Gingerbread Man

reserved, his eyes watchful. "I'm a longtime fan." Then he turned slightly, offering his hand to Amanda as well. But before he could touch her, Reginald reached up and grabbed hold of her wrist.
    "Amanda, I seem to have left my books in the car. Do you mind?" Reginald asked.
    "Of course not," Amanda replied in her soft voice. "It's very nice to meet you. Detective. Good to see you again, too, Holly." She leaned down to kiss her uncle's cheek before rushing off to the parking area.
    Vince's eyes followed her, the look in them intense. Holly felt suddenly like so much chopped liver. Oh, great. What was up with that?
    "'Again'?" Reginald asked, addressing Holly. "I wasn't aware you and Amanda were acquainted."
    Holly tried to stop watching Vince watch Amanda, and drew her gaze back to Reggie. "We only knew each other in passing, up until a couple of weeks ago. Mom was late for our lunch date, and Amanda was in the cafe picking up takeout. We ended up having coffee together while she waited for her order."
    "I see," Reggie said.
    "She came to live with you as a small child, Holly tells me," Vince said, his gaze returning to D'Voe only when Amanda was out of sight.
    "That's right." D'Voe pulled his blanket closer and changed the subject. "What are you doing in Dilmun, Detective?"
    "I'm here on vacation."
    "How nice. I hope you enjoy your stay." Reggie turned his attention to Holly so totally, so firmly, it felt as if Vince had been dismissed. Holly had never seen the retired actor behave so rudely. It was completely unlike him—at least, she thought it was. She didn't know him well, but any time she had run into him he'd always been polite. Almost exaggeratedly so. "Do tell your mother to come over and say hello, Holly. I haven't spoken with her in months."
    "I will," she said.
    "And now ..." He looked at the children all around him. "That story I promised you, hmm?" The kids cheered and shouted requests. Holly turned to go, realizing it was time. But Vince didn't seem inclined to follow. Amanda was on her way back now, three or four books in her hands, and Vince's attention seemed riveted. Holly finally grabbed his arm and gave a tug, snapping his reverie. He followed her as she left the group.
    * * *
    THE DARKNESS WAS complete, and someone put a torch to the pile of brush. The fire caught and blazed hot, snapping and sending sparks and flames high into the night sky. The band, which consisted of two guys with acoustic guitars and passably decent voices, and a third guy on drums, began to play. Vince walked around with Holly, let her introduce him to people, tried to sound mildly interested in their small-town small talk, but he kept his eyes on Amanda D'Voe and her famous uncle. Something wasn't right there. The old man had tensed up the minute Holly told him Vince was a cop. Why? What did he have to hide? And why had he sent his timid niece scurrying away?
    Vince sat on a blanket with Holly, her mother, and the chief. He ate cold fried chicken and potato salad. He said all the right things, complimented the cooking, talked shop with Chief Mallory, kept it light, and steered conversation away from anything to do the alleged break-in at the cabin, or the real reason he was in town. He thought he was doing great, right up until the chief of police took Doris's hand and led her out to where people were pairing up to dance. That was when Holly turned to him and said, "Do you want to dance?"
    Her face was slightly flushed, her eyes sparkling with something. Not excitement Not happiness. Something else. He didn't think his dancing with her was all that great an idea, but didn't know how to say so without offending her, so he nodded. "Sure, why not?" He got to his feet. Holly didn't. He held out a hand. But Holly remained sitting.
    "I thought you wanted to dance," he said, confused.
    "Who me? No, Vince, not me. Amanda."
    He blinked. "I... I'm not following."
    "Go ask Amanda to dance," she said. "You've been staring at her all evening. Don't rein yourself in on my account, Vince, I really couldn't care less."
    Okay, so maybe he hadn't been handling things as well as he'd thought. And this was a problem. Because, while he didn't want to alienate Holly Newman until he'd learned what the hell she was hiding, he didn't want her getting ideas about him either. She was the furthest thing from the kind of involvement he wanted or needed right now. And that edge in her voice just now had sounded like a hint of jealousy. He was walking