approvingly. Even as the detective returned Clint's smile he inwardly cringed at the thought of Sergeant Bold hearing him spout such hokey sentiments. He was certain Isaac would never cease badgering him. Of course, Loneshark could defend himself to his former partner by claiming he had simply voiced drivel of that sort to maintain his cover. Yet as he sat there in that alien environment, Mick realized he actually meant the words he was speaking.
Throughout that passing period, Jasmine Jade's image often appeared on the camera's feed to the cable networks. Fleeting shots of her gorgeous face and luxurious hair were edited into the footage to grace the never-ending news updates. Although she was only an unaccredited, nonspeaking extra in those abbreviated films, the mystique surrounding her brief appearances began to arouse the curiosity of the millions of anxious viewers. When her beautiful form flashed across their screens, "Who is she?" and "There she is again!" became two of the often repeated phrases from mesmerized Americans.
The tough detective refused to go starry-eyed over Jasmine's beauty, as he suspected every young man raised in Pinewhittle had done and knew every one of the new tour guides were doing. Miss Jade was quite adept at handling the bank's ersatz guards' double-entendre remarks with a radiant smile that elevated, instantly followed by a razor's glare that neutered.
But the quick-wittiness both Jasmine and Mick possessed could not be contained. Even though each of them was equally too stubborn to concede an amorous intent, they found themselves exchanging humorous quips on a daily basis and feeling delight in the reciprocity. The laughter those exchanges precipitated was genuine. During those sessions, Mr. Loneshark and Miss Jade always became too engrossed to notice the knowing sapphire eyes that were often passing within sight. The old matchmaker was satisfied with the evolving results of his unique introduction of those two exceptional people to each other.
Clint was not the only one to recognize the couple's rapport. Dweeb Dorky spent a considerable portion of each workday in the control room panning and zooming Jasmine's fascinating features from every conceivable angle. Dorky seethed every time he saw her and Mick laughing together. Geek snickered at Dweeb's frustration, which only increased Dorky's rage. Mr. Nerdy was happily involved in a relationship with Piercely Tatts, which had been flourishing since the day he took her hand in the cafeteria. In fact, Nerdy was becoming such a regular visitor to Piercely's apartment that Precious was beginning to call him Daddy. The first time she said it Geek gasped and turned an amazing shade of puce. Precious choked on her giggles. Piercely stared at him with wide-eyed suspense, waiting for his secondary response. After Geek regained his composure, he studied Piercely's tense pose,smiled, and admitted he liked being called Daddy. Precious woke that night, shaking from a scary dream about giants grunting and stomping through the apartment. Her fear turned to puzzlement when she discovered that for the first time in her short life her mother's bedroom door was locked. Her
