Alex sat in the semi-dark camper, barely able to contain herself. So, that's how they brought the babies across the border. The "Cabbage Patch Dolls" was code name for Mexican babies hidden beneath crates of vegetables and fruit, delivered on a regular basis to the restaurants of Jessup. Sometimes the haul contained a baby; sometimes not. How smart. How cold and calculating. Wait until Nick heard about this theory of hers. He would be so proud of her—if he didn't kill her for taking off without him.
They rode around for a considerable period of time, and Alex knew the driver was trying to confuse her. She wondered if this was the biggest mistake she’d ever made. Would she find herself in the middle of the desert, fighting the heat while she made her way on foot back to town? Or would she be holding Jenni soon?
Nothing in Jessup was this far away, unless they were driving all the way to Tucson. The camper windows had been painted black, so she couldn't see anything outside and had no idea where they were. Just when Alex thought she would swelter in the heat, the truck stopped and someone opened the back door for her. Fresh, hot air had never felt so good!
She approached the modest house as if she could care less where it was located. In fact, she took meticulous mental notes of the scrubby foliage in the almost-flat landscape. She was determined that all this effort would not go to waste.
Alex introduced herself to the heavyset woman who came to the door.
"I'm Margaret Hannah," the woman returned, pale blue eyes assessing Alex warily. After a moment's pause, she nodded. "Come on in. I've been waitin' for ya."
So this was the American link. Quite obviously, the American connection wasn't merely one person keeping a houseful of babies but an involved chain of people right here in sleepy little Jessup. Alex couldn't help wondering where the chain went from here. Although this Margaret Hannah was a pleasant-faced woman with slightly graying hair, her expression was guarded, her pale blue eyes severe.
"Would ya like a glass of tea before we get started? Ya look awfully hot. That truck," she shook her head, "is like an oven this time a year."
"No, thank you. I'd like to go ahead and see the babies." Alex grew excited at the prospect of seeing Jenni. She'd been through so much today, she'd almost forgotten that Jenni might be right here in this house, at this very minute!
"Sure," Margaret agreed shortly. "Well, come on. I've only got three right now." She lumbered down the hall and Alex trotted after her. "Two boys and a girl. Do ya care which?"
"Uh, the girl." Alex tried not to sound anxious.
"Some don't, ya know. They're so desperate for a kid, they'll take either kind. But others' are real particular. Like you." She ended pointedly and halted beside an open doorway.
Alex almost stumbled in her haste to enter the room. An infant of about three months napped in the gentle breeze of a ceiling fan. "Is this it? The only girl?" Disappointment was clear in her tone.
"Shhh, don't wake her up," Margaret cautioned and jerked Alex back into the hall. "Yep, this is the only one."
"But this just can't be all you have!" Alex pushed past Margaret and looked in every room. There were only two other babies, both napping, both male.
Margaret motioned to the baby girl. "What's wrong with this one? She's perfectly healthy. Good strong back. Real good reflexes."
Alex looked frantically into Margaret's stodgy face. Suddenly she felt all alone, a possible victim in the hands of Margaret Hannah. "Why, nothing. That's a fine baby. It's just that . . . well, I had hoped for one a little older."
"When they're this young, ya can train 'em from the start."
"T-train? Yes, well, maybe you're right. But I'd still like to think it over a little. I really should consult my husband too." A nervous heat spread up Alex's back and she had the distinct feeling she'd better get the hell out of here. And fast. She began walking in slow, ambling steps toward the door. "You see, my husband is a little old-fashioned. He doesn't let me make decisions without him. Not final ones that involve money."
"Or kids?" Margaret raised thin eyebrows.
"Oh, yes, especially involving kids," Alex agreed readily, hoping Margaret believed her.
"If ya want her, ya'd better say so. Sometimes these babies go through here pretty fast."
"Yes, I understand. But you'll have more, too, won't you?"
Margaret cast a cutting look. "Look lady, this ain't no department store. Who knows if we'll have more? They might be all boys. The babies that come through here are homeless. Nobody wants 'em. We find families for 'em. When they leave here, they've got homes to go to. There's always somebody out there that wants a cute little baby."
"Enough to pay good money for them," Alex finished dourly.
"Sure do," Margaret nodded emphatically. "There's always money exchanged in the adoption of children."
"Now, how do I get back in touch, if my husband agrees to this. Do I need to go back in town to the druggist?"
"Do you think you could find your way back here?"
"Well, no," Alex hedged.
"Then ya go back through the same people. Sometimes things change, y'know."
"Okay." Alex forced a smile. "I imagine I'll see you soon, Ms. Hannah, but I really should be getting back now." She was beginning to see the potential danger of her precarious situation. No one knew where she was. Anything could happen to her now and no one would know. Oh, would Nick be furious with her.
Alex had been so overwhelmed by the singular idea of finding Jenni at this house that she hadn't thought through all the angles. Now her one aim was to get out of here safely. She was so nervous, and her palms so slick, shaking hands with Margaret Hannah was out of the question. She eased out the door and muttered a hasty farewell.
Margaret loomed in the doorway watching, not smiling, just observing with those pale blue eyes.
Alex stifled a shudder and clamored into the back of the camper. Sitting alone in the darkness she fought stinging tears. No Jenni. No Nick. Just Alex alone and not knowing where to turn.
The drive back into town didn't take as long. Perhaps the driver felt she had been sufficiently confused. Alex was released on the street in front of the cafe and began the long trudge back to the edge of town where she'd parked the rattletrap van. Her all night chase, her wild and rambling lies down the chain, her waiting, had all been futile. Still no Jenni. But she had come close, damn close. Alex just knew it. Maybe if she had arrived a day or two earlier, or if Nick had flown her up as she'd begged him to do, they would have been in time to catch the child. Maybe.
Finally, Alex stumbled up to the van as the sun was dropping fast behind the Mexican horizon.
She continued her journey, not stopping for hours, until she reached her final destination. It was dark when she knocked on the Phoenix residence.
"Alex, what a wonderful surprise!"
"My God, Carol, you're a sight for sore eyes! Do you mind hugging a tramp?"
The two old friends grabbed each other, hugging and laughing and crying all at once.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Alex's first thoughts the next morning were of Nick. She could see his dark form hovering over her, his dark eyes crinkling at the edges when he smiled, his teeth flashing white against the tan of his skin. She could feel his cool kiss, the feather strokes of his mustache on her lips, and the warmth of his body stretched out against hers.
She squeezed the pillow and murmured his name. Trust me, he said. But she hadn't. She had disregarded his advice. As she grew more awake, Nick's image faded, and Alex realized he really wasn't with her. He wasn't here because she'd left him in Mexico. She'd defied him to go on a wild goose chase by herself.
To find her precious Jenni!
Alex sat up in bed with a start. Now, she had neither of the two people she loved! She'd left Nick and had no idea where to look for Jenni.
After a quick shower Alex threw on some jeans and a shirt and joined her long-time friend Carol, in the kitchen.
"Well, I was beginning to think you were going to
sleep all day. You must be exhausted." Carol embraced her warmly.
"It's so good to see you and be back in familiar territory. Back in this country," Alex admitted with a smile.
"Have a cup of coffee and a seat," Carol instructed. "You have a lot of explaining to do, lady."
"I swear, Carol, you have the most marvelous bed in the world. And the most generous spirit." Alex poured herself a cup of coffee, climbed onto a curved bamboo stool, and leaned on the counter bar that separated the small kitchen from the dining area. "How can I ever thank you?"
Carol shrugged and smiled. "What else could I do, when my dearest friend appears at my doorstep, looking like some bedraggled waif? You must have been absolutely beat, Alex. You fell asleep before I could give you the bowl of soup and glass of wine you requested."
"Did I? I don't even remember."
"There wasn't much conversation last night. How about a grilled cheese sandwich? I'm in the process of fixing myself one for lunch." Carol flipped the browned sandwich that sizzled in a skillet.
"Is it lunch time already? I did hibernate, didn't I? It's been a long time since I've had a plain cheese sandwich, without corn tortillas on the side." Alex chuckled and sipped at her coffee. "Matter of fact, a good old American grilled cheese sandwich sounds great. I may even give in to French fries later today. It's been ages since I've had them."
"I considered fixing enchiladas to make you feel at home."
"No, thanks. " Alex laughed. "I've had my fill of Mexican food for a while."
"Does that mean you're here to stay?" Carol lifted her eyebrows.
"Um-hum. The job's over for good."
"What about Jenni?"
"No luck there, either." Alex shook her head. "Oh, it's a long story, Carol."
"And I want to hear every word, but I'm puzzled. Your last letter said you weren't leaving Mexico until you and this Nick—" Carol halted with a small laugh. "I'm getting ahead, aren't I? Far be it from me to rush you Alex, but I am dying to know what happened. Have some more coffee, eat a little, then tell me everything, starting with that . . . that strange-looking van with Mexican license in my driveway."
Alex laughed. “That old half-rusted gray van has taken me far – across the desert and back. It’s a workhorse.”
"I think you’re damn lucky."
"It moves," Alex avowed with a touch of respect. "It brought me all the way from Hermosillo, Mexico. Via Jessup, Arizona."
Carol frowned and set a steaming grilled cheese sandwich before Alex. "Jessup? Are you crazy? That's a little out of your way, isn't it?"
"By a few hundred miles." Alex smiled ruefully. "I drove all night. You won't believe what yesterday was like."
"Try me," Carol advised with a wry smile. "I've known you a long time, Alex Julian, and I know you're capable of most anything you set your head to. So, what’s up?"
With small moments of loving laughter to punctuate the piercing emotion, Alex related her entire story. When she'd finished, Carol said, "Alex, forgive me, but what you did in Jessup is one of the dumbest things you've ever done. Do you know how dangerous that was? Why, they could have done anything to you, dumped you off in the desert, and no one would have known to look for you. Nobody knew where you were."
"Yep, I know. But Carol, try to understand my desperation. I was so close to finding her too."
"I'm trying to understand that, but you can't throw away all caution in order to accomplish this. Why, I'm surprised at you. You've never been so—"
"Daring?" Alex finished dryly.
"Yes. And reckless."
"Well, I was desperate to find her, Carol. I lied to find out the information I needed, and I would have gladly paid any fee they set if Jenni had been there. I would've paid it and walked away and never breathed a word to anyone about their illegal activities. That's how desperate I was— still am, I guess." She paused to let out a long sigh. "Are you shocked that I would say such a thing?"
"Yes," Carol conceded. "I understood that you had hired someone to find Jenni. Someone to take these personal risks for you."
"Nick? Ha! He has his own illegal games to play."
"Alex, I thought—"
"Well, you thought wrong." Alex responded irritably. She rose and paced the floor, talking as she went. "Nick is too busy to care about us. He has some kind of operation in Mexico involving a helicopter and hauling strange cargoes around. Illegal contraband is his game. Lots of money in that one. Oh, for a while he was interested in finding Jenni for me, but now I realize that he was only interested in me."
"Is that so bad?"
"Yes, because Jenni is very important to me. At the end, Nick and his partner went rushing off in the middle of the night, right when we were waiting to hear news of Jenni being transported across the border. The man accused of taking her told the police they were heading for Jessup. But would Nick fly me up there? Hell, no! He had other business. That's why I left—because Nick wouldn't help anymore."
"What were his reasons for not flying to Jessup?"
Alex shrugged. "He said we couldn't find her, that it was better to wait until the Customs agents called, saying they had her in custody. He kept talking about the chain of connections and a ring and going all the way to the end. I knew if we did that, we'd lose track of her in the States. And see? I’m afraid she's already gone. God only knows where Jenni is at this moment."
Carol poured them more coffee and asked thoughtfully, "Is it possible that Nick was right? After all, you didn't find her in Jessup."
"No, he— Oh, I don't know. I don't know who's right. And at this point I don't care. I just know he refused to help anymore."
"Alex, sometimes it's best to wait things out."
"Are you defending Nick?" Alex snapped incredulously. "You don't know anything about this."
"No. I'm just trying to look at it from all angles, as an observer. He had to have reasons for his decisions."
"He did? Well, let me give them to you." Alex pressed her fist against her mouth for a long minute, feeling the pain all the way to her heart. Her words, though, were bitter.
"What we had in Mexico was a fling, an affair. Just as simple as that. Only I—stupid fool that I am—I fell head over heels in love with him. So you were right about that, Carol. But I made the fatal mistake of telling him I was in love. When I did that, whatever we had fell apart. Scared him off, no doubt. Plus, he stopped looking for Jenni. I should have kept my mouth shut. Obviously I'm no good at these games. When I go to bed with someone, I'm serious about him, and when I'm in love with someone, I tell him."
"Do you still feel that way?"
Alex smiled sadly. "Do I still love him? Of course. One miserable day can't change that. But I realize now that it's completely one-sided. Don't they say there's a thin line between loving and hating? Maybe I'll slip over that line one day. It'll make it easier."
"Do you know he doesn't love you?"
Alex nodded silently. "A man like Nick—a man for hire—can't love."
"I wish you'd give yourself some time to think about this. Now is not a good time to make sweeping statements, especially about love. You're still too distraught over Jenni and all you've been through in the last twenty-four hours."
"I don't need more time for Nick but I feel that I'm running out of time for Jenni." She paced again, pausing to take a deep breath and think. "All right, so I messed up the relationship with Nick. Assuming he was right, maybe he knew what he was talking about when he wanted me to wait for Jenni to be found. And I've screwed that up too."
"He may be tracing her down right now, Alex."
"Boy, you're sure giving him a lot of credit, Carol. You just don't seem to understand. Nick was only looking for Jenni as a way to get to me. He's actually involved in some type of criminal activity. I haven’t figured it all out, but it seems illegal to me."
"I simply find it hard to believe you'd become entangled with someone like that, Alex. Tell me more about this Nick."
"Well, he's tal
l, a little too rugged to be called handsome. Dark hair and mustache. He has a wonderful take-charge attitude that appealed to me in the beginning. I thought he would find Jenni when the police failed. I believed he could do anything. Foolish notion. Too idealistic."
"You needed help," Carol added, "and had to have confidence in someone. I can understand that."
"Nick and Jose, his partner, make quite a pair," Alex volunteered with a shy smile. "Between the two of them, you would think they could accomplish anything. Jose is shorter but built like a brick wall. He has a fabulous Pancho Villa mustache, out to here." She motioned to each side of her face. "And curly on the tips. They remind me of two black panthers on the prowl. Dangerous."
Carol observed the hint of admiration in Alex's voice whenever she spoke of Nick. She obviously had strong feelings for the man but whether they were love, Carol wasn't sure. "I wouldn't give up on Nick yet, Alex. You still have to go back sometime and move your things out of his apartment. Maybe you could talk to him then. Get some answers to your questions about his activities."
Alex shook her head stubbornly. "I'll be better off never seeing Nick Diamond again, and I'm afraid I'll never see Jenni, either. My one consolation is that Margaret Hannah, the woman who keeps the babies in Jessup said Jenni would be sent to a good home. She'll be loved—" Alex halted, a catch in her voice at the thought.
"Now you're talking like you're defeated."
"Well?" Alex shrugged. "I've lost them both. I don't know where to turn. I've reached a dead-end, Carol."
"Sometimes what looks like the end is really the beginning, Alex. Don't give up yet. There is someone here in Phoenix who is in a position to help you. He works for the governor's office now and would be perfectly delighted to assist you in any way he could. He knows a lot of people, has lots of connections."
Alex's eyes widened. "Not Jack Kingsley!"
"Yes, Jack. He would like nothing better than to help you, Alex."
"Oh, no he wouldn't, Carol. He came to see me in Mexico and I, well . . . let's just say I sent him away angry. Uh-uh! I couldn't possibly!"
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