we’d be off the hook, he’d have your child, and you’d have nothing.”

“Blood tests would prove my daughter isn’t his,” Amanda argued back angrily.

“And not yours, either. Are you willing to give up the girl to a welfare agency while the courts decide the case? That could take months, years maybe. I’ll bet the press would like to know about it, too. Imagine how a story like this could affect your business. Who’d trust an accused baby snatcher with their own precious darlings?”

“You’re bluffing,” Amanda uttered in disbelief.

“Check the state computer for the adoption records if you doubt us. We’re very capable of backing up our threats.” The line went dead.

Bernice walked into the office and gave Amanda a startled look. “You’re white as a sheet! What’s going on?”

Amanda’s hand shook as she hung up. “Does your friend still work for Social Services?” Amanda asked.

“Sure. She’s been there for years.”

“I need a favor. I was hoping to keep this story from you. In this situation, knowledge is dangerous, but I need your help and you have a right to know.” After telling her friend about the kidnapper’s threat, she dropped back into her chair.

“How could they know Hope was adopted? The only ones who knew were Ron, his sister, you and I, and a few clerical workers at the agency who handled the adoption. If I remember correctly, Ron made you promise never to tell anyone. He was always afraid that the child’s father would return to harass his sister about giving up Hope for adoption. Did you change your mind and confide in anyone else over the years?”

Amanda shook her head. “Of course not. I would never have risked it.”

“Maybe the birth father is behind this scam, or at least in league with the people responsible. Somebody obviously talked to the woman who called.”

“Maybe. First things first, though. Get hold of your friend and have her search the computers. See if the adoption record is still there. I have to know if it’s just a bluff.”

Bernice glanced at her watch. “I may still catch her. She usually works late. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Amanda sat down to wait, then, on impulse, decided to call Ron. She’d need to know if he’d told anyone about the adoption, and also to find out all she could about Hope’s birth father. It would definitely be tricky. She couldn’t afford to tip her hand. If Ron knew the whole story, it was possible he would insist on getting involved. Yet she knew he’d be doing it out of pride—not love for his daughter—and that meant he would be willing to take the kind of risks she’d never condone. He’d likely complicate things rather than solve them.

Gathering her courage, she dialed her ex-husband’s office. Katrina, his longtime paralegal assistant and secretary, answered the phone.

“Hello, Katrina? This is Amanda. I’d like to speak to Ron, please. It’s important.”

“He’s with a client, Amanda. I’ll take your number and have Mr. Vila return your call.” Katrina was cold and excessively polite, as she had been ever since the divorce. She made it a point to be difficult whenever Amanda called. Katrina was undoubtedly acting on Ron’s instructions.

“Sorry, Katrina, this can’t wait. Tell Ron it’s about Hope, but it doesn’t concern his money or his time. That should put his mind at ease.” Amanda couldn’t understand why Katrina was so loyal to Ron. It certainly wasn’t because of a romantic attachment. In two years of marriage, Ron had proven to be the most unemotional man Amanda had ever known.

Katrina put her on hold without another word. After five minutes, just when Amanda was getting really angry, Ron picked up the line. As usual, Ron seemed more annoyed than pleased to hear from her. After a curt greeting, he urged her to get to the point.

“I need to get in touch with your sister,” Amanda said, “but I don’t have her telephone number.”

“Why do you want to talk to Louise?”

“Hope has a little friend who’s adopted, so Hope is now filled with questions of her own. I thought this was the perfect time to start introducing Hope to the idea that she’s adopted, too. But I don’t want to do it if there are still problems with her birth father.”

“Louise hasn’t heard from that guy in years. In fact, last Christmas when I saw her, she said he’d moved to Mexico. Louise is married now, so don’t go calling her and dredging up the past. Her husband doesn’t know about the baby. Besides, don’t you remember that you and I agreed not to tell anyone Hope was adopted? Try to keep your word for the sake of my sister, and leave me out of it, too. I’ve got important work to do.”

She heard a click, then a dial tone. Some things never changed. To Ron, Hope had never ceased to be a reminder of his inability to father a child. Frustration and anger rippled through her, making her insides tie into a knot.

When Bernice finally came into Amanda’s office twenty minutes later, Amanda scarcely dared to breathe as she waited for the news.

“There’s no record of the adoption,” Bernice said in a muted voice. “Everyone was gone, so Jenny was able to access several different data banks. She checked everything she could think of, but the adoption records are just not there. They must have been erased somehow.”

Amanda felt the blood draining from her face. “Then it’s not a bluff. They’ve tampered with the state records.”

“So what now?”

“I call Tony, pass on their demands, and keep quiet about the rest. For now, that’s the only thing I can do. I don’t want to risk losing my daughter, even if it would only be for a while.”

“You’re a fighter, Amanda. You won’t be able to stand this for long. When your patience runs out, what will you do?”

“I’m not sure, but I do know I can’t just sit back and trust this caller to keep her end of the bargain. I’ll need some leverage of my own sooner or later.”

Amanda managed to keep her hands from shaking as she finished dialing. To her disappointment, she only reached Tony’s answering machine. Frustrated, she decided to leave a sketchy message and wait to give him the details later. They were in this together now, though for different reasons; allies, yet not.

As she finished speaking to the machine, she considered giving him her unlisted home number, but then decided against it. She didn’t want him calling her at home, possibly frightening Hope. “I’ll call again later so we can discuss this at length,” she added.

Bernice watched her. “You’ve got to talk to someone...the cops or a lawyer. You can’t handle this by yourself.”

“I can’t go to anyone yet. And you can’t say anything, either. Promise me. I’ve got to have something on these people in order to safeguard Hope and myself. The only way I can get that is to play along for now.”

“I understand, but—”

“No, no buts. This is the way it’s got to be.”

Bernice nodded. “I’ll do everything I can to help you. I don’t know how much good I’ll be, but you won’t go through this alone.”

Amanda toyed with a pencil on her desk, trying frantically to get a handle on the situation. “Wait a second. Did you tell me the caller knew I was here?”

“That’s what she told me.”

“How could she know that—unless she’s watching?” Amanda walked over to the window and pulled the curtain aside to glance up and down the street. Finally she allowed the curtain to fall back into place. “There are cars parked all the way down the street as usual, but I didn’t see anyone sitting inside one.”

“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.”