“It could only be Wade,” he remarked pleasantly, with a spark of old Asian charm, without looking up at us.

“Shen my friend,” Willoby greeted him.

“As usual you never knock or use a front door. Who is she?” Shen asked bluntly, without looking at me.

I stepped back far enough for them to talk, yet near enough to hear what they are saying, watching.

“She is fine,” Willoby said urgently. They conversed in hushed whispers. Shen never once looked up at me.

Willoby signaled me. I hurried over.

“Give me the Diamond,” Willoby ordered.

I took it out of the backpack I carried, gave it to Willoby and whispered, “tell him to be careful, remember what happened before.”

Willoby nodded, putting the diamond on the bench, saying, “careful how you touch it, it might burn you.”

I watched cautiously, praying he wouldn’t suffer the same fate as Juan Luiz. My heart ached, thinking about how he died. Still wondering how and why? No one deserved to die like that.

He now halted his slow, almost mechanical actions. Finally raising his eyes at us. Then at the Diamond. Then at us again.

“Where did you get this?” he asked, anxiously.

“Don’t worry about that. What do you know about it?” Willoby asked.