A/N: It's so nice when Perdita is on a roll. But since she is fickle, I'll try to work fast.

More dialog lifted directly from "Man Down." I didn't write it. And a lot of the folks in here belong to someone else. I own Annabel and some of the dead bodies. I make no money on this, don't sue me.

Remember to click type click. I'd love to hear from you.

Annabel grabbed a coffee from the cafeteria and headed outside. She dialed Horatio's number. Annabel paced in the warm sunshine while she waited for him to answer the phone. She relaxed as he answered.

"Bella."

She stiffened again at the tone in his voice. "What happened?"

"The generalissimo is dead." Annabel could picture Horatio looking at the ground, holding the phone with one hand and worrying his sunglasses with the other.

"Clavo?" she asked, sensing the answer.

"He escaped out a secret panel. We're trying to track him." Horatio sounded weary. "How is Eric?"

"No change. Alexx is sitting with him. She ran me off," huffed Annabel.

"Get some food while you're out."

Annabel sighed. "I'm fine." She took a sip from her cup.

"You need more than coffee, Bella," chided Horatio.

I would say the same of you, Love, she thought, but bit her tongue. "Yes, I do. So you'd best be careful." Annabel sipped her coffee. "He plans to kill you, you know."

Horatio didn't answer for a couple of heartbeats. "I'll see you soon. I love you, Bella.

"I will see you later, Horatio." Annabel hung up and pocketed her phone. She stood sipping her coffee, staring out into space. She called Eric's parents to see how close to Miami they were. She checked the time. Alexx wouldn't let her in a minute before the hour was up.

88888888888

Annabel had set her tray on the conveyer, when her phone rang again.

"I haven't been back to the room, there's nothing to report." she answered, leaning against a wall.

"Actually, I'm not calling about that. What can you tell me about your diamond smuggler?"

"The Craig Case?" Annabel frowned and plowed her fingers through her hair. She held her left hand in front of her and flexed the fingers as she thought. "Throat slit. Pockets empty. Clothes sliced up. Found a pouch of uncut diamonds stuffed into his rectum. That was a new one on me. Can't imagine it was comfortable."

"Known associates in Miami?"

"No family. No regular business associates. He was a banker out of West Michigan. Had the number for Duncroft Diamonds. An Audrey VanDerMere there claimed that he was supposed to be bringing her a shipment from Belgium. Had no way to tie her to the raw diamonds, which we were pretty sure came from Sierra Leone or possibly West Liberia. Was thinking Liberia because Craig had ties to an NGO working there."

"But nothing tying the blood diamonds to VanDerMere or Duncroft?"

"No. He had left Antwerp with a package of legitimate diamonds. So if he was taking both to VanDerMere there was no way to prove it."

"Any connection to a Joseph Trevi?"

"Not that I am aware of. Why?"

Horatio paused. Annabel could picture exactly how he was standing as he turned things over in his mind. "We found an uncut diamond in a secret passage at the consulate. I think Clavo was retrieving them to fund something. I sent them to the lab to be checked for trace. I got a call from Golden Beach. The money Clavo took came from a Joseph Trevi."

"Terrific. This gets better and better. First that stunt with the cash and now blood diamonds. Sorry I can't be of more help. Craig was kind of a dead end. Although his widow didn't seem too surprised to hear he was in Miami. Or dead for that matter. A bit of a strange conversation all the way around. Sorry. Rambling."

"The rambling isn't a problem. Maybe if we can tie Clavo to your diamonds you can close out Craig Case too. I think we need to lean harder on that jewelry store owner."

"That would be good. I'll call you if there's a change. Eric's parents should be here any time. When they get here I can head for the station and do a better run through on my notes on Craig."

"You don't need to do that. It was just a passing thought."

"Oh. OK, then." Annabel frowned.

Horatio sighed. "I'm not cutting you out of this, Bella."

Annabel raked her fingers through her hair. "I know. But once Eric's parent's get here I'm only going to be in the way..."

"Bella, please keep track of him for me. I...I..." Horatio knew he couldn't tell her he needed her to stay at the hospital so she would be safe.

"It is not your fault. It's Clavo's. Bring him in and he can pay," growled Annabel. "I love you. Come home to me."

"Promise. Talk to you later."

"Promises, promises. Just do it." Annabel ground out, but Horatio had already gone. She took a deep breath, slowly exhaled and shoved the phone in her pocket. She pushed off the wall and headed back up to Eric's room.

8888888888

Horatio stepped out into the hallway outside the lab. Natalia quickly approached him with a flie in hand.

"I have something that I think you're gonna need to see." She flipped the file open and Horatio glanced down. He shifted his weight and looked out.

"That's Joseph Trevi."

Natalia smiled grimly. "He's deep into this thing. The jewelry lady's attitude confirmed it. So I googled him. Turns out he's from a really rich family. They're like the Kennedy's over there."

Horatio glanced down at the file folder again. "That's a Boroccan newspaper."

Natalia flipped the folder open again. "Look who's standing next to him."

"I see that. General Cruz." Horatio bounced back and forth barely able to control the nervous energy. "From 27 years ago."

Natalia's smile broadened a bit. "So I did some more digging. Turns out he left the country a few months after this picture was taken."

"That was just about the time of Clavo's birth."

"So Clavo's lost one father..." Natalia raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe he's found another," nodded Horatio. "Let's get a warrant for DNA." The ghost of a smile played over Horatio's face. Pieces were starting to fall into place.

888888888888888