Blood Diamond (Inspector Vazquez Book 3): A detective thriller with a sci-fi twist by Alec Birri

Author:Alec Birri [Birri, Alec]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Near Future Nightmares
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

II

Part Two

Chapter 18

Into the multiverse

1985

‘Inspector Vazquez?’

Emil looked at his new sergeant.

‘There’s a lady in reception who says she knows you – a Doctor Maria Fierro.’

Emil’s stomach tightened. Three years since he had heard that name. Three years since he last saw her. Three years since they promised each other they would marry just as soon as Maria had returned from North America.

‘Show her in.’

The tightness became nausea. Emil distracted himself by tidying the desk, but the rattle of a cup against its saucer made his nervousness plain. He put both down and grabbed his fingers to stop them from shaking when the only woman he had ever wanted to spend the rest of his life with, appeared. Emil stood up.

It was like meeting for the first time. He blushed. So did she.

‘Shall I close the door, boss?’

Emil didn’t respond. The sergeant looked at them both staring at each other. He raised his eyebrows before closing it anyway.

The noise of the door shutting broke their trance-like state. The pair began talking over each other. When it became clear Maria was just as anxious, Emil raised his hands to end the incoherence. ‘First things first.’ He walked around his desk and pulled up a chair. ‘Please, have a seat.’ The smell of her perfume as she sat made Emil close his eyes. He opened them again, took a deep breath and walked back to his side of the desk.

‘Can I get you a coffee or something?’ Emil hoped the tone of the question was appropriate given their history. Whatever ‘appropriate’ meant.

‘You haven’t changed one bit.’ The passing years hadn’t diminished the power of Maria’s smile either and Emil could feel himself folding in the presence of it.

He took another deep breath. Tapping his expanding girth with both hands, Emil said, ‘Well, if this isn’t obvious then the receding hairline and moustache must be.’ His fingers ran through and down both thickets. ‘You, on the other hand, are exactly the same.’ Emil wasn’t joking. Maria could still pass for the twenty-five-year-old she was when they first met.

The visitor surveyed her surroundings. ‘So, you made it then.’

Emil did the same. ‘Nothing’s changed. Inspector is probably my ceiling. Although I see you achieved Padre Martin’s hopes for you – Doctor.’

‘Pathology at the moment, but I hope to specialise in paediatrics eventually.’

Emil asked the question he had to. ‘Married?’ She shook her head before asking him the same. He shook his head too. ‘How’s your mother?’

‘She’s fine.’

And that just about brought them both up to date. Emil’s nervousness ended but only to be replaced by bitterness. He had difficulty in not letting his words sound resentful. ‘Why Maria? Why did you stop replying to my letters?’

The love of his life dropped her chin. ‘Please don’t, Emil. It’s too painful.’

‘Too painful? Then why are you here? To torment me? You know how I felt about you.’ He hesitated before adding, ‘How I’ve always felt about you.’

Maria pulled herself together and sat up. ‘I’m here on official business.

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