Chapter Twenty-One
Although the sun was noticeably absent, the heat and humidity were not. A sky crowded with dark gray clouds threatened rain at any moment, yet Jessie paid scant attention to the clammy weather. Sunday had gone by in a fog. She caught up on emails, then distracted herself with housework and laundry, without picking up the phone even once.
Two consecutive nights of nightmares had left her body bone tired. Yet when she got out of bed on Monday morning, her mind was made up. She was going to intensify her probe into the Russian mob’s involvement in sex trafficking, no matter how long it took, and she wouldn’t stop until she found a way to bring them to justice. Then and only then would Irina’s short life have some meaning.
Minutes after she reached her desk, Lonnie showed up.
“Did you have me under surveillance?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
“You should know by now I have a network of spies working for me around the clock.”
He told her he was sorry about Irina, and informed her the office was all abuzz about her article published in Sunday’s paper. They were still talking when Art made his appearance, a somber look on his face.
“Great story, kid. I didn’t change a thing. It went in as is.”
Jessie nodded. She deliberately had avoided reading the paper. She also wasn’t going to inform him about her intention to pursue the mob story further. Not right now anyway. Art started walking away then stopped. Jessie glanced at him frowning. “What?”
“The other thing you were working on?”
“Dariel Thomas?”
He nodded. “I’ll give you until next week to wrap it up.”
“Great. All I have to do is find a couple of murderers, a few thieves, and some priceless diamonds. How hard can it be?” she said.
He patted her on the shoulder. “Glad we got our smart aleck back. I was worried there for a second.”
After Lonnie left, she called Annabelle and set a date to pick up Lilly. Next she rang Liam. He answered right away, and she wondered if he had been waiting for her call.
“Are you free this afternoon?” she asked.
He said he was. They agreed to meet for lunch at Mario the Baker on University in Sunrise. She slowly drove up Sunset Strip, checking out the neighborhood. So much had changed since the days when she lived just west of the area, as a child. Back then, the old part of the city, east of University Blvd, was a retirement community, small houses with dime-sized yards. As the older people died off, it gradually became home to a more multicultural population. Once painted in uniform colors of plain white or tan, houses now wore colors ranging from deep blues to various shades of purples. An Italian butcher moved out, a Cuban restaurant moved in, and a little later, a Jamaican restaurant added to the diversity. Much had changed, but after all those years, Mario was still around.
Liam got there a few seconds after her, just in time for the sky to open up and monsoon-like rain pelted their vehicles. Parked next to each other, they waited for it to slow down. As was the norm in South Florida, five minutes later the downpour came to a halt and the sun reappeared, nature washed clean and ready for another splendid afternoon.
They went in. The server seated them and they ordered a pizza.
“When I was a kid, I used to come here quite often with my dad. It hasn’t changed a bit. So many businesses in the area came and went since then. In South Florida, with its shifting population and varying tastes, it’s a rare thing to have a restaurant last for more than ten years,” she said, glancing around, recognizing the familiar surroundings.
They chatted until the waitress brought their pizza. Jessie took a bite of her slice and nodded. “Never mind the décor, their pizza is still as good as ever.”
They finished eating and Liam produced Hakim’s address. It was only a few miles away in west Sunrise, right off the strip.
“Actually, this is very close to where I grew up,” she exclaimed.
He took Hakim’s photo out of his pocket and pushed it in front of her.
“Take another look at him. Take your time. You mentioned you had seen him before. Do you think it may have been back then?”
She frowned at the photo and shook her head. “No. We moved to Plantation when I was a teenager and he’s younger than me. He would have been a little kid back then. I’m sure I saw him much more recently. I just can’t remember where it was.”
He nodded pensively.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“We have to come up with a plausible story when we get to his house.”
“If he’s a possible terrorist, it better be a good one,” she agreed.
“We’re reporters checking on an airport theft.”
Jessie raised an eyebrow. “Think about it. He didn’t exactly contact the police, and we can’t reveal having seen him on the airport cam. So how do we explain our visit?”
Liam groaned. “Yeah, I know, I know. Especially since he might be an accomplice to the courier. Do you have another idea?”
“Right now, our goal is to find out if he lives at this address. We have his photo. We know what he looks like. If he comes to the door, we apologize, say we have the wrong house, and then we get out of there.”
“Do you really think he’ll buy that?”
Jessie shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. We just get going before he can give it a lot of thought.”
Liam laughed. “All right. Let’s go in my car.”
She agreed and they left after finishing their lunch. After the earlier downpour, the air smoldered with dampness. The Hakim house was two streets over from Jessie’s old house. Like most of the others in the neighborhood, it was a ranch style with a two- car garage. The grass needed cutting and the shrubs suffered from neglect. Liam pulled up in the driveway next to a small pickup. They walked to the door together and Jessie rang the bell. They stood waiting while no one answered. Muffled sounds of a television show drifted outside. Jessie rang the bell again and the door came slightly ajar. An older man, wearing a long white tunic, peered around the corner.
“Hi, we would like to speak to Nasir Hakim,” Jessie said.
The man’s eyes grew hostile. He shook his head vehemently. “Nasir is not here. He doesn’t live here anymore for a long, long time. I already told the other agents,” he shouted in accented English.
“The FBI agents?” Jessie asked.
“Yes. You must leave us alone. Go away,” he yelled and slammed the door shut.
Jessie wasted no time ringing the bell again. After a couple of minutes went by, they realized no one would be coming back to greet them.
“That was fruitful,” Liam mused.
“Well, at least we found out two things. The FBI is looking for him, and he doesn’t live here anymore.”
“You’re right. It’s more than we had before,” Liam said.
They drove back to Mario’s.
“What do we do now?” Liam pondered.
“Let’s try to find Dariel’s jeweler.”
Liam made a face. “Considering how many jewelers are in the Broward county area, it could be difficult.”
Jessie raised an eyebrow. “We’re not going to let that stop us, are we?”
Liam laughed. “Absolutely not.”
“Dariel told me his name. I think it was Sal.”
“Okay, so we start calling jewelry stores and ask for Sal. I mean, how many can there be?” Liam said.
They drove to Starbucks, got a couple of lattes, found an empty table and searched for jewelers in Broward County on their phones. Surprisingly, it was a pretty lengthy list. They split it between them and started calling. Lingering at their table for more than an hour, they were starting to get curious looks from the baristas, when Jessie finally had a hit. She sat up in her seat, poked at Liam and turned on the speaker. He put down his phone and listened.
“You mean Salomon Weintraub?” the woman on the other end asked.
Jessie took a chance. “Yes, of course. Mr. We
intraub. Do you have his address?”
“No, I don’t.” She hesitated. “Why you looking for him anyway?” she asked, suddenly sounding suspicious.
“My neighbor in Philly was an old customer of his. She was quite fond of him. I wanted to look him up, tell him she passed away.”
She glanced at Liam and noticed his eyebrows shooting up. The woman’s voice took on a note of sympathy.
“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. It’s nice you want to tell him about your friend. Sal’s a good man. His store is called ‘Jewelry Paradise.’ It’s on the corner of Oakland Park and University. When you see him, tell him Shirley said hi.”
“Sure will. Thanks a lot, Shirley.”
Liam was shaking his head as she put her phone away. “Wow! You’re a hell of a good liar. You spit that out real quick, too. I’m impressed.”
She eyed him skeptically before deciding to take it as a compliment. “Thanks. Now should we go find our pal Sal?”
They only had to drive a few miles north to get to the store. An old man eyed them for a moment before buzzing them in. The air smelled musty. The faded wallpaper had survived several decades, and the floor needed a good scrubbing. He limped out of a back room and peered at them from behind the counter. “Can I help you?”
A thought of her father ran through her mind; he had the same kind eyes. “Mr. Weintraub?”
He nodded.
“Do you know Dariel Thomas?” Jessie asked.
He frowned at her. “Dariel? Yes? Why do you want to know?”
“I’m sorry to tell you he’s dead,” she said.
Sal looked stunned. “What happened to him?”
Jessie told him. Sal bowed his head in sorrow. “I liked the boy. He had a good heart. A little foolish maybe. I was afraid it would get him in trouble someday. I don’t understand, why are you here?”
“Dariel came to see you about some diamonds before he was arrested,” Jessie stated.
Sal didn’t react.
Jessie leaned toward him, resting her arms on the counter. “Mr. Weintraub, we’re not the police. I’m a reporter and Liam is a private investigator. Dariel came to see you with the gems. You told him they were very valuable. Before he died, he shared that information with me. You can be honest with us.”
“Okay. He came here. So what?” He shrugged.
“Were you going to buy the stones from him?” Jessie asked.
He shook his head. “No, no. They were very high quality, very expensive. Too rich for me. I told him maybe the Russians would be interested. They’re the only ones who have that kind of money.”
“How much money are we talking about?” Jessie asked.
“Close to a million dollars.”
Jessie was stunned. “Indeed, that’s a lot of money. Did you give him a name to contact?”
He shook his head. “I don’t really know their names, only what I hear out there. You know, rumors.”
“The Russian mob?” she asked.
He nodded somberly. “I warned him, though. These are dangerous people.”
“We don’t know if the Russians were involved. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising. Right now, we’re pretty sure Dariel died because of those diamonds,” Jessie said.
Liam looked at him. “Mr. Weintraub, the diamonds are missing. If we find them, there could be some reward money from the insurance company for Dariel’s little girl. Are you sure there’s nothing else you can tell us?”
He shook his head. “The little girl, so sweet. He brought her in here once. He was a good daddy, you know. I wish I could help you. I just don’t know anything else.”
Jessie reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Okay, thank you. Stay well.”
He shrugged. “How well can an old man be? They say each day is a gift, not always the one we want. At my age, I gladly would have given those years to a younger man, like Dariel, so he could have lived a nice long life and see his little girl grow up. The choice is not ours to make, is it?”
They thanked him again and left, standing near their cars for a short while.
“Did you know the diamonds were worth that much?” Jessie asked him.
“I had an idea it was in that range from the conversation I had with the CEO.”
“Wow! I’m glad you told me,” she scoffed.
“I wasn’t sure, Jessie. Besides, what difference would it make? A million, half a million, it doesn’t bring us any closer to finding them, does it?” he protested.
“And what about a reward for Lilly? Did you mean it?”
He nodded. “I’m going to bring it up with Marcel Lebon, the CEO of the insurance company. I think it’s the least he could do. First, we have to find the diamonds.”
“I know. Where do we go from here?”
He gave her a questioning look. “Maybe we can talk about it over dinner tonight?”
“As much as I would like to, I have to say no, Liam. If I don’t go see my mother pretty soon, I’ll have a real problem. How about a nightcap later?”
He agreed, and Jessie said she would call him. She drove to Sophie’s condo in Sunrise Lakes. Her mother seemed pleased to see her. They went to the kitchen. Sophie loved to cook.
“How about some borscht and noodle pudding? I just made them.”
Jessie didn’t say no. They took their plates into the small dining area off the living room.
“How are you doing, Mom?”
“Terrible,” Sophie said. “The Gestapo—”
“You mean the condo association?”
Sophie’s condo, located in a huge senior citizen’s complex, was a constant source of squabbling among its many elderly occupants and their board of directors.
“Who else? Like I said, the Gestapo. The dog of one of the women in the next building gained two pounds, and now he’s over the weight limit. She promised to put him on a diet, it wasn’t good enough for them, so now they want to expel her. Can you believe it? She’s lived here for over twenty years.” Sophie sighed. “I think the world is upside down, Jessie. Your father wouldn’t believe it. Bless his heart.”
She glanced at her daughter’s plate. Anticipating her next move, Jessie held up a hand. “No, Mom, I can’t eat another bite.”
“You remember Mrs. Moorish’s grandson? His bar mitzvah is next month. They invited me… I’m not going.”
“Why not? She is a good friend of yours, and you know the family.”
Sophie shook her head. “Nah. It’s not right. I’m never gonna have grandkids, so…” she trailed off.
Jessie shot her an exasperated look, opened her mouth to argue, and decided against it. It was a hopeless cause. She stayed a while longer, listened to another litany of complaints, kissed her mother goodbye and left.
Drained, she drove straight home, poured herself a generous glass of wine, and sat outside to call Liam. He picked up right away.
“Sorry, I have to back out of that nightcap. I’m having a large glass of wine right now. If I waited for you to come over, the bottle might be empty by then, and I would be very drunk.”
He chuckled. “Your mom?”
“She knows how to push all my buttons and wring me dry.”
“Let me guess, she gives you a guilt trip about marriage and grandkids?”
“You didn’t tell me you knew her?”
He laughed. “Irish or Jewish, it doesn’t matter, they know how to get to you. Every time I talk to my mother, I get the same thing.”
“I’m twenty-eight years old, Liam, and she makes me feel like I’m fruit dying on the vine.”
“Take it from me, you’re the most luscious fruit I’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“I’m free. Do you have anything in mind?” he said.
“Maybe we could try the Sunrise mosque. If the Hakims are like the typical Muslim family, the Imam would surely know them. He might be able to give us some insights.”
“Why not? It’s worth a shot. I’ll pick you up around ten o’cl
ock,” he said.
****
Jessie knew the location of the mosque, and she gave him directions.
Arriving after the mid-morning call for prayers, they stood near the entrance, and waited for the cleric to come out. A tall thin man with a dark beard and dark deep-set eyes, he looked on impassively as they walked up to him. Introductions were made and he said his name was Hanif El-Amin. Jessie held out Nasir Hakim’s grainy picture. He didn’t reach for it.
“We’re trying to find this man. His name is Nasir Hakim and he might be a member of your mosque. Do you know him?” she asked, holding it up close to his face. He barely glanced at it.
“Why are you looking for him?” he asked.
“He might have information about a theft,” Jessie said.
The man stared at her coldly. “This sounds like a police matter. Are you with the police?”
Jessie held his stare. “No, but he might be able to help solve a crime. Do you know him?”
“Yes, and I already told the FBI the same thing. It seems they are looking for him as well. I haven’t seen Nasir in quite some time, so I’m afraid I can’t be of any help to you either.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Liam asked.
“A long time ago.”
“Anything you can tell us about him?” Jessie asked.
He shrugged, his dark eyes unreadable. “Like I said, I haven’t seen him for some time. He’s a nice young man from a devout Muslim family.”
“Do they worship at your mosque?” Jessie asked.
El-Amin shook his head. “This is not information I can share with you. Furthermore, you have no right to disturb Nasir’s family. And finally, you’re not welcome here with your questions. Do you understand?”
“Yes, you made this quite clear. Thank you,” Jessie said and they turned to go.
The sound of his voice followed them as they walked out of the courtyard. “Whatever it is you’re seeking, you won’t find it here,” he said.
When they got back to the car, they exchanged glances.
“He knows something,” she said.
“You think so?”
Diamond Lilly Page 16
