Gingerbread Man

was shot to hell.
    Then again, it had been shaky for a while. Ever since those kids...
    "So are you really going to go to Reggie's Halloween party?"
    She asked the question out of the blue, without warning. He shot her a look, almost begged off, then kicked himself. "He's my only suspect. I don't have much choice but to go—if for no other reason than to keep an eye on all the kids he'll have running around over there."
    She paced away and popped the movie out, sliding another into the machine, thumbing the play button. "You know this party of his was an annual event years ago. This will be the first one since they moved back home, but before he and Amanda left town he held it every single year."
    "Yeah, so you've told me."
    "And so far as I know, nothing of note has happened at any of them."
    "You weren't here back then, were you?"
    "No. But if there had been anything dramatic, people would still be talking about it. It's a small town, Vince. Stuff like that becomes local legend in a hurry."
    He sighed. "It's not like I want it to be Reggie, you know."
    "I know." The film cued up, credits rolling. She walked to the sofa and sat down. "You know, you can't get into the party without a costume."
    "Huh?" He glanced up at her, and his surprise probably showed.
    "Reg won't allow it. Costumes are the price of admission. It's all over town."
    "Can I go dressed as a cop from Syracuse?"
    She smiled, and for once it was genuine. He could tell the difference without much effort. It reached her eyes when it was real. And this one did.
    "Only if you wear a uniform."
    "I'm a detective. This
is
my uniform." He looked her up and down. "What are you going as?"
    "I have no idea."
    She leaned back, grabbed popcorn, signaling an end to the conversation. The nineteen-inch screen darkened, then was filled by Reginald D'Voe's face, younger, less lined, more made up, but otherwise just the same. Brows angled to a point, eyes gleaming with evil intent. And that trademark maniacal laughter of his rolled from the speaker.
    They watched films all afternoon.
    Midway through the fourth one, the only one remaining that Vince hadn't already viewed, the phone rang. Vince picked it up, and Jerry's voice came through. He said three words. "They're not coming."
    "What do you mean they're not... ?" It took Vince a minute to process the statement. "They're not
coming?"
    Jerry's frustration was clear. "The Fed in charge of the Prague kids' case is an asshole, Vince. Name's Selkirk—"
    "Frank Selkirk?"
    "You know him?"
    "Yeah."
    "Anyway, this Selkirk feels the book you found at the crime scene isn't strong enough evidence to warrant pulling his team all the way down there. Says they're following up far stronger leads up here, and you're wasting your time."
    Vince cursed. "It's not the evidence. It's me he has a problem with."
    "You've had run-ins with him before, then?"
    "We've butted heads. It wasn't friendly."
    "Still, Vince, you think he'd rather louse up a murder investigation than admit you might be a step or two ahead of him on this?"
    "I think he'd rather be right than wrong."
    Jerry sighed. "How sure are you that you're right, Vince?"
    "I've had a break-in and an attempt on my life. How sure would that make you?"
    "Pretty damn sure. Can you tell Selkirk any of this?"
    Vince swore again. "The problem is, there's not much to tell. There was no physical sign of a break-in. No footprints or anything. But Holly says—that is, I have an eyewitness who saw someone moving around inside the cabin."
    "Uh-huh. That's pretty flimsy evidence, pal. How about this attempt on your life?"
    "Well... all they really did was break a lightbulb."
    "And you ... what? Tripped in the dark and bumped your head?"
    "Got lost on a thirty-five-mile-long lake, in the dark, in the fog, in a storm. We damn near drowned."
    "I see," Jerry said. "We?"
    "Holly and me."
    "Holly again?"
    "Don't even go there, Jare." Vince found Holly's eyes on him. They locked with his and held.
    "I'm coming down there," Jerry announced.
    "Don't bother. There's no sense in your coming down here and both of us getting written up or worse."
    "I have leave time coming. I'm taking it. E-mail me some directions, or I'll muddle through on my own. Either way, I'll see you tomorrow morning, pal."
    There was a click. Jerry knew better than to give Vince time to argue. "Damn stubborn son of a—"
    "Sounds like a good friend," Holly said.
    Vince nodded. "The best."
    "Then I'm glad he's coming. We need all the