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“Oh, where’s my sister?”
“Somewhere around. She’s busy.” He took in the greenhouse. “This looks like moving day.”
Diego’s features relaxed a bit, and he surveyed the area. “Yeah, I’ve got a full field ready for planting. These seedlings are going to move to the middle greenhouse and those are already being moved to the last greenhouse.”
“I saw the cart filled with trees. It’s pretty cool.”
“It’s an amazing plant. The Arabica bean is the most popular and produces great tasting coffee.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of drinking some damn fine coffee in your kitchen.”
He flashed a grin, then looked down at his tablet.
“How long does the plant take to produce fruit?”
“Oh, about three to five years and are productive for about fifteen to twenty years.”
“What’s the yield?”
“Approximately four hundred and fifty pounds per year.” Diego tried to move around him, but Buck blocked his path. Diego frowned and said, “Are you really interested in all of this or are you here for another reason?”
“I’m here to learn so I can impress your sister,” Buck said with a smile. “And find out what her favorite flower is.”
Diego looked at him with open skepticism. “My sisters are better equipped to answer those kinds of questions.”
“Shoot, I couldn’t find them. Can’t you help a guy out?”
Diego shifted looking suddenly uncomfortable. “She loves most flowers…gardenias, I think are her favorite. It’s a white flower. Anna knows.”
“So, you’re in the middle of harvest?”
His jaw remained tense, his shoulders hunched. Diego was nervous, something most people couldn’t fake. It was etched across every inch of his face. Question was, exactly what was he worried about? It could be many things, including the shock of discovering a longtime, valued employee had been murdered. “We’re actually getting to the tail end.”
“It must be crazy to have to juggle your job here and oversee shipping.”
“Yeah, it’s busy, but only temporary until we find another shipping manager. If that guy out there is Juan?—”
“It’s Juan.” He gave Diego that information so he could see his reaction.
The blood drained from Diego’s face. “No. I was hoping it wasn’t him. What happened to him?”
“We believe he was abducted, tortured, and murdered about three days ago.” Buck said watching him.”
“Damn,” Diego swallowed hard. “On our land?”
“Looks like it.” Buck schooled his features into a solemn expression. “You know what it’s like in a terrible situation to think about where you were when it happened? Where were you, Diego?”
Diego dropped his tablet, then crouched down to pick it up. “I-I was in the field I think,” he stammered.
“Was Juan involved in shady things?”
His head snapped up, and he rose in a rush. Diego seemed genuinely surprised at the question, then overly fierce when he responded, “Juan? No. He was the most honest, hardworking guy we had on the place. My grandfather hired him. He’s been with us for sixteen years.”
“That’s tough. I’m sorry about your loss.”
“Thank you.”
“Maybe I can see the shipping area when you have time. You can show me how that works.” He’d said it lightly, but he noticed a telltale pause in Diego’s motions.
