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signs around town within the hour." He looked at Christa who was studying him closely.
    "I brought them here," she said. "The drives."
    "You drove here? In what?" She didn't look to be in any shape to be behind the wheel, and he couldn't believe she had gotten all four tires replaced that quickly.
    A faint smile crossed her lips and vanished. "The hard drives from the computer. That's what they want. I bet they'll call and want to trade for them."
    Kirk's gaze followed hers to the three small bundles on the loveseat. He had wondered who had dumped wadded-up maps there. "That's what they want? Not the entire computer?"
    "The housing, the case they go in, means nothing." She sat up straighter. "I brought them here so we'd have them to trade, but I also..."
    "How will they know where to call?" Hadley asked, looking at Christa.
    "Amy will give them this number," Frances said.
    "But before they do, I want to put each one into my computer and see what's on them. I thought they were empty the other day," Christa continued, "but there must be something there they want."
    "I can help," Frances said. Kirk regarded Christa, nearly speechless. How could she spend her time on computer bunk when Amy was missing?
    The phone rang. Kirk turned to Hadley. "Will the bug be on yet?"
    "At best a maybe," he said.
    "You pick up in the kitchen and I'll go to the bedroom," Kirk said to Frances as he ran down the hall.
    CHRISTA STOOD AND WALKED over to Frances as she picked up the phone. She wanted to hear this voice. Wanted to have it ingrained in her memory.
    "Hello," Frances said.
    "You the kid's mother?" The voice was gruff, yet youthful. Christa couldn't detect any particular dialect.
    "Yes," Frances said, firmly. "And I want her back."
    "We won't hurt her if you do what's smart."
    "What do you want?"
    "The three computers. We get 'em, you can have your kid."
    "We thought that might be it. My neighbor, the teacher, she took the hard drives off the computers and brought them here. We can get them to you in a matter of minutes."
    Frances gripped the phone with both hands, and Christa put her arm around her shoulders. If it were my daughter, I would be screaming at them, she thought. She could hear muffled talking on the other end of the line. The caller hadn't expected that response. Maybe she should have left the computers at the school. If anything happened to Amy...
    "That's good. That's the first smart thing any of you did." There was the gravely voice again. "In two hours, the teacher should bring the stuff to Crandic Park..."
    "I'll bring it!" Frances nearly shouted, and Christa gave her shoulder a light squeeze.
    "Only the teacher! We know what she looks like. Make sure the drives are well padded. She should come to the group of picnic tables near the entrance." The voice became more strident. "And she better be alone. If we see any cops, any at all, the deal's off."
    Christa thought she detected an East Coast accent. The longer the man spoke the harder it was for him to hide it. Or was he acquiring it as he talked?
    Hadley mouthed words to Frances and she nodded. "How do I know Amy's all right?" she asked.
    "She was scared at first, but I gave her a soda and put her in the bathroom. Don't want her lookin' at us." With that, the man hung up.
    Frances put her face in her cupped hands and Hadley grabbed her in a hug.
    Kirk came back to the kitchen, and Christa thought he looked like the one who needed a hug now. "No trace." He turned to Hadley. "Come on. We have to see how we can get that park staked out so no one will notice."
    "But..." Christa and Frances both said.
    "I know what they said. They won't know we're anywhere close." He kissed Frances on the cheek, then turned to Christa. "If you can work with those drives in a way that they can't tell, fine. We're talking about Amy's life here. Don't do anything that would make them angry."
    With that, Kirk left, and Christa felt as if he had rebuked her for trying to help. She turned to