23

After so many failed attempts to get the necklace, Joel couldn’t believe he held it in his hands. That Bailey had just handed it to him. There had to be a catch. Maybe it was a trap. No. He was the only one who knew the locket contained the numbers to Edward’s offshore account. Now he wouldn’t have to turn Bailey over to those men. He’d wire the money as soon as he booted up his computer.

He stepped off the elevator and hurried to his car. He had to find a Wi-Fi spot. Maybe a McDonald’s. No, not a public place. The bed-and-breakfast. He’d go there where no one could tap into his computer.

Ten minutes later, he parked and hurried into the house.

Kate was coming down the stairs. “How are our sick folks?”

“Better. I think Maria is coming home in the morning.” He took off his overcoat and scarf. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me.”

He opened the locket and removed Claire’s photo. Using a magnifying glass from his briefcase, he copied down the numbers etched in the white gold. He hadn’t even been close.

Once he had the computer connected to the internet, he hesitated. This was it. Weeks ago he’d opened an account with a different Switzerland bank. All he had to do was tap into the account and transfer the money.

He licked his lips. How much did he want to take? If Edward ever found out it was him, it wouldn’t matter whether he took a half million or five million. His boss would kill him all the same. And five million had such a nice, even sound to it.

His fingers shook as he typed in the website, then filled in the user name. He made it past the first level of security. But he’d been here before. He sucked in a breath and held it as he typed in the account number then the password and hit enter.

ACCESS DENIED. ILLEGAL ATTEMPT. Red flashed across his screen, and a warning buzzer screamed from the speakers.

Joel’s mouth gaped. A band tightened across his chest, cutting off his breath. What happened? He had the right numbers. And he typed it in right, he was certain of that. He slammed the computer shut, and the buzzer stopped. Carefully, he reopened it and stared at the screen. How could he be denied access? The numbers had worked before.

Edward changed the account number or password. Joel hadn’t even considered he might do that. He slumped back in the chair, resting his head in his hand. Was it possible Edward discovered he’d tried to access the account?

No, otherwise Joel would be dead. It was probably normal procedure to change the numbers periodically. He beat his fist against the bed. If only he’d been able to get the necklace earlier.

What was he going to do now? Maybe he could ask Edward for a loan. His shoulders slumped. If he did that and his boss knew someone had tried to get into his offshore account, he would know it was Joel. Edward probably wouldn’t loan him any money, anyway.

“But now I want more. The Montoya girl and Bailey Adams.”

The man’s demand rang in his ears. He had no choice now, but he still didn’t understand why the man wanted Bailey. Because she knew something . . . or she’d crossed someone. It didn’t matter. They wanted both of them, and delivering them was a way to get the cartel off his back.

Almost on cue, his cell phone rang. The same number as earlier flashed on the caller ID. With sudden clarity, he realized if he was coming out of this situation alive, he had to go on the offensive. Don’t answer it. Make them sweat a little.

Finally it stopped, only to start again.

He punched the answer button. “Hello?”

“When do you plan on delivering the Adams woman to the Eagle’s Nest?”

“I told you, she’s never alone. If you want them, you’re going to have to help me.”

Silence stretched between them.

“And this has to go down in such a way that no one can ever suspect that I’m responsible for their disappearance.”

“Getting a little cocky, aren’t you? Don’t forget you owe us money.”

Anxiety inched into his spine. He squared his shoulders. He’d faced worse and won, he’d just momentarily forgotten it. “Do you want them or not?”

Angel thought Edward would never leave, but at last he had put on his long overcoat.

He stepped to the bed and leaned over, kissing the sleeping child on the cheek. “Good night, little one.”

Maria blinked open her eyes. “Tio. Don’t go. You didn’t tell me a story yet.”

“He can tell you one tomorrow when he comes,” Angel said.

“No.” She smiled at his uncle. “Tell me about the eagle and the chickens.”

A slow smile spread across Edward’s face. “You remembered.” He turned to Angel. “You don’t mind . . . ?”

Angel curbed his impatience. “No, tell her the story.”

Edward took off his coat and sat on the side of the bed. “Many years ago, high on the mountain, there was an eagle’s nest with four eggs in it. One day an earthquake shook one of the eggs out, and it rolled down the mountainside onto a chicken farm.” He stopped and raised his eyebrows. “Now what do you think the chickens did?”

“They took care of the egg,” she said softly.

“Yes, they did, and eventually a beautiful eagle was born. And, since the chickens were chickens, they raised the young eagle to be a chicken too. But as he got older, the eagle watched up in the sky as other birds soared high in the air. ‘What is that?’ the eaglet asked. ‘Why, that’s an eagle,’ the hens answered. ‘The king of birds. He belongs in the air, but we are chickens—’”

“And chickens belong on the ground,” Maria said, lowering her voice.

“Yes,” Edward said. “But what happened next?”

“The eagle decided he didn’t want to be a chicken,” she said, her eyes brighter than they’d been all day.

Edward laughed. “That’s right. What happened next?”

“He tried to fly!”

“That’s right,” Edward said. “And after a while, he did, because he was really an eagle, and one day he flew off and never came back because he would never be happy being a chicken.”

“But he came back to say thank you to the chickens who raised him,” she finished proudly.

“Very good. And now I must go, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Angel didn’t quite remember the story the way Edward told it, but he liked this ending better. He stared at his uncle, unable to connect the man he remembered from his youth to the one who had just told his daughter that story.

A light tap at the door drew Angel’s attention, and he eased to the door as Edward bent over to hug Maria. Danny. “Come on in. How’s Solana?”

“That’s what I came over for—to give you a chance to check on her for yourself. And to tell you—oh, Mr. Montoya, I didn’t know you were here.”

“Just leaving.” He held out his hand, and Danny shook it.

“Uncle Danny! Did you come to see me?”

A gentle smile tugged at Danny’s lips. “Of course I did. Do you feel better?”

“Mm-huh.”

He glanced at Angel.

“The doctor was by earlier. Evidently she had a fairly light case of food poisoning, and he’s going to let her go home in the morning after a chest x-ray.” His friend seemed antsy, more than he’d seen him since they’d arrived in Logan Point.

“Why don’t you go see Solana, and then we’ll talk?” Danny said. “I’ll stay with our girl.”

Edward frowned. “You could have gone while I was here.”

“Then I wouldn’t have heard that interesting take on the eagle.” He wasn’t ready to leave Maria with his uncle. “Tell me what’s bothering you first,” he said to Danny. “Is it the sheriff?”

“No. Well, that’s bothering me, but it isn’t what I want to discuss with you.” Danny glanced at Edward.

His uncle cleared his throat. “Perhaps I should leave . . . unless this is about my great-niece. Those men who tried to take her—have they been seen here?”

“Perhaps we should step outside into the hallway?” Danny said, raising his eyebrows.

Angel glanced at his daughter, who seemed much too interested in what they were talking about. “The nurse said something about a bath. Let me see if they can do it now.”

He pressed the call button and explained what he wanted when someone answered.

Out in the hall a few minutes later, Angel waited for Danny to explain.

“I don’t think Maria was ever really in danger,” Danny said. “I think it was Bailey all along.”

“What are you talking about?” Angel said. To know his daughter wasn’t the object of kidnappers . . . he couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

Danny folded his arms across his chest. “The weekend before she was to return to the States, Bailey visited a friend in the small village where she was a missionary. She encouraged her friend to continue teaching these Bible classes—the same classes Bailey was forced to abandon because she crossed the local priest. Her mission board pulled her out after this priest put rattlesnakes in her car. Her friend is dead, probably at the hands of the priest.”

Edward frowned. “Was he a real priest?”

“I don’t think so. More shaman than anything else.”

Angel had heard of men like Danny spoke of.

“Sometimes these priests have a lot of control over villagers, and they don’t like their authority challenged,” Edward said. Then he took a card from his coat and handed it to Angel. “I have things to attend to. Call me if Maria becomes ill again.”

When Edward was out of hearing range, Danny gave him an apologetic shrug. “Sorry if telling my dad you were here at the hospital with Maria caused you grief.”

“No. Perhaps I was wrong about him, and perhaps not, but I do see a different side of him when he is with Maria. Did the sheriff come to see you?”

Danny’s face darkened. “He picked up my gun, said he’d have it back by morning.”

Angel nodded toward Solana’s room down the hall. “Who’s the guy sitting outside by the door wearing a big gun?”

Danny’s lip curled. “Wade Hatcher, Ben’s chief deputy. He’ll be here until our guns are returned.”

“Good.” Angel slapped Danny on the back. “You can go home and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not trusting anyone to guard Bailey except me. Now go see Solana so I can get back in there.”