Page 28 of Dangerous Liaisons

Up ahead, the path split. The right fork led to the tropical greenhouses, the left, to the palm grove. Anxiety gnawed at Jesse’s gut. She had been in the open too long. Juanita might be watched. It was time to call in a favor.

“I’m out here in the cold. I need anything you can give me.”

Juanita shook her head. “Your files were sealed when your operation went haywire. I can’t access them without raising flags. Those damn computers are too smart.”

Normally, Juanita’s attempts at sounding American amused Jesse. Today, she could only think how far beyond haywire the operation had gone. “How about information on one Cole Smith, a U.S. operative who works for the man you mentioned?”

Juanita slanted her a questioning look. “Why are you interested in him?”

“He helped foil a kidnapping.”

Juanita raised one perfect eyebrow. “Kidnapping?”

“Mine.”

“I’ll see what I can find out.”

“One more thing, I need some equipment.”

Juanita gave another musical laugh. “You don’t ask much. Like what?”

They reached the Y in the path, and Jesse stopped. “You say Perez only uses cell phones. How about an airlink sniffer?”

Juanita frowned. “My English isn’t as good as I’d like. Eh, como se dise…”

“My Spanish isn’t nearly as good as your English,” Jesse replied. “I don’t know the translation.”

Juanita’s face lit up. “No!” she cried with a decidedly Spanish accent. “You mean the device that listens to cell-phone radio waves and decodes the protocol?”

Jesse snorted a laugh. “Not bad for a woman who’s English is lacking.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Give me another year, and I’ll run circles around your professors at Princeton.”

“No contest,” Jesse said. “I need the sniffer to be portable and untraceable. Top of the line. I won’t be getting a second chance.” Just like she wouldn’t be getting a second chance with Juanita. This was it. Jesse Evans was outside the system. The realization alleviated a sliver of the guilt she had about the meeting planned for that evening.

Juanita studied her. “You actually think you’ll get close enough to Perez to use a sniffer?”

“If I manage the miracle, I intend to be ready.”

“Why not just buy one?” Juanita asked.

Jesse’s jaw tensed. “My assets are indisposed.”

Juanita’s brow shot up in question. She laughed when Jesse didn’t offer anything more. “All right. Give me a couple days.”

“I have to split.” Jesse nodded at the path to the palm grove, which led to the garden’s exit. She palmed a card with her email address from her jeans pocket and pulled Juanita into a hug, kissing both cheeks again. During the embrace, she slipped the card into Juanita’s jacket pocket, making sure she felt the movement.

Jesse pulled back an arm’s length and looked into Juanita’s sunglasses. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“You know I have to fill out a contact report.”

“Can you sit on it for a week?”

Juanita flashed a sly smile. “Those computers can be so pesky and exacting. Sometimes it takes a week or so to get them to accept a report.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Us girls have to stick together.”

“Yeah,” Jesse agreed, and again thought of Amanda.