Amy looked up, her eyes haunted; yet still capable of casting their own spells. Kelly could see how any man—even an insensitive jerk like David Techer—could be bewitched by them. Yet Kelly believed her gaze deceptive. Amy was not innocent. She had lied during the interview. She had lied when her son’s life was at stake.

“What will happen next?” Amy asked.

“We suspect we’ll hear from the kidnapper and he’ll want a ransom.”

“How much?” David wanted to know.

“Probably a lot. My boss, Vicki Bane, will discuss the specifics with you.”

“What if we don’t hear from the kidnapper?” Amy asked.

“We almost always do,” Kelly said. “Usually within two or three days.”

“But what if we don’t?” Amy persisted in her exhausted little girl’s voice. “Could he kill Jimmy? Could Jimmy already be dead?”

“I honestly don’t think so. To you, this is a devastatingly personal attack. But to the kidnapper, this is just business. He’s stolen something you want back and he’s going to make you pay to get it back.”

Kelly ended on that note, went looking for Vicki, found her outside by the pool. She gave her boss a rundown on the interview. Vicki told her to press Amy more about her old boyfriends. Kelly promised to do her best.

Charlie reappeared fifteen minutes later and asked Kelly to walk with him. They ended up two blocks over in a cul-de-sac that pressed against a hill. Charlie pointed out a dirt trail. I.

“Feel strong enough to climb?” he asked.

“Don’t patronize me.”

“Then stop acting like you’ve got something to prove.”

She nodded. “Fair enough. Did the kidnapper take this trail?”

“Oh yeah.”

Charlie had been right to ask about her strength. Although not far, the climb was steep and she found herself easily winded. She was relieved when Charlie stopped in a cluster of bushes near the edge of the cliff. The view led straight into the Techer backyard. Kelly knelt and studied the ground.

“He took away the soil,” she said.

“True. A smart operator. I doubt we’ll even get skin.”

Kelly stood. “How long do you think he staked them out?”

“The neighbors saw no one, but I think he’s been around. When he struck, he was confident.”

“Do you think he knows them?” Kelly asked.

“Maybe. Here’s an interesting point. I talked to Lentil. That ladder we saw was not where they found it. Lentil had moved it to get in the Techer backyard.”

“What?”