Rogue Diamond by Mary Tate Engels Read Free Book Online

this." She slid an envelope beneath his tanned fingertips. "I don't know how mu ch you normally charge for some thing like this, but I'll do the best I can. Here is a retainer fee, and I'll pay you more later."
    "Huh?" Nick's eyes dropped to the table, then angrily sought hers. "I told you, Alex, I'm not a private eye. I don't normally do this sort of thing, therefore, there is no fee." He pushed the enve lope back toward her.
    "Then we'll negotiate as we go along. I want this to be a bu si ness deal, with money exchanged. I'm serious about wanting that child found." Her sharp eyes caught his, level and hard. "I'm hiring you, Nick."
    "No money," he asserted. "I can't take money for this."
    "Don't get maudlin on me, Mr. Diamond. I know you couldn't pos si bly give a damn about Jenni. If I didn't put up the money, you wouldn't be looking for her. I thought you said we had a deal. So far, it seems like you're humoring me. I want someone to work for me. Someone who will use every resource pos si ble, including money, to find Jenni."
    "The name's Nick, remember?" he said tersely. "We're still at the talking stage. Talk and time are cheap, and that's where we start."
    " Damn it , we'll never get any further than talk with your attitude. I'm sorry, Mr. Diamond." She reached for the envelope and began to rise. "I want action, not talk. We're running out of time."
    His hand shot out and snapped the envelope from her fing ers. "Dam n woman! You are im pos si ble . I’ve got your money. Now, si t down."
    "If you think you're going to talk to me like that, you're crazy . " She took another step in the rain.
    "Alex!" His other hand grabbed her arm. "Do you want my help?"
    Her eyes lifted t o his, questioning their si ncer ity. For a second his eyes pinioned her. She read more than si ncerity in them, something fiery and combustible. More like controlled animal lust, she told herself, but decided not to repel him further. She needed his help too much. "Yes."
    "Then si t down. Please. "
    Dropping her eyes from his riveting gaze, Alex sat . I n a quiet tone she said , "Okay. We'll try again, Nick. Now, where should we start with th is search?"
    He pulled his chair a little closer to hers and grumbled, "Uh, let’s see. W e should start by questioning those closest to Teresa and your home, then branch out."
    "But the police have already done that."
    "Well, I'd like to conduct my own inquiry." Nick controlled his breath and his temper. Damn her, a nyway . Who was this woman, push ing him into something he had no bu si ness doing, then telling him how to do it .
    "Could we start now?" she asked eagerly. "The rain's almost over."
    "First, do you have a photo of her? One I can keep?"
    "Yes, right here." Alex fumbled in her purse and drew out a child's snapshot.
    Nick looked at the photo of a very pretty Mexi can child with large dark eyes and soft curls that framed a small face. She smiled jauntily at the camera.
    "This pictur e was taken at school," Alex ex plained.
    "Do you have others? A more somber shot?" Nick knew that if they found the child, she prob ably would not be smiling. However, he didn't want to say that to Alex.
    Alex turned a puzzled look at the snapshot in his hand. "I thought this was the best one. But I'll see. What's wrong with it?"
    "Nothing. I'd just like to have another. You said this picture wa s taken at school?" Nick contin ued. "She doesn't look old enough for school."
    "Jenni's not qui te two. She's enrolled in a pre school program for toddlers at the Univer si ty. I took her to work with me three days a week and her mother picked her up after lunch."
    "So she was exposed to a lot of people?"
    "Yes, Jenni's very bright," Alex said proudly. "We feel she should be exposed to as much as pos si ble. That's all part of the learning process."
    "Sounds as though she almost had two moth ers."
    Alex nodded si lently. "Almost."
    "Can you tell me anything else about her? Anything unusual or interesting. Any scars or