Donna Diamond, Private Investigator, was also Donna Padierezsky, a navy veteran who’d left Naval Intelligence Services for a private career in San Diego.
Donna’s office was modern, her tools were high-tech and her sense of humor, so necessary in a job like hers, showed in her pseudonym.
“Hey, I can’t have clients calling me at home or knowing where I live,” she explained once. “Plus, I want something clients can spell when they write out my check. Even the bank messes up Padierezsky.”
Donna was presently searching for Jordan’s attackers—and would-be murderers. The women were old dive buddies, and Donna insisted on working for free. She’d asked Aurora to swing by the office after her prison visit. Donna’s very feminine looks—black curls, attractive face and petite body—led many to overlook her keen mind, a fact she often turned to her advantage. She had drinks and take-out food waiting as Aurora entered.
“Come and take a load off. Chow’s here, too, Rory,” Donna said without preamble, her manner as brisk and no-nonsense as it had been in the navy. “How’s Dorian?”
“She looks terrible. Tanya’s still full of herself,” Aurora said.
“Figures. Here.” Donna passed Rory a set of finely designed, jade-inlaid lacquered chopsticks she’d picked up while on duty in Japan and a box of Chinese takeout. “You can fill me in while we eat. I want to hear everything.”
Aurora did as requested, describing her time at the prison.
“And you actually told Tanya you’d leave her there?” Donna asked as Aurora finished her story.
“Yeah. Not that I would—but I needed to get through to her somehow. So much for tough love. I guess scare tactics weren’t the best solution. She doesn’t scare. And Dorian didn’t approve of my threatening her baby chick.”
“Baby chick, yeah, right. You should send that child off to boot camp. If she ever gets out of Mexico,” Donna said bluntly. “Her parents can’t handle her, that’s for sure. Why don’t you take her in?”
“I’ve offered, but Dorian won’t hear of it and Gerald doesn’t want to admit failure.”
“They’d both better admit it now,” Donna replied. “Speaking of Gerald, I haven’t been able to get a message to him at all. If only he’d been arrested for theft or pimping...even murder—”
“Donna, please.”
“—I’d have a chance. But drugs...” Donna shook her head. “Makes it difficult when it comes to cooperation across the border.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve given up on the lawyers. As far as I can tell, bribery is the only way to help Dorian and Gerald.”
“If you get the money off Castillo,” Donna murmured.
“But you said he was solvent!”
“Solvent, yes. Able to fund a salvage operation based on his record and using his own boat as collateral, yes. But as for coming up with hard cash right now...I don’t know. Are you running low on funds?”
“Rock-bottom low.”
“I don’t know, Rory,” Donna said again. “You may be throwing good money after bad, and you can’t spare it.” Donna knew that Aurora had been financing the Atwell Computer Company’s staff salaries.
“What else can I do? Tanya certainly isn’t going to confess.”
“Even if she does, it’s probably too late now.”
Rory nodded. “So we’re back to bribery. And that’s why I need to strike a bargain with Jordan. I know where the San Rafael is. Jordan doesn’t. But—as I happen to know from your research—he has the money to salvage. I don’t. This could be a perfect match. I’m guessing it shouldn’t be difficult to come to an agreement.”
Donna’s eyes narrowed. “It will be, Rory, if someone ends up killing him. I’ve checked with the police. I know you cooperated fully with the investigation, but they’ve got nada. Jordan didn’t have much to say on the subject, either. From what I gather, he’s as confused as we are regarding a motive. You’re the only person who knows about the galleon—and you need him alive to salvage it. He’s been lucky so far, but who knows if that luck will hold?”
Aurora’s blood ran cold. She was back on that deserted beach, watching Jordan Castillo fight for his life. “Yeah, I know. Still, he’s okay now. Thankfully, I was there.” She paused, frowning. “If only we knew the ship’s payload.”
That drew a tiny smile from Donna. “Can’t help you there. I never had a course in Spanish galleon booty with the N.I.S.” Her smile faded. “That’s the least of our worries. Good thing Lucky seems to be Jordan’s middle name.”
“I’m so glad Neil was in the right place in the right time. He even had a fancy surgeon