Hot Rocks

by Nora Roberts

  “He’ll have to take that up with the town council. Come on, Henry, I got part of a cruller here with your name on it. I’ll walk with you,” he said to Laine. “Need to talk to you anyway.”

  “Sure.”

  “Getting an early start today.”

  “Yes. I’ve had a lot of things piling up. Thanks,” she added when he took the leash and dragged Henry along.

  “Been an interesting space of time recently.”

  “I’m looking forward to it sliding back to dull.”

  “Guess you probably are.”

  He waited while she got out her keys, unlocked the front door of the shop. While she deactivated the alarm, he squatted down to unclip the leash and give the grateful Henry a rub.

  “Heard you were in the station a couple days ago.”

  “Yes.” To keep busy, she walked over to unlock the cash register. “I told you that I knew Willy, and I thought . . . I wanted to see about making arrangements.”

  “Yeah, you did. You can do that. Make the arrangements. That’s been cleared.”

  “Good. That’s good.”

  “Funny thing. Somebody else came in, last night, interested in the same guy. Only thing, he said he knew him by the other name. Name that was on the card he gave you.”

  “Really? I’m going to put Henry in the back.”

  “I’ll do it. Come on, Henry.” Bribed with half a cruller, Henry scrambled into the back room. “This guy who came in, he said Willy—or Jasper—was a rare-book dealer.”

  “It’s possible he was. Or that he was posing as one. I told you, Vince, I haven’t seen Willy since I was a kid. That’s the truth.”

  “I believe that. Just a funny thing.” He walked over to lean on the counter. “Like it’s a funny thing there were five keys in his effects, and when I looked through them last night, there were only four.” He waited a beat. “Not going to suggest they were miscounted?”

  “No. I’m not going to lie to you.”

  “Appreciate that. The man who came in last night, he had your eyes.”

  “It’s more accurate to say I have his. If you recognized him, why didn’t you arrest him?”

  “That’s complicated, too. Best to say you don’t arrest a man because you see something in his eyes. I’m going to ask you for that key, Laine.”

  “I don’t have it.”

  “Damn it, Laine.” He straightened.

  “I gave it to Max,” she said quickly. “I’m trying to do what’s right, what should be done—and not be responsible for putting my father in prison. Or getting him killed.”

  “One of those things that should be done is keeping me informed. The diamond theft might be New York’s business, Laine, but one of the men suspected of stealing them died in my town. One or more of his buddies is in my town, or has been. That puts my citizenship at risk.”

  “You’re right. I’m having a hard time keeping my balance on this very thin line. And I know you’re trying to help me. I found Willy’s share of the diamonds. I didn’t know they were here, Vince, I swear it.”

  “If you didn’t know, how’d you find them?”

  “They were in some stupid statue. Dog—pooch. I’ve been trying to piece it together and can only conclude that he stuck it on a shelf when he was here, or put it somewhere—in a cabinet or drawer—and either Jenny or Angie shelved it. Angie, most likely. Jenny would’ve asked me about it, and when I asked her, she didn’t remember seeing it before. I gave them to Max, and he’s in New York right now, turning them over. You can check. You can call Reliance and check.”

  He said nothing for a moment. “We haven’t run that far out of bounds, have we, Laine, that I have to check?”

  “I don’t want to lose your friendship, or Jenny’s.” She had to take a steadying breath. “I don’t want to lose my place in this town. I wouldn’t be insulted if you checked, Vince.”

  “That’s why I don’t have to.”

  She needed a tissue after all, and yanked one out of the box behind the counter. “Okay. Okay. I know where another share is. I found out this morning. Please don’t ask me how I found out.”

  “All right.”

  “The key I took from Willy’s things is to a locker. I called Max as soon as I could to tell him. In fact, I was talking to him about it when I was in the park with Henry. They’re going to be turned in, too. That’s half of them. I can’t do anything about the other half. Max has leads, and he’ll do what he does. But once the half of the diamonds is back where it belongs, I’ve done all I can.

  “Am I going to have to move away?”

  “Break Jenny’s heart if you did. I don’t want your father in the Gap, Laine.”

  “I understand. This should all be taken care of by tonight, tomorrow at the latest. He’ll be gone.”

  “Until it’s taken care of, I want you to stay close.”

  “That I can promise.”

  By the time Jack crossed over into New Jersey, he’d come up with a dozen reasons why taking the diamonds back was a mistake. Obviously, this Gannon character was stringing his little girl along so he could cop his fat fee. Wasn’t it better for her to find that out sooner rather than later?

  And going back to Maryland might lead Crew back to Maryland, and Laine.

  Then there was the fact that turning over all those pretty stones fit him as well as a prison jumpsuit.

  Besides, Willy would’ve wanted him to keep them. A man couldn’t deny a dead friend’s wish, could he?

  He was feeling considerably better as he maneuvered through Atlantic City traffic. Enough to whistle cheerily between sips of his on-the-road Big Gulp. He parked in the lot of the strip mall and considered the best way out was to hop a flight at the airport and head straight to Mexico.

  He’d send Laine a postcard. She’d understand. The kid knew how the game was played.

  He strolled the walkway first, scanning faces, looking for marks, looking for cops. Places like this always gave him itchy fingers. Malls, shopping centers, little packs of stores where people breezed in and out with their cash and credit cards so handy.

  Day after day. The straights buying their puppy chow and greeting cards, sold to them by other straights.

  What was the point?

  Places like this made him want to fall on his knees and give thanks for the life he led—right before he helped himself to some of that cash, some of those credit cards and made tracks to anywhere else.

  He wandered into a Subway, bought a ham and cheese with hot pepper sauce to give himself more time to scope out the area. He washed it down with another big shot of cold caffeine, used the facilities.

  Satisfied, he crossed to the Mail Boxes, Etc., strolled to the lockers, slid in his key.

  Come to Papa, he thought, and opened the door.

  He made a sound, something similar to a duck being punched in the belly, and snagged the only contents of the locker. A piece of notepaper with a one-line message.

  Hi, Jack. Look behind you.

  He spun around, one meaty fist already balled.

  “Take a swing, I’ll deck you,” Max told him conversationally. “Think about running, consider that I’m younger and faster. You’ll just embarrass yourself.”

  “You son of a bitch.” He had to wheeze it, but even that had a couple of heads turning in their direction. “Double-crossing son of a bitch.”

  “Pots calling kettles only proves pots lack imagination. Keys.” He held out a hand. “Laine’s car keys.”

  In disgust, Jack slapped them into Max’s hand. “You got what you came for.”

  “So far. Why don’t we talk in the car? Don’t make me haul you out,” he said quietly. “We’d not only cause a scene that might bring the cops in on this, but Laine wouldn’t like it.”

  “You don’t give two damns about her.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. I give a hell of a lot more than that, which is why I’m not turning your sorry ass over to the cops. You’ve got one chance, O’Hara, and you’ve
got it because of her. In the car.”

  Running occurred to him. But he knew his limitations. And if he ran, there was no chance to recoup the diamonds. He walked back out with Max, then settled himself in the passenger seat. Max took the driver’s seat, set his briefcase on his lap.

  “Here’s the way it’s going to be. You’re sticking to me like gum on the bottom of my shoe. We’re catching a flight to Columbus.”

  “What the—?”

  “Shut up, Jack. I’ve got a lead to check, and until I’m done, you and me, we’re Siamese twins.”

  “She told you. My own flesh and blood. She told you where I had the stash.”

  “Yeah, she did. She told me because she loves me, and she believes—convinced herself to believe—you’d keep your end and bring them in. Because she loves you. Me, I don’t love you, Jack, and I figure you had other plans for this.”

  Opening his briefcase, Max took out a ceramic piggy bank. “I’ve got to give you points for the sense of the ridiculous. Me, you and the pig, we’re going to Columbus, then heading back to Maryland. And I’m going to give you that chance. That one chance to deserve Laine. You’re going to give her this.” He tapped the pig, then put it away. “Just as if you’d planned to all along.”

  “Who says I didn’t?”

  “I do. You had fucking dollar signs in your eyes when you opened that locker. Let’s show a little respect for each other here. My client wants the stones returned. I want my fee. Laine wants you safe. We’re going to make all that happen.” He started the car. “You finish this out, I’ll see that your slate’s wiped clean on this. You ditch me, you hurt Laine, and I’ll hunt you down like I would a rabid dog. You’ll be my goddamn life’s work. That’s a promise, Jack.”

  “You’re not bullshitting. I know when a man’s bullshitting. Son of a gun.” Jack’s grin spread wide and bright as he leaned over to embrace Max. “Welcome to the family.”

  “Briefcase is locked, Jack.” Max pulled back, then set the briefcase out of reach in the back.

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying,” Jack said cheerfully, and settled back for the ride.

  In his cabin, Crew selected a shirt the color of eggplant. He’d ditched the mustache, replacing it with a soul patch he thought suited the sleek, chestnut-hued ponytail. He wanted an arty look for this trip. He selected a pair of round-lensed sunglasses from his supply and studied the effect.

  It was probably unnecessary to go to such trouble, but he did enjoy a good costume.

  Everything was ready for company. He smiled as he looked around the cabin. Rustic, certainly, but he doubted Ms. Tavish would complain about the accommodations. He didn’t plan on her staying for long.

  He hooked the little .22 on the back of his belt, covered it with a hip-length black jacket. Anything else he might need was in the bag he slung on his shoulder before he strode out of the cabin.

  He thought he might have a bite to eat before he had his date with the attractive Ms. Tavish. He might be too busy to dine that evening.

  “I did the legwork,” Jack said as he and Max had a beer in the airport bar. “Courted Myers for months. Now, I’ll admit, I never dreamed of a score that big. Was thinking small, taking a couple of briefkes, clearing a couple hundred thousand each. Then Crew came into it.”

  Jack shook his head, sipped through the foam. “For all his faults, that’s a man who thinks big.”

  “Faults being he’s a cold-blooded killer.”

  Frowning, Jack dug his big hand into a bowl of nuts. “Biggest mistake of my life, and I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve made a few, was hooking up with a man like Crew. He suckered me in, no question. I got dazzled by the idea of all those rocks. All those pretty, shiny rocks. He had the know-it-all for something like that, the vision. I had the connections. Poor Myers. I’m the one who brought him in, played him. He had a gambling problem, you know.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Far as I can see, any gambling’s a problem. House is always going to win, so it’s better to be the house. Gamblers are either rich people who don’t give a shit if they lose, or suckers who actually think they can win. Myers was a sucker, word go. Had himself in deep, and with some nudging from me he was in deeper. He saw this as his way out.”

  Jack drank more beer. “Guess it was. Anyway, the deal went down smooth enough. Quick, clean. Had to figure they’d cop to Myers, but he was supposed to go straight under. Nobody was to know where anybody else was heading. Willy and me drove right out of the city, I dumped the pig in AC, and we dumped Willy’s in a locker in Delaware. Got ourselves a nice hotel room in Virginia, had a fine meal, a couple bottles of champagne. Good time,” he said, and toasted with his glass.

  “Heard about Myers on CNN. Willy loved CNN. Tried to tell ourselves it was because of the gambling, but we knew. Switched cars, drove to North Carolina. Willy was spooked. Hell, we were both spooked, but he was nervous as a whore in church. Wanted to light out, just forget it all and head for the hills. I talked him down from that. Goddamn it.”

  He studied his beer, then lifted it and drank deep. “I’d lead Crew off, and he’d double back, get his share, take it to Laine. She could put him up for a little while. I thought he’d be safe. Thought they both would.”

  “But he knew about her. Crew.”

  “I got pictures of her in my wallet.”

  He drew it out and flipped it open.

  Max saw photos of a newborn with a bright thatch of red hair and skin as white as cream, and an expression on her little face that seemed to say, “What the hell am I doing here?”

  There were several of Laine as a child, all bright hair and eyes, who from the grin had obviously figured out what she was doing here. Then of the nubile teenager, pretty and dignified in her graduation shot. Of Laine wearing cutoffs and a skinny top, laughing as she stood in the blue surf of what Max deduced was Barbados.

  “Always been a looker, hasn’t she?”

  “Prettiest baby you ever saw, and she just got prettier every day. I get sentimental, especially after a beer or two.” Jack shrugged. It was just another God-given weakness, after all. Closing the wallet, he tucked it away again.

  “I must’ve shown her off to Crew sometime. Or he just dug down and looked for something he could use against me, should the need arise. There’s no honor among thieves, Max, and anybody who thinks different is a sucker. But to kill over money? That’s a sickness. I knew he had it in him, but I thought I could beat him at the game.”

  “I’ll find him. And I’ll put him down, one way or the other. That’s our flight.”

  Laine fought not to pace, to just look busy. She checked the time again. Her father should be on his way back by now. She should’ve told him to call when he was on his way back. She should’ve insisted.

  She could call Max again, but what was the point? He’d be on his way to Columbus. Maybe he was already there.

  She just had to get through the day, that was all. Just this one day. Tomorrow, the news would hit that a large portion of the stolen diamonds had been recovered. She’d be in the clear, her father would be in the clear, and life would get back some semblance of normality.

  Maybe Max would pick up Crew’s trail from this Ohio connection. They’d track him down, put him away. She’d never have to worry about him again.

  “You keep going away.” Jenny gave her a little nudge as she carried a George Jones cheese dish to the counter for a customer.

  “Sorry. I’m sorry. Wandering mind. I’ll take the next one who comes in.”

  “You could take Henry for another walk.”

  “No, he’s had enough walks today. He gets sprung from the back room in another hour anyway.”