Rogue Diamond (9 page)

Nick watched
her steadily without rai
si
ng an
eyebrow. "Had you ever lived in Mexico before?"

She shook her
head and chuckled softly. "I was
so
naive;
I did
n't dream Teresa'd have the babe
right here. In the States one normally goes to the hospital. That's what I assumed she'd do."

He smiled, understanding. "But she in
si
sted o
n
a midwife."

Alex nodded
affectionately. "Jenni was born
right in there."
She motioned to the small room
in the back of the house that Teresa and
Jenni
had shared. Abruptly, Alex changed the subject "While the coff
ee's brewing, let's go down that
list."

Nick read a couple of the names and Alex responded with whatever information she had.

"Dominga lives here in Hermo
si
llo during the week. She works for an English professor at the Univer
si
ty. She goes home to her village or weekends. Mari
a and her mother live about four
blocks away. Her mother is always
si
ck. Cecelia
has a little boy and works across the street in the pink house. It's all she can do to feed herself and her son. I feel sure that none of these people have a de
si
re for a
nother child. They're all strug
gling." She hoped her explanation convinced him that Teresa's friends couldn't pos
si
bly have taken Jenni.

"What about Dominga, who goes away on weekends?" Nick asked stubbornly.

"She goes home to her village where she has
si
x children of her own!"

Nick nodded
si
lently.

The rich aroma of fresh-ground coffee beans filled the room,
si
gnaling the coffee's readiness. Alex turned to set out two cups for their coffee. "Cream and sugar?"

Before Nick could answer, her phone rang.

"I'm okay
, thanks Rosemary.
I made it through the night. It seems strange and lonely without them here, but ..." She paused. "Yes, I'll be back at work tomorrow. No, I won't be able to make it ton
ight, but thanks for the invita
tion. Maybe tomorrow we can have coffee and talk? Fine. See you then." Alex
flipp
ed the phone
shut
. She had purposely saved this afternoon and evening in case Nick changed his mind and let her tag along to interview the witnesses.

When she returned to the
living room
, Nick was not in
si
ght. Where could he be? She moved
swiftly, following the shuffling sounds that came from an area
where Nick Diamond had no bu
si
ness. Teresa's room!

She halted in the doorway with a slight gasp. There he stood in the middle of the room, his broad back to her as he examined the place where Teresa and Jenni had lived for the last two years, where Jenni had been born.

"What are you doing in here?" Alex demanded resentfully. She hadn't been in
si
de the room
si
nce the accident. It felt a little strange to walk in, almost a sacrilege.

Nick turned around, a small brown teddy bear clutched guiltily in his hands. "Just looking. You say Jenni was born in here?"

With a clumsy lurch, Alex took the teddy bear from him. "You have no bu
si
ness in here! This was . . . is . . ." Her voice trailed away to a croak as she looked down at the frayed, well loved teddy bear in her hands. The brown, lumpy object blurred. "Dear God, I didn't want this to happen. Get out of here! Just get out right now!"

"Alex . . ." His voice was a gentle urging, but she wanted none of it. "I was only—"

She turned away
, hiding her
tears. Damn him, anyway
.
Just when she thought things were moving forward smoothly, he had pushed her to the edge of emotional disaster.

Nick's large hand reached out to her, a force of strength on her shoulder. "Alex, I need to know as much about them as pos
si
ble." And you, he almost added. "You'll just have to trust me."

Alex tried to jerk away from his touch but he remained steadfast. He felt secure and strong, and oh, God, she needed that right now. She fought the tears and tried to gather her depleted emotional reserve.

All she had left of the little girl she loved was this stuffed t
eddy bear
, along with other childhood toys
. And memories. The po
lice had all but dismissed the case. Now she had nowhere else to turn. Nick was right. She had to trust him, whatever his reputation or racket. At this point it didn't matter if he were involved in illegal activities. She was
so
desperate for his help
, she didn’t care
.

"This is all I have left of her, Nick. And she's so little . . ."

Nick wanted to pull her into his arms and feel her feminine softness around him. "Alex . . ." he whispered.

She lifted her chin ever so slightly. It was just enough to crumble the wall of restraint he had been struggling
with
all afternoon.
His arms went around her and he pulled her to his chest
.

She relented and slumped against him, letting the tears flow.
When she finally raised her head, she looked at him directly. Her eyes were filled with sorry, but her lips invited him with de
si
re.

Nick had watched those lips the last two days as they railed and pouted, smiled and quivered, until he thought he would die if he didn't taste them just once. But the taste was a seduction, a feast of honeyed sweetness which tempted him beyond reason. His tongue twisted lazily against the sen
si
tive inner edges of her mouth and Alex gasped at the brazen intru
si
on.

Her response was one of surprise—surprise
that she actually enjoyed the kiss, this intimacy with the man who jolted her senses so incredibly. Although she tried to push him away from her, she could feel her body growing limp against his.

Her lips allowed his entry and her breasts rose to be crushed against his chest. His hand pressed the small of her back, thrusting her body against his, and she felt
his rigid maleness straining be
tween them. Wildly, she wished there were no clothes separating them, just flesh against flesh. She could feel the heat of him and wanted to know the fire.

Alex moaned softly and tasted the minty warmth of his tongue. Oh, how she wanted to re
si
st him, to
shove him away, yet her body de
fied such action. Every fem
inine part of her be
trayed what her mind knew was right. From the first moment she saw Nick Diamond, she'd felt attracted to him, regardless of his reputation.

Oh, dear God, she had lost all sense of decorum with the man hired to find Jenni. She had allowed this kiss, maybe even invited it,
and certainly
relished it. As his lips moved sensually against hers, Alex vowed
si
lently that this would be the last time she would allow this kind of shameless expres
si
on between them. The valley between her breasts tingled with a new sensation that spread like wildfire to the very tips of her nipples.

Alex's arms felt weak as she clung to Nick. An embarras
si
ng warmth flooded her lower body, making her realize that she wanted this man, wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man, wanted him to make love to her.

But she couldn't let it happen.

Alex pushed weakly against his chest, and to her amazement, he raised his head.

"My God, Alex. I could take you now, you arouse me so."

"No, Nick," she muttered shakily. "Not . . . not now. It isn't right."

"Oh, yes, Alex. What I feel for you is just right. You feel it too."

"No. I don't."

"You're lying."

She stared at him. Nick was right. She'd never been so thoroughly aroused by any man, by any kiss. But she had to re
si
st. For both of them. Alex shook her head. Abruptly, he thrust her away.

Alex hugged her arms and realized she still clutched the t
eddy bear. She would have to re
member what it was like to be kissed by Nick Diamond, for this was the first, last, and only time it would happen.

"Alex, you must know I want you. From the minute we met, you could feel it. Standing in the rain that day, you were so damned sexy with that blouse clinging to you. Don't say you didn't want me to kiss you. To touch these." His hands cupped her breasts and his thumbs rubbed across her firm nippl
es. "See? You can't help but re
spond to me."

"No!" She took a step backward. "Nick, please. We have a job to do
. A baby to find." She straight
ened her blouse.

"I haven't forgotten about Jenni. You'll just have to trust me."

"I have no other choice, do I?"

"Of course. You always have a choice.
You can send me away.
"

She shook her head.
"
Y
ou're it, Nick Diamond."

He shifted a
way from her fresh-flowered fra
grance. "Let's have that coffee, Alex. And finish the list."

She nodded, placing the teddy bear back in Jenni's crib, and allowed him to steer her out of the room. Suddenly, Alex had to exercise a great deal of restraint to keep from burying her face against Nick's strong shoulder
again
and sobbing her heart out. But they had a job to do. Together, they would find Jenni. Alex had to believe it, just as she had t
o trust this man named Nick Dia
mond.

"I'd still like to go with you," she said as she poured the coffee.

"No. Not this time."

She gritted
her teeth. Boy, he was stubborn.
"What if you find her?"

"I
probably
won't. I'm just looking for information."

"Then why are you going through all this if you don't expect
to find her? I want her home to
night!"

"We have to be patient. And follow through."

She shoved th
e cup of coffee toward him. "Pa
tience is not one of my virtues. It isn't fair, Nick
.
It just isn't fair
.
"

Nick's large hands hovered around the coffee cup, as if harboring an inner rage. "No, Alex. It isn't. But give me time.
We’ll find her.
"

Alex looked into Nick's deep umber eyes and
saw an alarming viciousness. She knew that she would hate to be the object of his wrath.

Later, after Nick departed, Alex felt the strong urge to tell someone of her strange alliance with Nick. And yet, she didn't dare tell Rosemary. He had all but sworn her to secrecy and she didn't want to jeopardize his investigation. She reached for
her computer
. Carol lived in Phoenix. It would be safe to confide in her.

Email from
Hermo
si
llo, Mexico

To: Carol W

From: Alex J

Subject: Jenni

Carol,
I've met an American who has agreed to help me find Jenni.
He runs a charter airplane ser
vice. It isn't much of a bu
si
ness—takes tourists to Mayan temples
and over volcanoes. I can't de
cide if he's a hero or a heel. I'm told that he has contacts to do almost anything, and if he can help me find Jenni, that's all I ask.

It sounds crazy Carol, but I have confidence in this man.
I believe he'll find her. My spirits are higher tonight than any time
si
nce the accident.

Love,

Alex

CHAPTER FIVE

"How do you Americans say it . . . squeaky clean?"
Jose
smiled grandly and handed Nick the folder with Alex Julian's name penciled lightly on the corner.

Nick nodded, his eyes gleaming amber in the lamp's yellow glow. He stuffed several papers into the folder. "So are all her friends. These people have no
reasons to want another kid. Al
though most of them need money, I'd be damn surprised if they had any connections with the disappearance of this kid."

"You talked to all of them?"

"Yep. Mos
t are females who work as house
keepers, like Teresa did. I also talked with the Garzas, who are both professors at the Univer
si
ty and close friends with Alex Julian. Sam Garza was educated at the Univer
si
ty of Arizona in Tucson and worked there for a few years before moving back here. Rosemary is his American wife. She was present at Alex's house the night the child was born, so that part of the story is confirmed." He tapped the closed folder with the back of his large hand and pursed his lips. "Like you said,
Jose
, squeaky clean means no leads. How about you? Any luck with that list of witnesses?"

Jose
pressed his mas
si
ve b
ody into an over
stuffed chair and
scanned the sheet of paper list
ing names and addresses. The weak light from the lamp added golden highlights to his thick, dark hair and
elaborate mustache. "Without Padre Ramo
n's input, we would never have found all these people. I've seen most of the vendors and about half the other witnesses. So far, no information on this little Jenni or on knowledge of a baby ring."

"Or they're just not talking," Nick said tersely.

"That's pos
si
ble."
Jose
shrugged and tugged at the curly tip of his mustache.

"Did you talk to the man who runs the fruit stand? The o
ne who spoke to Alex that after
noon?"

"Jorge Alvarez is streetwise. Now, he may be holding back information, but so far, nada."

"You left your number, in case he changes his mind?"

"Of course." He pulled out the two snapshots of the large-eyed Mexican child. "What do you think,
Capitan
? Any chance of finding her?"

Nick ambled to the darkened window and looked out over the sparse lights of the city at night. "Don't know,
Jose
. She might be out there right now,
or she might be . . . hell, any
where!"

Jose
's brown eyes softened as he gazed at the photos. "Dios mio! She's
a
beautiful
child.
"

"Don't get soft on me,
Jose
," Nick
growled. "You know how this search might end if we find her."

"
Si
, Capita
n. I know.
More reason to find her, in a hurry.
"

Nick paced back and forth, stopping to ponder the light-studd
ed view again. His tall, broad-
shouldered form practically blocked the entire window. "I jus
t have a feeling this one's con
nected to a ring. A ring that sells babies. They happened to
make the mistake of getting in
volved with an American woman who won't let it drop. As much
as we've heard about the baby-
selling bu
si
nesses from Mexico into the States, this is the closest we've come to touching one. We have to pursue it."

Jose
watched the man stalking before him and saw the s
low-building, seething anger be
hind his umber eyes. Nick Diamond was a cool character, and as calm as he now appeared on the surface,
Jose
had never seen him so agi
tated.

"
Si
,
Capitan
. What next?"

"You finish interviewing the witnesses. I'll check with Alex again and see if she has any new leads. There's always the pos
si
bility of a ransom. Then we'll re
-
evaluate the
si
tuation. What do we have going tomorrow?"

"Nada."

"Good. Then we can work on those witnesses."

"But the next day, a tour of Mayan pyramids."

"Legitimate?"

"
Si
. A family from Kansas. Including the grandfather, who
's seventy-eight. Then, a Thurs
day night pick-up—"

"Not another bunch of coffins loaded with
God-knows-what.
"

"No, Capita
n."
Jose
chuckled. "This time, it's citrus. Grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes. Heading for Santa Barbara."

"Fruit
, yeah.
" Nick heaved a
si
gh. "It's hard for me to get excited about a load of damn
ed
fruit when we're on the trail of this baby
.
And I feel we're so close too
.
This'll have to be overnight. It'll delay us another day
.
"

"Thousands of dollars for uninspected citrus,
Capitan
."

"I know, and
that's why we're here. Never un
derestimate the power of the tiny fruit fly if it threatens the U.S. economy. Hell, in the early eighties the fruit fly was the governor of California's downfall, so they say. Yeah, I know it's important.
But this other thing has me dis
tracted.
”

Jose
watched Nick pace the floor with a glimmer in his dark eyes.
“
I wonde
r, Capita
n,
”
he mused,
“
if it's the tragic
si
tuation of the mis
si
ng baby, or the woman with the deep blue eyes that has you distracted?
”

Nick looked at him sharply.
"
That’s none of your damn bu
si
ness!
It's getting late. You'd better head home
before I –
"
He paused and caught
Jose
's eyes. "
Oh hell, g
ive my love to Yve
tte
and the little ones. Tell her how important your work
, our work,
is."

"
Si
,
Capitan. She understands. Hasta ma
ň
ana."

Jose
slipped out qui
ckl
y. Nick
stuffed his hands in his pockets and
stud
ied
the night view
from his window,
but his thoughts were
on a certain woman with blond hair, indigo eyes, and lips as soft as
si
lk.

"Your friend questioned me yesterday, Alex.
"

"What are you talking about, Rosemary?"

"The man with the scar on his cheek and the broad shoulders and wonderful mustache. The big one who b
reathes sex appeal! The Ameri
can." Rosemary smiled knowingly and stirred her coffee. "Why didn't you tell me you had hired a private eye to find Jenni?"

"I haven't. I mean, he isn't. He's . . . well, he's just someone who has agreed to help find her." It sounded lame, and Alex ducked her head and
si
pped her coffee. She had no idea that Nick would interview everyone on that list, especially her friends from the Univer
si
ty. But if he was thorough in his investigation, it made sense.

"Just someone you hired?" Rosemary scoffed with a grin. "Sure, Alex."

"Now, look. I to
ld you I was serious about find
ing Jenni. And the police reached a dead-end the first day. So I was forced to take matters into my own hands."

"And you did an
excellent job of it too!" Rose
mary leaned fo
rward with her elbows on the ta
ble. "Tell me about him, Alex. How did you ever find him?"

"I ... I can't tell you. That is . . . please don't ask me because I don't know very much about him.

"Now, tell m
e what's going on at the Univer
si
ty. After being gone several days, I can tell
something's brewing. I heard rumblings today but no one is willing to explain things to the professora gringa."

Rosemary was clearly disappointed that Alex wouldn't give
her more information on the in
triguing American, but obliged her friend with shoptalk. "I told you things were not smooth at work."

"But they ca
n't cut the Early Childhood pro
gram
.
It's too important
.
We've just gotten it off the ground. What will happen to those programs out in the field?" Alarm clouded Alex's eyes as she thought of
the two remote villages that de
pended on the Univer
si
ty's as
si
stance in running their child
development programs.

"I don't know what will happen. I don't even know if it's entirely true. As I said, it's a rumor. And you know how scuttlebutt flies among the staff just before budget time."

Alex had been so preoccupied during the last few days, s
he had forgotten everything con
nected to the Univer
si
ty: the grumbling faculty, the talk of a strike, her tenuous po
si
tion as an exchange profe
ssor. Her thoughts had been riv
eted to the accident and finding Jenni. This new turn of events could affect everything, including her search for her godchild.