"Officers, may we examine the diamonds?" asked Carmen.

"I don't see why not," remarked the first officer.

"I agree," added the second. He emptied the bag of diamonds on the table.

Mortimer, Ivy, Zack, and Carmen each reached for one.

"This one feels warm to the touch," Mortimer commented. "Diamonds are such
good conductors of heat, they always feel cool."

Ivy examined another one under a magnifying glass. "There are tiny air
bubbles in this one."

Zack ran a quick X-ray test. The diamond was opaque.

"Diamonds would be transparent under X-rays," Carmen remarked. "Authenic
ones, anyway." She picked up a rock and brought it down on an example. The
'diamond'
shattered.

"Glass," everyone breathed at once.

Carmen picked up a fragment and examined it. "A particular kind of lead
glass. It's commonly called paste or strass. Usually used for synthetic
diamonds." She emphasized the word synthetic and glanced at the police
officers.

The second one looked down and blushed.

The first one shrugged. "Mr. Jordan, you're off the hook." The two constables
left.

The remaining foursome walked into the control room.

Mortimer sighed loudly. "Lee's keeping his promise."

Ivy was aroused. "What promise?"

The Chief was waiting for them. "Ah, Mortimer got a threatening phone call
from Lee last night. "

"Threatening phone call?" Zack repeated.

"He vowed to send me to prison," Mortimer explained.

Zack looked worried. "But threatening phone calls are only the first step.
This is a classic case of the predator stalking the prey in ever tightening
circles. Or glass rings. That's for you, Carmen."

Carmen nodded. "I get it."

"Uh, Zack?" Ivy asked. "Since when have you been an expert on Psych 101?"

Zack rolled his eyes. "Anyway, next thing we know, he'll be sending
threatening notes. We've already received a package."

The Chief groaned loudly. "I guess we're going to have to find Lee and send
him back to prison before he can do any more damage."

Carmen agreed with him. "And I'll be willing to help,"

The Chief looked partially shocked. Then he shook in his window and declared,
"Well, we need all the help we can get. It's getting late. Let's all meet
tomorrow morning here at Eight Sharp. Then, we'll ready to rumble."
*                                      *
   *                                    *
In the middle of the night, Mortimer's phone rang, waking him up. Mortimer
picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"So the diamonds didn't land you in the slammer?" came Lee's voice. "Not that
it does anyone any good. Mortimer, I tell you, you're completely worthless.
Sooner or later, all of Acme is going to realize that, and where would you go
from there?"

Mortimer couldn't answer back.

Lee spoke again. "I suppose you'd take Carmen Sandiego's offer. Well, I've
got a revelation for you. Her time is up! And so is yours!"

"Lee-" Mortimer began.

No answer. The phone went dead.

Mortimer hung up the receiver and gasped for air. He was feeling short of
breath. Grabbing the inhaler from the nightstand, he took a few breaths. It
partially relieved.

Mortimer stopped to think. The wind outside his window seemed to be
whispering 'next time'. This time, Lee had nearly framed him for jewel theft.
It's still going to take some time, Mortimer thought to himself. Then I'll
finally find some harmony. And like redwood boughs in autumn, I'll just learn
to bend. At this moment, I can't let this fear take me under.

The words Carmen had whispered during the trip from Geneva came back to him:
I know how alone you are. Trying to meet impossible demands will not help. I
can see us in a few years, planning the world's most intricate thefts.

Mortimer sighed. The uneasy feeling didn't settle. When he drifted to sleep,
he had a nightmare. Ivy was now accusing him of stealing her pearls.

"I didn't take them!" the cry woke Mortimer from the awful dream. The clock
read 7:00.

Mortimer sighed again. One thing was certain: his life was a whole lot more
complicated.

End.
[to be continued in "Double Trouble"]