“So you think you saw him the night she died?”
“No, it was too dark and their car only stopped for a moment. It had to be someplace else.”
“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Boyd asked.
“I didn’t really take it seriously. I thought it was just someone who saw him pick up the briefcase and chased him down for a while,” Jessie said.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now. I’m off the case,” Boyd announced tersely.
“What do you mean? A couple of people have been murdered. How can you be off the case?” Liam asked.
Jessie jumped in. “Let me guess. The FBI told you to drop it. National security, right?”
“Yeah, whenever they want to take over, it’s always for national security. That’s why they confiscated the video from the airport.” Boyd sneered.
Liam nodded. “You managed to get your own copy anyway.”
Boyd grinned sheepishly. “They told me they were coming to get it, so I stalled long enough to copy it.”
“Do you think he’s a terrorist?” Jessie asked.
“All I know is the FBI insisted on taking over the investigation. At first they focused solely on the German with the briefcase. Now, I think they’re taking another look at this guy.” The detective nodded toward the screen. “The two of them took the same flights to Newark and back on the same day. It seems to be too much of a coincidence, and let’s face it, most of us in law enforcement don’t believe in them.”
“We need to find out who he is,” Liam mused.
“Can you run him through your system?” Jessie asked.
Boyd paused, smiling.
“You already did, didn’t you?” she asked.
Boyd nodded. “He made it pretty easy. Unlike the courier, he booked his flight under his real name, Nasir Hakim, born in the U.S. Parents are Iranian immigrants. One juvenile arrest for defamation of property, graffiti on a Jewish temple. He was fourteen. He was sentenced to community service for a year. No records otherwise. To all appearances, he went straight after that original incident.”
“Can we get his picture?” Liam asked.
“Sure. But I didn’t give it to you. Understand? At this point, my hands are tied. I can’t stop you from snooping. Nonetheless, let me give you a few words of caution here,” Boyd warned. “Don’t get in the way of the Feds. They wouldn’t like it.”
As he was talking, he pushed a key on the computer and a humming sound rose from an ancient printer sitting on a small table nearby. A few seconds later it spit out a copy. The detective handed it to Liam with a shrug.
“Our equipment here is pretty old. This is the best I can do.”
Jessie and Liam checked it out. Although it was somewhat blurry, it still gave them a fairly good image of the man.
Jessie rubbed the picture. “Is that a smudge on his cheek?” she asked.
Liam held it up to the light. “Maybe more like a scar,” he said.
They thanked Boyd, and he waved them away. “You two are on your own now. I’m not at liberty to give you any more information. As a matter of fact, I shared too much already.” He walked them out. “Good luck,” he mumbled.
They stood on the sidewalk for a moment.
“What are your plans now?” Liam asked.
“I have to get back to the office, wrap up the Russian story so it can be published this Sunday.”
He nodded. “Too bad you couldn’t end it with the arrests of those scumbags.”
Jessie sighed. “And Irina being safe and sound…”
“We can’t change the past, only hope they’ll pay for their crimes sometime soon. I have another case to work on this afternoon. When I’m done, I’ll see what I can find out on this Nasir Hakim. Get an address. If so, we can go out tomorrow and check it out,” Liam said.
“Call me when you have something.”
“I have a better idea. How about I make you dinner tonight, at my place? Get your mind off this whole thing for a little while.”
“What about your case?” Jessie asked.
“It’ll only take me a couple of hours. So, are you interested?”
“Yeah, anytime someone is willing to cook for me, I’m interested,” she said smiling.
“I don’t know if I should feel hurt by the fact it’s only the food enticing you to spend time with me.”
“Wine and conversation work as well,” she answered.
He laughed. “It’s a deal. Let’s say seven o’clock?”
She agreed and he gave her his address.
“Can I bring anything?”
“Only you,” he exclaimed with a grin.
She took a few steps.
“Jessie, wait!”
She turned around.
“Do you like salmon?” Liam asked.
“Love it.”
“Good, see you soon.”
Chapter Twenty
On the way to Liam’s, Jessie wondered if she made a mistake accepting his invitation. No doubt their initial encounter didn’t start out so well. Now, however, she enjoyed his company and there was no denying she was attracted to him. She quickly dismissed her misgivings. After all, this was only a dinner, so why make a big deal out of it?
Although the eastern section of Pompano Beach was unfamiliar territory, Liam’s street was wedged between Federal Highway and the Intracoastal and was easy to find. Expecting to see an apartment building, she was surprised to recognize his jeep parked in the driveway of a small home painted a pale peach color with bright green shutters. A gravel path led to the entrance. She knocked on the front door, and Liam appeared within seconds, greeting her with a big smile.
“For some reason I assumed you lived in a condo,” Jessie said.
“Nope. This was actually my grandmother’s home. After she passed away, my parents suggested I buy it, I agreed, and here I am. Come on in. I’ll give you a tour.”
Furnishings in the living room were limited to a tan leather couch, a television set and two matching chairs. Glass doors opened to a deck and a small grassy area with a spectacular view of the Intracoastal. A variety of boats lined both sides of the waterway.
A narrow kitchen with white cabinets had just enough room for a small round table and four chairs. Down a short hallway were two bedrooms and a bathroom tiled in vibrant pink and blue colors. Terrazzo covered all the floors throughout the house.
“It’s not very big,” he explained. “Works for me though. It could use sprucing up. Maybe you can give me some guidance. I’m not a very good decorator.”
“I actually like older homes. They’re a welcome change from the cookie cutters houses popping up in subdivisions all over the west side of town. Same floor plans, same granite countertops, same supersized bathrooms and monster closets. No one needs that much space for their stuff, do they? Take your terrazzo floor for example. It’s made to last, it’s beautiful, and it’s getting popular again,” Jessie said.
Liam grinned. “Great news. Since you like it, I won’t have to spend an arm and a leg to change it.”
He opened a bottle of wine and they sat on the deck as boats glided by. Like somber guardians of the deep, a couple of pelicans occupied the top of two deck posts. Soon the sun started its vanishing act beyond the horizon, and the sky took on dazzling shades of orange to bright red. A cool breeze, laced with salt, combined the scent of the sea and the smell of jasmines.
Jessie inhaled deeply. “This is as close to paradise as you’re ever going to get.”
Liam nodded. “I find I’m liking it more every day.”
“What about your family. Do you miss them?” Jessie asked.
He grinned. “I do somewhat. I try to go back and see my parents as much as I can. I grew up in a two-story house in Queens. My grandparents moved here from Ireland. They lived on the ground floor. My parents, my brother, and I lived upstairs. Every Sunday, after Mass, it was dinner downstairs with my uncles and cousins in attendance. As a whole, it was fun to get together with the other kids. So
metimes there would be arguments, ‘disagreements’ as they called them, yet everybody always went home with a full stomach.”
He paused for a moment. “Later on, my grandparents moved to Florida. Now they’re both gone and my parents are getting older. They talk about retiring down here, but my brother is there and so are his kids. I think it’s going to be hard for them to leave those grandchildren behind. What about you?”
“South Florida has always been home, so I’ve never been too far from my family. My mom still lives here. My dad passed away several years ago. I miss him a lot. He was a gentle soul. He never really liked to talk about his childhood. I know his family had to flee Nazi Germany during WWII. I imagine it was pretty rough for them and the memories must not have been pleasant. No brothers or sisters. I don’t see how my mom could have dealt with more than one kid anyway.”
He got up. “Now we know each other’s familial history, let me check on dinner.” He disappeared into the kitchen, rattled some pots and pans, was gone for a short while and came back out carrying two plates of food.
“You’re okay with eating out here?” he asked.
“Sure. Let me help you.” She took the plates and set them on the table, and Liam went back in to get more wine.
After Jessie took a few bites of her salmon she nodded enthusiastically. “This is really good. I’m not much of a cook myself.”
“Well then, we can eliminate that as a possible source of conflict. I like to cook. Anything else I should know?” he asked.
“Let me see… I’ve never been married. I volunteer at the Wildlife Center out west whenever I can. Your turn,” she announced.
“Had a girlfriend in college. She got married while I was in the Middle East. Last year she had triplets, no less.” He grinned. “Nothing lasting since then. Having a job checking up on cheating spouses can make you cautious.”
“You mean you’re afraid it’s the norm rather than the exception?” she asked.
“I hope not. I’m an optimist by nature.” He shrugged and smiled. “But one has to be a realist just as well.”
They sat quietly for a while and watched as the two pelicans flew off their posts and dove into the dark waters for their evening meal. After several successful attempts, they returned to the stands and resumed their quiet vigilance.
Liam laughed. “Their lives are pretty uncomplicated, aren’t they? It should only be so simple for us. What is it you want out of your life, Jessie?”
She sighed. “In my job I come across a lot of ugliness, including corruption, infidelity, sometimes even murder or attempted murder. It’s like peeling an onion. When you start probing you realize what you see is usually far from reality. Only after you remove many more layers of skin you may get to the actual truth. Ideally? If I could just eliminate a fraction of the bad out there, I would feel a lot better. I know, it’s an impossible task. In the world we live in, all I can do is expose as much of it as I can. I do the research and write the articles. Readers can take the information I provide and sometimes they act upon it. Other times, they just brush it away, and go on as usual.”
“To do your job can turn out to be dangerous as well,” Liam mused.
Jessie shrugged. “Most of the time, it just gets me some pretty nasty comments from not so pleasant people. But speaking of danger, did you get any information on our Mr. Hakim?”
He shook his head. “I only have an address. Hopefully, it’s still good.”
“Let’s check it out tomorrow,” she suggested.
He nodded, letting his gaze linger on her face.
She tilted her head. “What are you thinking?”
“I think I should make you one of my famous Irish coffees.”
She smiled. “Famous, eh? How can I resist.”
He laughed and went into the kitchen. She heard a short flurry of activity, then he reappeared with two cups of coffee, generously topped with whipped cream.
Jessie took a sip. It was delicious and she nodded her approval. Liam grinned before leaning over close to her.
“May I?” he asked, gentling running a finger over her upper lip and holding up a tad of whipped cream. They both laughed. He reached for her hands and held them. Their eyes remained locked. The night breeze carried in the scent of salt and the faint sound of someone’s radio playing a smooth jazz tune.
“Would you like to dance?” Liam asked softly.
“I would like that very much,” Jessie answered.
He held her close, and they swayed to the music. He sought out her lips and they kissed, a long passionate kiss. A quiver ran up her spine, spurred by a yearning long ignored. Liam swept her up like a feather and carried her into the bedroom. She cried out in pleasure as he explored every curve of her body in a delight of discoveries. Nearby the sheer curtain danced in the breeze drifting in through the open window, and the cawing of sea gulls welcomed the night. They heard none of it, absorbed in their lovemaking, enjoying every moment, every touch. Later, as her head rested against his chest, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat, Jessie closed her eyes, letting herself drift away into a calmness she hadn’t enjoyed in a long time. Eventually she thought she should go. As if he read her mind, Liam whispered in her ear. “Don’t go. Stay, spend the night with me.”
One glance into his deep green eyes and all resistance melted away. They made love once more, with less urgency this time, slowly with a newly discovered tenderness.
****
A distant sound jarred her awake. Her eyes opened in the darkness, and it took her a moment to realize where she was. She turned around. Sound asleep, Liam was breathing softly next to her, his head buried into the shadow of a pillow. She realized the sound came from another room, and she remembered leaving the phone in her purse.
She slid out of bed and made her way back into the living room, found her purse, and dug out her phone. The brightly lit screen revealed Perrone’s number. Suddenly, she was wide awake. “Sam?”
“It’s Irina…” He paused, “I’m sorry, Jessie, she’s dead.”
For a moment she was unable to grasp the words. Then pure, cold anger gripped her body. “They killed her, didn’t they?”
“A delivery man found her in an alley. She was shot, execution style.”
Jessie folded into one of the chairs, closed her eyes.
“Jessie, are you okay?” Perrone asked.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she said feebly.
“There’s nothing you could have done. It was her decision to leave and they wasted no time finding her,” the detective said.
She thanked him for calling and sat frozen in her seat until Liam walked in. He knelt beside her and took hold of her hands. “What happened?”
She shook her head. “Irina is dead.”
He pulled her to him, held her tight. “I’m so sorry, Jessie.”
“Those monsters killed her, and it’s my fault.”
“Stop,” he said gently. “You can’t blame yourself. The moment she left protective custody, she put herself in harm’s way.”
“She must have been so scared.”
He lifted her chin, looked into her eyes. “She was confused, Jessie. The men who killed her are to blame, not you. They wanted to prove a point. To you, as well as to any of those girls who may get any ideas about escaping.”
“You’re right. They left her in an alley so she could be found,” she said abruptly, getting up.
“Let me make you some coffee,” he offered.
She stared at him glumly. “I need to go home. I have things to do.”
“Do you want me to check on Hakim today?” he asked.
“No, let’s do it together, just not today.”
He stroked her face. “Don’t go yet. Let me make you some breakfast. We can talk about it if you want. Or we can just sit and eat and drink coffee.”
She smiled sadly, held his hand against her cheek. “Thank you, Liam, I love you for this, but right now, I want to be alone.”
He kiss
ed her. “Will you call me later?”
She nodded.
“I’m really sorry,” he repeated softly as he walked her out.
Once home, she took a shower, made a cup of coffee, then opened up her laptop and started typing. A couple of hours later she was done. She saved the text on an USB drive, put it in her purse and left. At eight thirty she walked past the empty desks on her floor and into Art’s office. He was on the phone, but he put it down when she came in. He frowned. “Did you forget it was Saturday?”
She told him about Irina and his jaw dropped.
“I rewrote the whole article, Art,” she said, handing him the flash drive. “It’s different now. It includes Irina’s story and what those people do to those young girls they enslave.”
He started to speak, and she held up her hand. “No. Read it before you say anything.” She got up. “I’ll be busy for the rest of the day. If you need me, you know how to reach me.”
When she got to the Wildlife Center, Doris took one glimpse at her and guided her to the kitchen table. “Let’s sit down a minute and talk.”
Jessie told her everything and Doris listened attentively.
“What do you want to do now?” she asked.
“Whatever needs to be done.”
Doris smiled. “Good, I can help you there.”
She grabbed a pail loaded with diced fruit and handed it to Jessie. “I was about to feed our friends back there. So now, get to it girl.”
The rest of the day was spent feeding the animals, cleaning cages and hosing down a couple of pigs caked in mud. Shortly after five o’clock, Daniel and Mike, Doris’ two sons, showed up with take-out from Pollo Tropicale, chicken, rice, black beans and plantains. They all sat down together and ate, the guys joking and teasing as usual, and Jessie even managed to smile a few times. Exactly what she needed right now. When she got home, she called Liam and they talked a while, then she poured herself a glass of wine, turned on the TV, and stared at the screen. A comedian was doing a miserable job at being funny. She switched to another channel. A newscaster was talking. She could see his mouth moving, but she wasn’t grasping any of it. At eleven o’clock, she went to bed. Tremendous fatigue weighed her down, yet she remained awake for a long time, staring into the darkness before finally dozing off.
Diamond Lilly Page 15