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progression,
encountering what she had expected to find since the beginning of
her foolish mission: a dead end. She had followed Liset's voice
through several hallways, seeming to wind toward the interior of
the building. As she peered out from the recessed doorway where she
stood, Tessa watched as a sliver of light appeared, and she heard
the closing click of a door followed by silence.
    Futility, she chastised herself. It seemed her mission
would end here; she couldn't very well knock on the door and
confront Liset directly. In light of what she had heard in the
passageway, Tessa thought that such an action would prove not only
rude, but possibly unwise. With her spotty knowledge of Spanish,
she had heard some things on the way down the halls that magnified
her concern.
    “Yo se ,
yo se ,” Tessa had heard Liset say. “ Trabajo por usted, pero no puedo
esperar hasta el hace algo malo. Tengo que
pararle !”
    “I work for you,” Liset had said. Did she have another job she
hadn't told Tessa or Merritt about? Of
course, Liset could have spoken to Merritt at that moment, though
Tessa could think of no reason for such an exchange, especially
considering the subject matter. Someone was at someone's
house. Okay, so what?
    “I can't wait until he does
something bad”? Tessa could derive nothing from the conversation
that made sense.
    Liset, the college student and nanny, was
speaking to her “boss” about a person who might do something
bad.
    And “ Tengo que pararle”? Liset had to stop someone? Who? And how could Liset stop anyone
from doing anything? 5'2” and barely breaking 100 pounds, Liset
didn't look as if she could impede a kitten if it wanted to go
somewhere,
    Suddenly, a knock shattered Tessa's reverie
and sent her heart racing into her throat. She knew that no one had
passed her on the way down the hall, but she couldn't help fearing
discovery. Pressing herself against the side wall of the threshold
where she stood, she again held her breath, afraid that the noise
of the air moving through her lungs would betray her presence.
    Liset's hiss pierced through the darkness.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded angrily, her slight Spanish
lisp deepened by the intensity of her words.
    In answer, a deep male voice laughed.
    “I came to see you, of
course.” The rich baritone voice carried easily down the hallway,
a faintly foreign accent tinging the
tone . French,
again? Tessa wondered to herself with
curiosity.
    “Sssh! Someone will hear you!” came Liset's
terse reply. “You shouldn't have come here, especially after what
you did today. You're lucky I don't incapacitate you on the
spot.”
    “If you would invite me in, no one would see
or hear me.” Though the man spoke casually, Tessa noted a latent
urgency in his tone, and her curiosity billowed.
    This time Liset laughed, though in a subdued
tone. “Do you think I'm a fool? Your evasive manner may have some
convinced of your abilities, but I am not impressed. I have no
certainty with whom your loyalty lies, and I won't bet on what I
don't understand. Even now, I would barricade myself in my
apartment if I weren't afraid you might find a way to betray my
presence here.”
    “As if I could not force my way in,” he
laughed again. “But if I were to believe rumors, you might prefer
that I did?”
    At this, Tessa heard a sharp blow felled,
followed by another deep laugh.
    “That was for my honor. I
won't allow you to sully my reputation,” Liset countered. A slap, Tessa thought,
her mind now processing the sound. “Do not make me forget myself or
you will suffer more serious repercussions.”
    “You are very sure of yourself,” the deep
voice countered, faltering slightly.
    Liset barked a laughed, “Considering what you
know about me, I doubt you have as much boldness as you
portray.”
    Again, Tessa wondered at
the thought. Why would a man have
something to fear from little Liset, the gentle young woman with
whom I entrust my children every