Free Rogue Diamond by Mary Tate Engels

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