She looked like Daniela, or, he pondered, saying Daniela looked like Alexandra would be more appropriate. At thirty-three, Alexandra was two years Daniela’s senior, and yet, one would never know. Apart from their hair color, they could be identical twins. Kevin found it both extremely fortunate and yet uncanny. Standing in front of Alexandra, he could not stop wondering if Almighty God had worked this incredible opportunity as a present-day miracle. Kevin also noticed Alexandra’s impeccable outfit. She looked stunning in a jet-black business suit and matching leather pumps that matched her compact purse. A single strand of mid-length pearls provided an elegant cream-on-cream contrast to her vanilla-colored silk blouse.
Extending his hand, he introduced himself as DEA Special Agent Kevin P. O’Neil, then immediately asked her to call him Kevin. Alexandra promised she would, if he would quit calling her Miss Callet and reminded him to call her Alexandra or even Alex. Then she smiled, and Kevin had a hard time even remembering his own name as memories of Daniela flooded his mind. He blinked hard, determined not to regress.
He escorted Alexandra to their table and pulled out her chair. “What would you like to drink?” he offered as a tall, lanky blonde approached to take their order.
“I’d like an iced tea, please,” Alexandra said to their server.
“And you, sir? Would you like another club soda?”
“Please.”
While waiting for their drinks, Kevin made a poor attempt at small talk. “It’s a really nice day out today, isn’t it?” he announced, instantly thinking how lame he must sound.
“Yes, we are very fortunate. Do you live in San Diego or just work here?”
“Both,” he answered, hoping she wouldn’t ask where he lived.
Alexandra didn’t. Instead, she took a moment to examine the beauty of their vista before saying, “Sometimes I feel like we live in paradise, don’t you?”
“I know what you mean,” Kevin agreed.
“It is a shame, though, that tourists tend to see more of our city than we do. Even on the weekends, we don’t take time to enjoy San Diego. I mean to really enjoy it.”
Kevin laughed at her exuberance. “You sound like a tour guide.”
Looking slightly embarrassed, Alexandra replied, “That’s what my friends always say. I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. I think it’s great you love our city.”
“Well, I think part of it comes from working in Old Town. Before we opened our firm, we rarely stopped in Old Town for a visit. Now, I can’t believe what we missed. When was the last time you went to Old Town?”
Kevin paused to think. “Just once, and that was years ago when my brother came to town.”
Alexandra chuckled. “You see, that is exactly what I mean.”
“Who has the time?”
“Make the time.”
“Have you been talking to my wife?”
Kevin and Alexandra stopped talking as the waitress placed their beverages on the table atop napkins displaying a lighthouse emblem. Respectful of their privacy, their server politely announced she had placed the drink order on a tab.
“Thank you,” Kevin responded.
Alexandra smiled, said thank you, and then looked knowingly at Kevin as the server walked away. “No, I haven’t been talking to your wife. I didn’t know you had a wife until now, but I bet she complains that you don’t spend enough time at home.”
“Then you must have been reading my mind.”
After taking a sip of tea, Alexandra said, “No, I’m interpreting your comments.”
“Hey, I’m supposed to be the detective around here!” Kevin joked.
“Yes, but I’m a woman.” Alexandra’s laugh was throaty. “It comes naturally.”
“That’s what Sparky always tells me.”
“Who is Sparky?”
“A very special agent, and if all goes well, you will meet her soon enough.” Kevin lifted his glass to take a drink and breathed deeply as he tried to decide where to begin. That decision led him to withdraw a single black-and-white, eight-by-ten photograph from his briefcase and place it directly in front of Alexandra.
Looking intrigued, she raised the glossy print for a closer examination, then narrowed her eyes and fought to recognize the background. “Where did you take this?”
Kevin ignored her question. “Who is it?”
Alexandra gave him a suspicious look. “You tell me.”
“Her name is Daniela Santiago.”
Without speaking, Alexandra stared at the image until her silence grew uncomfortable for Kevin. “Are you all right?” he asked softly.
She nodded and raised her eyes to meet his. “Have you altered this photograph?”
“No.” Kevin shook his head. “Not in the least.”
“Then how is this possible?”
“I’m sorry, Alexandra. Right now that is a question without an answer.”
He tried to speak as kindly as he could, and his tone of voice seemed to relax her. Alexandra’s shoulders dropped as her breathing returned to normal.
“What did she do?” she asked.
“She,” he emphasized, “has not done anything. At least, not that we are aware. However, Daniela’s brother is another story. He is a paid assassin, and good at his job. He works for one of the drug cartels in Mexico.”
“Are you watching her to get to him?”
“You are very perceptive.” Kevin nodded. “Yes, we are watching Daniela, but Miguel Santiago is a careful man. He lives on the outskirts of Mazatlan, in a hacienda-style fortress patrolled around the clock by armed guards. When he leaves, it’s typically secretive and under extreme heavy security.”
“Then…” Alexandra paused.
“What is the point of watching Daniela?” Kevin completed her question.
“Yes, why would you want to be watching her when you really want to be watching him?”
“We’re trying to cover all avenues, but with his sister, we are also hoping he lets down his guard.”
“Does she know what he does?”
Kevin shook his head. “I can’t believe she does know, and for that reason, I think Santiago might keep his goons at a distance. You see, Daniela used to live in Florida, and we knew Santiago would never visit her there.” Kevin shrugged his broad shoulders. “He couldn’t take the chance of crossing the border. Daniela now lives in Mexico, in a condo her brother purchased. He’s also funding the restaurant she’s about to open in Cancun.”
“So you think he will visit her at this restaurant?”
“The main thing is that we feel he will visit her one way or another, whether at the restaurant or her condo.”
“Her restaurant is in Cancun?” Alexandra asked. By the look in her eyes, Kevin could almost see the gears working in her mind. “Right across the water from Cozumel?” she pressed.
Kevin nodded.
“So those two men watching me were agents?”
“Yes. They went to Cozumel after finishing their surveillance work in Cancun. Even though they knew you couldn’t possibly be Daniela, they couldn’t believe how much you looked alike.”
“Well, they weren’t very good at spying on me. I noticed them right away.”
“They weren’t spying at that point.” Kevin smiled at Alexandra’s spunk. “Did you see them later, at your condo?”
“No, why?” she asked suspiciously. “Did they follow me home?”
“Of course they did.”
“So you found me,” Alexandra said, “by accident or by luck.” Her dark eyes penetrated his as she asked, “Now what are you planning on doing with me?”
“Ha!” Kevin threw his head back with laughter. “My, you are direct. Before we go on, though, tell me a bit about yourself.”
Alexandra’s forehead creased. “Tell you about me? What can I tell you that you don’t already know?”
“I don’t mean cold facts that can be printed on paper,” he explained. “I want to get to know about you, Alexandra Callet, as
a person.”
“Where do I begin?”
“Why don’t you tell me something about your work?” he suggested. “I believe you own the Daniel Cole Company?”
“Co-own is more correct. I’m an interior designer, and my business partner is an architect.”
“Your business partner is Daniel Taylor, correct?”
Alexandra nodded. “His full name is Daniel Jake Taylor, but he goes by Jake. His father’s first name was also Daniel. We met when Jake drew the plans for my personal home in Coronado.”
“And the name Cole?” Kevin asked. “That is your middle name, right?”
“Yes, but Cole was also my grandfather’s name.” Alexandra smiled. “I wanted to honor him.”
“I’m sure he would be proud. Tell me about Jake.” Kevin watched the trembling of Alexandra’s hands. “Are you more than just partners?”
“Is that an appropriate question?”
“Probably not this soon, but it will be at some time.”
“We’re just partners,” she responded without emotion.
As she spoke, Kevin studied the overwhelming beauty of her penetrating features. She had high cheekbones, angular facial contours, and rich, magnetic eyes. “Jake would like it to be more, wouldn’t he?”
Alexandra could not help laughing.
“You want it to be more?”
“Don’t sound so surprised!”
“I have to be. Alexandra, you are a beautiful woman.”
Her face flushed with embarrassment. “Thank you. You’re very kind, but obviously Jake doesn’t agree.”
“Then he must be blind.”
“Who knows? Besides, that’s behind me now. One of the reasons I went to Cozumel was to rethink my priorities. The time away helped because I finally decided to stop pinning for Jake Taylor.”
“Good for you,” Kevin said boldly.
Alexandra sipped on her iced tea for a moment. “There’s a lot I don’t understand, and I know we’re far from finished, but something is nagging at me.”
“What is it?”
“Well, you said Santiago is a paid assassin, correct?”
“That’s correct.”
“And I’m guessing you have proof.”
The muscles in Kevin’s neck tightened. “We do.”
“Then why can’t you arrest him? I know we don’t have jurisdiction in Mexico, but can’t you work with their government?”
“That one question pretty much sums up our entire problem. Just recently we thought Santiago’s freedom was finally coming to an end. One of our agents,” Kevin lowered his voice almost to a whisper, “Jon Dawkins went to Guadalajara in order to meet a top official of the Mexican government.”
Alexandra must have recognized the difficulty he was having relating the story. She sat unmoving and simply listened as he explained.
“Jon was a great agent,” he continued, looking blindly ahead. “He was also a brand-new father.” Kevin shook his head in order to focus. “He went to meet with the official and to orchestrate a plan to finally have Santiago deported.”
When Kevin quit speaking for several uncomfortable minutes, Alexandra finally asked, “What happened at the meeting?”
Kevin’s throat bulged as he swallowed hard. “Jon never made it that far. Santiago murdered him.”
“He what?” she asked, her tone unbelieving, then shook her head sadly. “But how did Santiago even know about Agent Dawkins?”
“It’s simple, but not any easier to comprehend. Someone inside got greedy, and for a few lousy bucks was bought off.”
“You mean someone inside the DEA or inside the Mexican government?”
“We don’t know.”
“So who do you trust? What can you do?”
“Try and be more careful, that’s all we can do. There is definitely a leak, but we don’t know where. We don’t think it’s coming from our end, especially because of how close we all were with Jon. But we also can’t take any chances. So only a tight, close-knit group is working on the Santiago case, and information is provided to them on a limited, need-to-know basis.”
“What does the official in Guadalajara plan to do?”
“Also lay low for a while. What else can he do? He can’t take any more chances either.”
Alexandra grimaced. “Hearing all this makes me feel so very selfish. There’s an entire world out there I’ve never given a second thought to. The things that concern me all seem so trivial.”
“You shouldn’t feel that way. We all have a place in this world.”
“I don’t feel like I have a place.”
“Maybe you are about to find one. We may never know for sure, but perhaps we were meant to find you so you can find yourself.”
“That’s a lot to digest.”
“I agree,” Kevin said. “What do you think at this point?”
Alexandra appeared hesitant. “Frankly, I don’t know what to think. This is all so weird, it seems surreal. How can two people look so much alike?”
Kevin shrugged. “I have no idea. Maybe somewhere, somehow we all have a twin.”
“But you already have Daniela under complete surveillance. How can I be of any help?”
“Because we can’t control Daniela’s moves, but we can control yours,” Kevin explained.
“I would like to be of some help, but what could I possibly do? I have no training.”
“You wouldn’t have to be trained in the way you might think. We would simply be using you as bait. Just as a way to lure Santiago. You see, Miguel Santiago is an American citizen. We can’t touch him in Mexico, and the Mexican authorities are keeping their distance.”
“I don’t understand why. The Mexican government can’t possibly condone his killing!”
“It’s not everyone in the government, but at this point, we can’t be sure who to trust, with the exception of our contact in Guadalajara, of course. He’s one of the finest men you could ever meet. For some time now, we’ve been working together, plotting to deport Santiago. But after what happened, we have to be even more careful.” Kevin paused to take a drink of his club soda. The melted ice made it taste more like plain water. Without speaking, Alexandra waited for him to continue. She saw their server, smiled, and shook her head to indicate they were fine.
Kevin continued, “By now, I’m certain you realize Santiago has far-reaching connections in Mexico, and how high up they go, we don’t know. What we do know is that we cannot continue to risk lives by stumbling around in the dark.”
“Doesn’t his visa have to be renewed or something every six months?”
“You would think so, wouldn’t you? Then again, Santiago does have a way of bending the rules. If Mexico doesn’t kick him out, I guess he’s welcome to stay.”
“What if he left Mexico on his own?”
Kevin’s eyes instantly brightened. “If Santiago left Mexico, we would have him. Plain and simple, case closed.”
“Do you think I might be able to help get him to cross the border?”
“Yes, I do. But don’t ask me how, because I have no idea. First, we have to get you ready. With all the recordings we have of Daniela, we need to make you walk, talk, and act just like her.”
“How close would I be getting?”
He heard the fear in her voice. “Truthfully, Alexandra, I don’t know.”
“I see,” she said quietly.
Kevin looked into her concerned eyes. Like Daniela’s, a dark chocolate ring encircled the lighter chocolate color of each iris. Slowly, he reached forward and gently wrapped his thick hand around her delicate wrist. “Alexandra, please don’t worry. If you decide to help us, we’ll take this one step at a time. We will work with you, we will guide you, and we won’t ask you to do anything until you’re absolutely ready.”
Alexandra’s lips parted, but she remained silent. Kevin felt as if he could see the gears revolving within her mind. “I really would like to pray about it,” she said softly.
The line of Kevin�
�s mouth curved upward. “That is definitely a phrase I never hear in my line of work.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Alexandra. I find it refreshing.” Kevin lifted his phone from the cocktail table. “I need to make a call anyway. That way I can give you some time.”
“I didn’t mean right here, right now,” Alexandra explained. “I would like to take at least the night.”
“I don’t mean to push you, but it’s vital I have your answer before we part ways. Will you at least give it a try?”
***
Alexandra
Alexandra nodded and kept nodding even after he left. She first pressed her eyelids together tightly and then opened her eyes widely to look out toward the water. After taking several deep breaths, she purposefully focused on the expanse of the ocean and considered the enormity of God’s creation. A slight smile formed when she noticed the lone pelican floating effortlessly in front of the picturesque window. Then, before even a silent prayer formulated in her mind, Alexandra heard a still, small voice speak directly to her soul. While waiting for Kevin to return, she continued to watch the pelican rock back and forth with the rhythm of the swells. She was surprised to feel the same sense of peace.
“Alexandra, I’m so sorry to rush your decision,” Kevin said before taking his seat.
She smiled warmly at him. “No need to apologize. I completely understand.” The clock struck five, almost like a signal, and she spoke quietly, “I don’t know why, and believe me, I am extremely nervous, but I feel God is prompting me to say yes. So my answer is yes. Yes, I will help.”
Kevin heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Alexandra. Thank you very much. Know that I will be with you every step of the way.”
“Now what?” she pressed. “Where do we even begin?”
Kevin’s shoulders immediately relaxed. “We begin by determining the most effective way to spend time training you without alerting your business partner, or anyone else for that matter.”
“Is that possible?”
“Sure it is. For example, do you typically have evening appointments with clients?”
Uneven Exchange Page 5