Hot Rocks

something or falls out of the whole. I need to check this out. So, change of plans. I’ll be heading to New York first thing in the morning, with the diamonds we have. I’ll deliver them personally, then bounce over to Ohio and see if I can finesse anything from the former Mrs. Crew or Junior.”
    “How old is Junior?”
    “About seven.”
    “Oh, Max, he’s just a child.”
    “You know the whole thing about little pitchers, big ears? Jesus, Laine,” he added when he saw her face. “I’m not going to tune him up. I’m just going to talk to them.”
    “If they’re divorced, it could be she doesn’t want any part of Crew, and doesn’t want her son to know what his father is.”
    “Doesn’t mean the kid doesn’t know or that Daddy doesn’t drop in now and then. It needs to be checked, Laine. I’ll be leaving first thing. If you want to come with me, I’ll make the arrangements for both of us.”
    She turned back to her graph paper, used the eraser end of a pencil to poke the cutout sofa to a different angle. “You’d move quicker without me.”
    “Probably, but not as cheerfully.”
    She glanced up. “A quick trip to New York, a flip over to Ohio. Seems like old times, and it’s appealing. But I can’t. There’s work, there’s Henry, there’s putting this house back together. And I have to practice calling your mother.” She turned the pencil around to poke him when he laughed. “No comments on the last one, friend, it’s how I do things.”
    He didn’t want to leave her, not even for a day. Part of that, he knew, was the obsessive insanity of new love, but part was worry. “If you came with me, you could call her from wherever, you could leave Henry with the Burgers, close the shop for the day and deal with the house when we get back. You can take your graph paper.”
    “You’re worried about leaving me while you go do your job. You shouldn’t. In fact, you can’t. I’ve been taking care of myself for a very long time, Max. I’m going to keep on taking care of myself after we’re married.”
    “You won’t have a homicidal jewel thief looking in your direction after we’re married.”
    “You can guarantee that? Go,” she said without waiting for his answer. “Do what you do. I’ll do what I do. And when you get back . . .” She ran her hand along his thigh. “We’ll do something together.”
    “You’re trying to distract me. No, wait, you did distract me.” He leaned down, kissed her. “How about this? I go do what I do, you stay and do what you do. I’ll be back tomorrow night, earlier if I can manage it. Until I’m back, you’ll go over and hang with the cop and his wife. You and Henry. You’re not staying here alone until this is wrapped. Now, we can fight about that or we can take the compromise.”
    She continued to walk her fingers along his thigh. “I like to fight.”
    “Okay.” He pushed to his feet as if preparing for the round.
    “But not when I agree with the other person’s point of view. It’s an unnecessary risk for me to stay out here alone. So I’ll impose on Jenny and Vince.”
    “Good. Well . . . good. Want to fight about something else?”
    “Maybe later?”
    “Sure. I’m going to go nail down my flights. Oh, any chance that sofa can be long enough for a guy to take a Sunday afternoon nap on?”
    “That’s a distinct possibility.”
    “I’m going to like being married to you.”
    “Yes, you are.”
     
     
     
    It was after one by the time Jack finished searching Laine’s shop. Torn in two directions, he locked up after himself. He was bitterly disappointed not to have found the diamonds. Life would be so much simpler if he had the little dog tucked under his arm. He could be on his way out of town, leaving enough bread crumbs for Crew to follow that would lead him and any trouble away from Laine.
    Then he’d vanish down the rabbit hole. Fourteen million in diamonds—even figuring on half of that due to a quick turnover—would provide a very plush rabbit hole.
    At the same time he was struck with a kind of stupefied pride. Just look what his little girl had done, and in the straight world. How the hell had she learned to buy all those things? The furniture, the fancy pieces, the little fussy table sitters. It was a pretty place. His little girl had herself a very pretty business. And since he’d been curious enough to take the time to hack into her computer and check, it appeared she had herself a reasonably profitable