The Target

the most incredible things to each other. He, Judge Ramsey Hunt, without hesitation, walked quickly down the corridor to where Louey Santera was still standing, alternately looking at Gunther and at his own toes.

    "Hey, Louey. How's tricks?"

    Louey managed to raise his head. "What do you want, you prick?"

    Ramsey smiled at him and said in the mildest of voices, "Molly creamed you good. I knew she was strong, but that was quite a demo. You must have really pissed her off."

    "She's really tough when her father's nearby or one of his goons. Can you imagine what Gunther would have done if I'd so much as breathed too hard on her? She knew. I had to stand here and let her hit me."

    Ramsey kept that smile on his mouth. He lifted Louey Santera up by his shirtfront, straightened him, and sent his fist into his jaw. Louey yowled, staggering back. Ramsey let him go and he hit the wall.

    "You're a real piece of work, you know that, Louey? There, that should give you something else to think about. I can't wait to see the back of you. And Molly's right, you know. Mason's just about ready to snap. I have a feeling that when he does, you'll be dead meat."

    "You're a bloody judge, a bloody federal judge, and just listen to you. Some officer of the court you are. I'll get you for assault and battery. I'll get you impeached and disbarred, you bastard. I'll get you."

    "Hey, you want to try to get me now? I'd sure welcome that, Louey. Anytime you want to play some more, you just come see me." He shook his head. "It looks right now like you hired a child molester to kidnap your own daughter. You probably didn't know that, but it just shows what a real winner you are. You're going to do big time for this, Louey, if you're involved, and that, only if you're lucky. Who knows, maybe I'll see you in my courtroom."

    "You're in San Francisco, idiot."

    "Yeah, but I've got lots of judge friends." Ramsey walked away whistling. He said over his shoulder, "Sleep well, Louey. Tomorrow will be here soon enough."

    He went to his bedroom. He didn't bother turning on the lights. He knew his way around now. He walked to the bed, lay down, and stared up at the black ceiling. Was Louey involved? It seemed fantastic to him. But on the other hand, the man didn't seem to have a moral bone in his skinny body.

    "You heard everything he said, didn't you?"

He jerked to a sitting position. "Molly? Why are you here, in the dark?"

    "Waiting for you. I saw you lift him off the ground and hit him in the jaw."

    "Between the two of us pounding him, just maybe he might dredge up a bit of humanity, although I doubt he can. Why did you ever think you loved him?"

    "I was nineteen years old and stupid."

    "And he was the big rock star."

    "Yes, and I was super-impressed. A friend of mine who knew him introduced us. You heard him. The only reason he asked me to go out with him was because I was Little Miss Sweet Innocence. I didn't go to bed with him that first night, and that was probably why he asked me out again. I didn't go to bed with him at all until one night I smoked marijuana, drank too much- Oh God, that sounds pathetic. Anyway, I just floated off with him to his bed." She shuddered with the memory of it.

    "Just leave it be, Ramsey. At least he gave me Emma. I would have danced with the devil if the result was Emma."

    "Of course you would have," he said, and rose from the bed. He could see her now, standing by the open window. There was a quarter moon, sending just a sliver of white light into the bedroom.

    She turned to face him. "You did hear everything he said, didn't you?"

    "Yes. It felt good to hit him, Molly. He's a miserable human being."

    "Do you really think he had something to do with Emma's kidnapping?"

    "Maybe. If he did, you hit it right on the head. He wanted his money back. But you know, I keep coming back to the same questions. Why all the professionals? Who was tracking us? Remember, the ransom note arrived after we'd gotten Emma back. I got the distinct impression that if they'd found us, we'd all be dead. Why? That wouldn't give them any ransom."

    "I know."

    They heard a scream, a high piercing cry that had them out of his bedroom in an instant and down the hall into Emma and Molly's bedroom.

    Ramsey stood back while Molly gathered Emma to her and rocked her. "It's all right, baby, really, it's all right. That's right, just breathe deeply now for Mama. You're okay. I'm here. Ramsey's here too."

    He sat down on the other