Diamond Lilly

by Henriette Daulton

  Jessie frowned. “Are you sure?”

  Lilly nodded. “After he picked me up from school.”

  Jessie peered at her. “Did you go anywhere else that day?”

  The child pointed toward the trail. “We went back there.”

  “How far did you go?”

  Lilly shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, I think we both could use a little exercise, don’t you agree?”

  “Sure,” Lilly said and scampered away.

  Jessie smiled at her boundless energy. She hurried to keep up. Soon they reached a wooden boardwalk overlooking a small stream. Perched on top of flat rocks along the edge of the water, turtles basked in the sunshine. They watched them for a while, then Lilly took her hand.

  “Come on. I’ll show you my favorite place.”

  Soon the boardwalk ended and they were back on a narrow dirt trail shaded by scrub oak. Dense green foliage grew on both sides of the path with occasional bursts of color from purple beauty berries and scarlet Jatropha blooms. Then, to Jessie’s surprise, the trail widened into a clearing. In its midst sat an old wooden gazebo surrounded by patches of delicate blue wild flowers.

  “This is beautiful, Lilly, I really like it.”

  The child smiled. “Me and Daddy, we like it, too. It’s where he has a secret place.”

  “What do you mean?” Jessie asked.

  The child’s brow creased in concern. “I promised him I wouldn’t tell.”

  Jessie reached for her hands reassuringly. “You trust me right?”

  Lilly nodded.

  “I understand you don’t want to break the promise you made to your Daddy. So, if instead of telling me, you just show me where it is?”

  Lilly thought about it for a moment, hesitating, then she smiled.

  “I know Daddy will like you. He won’t mind.”

  She ran to the back of the gazebo and Jessie followed. Lilly pointed at the wooden lattice covering the bottom of the structure. Jessie leaned in and noticed one piece was broken, seemingly propped up with dirt and some mulch. The child squatted down and pulled off the slat, revealing a small opening. Jessie knelt down beside her. She squinted and peered into the darkness. All she saw was a possible home for snakes or other dangerous critters. She could think of at least a half dozen that gave her pause. She hesitated.

  “Are you sure, Lilly?”

  The little girl nodded. Putting caution aside, Jessie pushed away some of the dirt until her fingers could fit into the hole. Slowly, she reached inside. Her heart took a leap when she touched something unusual. She glanced at Lilly. The child gave her an encouraging look. It was no time to chicken out. Resisting the urge to yank her hand back out, she let her fingertips linger on the object. It was damp and slick, but it didn’t bite, nor was it moving. A good sign indeed. She took a deep breath, took a hold of it, and pulled it out. It was a tightly wrapped plastic bag. She held it up and grinned at Lilly.

  “Don’t move!”

  Jessie nearly jumped out of her skin. A few feet away, a man with eyes as cold as they were dark, pointed a gun at them. A small scar was visible on his left cheek. She had no problem recognizing him. A chill crept up her spine. Lilly let out a soft cry. Taking the child’s hand, she gently guided her behind her.

  “It’s all right, Lilly. Just stay right there,” she whispered. She started to get up.

  “I said don’t move!” he barked.

  She knelt back down in the dirt. “What do you want?”

  His chin pointed at the bag. “You know what I want. It’s right there in front of you. Open it, slowly. You try anything, I’ll shoot. First the kid, then you.”

  Willing her fingers to stop trembling, Jessie untied the knot and the plastic bag opened, revealing a dark velvet bag tied with a black cord. Lilly whimpered behind her.

  “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay,” Jessie said soothingly. She glared at him.

  “Open it!” he ordered impatiently.

  It was a tight double knot and she struggled to loosen it. Finally, it gave way and Jessie gasped. Glistening against the velvet fabric, were the biggest, most translucent diamonds she had ever seen. She took hold of a gem and held it up for him to see.

  “Is this what you’re looking for?” she asked.

  His eyes narrowed. “Put it back and tie the bag, hurry.”

  She obeyed, retied the knot and offered him the bag. “It’s all yours.”

  He snatched it out of her hand, all the while keeping his gun pointed at her. She caught hesitation in his eyes.

  “Look, you have the gems, there is no sense in harming us now,” she said softly.

  He stared at her for a moment.

  “Give me your phone,” he ordered.

  “It’s in my bag.”

  “Then dump your bag,” he said impatiently.

  She turned her purse upside down. Everything came tumbling down and settled on the grass. Lipstick, comb, a pack of chewing gum, some tissues, a small note book, and her phone.

  She picked it up and held it out to him. He grabbed it and shoved it into a back pocket.

  “Stay here, don’t leave for a half hour. If you try to follow me, I will shoot both of you,” he threatened waving the gun.

  “We won’t follow you,” she said.

  As soon as Nasir Hakim left, Jessie reached for Lilly. Folding her arms around the child, she pulled her small trembling body close to hers.

  “Don’t worry, Lilly, he went away, and he won’t be coming back. He’s gone for good. But I’m really tired. If it’s okay with you, we’ll rest here for a little while.”

  Lilly nodded. They sat in the gazebo and the child put her head in her lap. Jessie stroked her hair. The little girl relaxed, and Jessie managed to calm her own pounding heart.

  Fifteen minutes later they walked back to the parking lot. To Jessie’s relief, there was no sign of Hakim. A woman and two small children were getting out of an SUV. Jessie went over to her and asked if she could borrow her phone. The woman hesitated before glancing at Lilly’s ashen face. She quickly pulled out her phone and handed it to Jessie. “Of course. Are you okay?”

  Jessie nodded before stepping away to make a call. Her mind in a daze, she could only think of one phone number at the moment. She dialed it and uttered a sigh of relief when Sam Perrone answered on the first ring. He listened without interrupting as she told him about Hakim.

  “Sam, he took my phone and I don’t have the FBI’s number. Can you call Williams and let him know?”

  “I will. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be there in a few minutes,” he said quietly.

  She returned the phone to the woman and related an abbreviated version of the holdup at the gazebo. As Jessie talked, the mother’s eyebrows shot up in concern and she promptly loaded up her children and left.

  Jessie held Lilly while they waited on a bench at the edge of the parking lot. Suddenly the child sat up.

  “Jessie, will Daddy be mad at me?”

  “Oh, no, no, Lilly. You were very brave. He will be so proud of you.”

  “It was the same man who came to the house.”

  “Yes, I know. Now, the police will get him and you won’t need to worry about him ever again.”

  “When can I see Mommy, Jessie?” the child cried.

  Jessie closed her eyes, deceit gnawing at her. “Not yet, sweetie.”

  Lilly broke out in sobs. Tears welled in Jessie’s eyes. It was all she could do to keep her own emotions in check but she had to, for Lilly’s sake.

  A half hour later, Perrone drove into the parking lot with Boyd in the passenger seat. Sam parked on the grass next to them, and the two men jumped out of the vehicle.

  “Are you all right?” Perrone asked, his brow creased with concern.

  Jessie shook her head, tilting her head toward the child.

  “Lilly, we have to talk to Jessie for a little while. Is that okay?” Perrone said.

  Her frightened eyes said no. Jessie knelt down, gently took her
chin in her hands. “Don’t worry baby, we’ll be just be a couple of steps away. We want the detectives to have all the information about the bad guy so they can arrest him, and take him to jail. You will see me the whole time.”

  Lilly nodded and they stepped away.

  “I’m worried about her, Sam. This really shook her up,” Jessie said.

  He nodded. “I’m just glad he didn’t harm either of you.”

  “I think the gun frightened her the most, especially when he kept threatening to use it. It was pretty damn scary. Were you able to get a hold of the FBI?” she asked.

  “I left a message for Williams.”

  “Now tell us exactly what happened,” Boyd said.

  They listened somberly as Jessie related their frightful encounter.

  “Dariel decided it was safer to hide the gems out here than to keep them in his house,” Boyd concluded.

  “He was right. No one would have ever thought of looking in this park. If Lilly hadn’t shown you the spot, the diamonds could have been there as long as the gazebo would be standing,” Perrone stated.

  “How the hell did Hakim find you?” Boyd asked.

  “He must have been following us for quite some time. The moment he showed up in the clearing, I remembered where I’d seen him before. Last Sunday I took Lilly to the beach. When we left, we stopped at the ice cream shop. While we ate at the outside patio, I saw this man sitting in his car in the parking lot. The place was busy. At the time I thought he was waiting for his wife and kids. But it was him. It was Hakim.”

  Perrone nodded. “It sounds like he hoped Thomas told you or Lilly where the gems were.”

  “How would he even know I went to see Dariel in jail?” Jessie wondered.

  Boyd frowned. “Nothing surprises me anymore. After all, they managed to get to him in his locked cell. Obviously, the man has accomplices inside the jail.”

  Jessie glanced over at the child, seated on the bench, waiting patiently.

  “Lilly is asking for her Mom again. How much longer are we going to lie to her?” she said.

  Boyd shook his head. “I don’t know. Mary Gilmore wants to wait for the aunt. Poor woman. Meet the child for the first time and have to give her the bad news. It’s going to be hard on both of them.”

  “She’s a smart little girl. Pretty soon she’s going to suspect something is wrong,” Jessie said, her voice breaking.

  Boyd leaned in, speaking softly. “Jessie, at least she still has family willing to take her in. Do you know how many kids we see who end up in the system for years after tragedy strikes?”

  She nodded. “You’re right. I just don’t want her to experience the heartache.”

  While they were talking, a police car entered the parking lot and two deputies got out. Boyd greeted them, talked to them briefly, and they returned to their car and waited.

  “They’ll stay with Lilly while we walk back to the gazebo,” Boyd told Jessie.

  “Good, I don’t want to take her back there again. Not after what she just went through,” Jessie said.

  “Was there anyone else around when you got here?”

  “Only one car. A man and his little boy. They were still on the playground when Lilly and I left on the trail. When we came back from the gazebo, there was a woman with two children in the parking lot. They were just getting out of their car. I borrowed her phone to call you. When I told her we were approached by a man with a gun, she hightailed it out of here,” Jessie explained.

  At that moment, a dark sedan pulled into the parking lot. Special Agent Bruce Williams got out, then stood by the side of the car. Within seconds, a middle aged woman with short cropped hair and a dark complexion stepped out of the passenger side. Together, they headed toward them. Once again Williams wore an impeccable suit with matching tie and kerchief, looking like he just walked out of a GQ photo shoot. His companion wore a navy jacket and skirt over a white blouse and dark low heels.

  Jessie couldn’t help but smile as she noticed Perrone glancing down at his cheap suit. He would never be a beacon of stylishness. Williams introduced the woman as Special Agent Sonia Estrada. She seemed intense and Jessie guessed she was not one for idle chit chat.

  The next hour was spent going over every detail of Hakim’s appearance, what he said, how he said it, and finally, the description of the diamonds. The two police officers came to sit with Lilly while the rest of the group walked to the gazebo. Jessie showed them where the gems had been hidden. Williams almost knelt down and she wondered if he would risk getting his knees dirty. As if he read her mind, he straightened and brushed some imaginary dirt off his pant legs. In the meantime, Estrada threw in a question here and there. Mostly, she took notes on a small pad she carried.

  After returning to the parking lot, Boyd and Perrone stood by while Williams talked to Lilly. He asked the little girl questions about the bag, its contents, and the day she came to the park with her father. Holding on to Jessie’s hand for support, the child answered clearly and without hesitating. After a few minutes, it was evident she didn’t know what the bag contained, or where it came from. Finally, they were done. Williams said he would be in touch. He turned to leave and Sonia Estrada followed him for a short jaunt before swiveling around and coming back. She handed Jessie a business card.

  “Please call me if you remember anything else,” she said before rushing off to catch up with Williams.

  Boyd turned to Perrone, raising his eyebrows. “Not even a thank you for bringing them in on this. Makes me feel like shit. Sorry Jessie,” he added, looking contrite.

  She smiled and Perrone shook his head.

  “It’s the way it goes with the Feds, Jim. They take over and you’re left out in the cold.”

  Jessie had pulled Lilly to the side so the child couldn’t hear their conversation. She crouched down and looked her in the eyes. “Are you okay, baby?”

  Lilly nodded and Jessie hugged her. “You must be tired. I’m going to take you home.”

  Lilly’s blue eyes teared up. “Jessie, home is with Mommy and Daddy.”

  “You’re right. But Annabelle is a nice lady and she does her best to make you comfortable at her house, doesn’t she?”

  The child’s little head bopped up and down. “I like her a lot.”

  “And you know what? She really, really cares about you.” Jessie reached for her hand. “Come on, sweet girl, let’s go say goodbye to the detectives.”

  Boyd and Perrone stood talking to the two cops, no doubt answering some of their questions about the day’s events. When Jessie and Lilly approached, they stopped their conversation. They walked them back to Jessie’s car. Boyd helped Lilly into her seat while Perrone held the driver’s door open for Jessie. As they got ready to leave, he leaned in and whispered into her ear.

  “Hakim got what he wanted. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about him anymore, but do me a favor, keep an eye out anyway. Just to be sure.”

  She smiled at him in silent agreement and drove away.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  He could hardly believe it. Finally, the diamonds were his. Now at last, the preparations for the attack could resume. Exhilarated, Hakim noticed he was driving too fast. He promptly slowed down. Now was not the time to get stopped for speeding.

  His mind drifted back to the encounter in the park. He had followed the reporter and the kid on the trail, keeping a safe distance, planning on cornering them at some point and interrogate them. When they stopped to watch the turtles, he hid behind some shrubs. He was ready to make his move when they took off again and kept walking, until they reached the gazebo. He saw the girl lead the woman behind the gazebo. Puzzled, he decided to wait. Straining to see through the bushes, he watched as she kneeled on the ground and peered under the wooden structure. Then she reached inside and took out a bag. Suddenly there was no doubt in his mind. This was Thomas’ hiding place for the diamonds. He pulled out his gun and jumped out. After making sure the gems were in the bag, he had every intent
ion of killing the child and the woman, just as Abboud had ordered. Yet standing there, ever so close to the woman, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Even while she glared at him with those hazel eyes full of defiance, he was aroused by her fierceness. A lioness defending her cub. He walked away.

  At last, he arrived at their building. He raced inside, tightly holding onto the bag. Jamal was alone downstairs, with the television blaring, absorbed in some reality show Hakim despised. He shrugged. Nothing could spoil his mood right now.

  He headed for his room, closed the door, walked to his desk and opened the second to last drawer. He groped underneath and pulled off a piece of paper taped to the bottom. It was blank except for a phone number. Wasting no time, he dialed. The phone rang and rang, until finally, aggravated, Hakim gave up. A few minutes later, his cell phone chimed.

  “Yes?” said a heavily accented voice.

  “I have the gems.”

  “It’s about time,” the man growled.

  Hakim chose to ignore the comment. “The list you have, is everything ready?”

  “Some things, very hard to get—”

  Hakim interrupted angrily. “What do you mean? I was told there would be no problem.”

  The man laughed. “Calm down. You don’t let me finish.”

  “Okay then. Can you get them or not?” Hakim asked impatiently.

  “Yes, yes! You too worried.”

  “When will everything be ready?”

  “Already have some. Maybe two more days to get rest,” the man said.

  “And the passports?” Hakim asked.

  “You bring me photos and information, I guarantee you the best.”

  Hakim held back a sigh of relief. Things were finally moving forward. “Good, call me back as soon as you have all the merchandise. We have a deadline.”

  The man at the other end scoffed. “Deadline? You late, not me.”

  After talking to him, Hakim retrieved another new throwaway from his desk drawer. He dialed and there was no answer, but he knew Abboud would ring him back shortly.

  He sat staring at the wall, his mind racing. Two weeks was all the time they had left to produce the sarin and finalize the plan of attack on his chosen target.