Fatal Charm

“I’ll be there.” Tony felt as if a great weight had landed on his shoulders. He knew what he had to do. Although he’d never betrayed a friend before, he had no choice now. He wouldn’t risk blowing everything by giving the kidnappers false information.

“By the way, once I get you inside, remember to duck your head. I don’t want your mug showing up on the surveillance cameras. All I’ll have to say then is that you’re one of my more nervous informants.”

“No problem.”

Raymond stared pensively across the room. “Have you considered the possibility that pursuing this lead could take you someplace you don’t want to go?” Raymond asked quietly. “Are you prepared to face the worst, if it comes to that?”

Tony met his friend’s gaze, using all the willpower he had to shutter his emotions. “You still don’t believe she’s alive.”

“No, I don’t. If she were, they would have used her before now.”

Recognizing the grain of truth in Raymond’s words made his gut clench, but he knew he had to see it through. “I’ve got to know either way.” Tony stood up. “One more thing. I’d like you to do a full background check on Amanda Vila.”

“Good idea. I was about to suggest it myself.”

As they reached the door, Tony’s pager went off. He glanced down. “It’s Amanda’s number.” Tony spotted a public phone near the cash register and went directly to it. Amanda picked up the phone on the first ring.

“Did you get a description of the car?” Tony asked after hearing her story. “Okay, don’t worry about it. Sit tight. I’m on my way.”

Tony glanced back at Raymond. “We’ve got trouble.”

* * *

TONY ARRIVED ALONE at Amanda’s less than fifteen minutes after her call. Raymond would come by shortly after handling a few necessary details. As he glanced around the living room, he measured the damage. The center of the wood-framed picture window that faced the front yard had been reduced to a pile of glass shards scattered over the tile floor. A large rock lay near the wall, where it had come to rest. The rough, porous surface of the volcanic rock left him convinced no prints could be lifted from it.

Tony glanced up at Amanda. Her face was gray, as if someone had dusted it with ashes, but she was still very much in control of herself. His admiration for her grew. “Do you ever have any vandalism in your neighborhood?”

Amanda shook her head but remained silent.

“Well, actually we do, but nothing like this,” Bernice volunteered.

“What do you mean?” Tony’s gaze fastened on Bernice. “If you know something, don’t hold back now.”

Bernice nodded, then continued reluctantly. “Last week someone slashed my tires. Right in front of my house, too. I thought it was Jerry, my neighbor’s son, since he and my husband had argued about his speeding down the lane.”

“Does he know you and Amanda are good friends?” Tony asked.

“Yes, but I doubt this had anything to do with that,” Bernice said. “It’s just too far a stretch.”

Amanda put her hand on Bernice’s arm. “I think the same would apply to us linking this to the kidnapper. It doesn’t make sense, not in that context.”

She started to say more, when a knock sounded on her open door. “Are you okay, Amanda?” Ricky Biddle came into the room. “I was out for a run, and I saw all the cars and the broken window.”

“Hello, Ricky.” Amanda forced a thin smile. “We’re all fine. Thanks for asking.”

“You’re going to need help fixing that,” he said, glancing at the smashed window. “I can call my brother’s hardware store. It’s late, but he’d open up for me. I’m sure I can get everything you need delivered, and we’d have a new window up in no time.”

Amanda looked tempted by his offer, but she hesitated. Tony watched her for a second, then his gazed shifted to Biddle.

Tony could sense the guy was interested in Amanda and wanted to get her attention. Though it was perfectly obvious to Tony that Biddle wasn’t her type he decided to step in anyway. “Don’t worry, Mr. Biddle. Amanda will have plenty of help here this evening.”

Amanda shot Tony an angry look. “I can speak for myself.”

Tony clamped his mouth shut realizing he’d made a tactical error and hoping she wouldn’t invite Biddle in just to spite him.

Amanda glanced back at Ricky and smiled. “I appreciate your offer, but it’s really not necessary. I can tape something over the opening for tonight. There’ll be time for a thorough repair tomorrow during daylight. I’ll have someone come and fix it.”

“But...”

Tony approached Ricky, eyeing him carefully. The guy bugged him. His neat blue jogging suit had been chosen more for style than practicality, and if the guy had ever actually worked up a sweat in it, Tony would have been surprised. “Do you always go jogging at this time?”

“Oh, yeah. I work mainly in the mornings and goof off in the afternoon and evenings.”

“What do you do for a living, Mr. Biddle?”

Ricky gave him a suspicious look. “Who are you? The IRS?”

“It’s okay, Ricky,” Amanda said. “He’s a friend.”

Ricky’s shoulder sagged slightly. “I develop and program computer games. Have you ever played Cannibal Cafeteria?”

Tony stared at the guy, wondering what, exactly, he found so irritating about him. “No, I’m not much into games.”

“Well, Cannibal is one of the most popular simulations on the market,” Ricky said with a shrug.

“Did you happen to see someone hanging around here earlier, or maybe notice an unfamiliar car speeding down the road?”

“No, I wish I had.” Ricky glanced at Amanda. “I’ll come by and check on you every once in a while, if that will help.”

“Thanks, but it’s really not necessary, Ricky,” Amanda answered. “I’m sure this was an isolated incident.”

Tony watched Biddle. He was continually glancing around, unable to stand still, like some hyperkinetic kid. Tony schooled his face into polite neutrality and used his best authoritative tone. “Everything’s under control here, Mr. Biddle.”

Amanda led Ricky back toward the door. “Thanks for stopping by, Ricky. I’ll make sure to call you later, okay?”

“Do that.”

“Okay. It’ll be just as soon as I have a free moment.”

Once Ricky left, Amanda went over to Tony. “What exactly were you trying to pull? Didn’t you think I’d have enough sense to know that Ricky would be in the way if the kidnappers called?”

“I was taking charge of the situation before any problems cropped up.” That was only a partial reason. The fact was he didn’t want Biddle around Amanda, though he was at a loss to explain why he’d taken such an instant dislike to the guy.

Bernice began working pieces of glass loose from the window frame in preparation for covering the hole. “Ricky makes me nervous every time I see him.”

“He’s okay,” Amanda said with a thin smile. “He just tries too hard. The poor guy works and lives all alone. All he seems to have for company is that rottweiler of his. He’s probably just lonely.”

Tony shrugged. “Does he come by your house often?”