Rogue Diamond (32 page)

"I'll explain the details on the plane. We have an early flight to catch. We need to get you some decent clothes. A
lace
dress is a little too much for the oc
ca
si
on." His tone was gently ca
joling, urging.

Alex scooted up to a
si
tting po
si
tion. She felt paralyzed by a strange combination of optimism and dread fear.

Nick shoved a cup of coffee into her hands with tight-lipped orders. "Drink. And hurry."

"Nick, I'm scared. Oh, God, I'm scared."

His voice took on a strict matter-of-factness. "Alex, get a hold on yourself. We need you to
identify the child if it's Jenni, and to press charges. You are the crucial person who will break this ring up. We're going to nail them, from the scumbag who picked Jenni up off the street in Mexico to the
lawyer who provides legal adop
tions to innocent couples. Now, come on!"

He propelled Alex through the motions of a shower, then
Jose
drove them to Carol's for a change of clothes. The meeting between Carol and Nick was disappointingly brief. However, they both u
nderstood there were more impor
tant things to do today.

As they rushed out the door, Carol reminded Alex, "Let me know what happens. Please! Call me. I'll be waiting to hear from you."

Alex turned back to her friend. "I will. Thanks."

"Good luck,
" Carol whispered hoarsely. Sud
den tears sprang to her eyes as she watched the rickety gray van drive away.

As they approached Sky Harbor Airport, Alex dug frantically in the back of the van. Finally she found her prize, the item she'd dragged all the way from Mexico for this very moment.

Almost in a daze, she kissed
Jose
's ruddy cheek. "Thanks,
Jose
, for everything."

"Bring back la nina, senorita."

She nodded, unable to answer.

Nick hurried her down the concourse just as the loudspeaker was announcing their flight number. Alex boarded the plane with a frayed but well-loved teddy bear tucked under one arm.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The low drone of the jet's engines was strangely comforting.
Clos
er and closer
to my Jenni
,
Alex kept repeat
ing.

"How did you get this lawyer's name?"

Alex handed the slip of paper to Nick. "From Jack Kingsley. He said this lawyer in Ohio had been suspected of shady dealing for a number of years but they couldn't pin anything on him."

"Now they can," Nick muttered sardonically. "With your testimony, Alex, they can put him and the entire ring away." Nick folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. "Away for good."

Alex ponder
ed for a moment. "Including Mar
garet?"

"Who's Margaret?"

"Margaret Hannah. The woman who keeps the babies in Jessup."

"Oh, yes. Definitely. Her too."

"Nick, she . . . she believes she is doing the right thing, finding a loving home for these kids."

"Is she?"

Alex took a deep breath. "I don't know. She
doesn't mistreat the kids. She takes care of them."

"The law doesn
't have a heart, Alex," Nick af
firmed stoutly. "It's against the law to steal babies and sell them."

"I know. But she didn't actually steal them herself."

"She's an accomplice, Alex." He sounded tough and unyielding.

"Yes, I realize that." Alex studied Nick's face. Now, without the mustache, the scar on his cheek stood out more clearly and she wondered how he got it. His eyes were steady and alert. But she still couldn't read anything there. He was trained not to reveal feelings. Was he also trained not to feel emotions? "Nick, is it all happening today? On a Sunday?"

"Depends." He left unsaid the deciding factor —if Jenni was found. "
But, soon. We’re sure of it
."

"Then you knew about the lawyer all along?"

"
Yep
. He's on our list of suspects. But as Jack said, until now we didn't have anything that would stick, or anyone to file charges. You see, it's difficult if not downright impos
si
ble for a poor Mexican woman to pursue her mis
si
ng child into the States. Now, with you to press charges, Alex, we'll slam them all behind bars until they're old and gray."

"If you knew about this lawyer, my talk with Jack was for nothing." And my risk, she thought.

"Not really. It always helps to have a politician on your
si
de."

"Nick, I don't know if he's on our
si
de, but he knows everything about this case. He knows about Jenni being taken in Mexico, about Teresa, and I gave him every detail of what happened in Jessup. Even names,
places, all about the Cab
bage Patch Dolls."

"That's okay, Alex. We'll contact Arizona state officials as soon as we land. I'm sure we'll have their complete cooperation on this. We don't want anything done there until arrests have been made here. We're after the head honchos of the ring. After that, everyone else will fall into place. The rest are just pawns, anyway."

"Nick, if . . . that is, could you make sure the Arizona investigation includes Jack?
Si
nce he knows all about the ring in Jessup, and in a way, had a hand in helping to find Jenni, he should participate in bringing the accused to justice. Don't you think so?"

Nick glanced w
arily at her but didn't say any
thing.

"Please, Nick.
Jack's an old friend and I prom
ised him
I’d give him credit for helping me
. Of course, I had no idea this would happen today. I thought he would have to do it
, through you know, channels
."

"An old friend, huh?"

"Just an old friend, Nick. I feel I owe him this, for old time's sake."

Nick answered tightly, "Sure, Alex. As long as this is all you owe him."

"It is." She slipped
her hand in
to Nick's and mur
mured softly, "I love you, and I'm very glad you're with me this time.
All this time, t
he waiting has been
hard, but alone, it's hell. I'm nervous about what this day will bring ... or won't."

He leaned over and kissed her serious lips. "Put a smile on that beautiful face, my darling. This is going to be a happy day, and we're going to see it through, together."

Her lips quivered into a faint smile, and she gripped his hand tightly. The plane started its descent over Columbus, Ohio.

The next hour was a blur in Alex's memory. It was funny how she remembered specifics of the accident that took Teresa's life. Colors, smells, individual faces. But today her focus was toward events to come, on one little
sweet
-faced child
with dark hair and eyes
.
More beautiful than any doll created.

FBI agents in
three-piece suits with walkie-
talkies attached to their belts and, she was sure, guns hidden beneath their armpits, met the plane. Introductions were made but names flew immediately out of Alex's head. She was whisked through the air
port into a waiting car, and es
corted through the
city.
Si
nce it was Sunday, traf
fic was light and they zipped along at a rapid clip. Alex was sure they were exceeding speed limits but guessed the FBI could do that when they were on a hot trail.

She should be excited, she thought, but other emotions took precedence; mostly fear. What if . . .
a dozen what if’s swirled in her head.

She sat stiffly in the backseat, looking neither right nor left, not caring where they were going. She didn't need to memorize this trip. Nick was here. She spoke very little and clutched the frayed teddy bear. Alex was acutely aware of
Nick's presence, of his concern for her, of his love. It was a strong feeling, like warm vibes, and it gave her strengt
h to keep on with this frustrat
ing chase. She prayed this time it wouldn't be futile.

Finally the car pulled to a stop before a house. It was a typical house, a place in suburbia with neighbors and a car parked in the driveway. Alex wondered if the neighbors had any idea what was going on h
ere. Two more cars pulled up be
hind them. Suddenly FBI agents with
discrete phones in their ears
were everywhere. It's like a movie, Alex mused, f
eeling almost as if she were de
tached from the action and watching the scene on an ultra-wide screen.

But she was very much a part of the action in this scenario. She was ushered up the front steps and events whirled faster than ever. Flashes of badges . . . startled cries . . . the drone of rights being read. Alex moved past the doorway —was shoved past, actually—and began a room to room search.

This place, unlike the quiet one at Jessup, was a busy hub of activity and noise. A T.V. blared in the den. Someone in the kitchen was diligently filling a row of baby bottles with formula, and a radio played rock mu
si
c in the corner.

Several women who obviously took care of the children scurried out, pos
si
bly trying to escape. Didn't they know the exits would be blocked? Alex's heart pounded as she
pictured Jen
ni's small cherubic face.

"There's a bedroom in here." Nick motioned and led the way.

She practically ran into the room but halted with a sharp gasp. Two infants had been sleeping, but with the noise of the inva
si
on, their naps were disturbed. One raised his head, took one look at Alex and Nick, and began to cry. That prompted the other one to join in the wailing.

Alex grew frantic. "Oh, God, Nick! She isn't here!"

"Let's look upstairs."

Alex bounded up the staircase and reached the second floor ahead of Nick. Someone pushed past her, cau
si
ng her
to drop the teddy bear. She
ran on
. Where? Where is she? "Jenni! Jenni!"

There were ot
her infants in the upstairs bed
rooms, and several toddlers in another room. As Alex rushed from one room to another, she left a trail of upset and crying children. Brown eyes! Brown eyes! Where are you?

It seemed that every child in the place was screaming. Then the cacophony died away and Alex heard only one.

Only one small voice shrilled above all the rest. "Mamacita! Mamacita!"

"Jenni!
Oh Baby!!
"

Wildly, Alex grabbed the child up in her arms, squeezing her small body, laughing and crying at the same time. They swirled around and around, dancing in a circle. All the miserable days and sleepless nights and weeks of searching were compressed int
o that one magic moment of hear
ing Jenni squeal with laughter.

"Mamacita!
Mamacita!"

Nick watched the scene for a moment then turned away,
embarrassed by the rush of emo
tion he felt.
No one saw him wipe away the un
bidden tears that formed in his golden-flecked panther's eyes. If Alex had been watching him at that moment, she would have known he hadn't lost touch with his feelings. And she would have seen the love clearly written on his usually stoic face.

Tough and ruthless as he was, Nick had never experienced such absolute joy nor felt such deep gratitude as he did while watching Alex whirling the dark curly-hai
red child in her arms. His feel
ings for the two were cemented forever in that moment.

When Ale
x calmed down, she turned an ec
static, tear-stained face to Nick. "Come here. I want you to meet Jenni."

The child kept her chubby arms tightly around Alex's neck, but lifted her head to gaze curiously at the large man
who stood there, clum
si
ly hold
ing a frayed teddy bear.

"Jenni, this is Nick. He helped me find you today. Can you say 'H
i
, Nick?"

Jenni gazed steadily,
si
lently at him, then her dark eyes dropped to the familiar teddy bear he held.

Nick smiled and offered her the toy. "Is this yours, Jenni? He's been looking for you a long time. And so have we. Thank God you're safe. Would you li
ke to hug him? He's pretty lone
some."

Her little brown hand tentatively reached out for the teddy. Jenni clutched the bear tightly and snuggled it next to her heart. "My bear," she said posses
si
vely. Then she looked up into Nick's soft, tawny eyes. "Gracias, Nick."