"Are you alone?"

` "Jack is right here with me."

"Anybody else`? What about Esme Fong?"

"She's upstairs in the living room."

"Okay," Myron said. "I'll need to hear the call."

"Hold on. Jack is plugging the machine in now. I'll put you on the speaker so you can hear."

Chapter 7

The tape player was snapped on. Myron heard the phone ringing first. The sound was surprisingly clear.

Then he heard Jack Coldren: "Hello?"

"Who's the chink bitch?" `

The voice was very deep, very menacing, and definitely machine-altered. Male or female, young or old, it was anyone's guess.

"I don't know what "

"You trying to fuck with me, you dumb son of a bitch? l'll start sending you the fucking brat in little pieces."

Jack Coldren said, "Please "

"l told you not to contact anyone."

"We haven't."

' 'Then tell me who that chink bitch is who just walked into your house."

Silence.

"You think we're stupid, Jack?"

"Of course not."

"So who the fuck is she?"

"Her name is Esme Fong," Coldren said quickly.

"She works for a clothing company. She's just here to set up an endorsement deal with my wife, that's all."

"Bullshit. ' '

"It's the truth, I swear."

"l don't know, Jack .... "

"I wouldn't lie to you."

"Well, Jack, we'll just see about that. This is gorma cost you."

"What do you mean?"

"One hundred grand. Call it a penalty price."

"For what'?"

' 'Never you fucking mind. You want the kid alive? lt's gonna cost you one hundred grand now. That's in "

"Now hold on a second." Coldren cleared his throat.

Trying to gain some footing, some degree of control.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"You interrupt me again and I'm going to stick your kid's dick in a vise."

Silence.

"You get the money ready, Jack. One hundred grand.

I'll call you back and let you know what to do. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Don't fuck up, Jack. I enjoy hurting people."

The brief silence was shattered by a sharp, sudden scream, a scream that jangled nerve endings and raised hackles. Myron's hand tightened on the receiver.

The phone disconnected. Then a dial tone. Then nothing.

Linda Coldren took him off the speaker. "What are we going to do?"

"Call the FBI," Myron said.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"I think it's your best move."

Jack Coldren said something in the background. Linda came back on the line. "Absolutely not. We just want to pay the ransom and get our son back."

No point in arguing with them. "Sit tight. I'll call you a back as soon as I can."

Myron disconnected the call and dialed another number.

Lisa at New York Bell. She'd been a contact of theirs since the days he and Win had worked for the goverment.

"A Caller ID came up with a number in Philadelphia,"

he said. "Can you find an address for me?"

"No problem," Lisa said.

He gave her the number. People who watch too much television think this sort of thing takes a long time. Not anymore. Traces are instantaneous now. No "keep him on a little longer" or any of that stuff. The same is true when it comes to finding the location of a phone number.