effort to collect on the offer.”
“Not just anyone would have information about my whereabouts.”
And he didn’t like it.
“Who knew where you would be?” she asked. “Anyone you told, obviously. And the person who gave
you
the tip about the meeting.”
“I didn’t tell anyone, so that narrows the list of possibilities. The question is, why?”
“Brian and I thought you were being set up, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Pavón and the others had no idea you were there.”
“Brian,” he said. “That would be the man hiding on the other side of the cemetery?”
So he’d seen Brian, too. She nodded. “He works for Finders, too. We’d been out on a case and were on our way home when I got the call.”
Something was going on. It was almost as if she had been deliberately thrown in Diaz’s path. She didn’t have to read his expression to know what was going through his mind, because she was having the same thoughts.
“I’ll help you,” he said abruptly, and flowed to his feet. “I’ll be in touch.”
He left the office and a few seconds later they heard the sound of the outer door closing. Milla and Joann stared at each other, then turned as one and raced to the window to see where he went.
The stairs to the office were empty. So was the parking lot. There was no sign of him, and though Milla opened the door and listened for the sound of a car engine being cranked, she heard nothing. It was as if he’d disappeared.
“I know how he got out,” she said, bemused. “But how did he get in?”
“I don’t know,” Joann moaned, collapsing into the nearest chair. “My God, I’ve never been so scared in my life! He was probably already in here when I arrived. If he’d wanted, he could have done anything.”
Milla went from window to window, checking to see if any of them showed signs of being forced. She wasn’t a detective; nevertheless, she didn’t see any new scratch marks on the latches, nor were any of the windows broken. Whatever method he’d used for gaining entrance, he hadn’t left any obvious evidence of it.
Joann was visibly trembling. “I can’t believe you sat down and talked to him, as cool as pie. That’s the scariest man I’ve ever seen.”
“Did I look cool?” Milla swallowed and found herself a chair, too. “I couldn’t have. I was shaking so hard I could barely stand, so I had to sit down.”
“I didn’t notice. I thought he was going to kill us. His eyes—it was like looking at my own death.”
“But he didn’t kill us, and he gave us information I’ve been trying for ten years to get.” Milla closed her eyes. “Arturo Pavón. I have a name. Finally, I have a name! Do you know what this means?” Tears scorched her eyes and seeped from beneath her closed lids. “I have a real chance now of finding my baby; for the first time I have a chance!”
8
The fund-raiser in Dallas was more successful than she’d hoped; not only did the event produce money, but Finders also picked up a corporate sponsor, a software company that had promised to upgrade their computer system. Visions of new computers danced in Milla’s head, but that wasn’t what kept her awake in her hotel bed that night.
Excitement zinged through her every time she thought of what had happened that morning. She felt as if she had plunged headlong into a fire and emerged unscathed; she was almost giddy with hope. She wanted to call David, wanted to tell him that at last she was making real progress, that she had the kidnapper’s name and an expert—what else could she call Diaz?—was helping her locate him. She wanted to share her elation with someone, and who better than Justin’s father?
But that was a call she refused to let herself make. David wasn’t her husband now. He had another family, and Milla was very wary about intruding on it. She didn’t know, and wouldn’t ask, if David’s wife had a problem with the money he gave her every year. As much as possible Milla had
“Not just anyone would have information about my whereabouts.”
And he didn’t like it.
“Who knew where you would be?” she asked. “Anyone you told, obviously. And the person who gave
you
the tip about the meeting.”
“I didn’t tell anyone, so that narrows the list of possibilities. The question is, why?”
“Brian and I thought you were being set up, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Pavón and the others had no idea you were there.”
“Brian,” he said. “That would be the man hiding on the other side of the cemetery?”
So he’d seen Brian, too. She nodded. “He works for Finders, too. We’d been out on a case and were on our way home when I got the call.”
Something was going on. It was almost as if she had been deliberately thrown in Diaz’s path. She didn’t have to read his expression to know what was going through his mind, because she was having the same thoughts.
“I’ll help you,” he said abruptly, and flowed to his feet. “I’ll be in touch.”
He left the office and a few seconds later they heard the sound of the outer door closing. Milla and Joann stared at each other, then turned as one and raced to the window to see where he went.
The stairs to the office were empty. So was the parking lot. There was no sign of him, and though Milla opened the door and listened for the sound of a car engine being cranked, she heard nothing. It was as if he’d disappeared.
“I know how he got out,” she said, bemused. “But how did he get in?”
“I don’t know,” Joann moaned, collapsing into the nearest chair. “My God, I’ve never been so scared in my life! He was probably already in here when I arrived. If he’d wanted, he could have done anything.”
Milla went from window to window, checking to see if any of them showed signs of being forced. She wasn’t a detective; nevertheless, she didn’t see any new scratch marks on the latches, nor were any of the windows broken. Whatever method he’d used for gaining entrance, he hadn’t left any obvious evidence of it.
Joann was visibly trembling. “I can’t believe you sat down and talked to him, as cool as pie. That’s the scariest man I’ve ever seen.”
“Did I look cool?” Milla swallowed and found herself a chair, too. “I couldn’t have. I was shaking so hard I could barely stand, so I had to sit down.”
“I didn’t notice. I thought he was going to kill us. His eyes—it was like looking at my own death.”
“But he didn’t kill us, and he gave us information I’ve been trying for ten years to get.” Milla closed her eyes. “Arturo Pavón. I have a name. Finally, I have a name! Do you know what this means?” Tears scorched her eyes and seeped from beneath her closed lids. “I have a real chance now of finding my baby; for the first time I have a chance!”
8
The fund-raiser in Dallas was more successful than she’d hoped; not only did the event produce money, but Finders also picked up a corporate sponsor, a software company that had promised to upgrade their computer system. Visions of new computers danced in Milla’s head, but that wasn’t what kept her awake in her hotel bed that night.
Excitement zinged through her every time she thought of what had happened that morning. She felt as if she had plunged headlong into a fire and emerged unscathed; she was almost giddy with hope. She wanted to call David, wanted to tell him that at last she was making real progress, that she had the kidnapper’s name and an expert—what else could she call Diaz?—was helping her locate him. She wanted to share her elation with someone, and who better than Justin’s father?
But that was a call she refused to let herself make. David wasn’t her husband now. He had another family, and Milla was very wary about intruding on it. She didn’t know, and wouldn’t ask, if David’s wife had a problem with the money he gave her every year. As much as possible Milla had
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