Hot Rocks

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