"Fine," she said curtly.
"I mean it, Bryn. I'm very sorry. I never should have snapped at you like that."
She glanced at him, unable to ease the anguish he had evoked in her heart. "I said fine."
He had pulled the van into her driveway behind Barbara's car. Bryn started to hop out before he had put it into Park. She heard him swearing that she was a little idiot as he pulled the key from the ignition, but she was already halfway to the door, which had opened, as Barbara, expecting them,peeked her head out.
And then Bryn forgot about the petty quarrel that had cast her into an emotional turmoil.Because even as she reached the porch, the phone began to ring.
She met Barbara's panicked eyes, froze for a split second,then rushed into the kitchen. On the fifth ring she breathlessly grabbed the receiver.
"Hello?"
She heard husky, macabre laughter. "Miss Keller?"
"Yes."
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven;All good children go to heaven!"
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"No! No!" she screamed hysterically into the receiver, tears stinging her eyes and spilling over onto her cheeks. She could barely hold the phone. She was going to drop it; she was going to fall, cast into darkness by fear....
No, she wasn't going to fall. She was suddenly supported by strong arms; the phone taken from her hand.
"Listen, joker, whoever you are, you needn't bother with any more threats. This is Lee Condor--yes, I'm in on it. Obviously I'm in on it. What do you expect when my house is all shot up? But your problems are over. Just give the little boy back and the pictures are yours. No tricks. All we want is the boy."
Lee glanced down into her eyes as he listened to the whisperer. Then he laughed harshly. "Don't worry.
Bryn will be the one to bring them to you. I'll be completely out of the way. I'll put her on and you can negotiate the details."
He pressed the phone into her hand. She stared at him, and she felt as if some of his strength radiated into her. She brought the receiver to her mouth, and her voice was sure and strong.
"You'll get the pictures. I'll drop them wherever you want. But first I want to talk to Adam.Now."
She bit her lip and began to pray.
"AuntBwyn ?"
Tears filled her eyes again as she heard the pathetic little voice.
. "Adam! Oh, Adam! Are you okay, honey? Are you hurt?
Adam, talk to me!"
A jagged sob and a sniff came over the wire. "Not hurt. I want to come home, AuntBwyn . Want to come home."
"Oh, honey, you're going to come home! You're going to come soon. I promise! Adam? Adam?"
"See, Miss Keller?" The whisperer was back on. "He's just fine. And he'll stay that way as long as you cooperate. And make sure that your boyfriend does, too."
"We will cooperate!" Bryn cried out bitterly. "I've already told you that--"
"Yeah, I heard you. But I don't trust Condor, honey, so you keep him in line."
Bryn glanced nervously at Lee. She knew that he was purposely standing close enough to hear both sides of the conversation.
"Lee isn't going to interfere. He's promised me." The whisperer chuckled. "I told you that you charm your way into a man's good graces, Miss Keller. You just keep being charming. 'Cause remember, I'm good. One step I don'tlike, and I can get this little kid again.Or a bigger little kid. You can't watch them every second, Miss Keller. Keep that in mind."
"I want Adam back," Bryn said. "Where and how?" "You haven't messed with the negatives, have you, Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Miss Keller?"
Bryn glanced sharply at Lee, but replied with an exasperated sigh, "Of course not! When the hell would I have been able to?"
"Okay, honey, just see that you don't. 'Cause I'll be watching you, and I'll know. Now, when the time is right I want you--and you alone--to meet at the Cutter Pass--"
Bryn's startled scream cut off the whisperer's words as Lee yanked the receiver from her.
"Nothing doing," he told the caller angrily. "Then you'll have the pictures, the kid and Bryn. Think of something else. We don't want the damned pictures, but I sure as hell don't trust you, either."
"Lee!" Bryn gasped, horrified and furious. She'd happily go anywhere to get Adam back. Lee shook his head at her, his expression a dark scowl. She clawed at his hand, and he pulled her to him so that they could both hear.
"You got a suggestion I can trust, Condor?" the voice mocked.
"Yes. Yes, I do. Bryn can sit on that big red couch in the lobby of theMountain View. There's a pay phone there. I'll get the number. As soon as she learns that the boy is walking up to the porch here, she'll drop the pictures on the couch and leave."
"Uh-uh.Too public."
"She isn't going anywhere that isn't public." "What kind of guarantees do I have that someone else isn't going to be around? Like you, Condor." The whisperer laughed crudely. "I don't feel like getting scalped by some punk rocker."