Part 28 (1/2)
”Well, there was not much else than that. She really wanted to talk to Chuck.”
”But she wouldn't say about what?”
”Just that she had information Chuck would want. Information about Steve Nelson was all I could get out of her, but -”
”Leave a phone number?”
”Nope. Refused when I asked,” Tracy said with an air of professional competence. ”Anyway, I told her to try back later, but, of course, Chuck won't be here.”
”s.h.i.+t. Well, whichever of us talks to Chuck first, better let him know. One more thing, Tracy,” Greg went on. ”What's the news on Carrie Diamond?”
”Hold just a minute, and I'll get you the latest.”
In the silence that followed, Greg's mind lingered on the comment about Steve. What had scared Williams enough to make her call? Was it Santiago? Or was it Nelson? Did that jerk know something potentially dangerous to Santiago? Maybe that was why he was in such a rush to take off for Alaska. Maybe he really was afraid, rather than just vindictive.
”Okay,” Tracy said into the receiver. ”A couple of neighbors saw Carrie and her husband leave their house between nine and nine thirty this morning. Saw at least one piece of luggage. Seemed preoccupied. Not themselves, according to the next-door neighbor who was puttering with her roses. Offered Carrie some, but Carrie pushed right by her.”
”That's it?”
”That's all we have. Except the neighbor did say that the Diamond's daughter was away visiting relatives. She figured they might be going to pick her up, but she was only guessing there.”
Greg remembered what Betty had said about a man with a Hispanic accent calling just before Carrie left the office so abruptly. About enough time for Carrie to drive home, pack, and leave.
Celeste and Carrie. Two women, each so professional, both missing. So unlike them to just disappear.
What was the common denominator?
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE.
Manny Gonzolas selected his jobs carefully. He liked technical challenges but refused hits related to the mob. This was his second job for Frank Santiago, a personal vendetta like the last one, and this time Manny demanded top dollar being that it had to come off so quick. So what if the kid was deaf and dumb. Make an easy hit. Sure, if he could find her. Finding them, eliminating them, that's what he did best. He'd find her.
Posing as a deliveryman, he'd gone back to the Palmer's late afternoon Monday and chatted with a few other neighbors on Oregon. n.o.body had seen the family all day. A call to Palmer's office, where he worked as a senior accountant, was transferred to a colleague who volunteered that Dirk Palmer was taking time off, claiming sudden illness in the family.
Yeah, right. So where the f.u.c.k were they? Manny's gut told him the Diamond b.i.t.c.h would know.
The next morning at six o'clock, he drove up to the Diamond house in a dark blue Mercury sedan with tinted windows. At six thirty, he saw the Diamond woman - the woman he'd seen on the tape he'd lifted - leave the house in a business suit, driving away in a late model silver Olds sedan, the kind with a cloth top. Not five minutes later a dark-haired guy, medium build with a pudgy face, emerged from the front door in jogging gear and headed down Oregon, past DeLeon to Swann. The kid, Manny figured, was not around. Both parents wouldn't leave the house with a kid home alone, and it was too early for her to be in school.
He'd give Diamond enough time to get to her office, maybe stop for coffee or something. Then he'd call her there. It was seven thirty when he parked his car less than a block away from Klingman Law Office and dialed the firm from a pay phone. He simply stated that he was a former client when the receptionist asked his name, and she put him right through to Diamond.
Diamond sounded uptight when she answered the phone. Good, she'd be easy to scare. When he started talking about the kid, he heard a gasp. He said that he knew her daughter was with Molly Palmer, and he knew where they were. He told her that she'd better come and get her kid right away, and come alone. Starting to sob, she'd stuttered something about her husband, but Manny interrupted, saying do it or else, letting his voice trail off before he hung up. Then he waited in the car. When she emerged a few minutes later, he followed her home. Bingo, he told himself, he'd spooked her and now she was gonna lead him to his mark.
He had a good feeling about this job. It seemed simple enough, and then he'd split to his retreat in the islands. After the job, Manny planned an extended vacation. Get the h.e.l.l out of Tampa until this whole thing blew over. Drive straight to Miami. Charter a flight to Martinique. Spend tomorrow on the beach with his luscious Monique.
But first he had to do the kid.
Manny congratulated himself as he sat in the plush seat of the Mercury. Diamond and the guy in the jogging suit, now dressed in pale blue slacks and an aqua short-sleeve s.h.i.+rt, came out, locking the front door in a rush and loading a large, hard-sh.e.l.l suitcase into the Olds' trunk. Sure that he was unseen, Manny trailed the Diamond car as it headed west on Swann, then north on Dale Mabry to the big-money Carrollwood Lake section. The car stopped alongside the curb in front of a bunch of townhouses set amid a perfectly landscaped lawn dotted with coconut palms and surrounded by clumps of flowers in shades of yellows and reds. Manny's pa.s.sion was landscaping and he admired the the expensive display of lush plantings as the Diamond woman jumped out of the pa.s.senger side of the car and raced toward the front door of one of the luxury units and frantically punched the doorbell.
Manny couldn't see everything, just enough to make out that the woman who opened the door was tall, slim, and had long, dark hair. He could see that she wore a baby blue bathrobe and that her hair looked all messed up, like she'd just climbed out of bed. After a brief conversation, Diamond disappeared inside.
Parking the car, Manny waited.
Celeste Marin was surprised at the unannounced visit of Greg's a.s.sociate. Had he actually sent someone from the office to check on her? She'd met Carrie Diamond only briefly during a few office social occasions and liked her immediately. She remembered telling Greg that she'd like to get to know her better. Based on everything Greg had told her, Carrie was a bright, talented attorney, but what was she doing here, seeing her so unkempt, still unshowered, hair uncombed, no makeup?
”Carrie? Come on in,” Celeste greeted her before registering the clear anxiety etched on Carrie's face. ”What is it? What's wrong?”
”I ... I'm so sorry to bother you, Celeste,” she blurted, ”but I really need your help.”
”My help,” Celeste echoed. ”Did Greg send you here?”
”No. And please don't tell him I came. You see, I'm just so scared,” she stammered, ”and only you can help me.”
”Me? How? Let's have coffee. I just put on a pot. Gosh, I'm sorry I look so awful.”
Carrie ignored the comment, still standing, beginning to wring her hands. ”I don't have time. I just pray that you can help me.”
”But what is it you think I can do? Here, sit down and tell me.” She led her over to the brocade sofa.
In a rush, Carrie told Celeste about Molly Palmer. How she had encouraged the child to talk to the police, to identify the man she'd seen go into Steve Nelson's apartment at the time of Kim Connor's shooting.
”But wasn't that the right thing to do?” Celeste asked. Her kind, inquisitive eyes searched Carrie's suddenly blotchy face.
”I thought so, yes. But now I'm just scared for Elizabeth.”
”Who's Elizabeth?”
”My daughter.”
”I'm afraid I'm not following.” Celeste reached for Carrie's hand, unable to fathom what she could do to alleviate this woman's distress. ”You were telling me about a Palmer child? And your daughter?”
”I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense I guess.” Carrie paused to take a breath. ”When Greg and Chuck decided to take the Palmers to a safe place - it was my idea actually - I never thought the Palmers would ask to take my daughter too. You see, they're both deaf, Molly and Elizabeth, and the Palmers wanted to bring Elizabeth as a companion for Molly. My husband and I didn't want to let them take our daughter, but since I'd gotten Molly involved in all this we thought it only right. And Chuck promised tight security.”
”Chuck? Chuck Dimer?”
”Yes, he's the P.I. working on the Nelson case with us.”
”I know Chuck, and I'm sure the girls are perfectly safe. Chuck is very good at what he does.”
”I know. But this morning I got a call from a strange man.” Carrie withdrew her hand from Celeste's and reached into her purse for a wad of Kleenex. ”I got scared. I ... I just want to go get my daughter. I think I made a horrible mistake.”
”Oh, Carrie, I can understand. I just don't know why you're telling me all this?”
”Because, well, I thought you knew.” Carrie gulped and blew her nose. ”The Palmers and my daughter are at your condo on Amelia Island.”
Celeste gasped. ”What?”
”They needed a safe place, and Greg said you wouldn't mind. The firm will reimburse you, of course,” she added quickly.