“Out!” he growled.
“Okay, okay,” she said, throwing up her arms in mock defeat before walking away.
Right before lunch, the elevator doors opened and Boyd got off. Jessie saw him as he walked through the office double glass doors toward her desk.
“Anything new, Detective?”
“Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” he asked.
“There’s the break room. I don’t think anyone is using it right now.” Jessie led him to the small room. It was empty and they pulled up a couple of chairs and sat down at the table.
“Were you able to get a hold of Dariel’s sister?” Jessie asked.
Boyd nodded. “I did. We had a long conversation. She seems like a nice lady. Hasn’t talked to her brother for a number of years. I guess her husband and Thomas didn’t get along. She was in shock when I told her he had a child.”
“So what now?”
“She wants to come and get her niece. The trouble is, her husband is scheduled to have major heart surgery in a couple of days, so it will be about two weeks before she can make the trip.”
“What happens to Lilly in the meantime?” Jessie asked.
“Mary Gilmore can tell you more about it than I can,” the detective said.
“Did the sister make arrangements for her brother and sister-in-law?”
“After the autopsy on Dariel is completed, they’ll both stay in the morgue until she gets here.” He hesitated.
“Anything else you want to tell me?” she inquired.
“We went back to the house, checked everything this morning. We’re pretty sure we know where Dariel hid the money.”
“You got it?” Jessie asked leaning forward in anticipation.
“We found out where it was hidden prior to being retrieved.”
Jessie frowned. “It’s gone?”
Boyd nodded.
“Where was it?” Jessie asked.
“The couch in the living room was tipped over and the bottom liner ripped off. Inside was the corner of a new hundred-dollar bill caught on a spring.”
Jessie’s eyes widened. “And they didn’t see this during the previous search?”
Boyd’s face turned red. “The search warrant didn’t allow us to destroy his furniture, Jessie. Looks like Dariel removed the material covering the bottom of the couch, stashed the money inside, then stapled or nailed it back shut.”
“And you think someone beat the information out of him before he was killed?”
Boyd nodded. “More likely.”
“I wonder if he gave them the location of the diamonds,” Jessie pondered.
“From the extent of damage inside the house, we think it was more than one person searching for them. Maybe they found them.”
Jessie shook her head. “No, Dariel made it very clear to me the diamonds were not in the house, and I believed him. He had no reason to lie about it.”
The detective drummed his fingers on the table. “All right. Then let’s say he didn’t reveal where the diamonds are. Only disclosed the location of the money, knowing they could find it anyway. Led them to think the gems were there as well.”
Jessie considered it for a moment. “Maybe he was clinging to the notion he would survive the attack. To lose the money and the diamonds could end his chances of making a deal and get Lilly back. Regardless, we don’t know where the diamonds are, either, do we?”
The detective nodded. “If we went over his conversation with you once more, in detail, maybe it would help.”
Jessie shrugged. “I’m telling you, he was not going to talk until his charges were dropped.”
“Let’s do it anyway,” he insisted.
“Okay,” she agreed with a sigh.
They went back over everything for fifteen minutes with nothing new surfacing. After he left, Jessie considered her next move. If Art was right, maybe she should be worried the men wanting the diamonds might come after her. Hopefully they didn’t know about her.
Engrossed in her thoughts, she nearly jumped out of her chair when Lonnie tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to lunch. They walked a couple of blocks to the Cheese Cake factory, and Jessie scanned the menu absentmindedly before settling on a salad. Lonnie ordered a burger with everything. He eyed her suspiciously as the waiter walked away.
“Don’t tell me you’re on a diet again. You’re way too skinny already.”
“No, I’m just not hungry, too many things going through my mind.”
“Like what?”
She told him about Dariel.
“That poor kid. Did you talk to the sister?” Lonnie asked.
“Not yet. I have to check with Mary Gilmore to see if Lilly will stay at the same foster home. They can’t ferry her around different places on top of everything else. It would be too hard on her.”
Lonnie gave her an inquiring look. “Have you considered playing mom for a while?”
Jessie nodded. “I wanted to keep her that first night. They wouldn’t let me. You have to be vetted. It involves an investigation and background check. They don’t entrust a child to just anyone, which is a good thing. I guess. Lonnie, even if I could take her, what about my job? And I don’t know how to take care of a five-year-old. I’ve never been a parent. What about school and lunches and all that other stuff?”
Lonnie laughed. “There’s always a first time to be a parent. People don’t go to school for it, they learn on the job. Although I must admit, it would be a good idea to make people take parenting classes before they even have a child. Take my parents, for example. If they had been told there was a possibility their child could be born gay, I’m certain they would have opted out. Not everyone is equipped to handle what they may consider to be outside the norm.”
“Do you think you and Tom will ever adopt a child?”
Lonnie waved his fork at her menacingly. “Girl, don’t you dare bring that up. I like our lives just the way they are. Besides, being a pilot keeps him away from home way too much. I would not want to handle parenthood on my own, no thank you.”
“Then you see, raising a child is not so easy after all,” Jessie pointed out.
****
She sat at her desk going back over her information. According to Boyd, the men who ransacked the Thomas home left no fingerprints or DNA. So much for that. If they didn’t get their hands on the diamonds, and she was pretty sure they didn’t, most certainly they wouldn’t stop there. And having already committed two murders, it was obvious they would go to any length to get them back. At this point the question remained, who were these people?
Deep in thought, she almost missed her cell phone chirping. She grabbed it at the last minute. It was Sam Perrone.
“Hey Jessie, got a minute?”
“Yes, of course. What’s up, Sam?”
“You talked to Boyd about the Thomas case?”
“He came by earlier. I couldn’t help him,” she sighed.
“That’s why I’m calling you.”
Jessie sat up fully alert now. “What did you find out?”
“I got a call from a friend of mine who’s an Interpol Agent. It seems there was a diamond heist in France last month.”
“Really? I didn’t read anything about it.”
“According to my friend, a man was mugged and beaten in Paris’ business district. On the way to the hospital, he told the ambulance driver he was transporting valuable diamonds when he was robbed. A couple of hours later, when he was questioned by the police, he changed his story. He said the EMTs misunderstood him, he only carried a minimal amount of cash and some paperwork.”
“Mm…That’s strange.”
“After further questioning, they found out he worked for a company specializing in precious stones. And oddly enough, he was attacked after returning from a trip to the Central African Republic, a well-known source of conflict diamonds,” Perrone said.
“What are conflict diamonds?”
“Do you remember the stories about blood diamonds i
n the nineties?”
Jessie nodded. “Yes sure, there was even a movie about them.”
“Unfortunately, the smuggling never stopped, only now they call them conflict diamonds,” Perrone stated.
“So you think Dariel’s diamonds could have come from that heist?”
“It’s a possibility.”
“A case of a thief stealing from thieves.”
He chuckled. “One way of putting it.”
“Does Boyd already know this?” Jessie asked.
“I told him.”
“And he knows you’re telling me?”
“Yep.”
Jessie hesitated. “You’re my friend, Sam, and I appreciate every bit of information you can give me. I must say I’m a bit puzzled why you’re sharing this with me now.”
Perrone paused. “I have to ask you to hold off printing anything about this story until we get a better handle on who we’re dealing with.”
“Do you have any idea who this might be?” she asked.
“Right now, it’s not something we can disclose… yet.”
“You will let me know, as soon as you can?”
“You’re in. You have my word.”
“It’s a deal then.”
After talking to Perrone, Jessie thought it was clear the police had some type of lead they were unwilling to reveal. She turned to her laptop and googled a search for conflict diamonds. There was no lack of information.
Once the world became aware African diamonds were being used to fund civil wars resulting in thousands of deaths, a system called the Kimberley Process was established. Its purpose was to create “passports” for rough, uncut diamonds. Although the new procedure slowed down the smuggling of conflict diamonds, it did not stop it entirely. Continuing in that vein, she pulled up a different article, explaining that the value of diamonds was based on carat weight, clarity, color and quality of their cut. Colorless ones were usually considered among the most prized. Dariel had insisted the diamonds he had in his possession were indeed priceless. If that was correct, no wonder some individuals were eager to get their hands on them.
She glanced up to see if Art was at his desk. He stood nearby talking to one of the other reporters. As she got up, he took off toward the exit door and Jessie picked up the pace. She caught up with him as he was getting on the elevator.
“Wait, wait,” she shouted.
Art sighed and held the door for her. “This better be good. It’s late, I haven’t had lunch yet, and I’m famished,” he warned.
Jessie hesitated. “Do you want to take the stairs? It’s good exercise.”
Art stared at her as if she was crazy. “What? No! Are you getting on or not?”
Reluctantly, she stepped into the elevator. They were alone and she quickly relayed her talk with Perrone.
“Did you agree to hold the story?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I had to if I want them to keep me in the loop.”
He looked unconvinced. “I don’t know. I trust them about as far as I can throw them. In my present state of starvation, it wouldn’t be very far at all.”
Jessie persisted. “Art, what if some precious diamonds stolen in France ended up in Dariel’s possession? Think about it. An international jewelry heist involving thieves and killers. It could be a huge story. We’ve got to keep at it.”
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. They were on the ground floor, and Art took off in a rush. Jessie followed, not willing to let him get away. Suddenly he stopped and she almost ran into him. He sighed and shook his head.
“Go ahead, do it. Now, leave me alone,” he growled. Jessie barely hid a smile of triumph as Art dashed into his favorite deli across the street.
Chapter Ten
The house, a pink two-story with green shutters, faced a cul-de-sac. Visible in the fenced backyard was a swing set, and a child sized doll house. No one was outdoors. Jessie rechecked the address Mary Gilmore gave her, then pulled into the driveway. She killed the engine and waited. A few minutes later, the social worker pulled in behind her and walked up to her car smiling apologetically.
“Sorry, I got caught in the traffic. It’s a real bear getting across town this time of day. Are you ready?”
Jessie nodded and got out. “So I’ve been approved?” she asked.
The woman sighed. “Well…sort of…Nothing moves too fast when it involves the government, you know,” she explained. “However, I was able to get you some visitations for the short term.”
“Meaning I can take her places?”
Mary paused, then smiled reassuringly. “You can. At least for a few hours.”
“What about her parents? Does Lilly know yet?”
The woman shook her head. “Not yet, Jessie. I’m waiting until the aunt from Minnesota gets here next week. It’s going to be painful for her no matter how we do it.”
They went up a short flight of stairs to the front door. The sound of children’s laughter resonated throughout the house. Mary rang the doorbell and they stood waiting. A plump middle-aged woman appeared at the door, a little girl peering shyly at them from behind her skirt.
“Hello, Mary. Come on in,” the woman said with a welcoming grin. She turned to Jessie. “And you must be Ms. Milner.”
“Please call me Jessie.”
“I’m Annabelle,” the woman answered. She gently prodded the little girl to come out in full view. “And this young lady is Laura.”
They stepped into a spacious living room where Lilly sat on the floor, playing a board game with another other little girl about the same age. Her face lit up when she saw Jessie. She got up, ran up to her, and hugged her hips.
“You came to see me!”
They embraced and Annabelle invited them to sit down. Lilly climbed on Jessie’s lap, laying her head on her chest.
“Can you take me to see my mommy and daddy now?” she asked anxiously.
Jessie held her breath. The woman leaned over and stroked the child’s head gently.
“Not yet, Lilly. Listen, I have good news—you get to spend time with Jessie this afternoon.”
Lilly sat up. “Where are we gonna go?”
Jessie raised her eyebrows and asked, “Do you like animals?”
The little girl nodded excitingly.
“Well, you’ll love this place. There are birds, pigs, geese, rabbits and all kinds of other critters. You’ll see.”
Annabelle looked surprised. “Where is this?”
“The Wildlife Center where I volunteer,” Jessie said, then explained their rescue and rehabilitation program. “My friend Doris Anderson runs the Center. Thanks to her, lots of wounded animals get a second chance at life. If they can be healed successfully, most of them go back into the wild. Those who can’t make it on their own have a permanent home with us.”
The child clapped her hands in glee and Annabelle took her upstairs to change clothes.
Mary Gilmore stood up. “It’s time for me to go. I’m sure you and Lilly will have a great time together.”
Jessie got up and they hugged. “I know you had to pull some strings to make this possible, Mary, so thank you again.”
Lilly reappeared dressed in shorts and a sparkly top, her blonde curls combed neatly, her blue eyes bright with anticipation. She waved to the other little girls, who looked somewhat dejected. Jessie had a pang of guilt about leaving them behind. As she walked out the front door with Lilly, she overheard Annabelle promise them an outing at the movies. They cheered wildly, everything else already forgotten.
Lilly seemed to enjoy the ride to the Wildlife Center, checking out the sights on the way, pointing out landmarks. Jessie was amazed at her sense of direction. As soon as they pulled up at the Center, Doris came dashing out of the building carrying a blanket. “Come on you two, we gotta go.”
She headed to a 1970’s era Volkswagen bus, its roof a mass of rust, its original paint color, once a vibrant blue, now barely recognizable.
“My truck is getting new tires,
so Margaret is letting me borrow this pile of junk. Guess I better drive carefully. If anything happens to it, it’ll be hell to pay. We have a fawn in distress. You must be Lilly,” she said, smiling at the child as she jumped in.
Jessie opened the back door. Bags of feed, packages of paper towels and gallon containers of water were shoved against the driver seat. The passenger seats were missing.
“Doris, there are no back seats in this thing.”
The woman waved at her impatiently. “I know, I know. Just sit anywhere back there, it’s not far.”
Reluctantly, Jessie had Lilly get in and sat next to her on the floor of the bus.
It took several tries to get the vehicle started and when it finally did, Doris turned to back up and grinned at the child. “I’m sorry about the rush, Lilly, we have a little baby deer needing our help.”
The child nodded. “Is it okay?”
“I think so. According to the man who called, the mommy deer was run over by a car while crossing the road in front of their house. We’re going to bring the baby here and make sure it’s all right.”
As they exited the Center, Doris turned left instead of taking the right, the usual way to get to Highway 84. Jessie craned her neck to peek out.
“Where are we going?”
“This is a shortcut. It comes out at Flamingo Road, so we don’t have to worry about the no-seatbelt thing,” Doris said, flying down the dirt road, a dust cloud trailing behind them.
Before Jessie had a chance to turn her attention back to Lilly, Doris suddenly swerved to get past a white sedan parked in the middle of the narrow road.
“Hey, you stupid jerk, what’s wrong with you!” she shouted out the window. She glanced at Jessie in the rear-view mirror and shook her head. “Can you believe this guy?”
Jessie got a quick glimpse at the vehicle as Doris drove away. “Why on earth would he park out here?” she asked.
“I don’t know. It’s a good thing no one uses this road or they could end up in the ditch trying to get around him,” Doris said.
As she had indicated, the dirt lane ended at Flamingo Road and a couple of miles later, she made a sharp turn onto a side street leading to a residential area. They drove past well-kept older homes on large lots until they reached a house where an older couple stood waiting on the sidewalk.
Diamond Lilly Page 8
