Hot Rocks

make the detour to Atlantic City without too much trouble.
    If Laine was going to be stuck in the middle, he was going to make damn sure she didn’t get squeezed.
     
     
     
    Laine walked from the park to Market Street with Henry doing his best to swivel his head a hundred and eighty degrees to chew off the hated leash.
    “Rules are rules, Henry. Believe it or not, I all but had that tattooed on my butt up to a couple of weeks ago.” When his response to that was to collapse on his belly and whimper, she crouched until they were nose to snout. “Listen up, pal. There’s a leash law in this town. If you can’t handle that, and comport yourself with some dignity, there’ll be no more playing in the park.”
    “Having a little trouble there?”
    She jolted, cringed at the waves of guilt that washed hot over her as she looked up into Vince’s wide, friendly face. “He objects to the leash.”
    “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