Remember When

probably some sort of offense, but I didn't tell you I knew him."
    "Why did he come to see you?"
    "He didn't get much of a chance to tell me. I didn't give him much of a chance," she corrected.
    "It's a waste of time to beat yourself up over that." Max said it briskly, and had her swallowing tears.
    "Maybe. Looking back, I know he was nervous, edgy, tired. He gave me his card-just as I told you-with a phone number written on it. I really thought he was in the market to sell something.
    After, I realized he wanted to talk to me about something."
    She stared into her empty glass, set it aside. "I think my father must've sent him. One of Willy's best skills was blending. He was a small, nondescript sort of man. Jack's big and redheaded and stands out, so I think Jack sent him to tell me something or give me something. But he didn't have a chance to do either. He only said... he said, 'He knows where you are now,' and for me to hide the pouch. I think he said 'pouch,' it's the only thing that makes sense. Except it sounded like
    'pooch,' but that's just silly."
    "What?" Max snapped the word like a whip. "You're just getting around to telling me?"
    In contrast, Laine's voice was mild as milk. "That's right, and I really don't believe you're in any position to criticize timing. Insurance, my ass."
    "It is insurance, goddamnit. Where's the pouch? What did you do with it?"
    Heat flamed into her cheeks, not from embarrassment but temper. "He didn't give me a pouch, or anything else. I don't have your stupid diamonds. He was delirious, he was dying" Despite all her determination, her eyes filled and her voice broke. "He was dying right in front of me, and it was too late."
    "Leave her alone." A mama bear protecting her cub, Jenny rounded on Max before she shifted to wrap her arms around Laine. "You just leave her alone."
    While Vince patted Laine's shoulder in a show of support, his gaze was keen on Max's face.
    "What diamonds?"
    "The twenty-eight point four million in diamonds stolen from the International Jewelry Exchange in New York six weeks ago. The diamonds my client, Reliance, insured and would very much like to recover. The diamonds my investigation has led me to believe were stolen by Jack O'Hara, William Young and a third party I believe is one Alex Crew."
    "Holy shit," Jenny whispered.
    "I don't know anything about them," Laine said wearily. "I don't have them, I've never seen them, I don't know where they are. I'll take a polygraph."
    "But somebody thinks you have them, or access to them."
    Grateful for the support, Laine rested her head on Jenny's shoulder and nodded at Vince.
    "Apparently. You can search the house, Vince. You and Max. You can search the shop. I'll authorize you full access to my phone records, bank records, anything you want. I'm only asking you to keep it quiet so I can just live my life."
    "Do you know where your father is?"
    "I don't have a clue."
    "What do you know about this Alex Crew?"
    "I've never heard of him. I'm still having a hard time believing Jack O'Hara was part of anything with this scope. He was loose change compared to this."
    "If you had to get ahold of your father, what would you do?"
    "It's never come up." Because they stung and burned, she rubbed her eyes. "I honestly don't know. He's contacted me a few times over the years. Right after I graduated from college, I got a FedEx letter. Inside was a first-class ticket to Barbados, and vouchers for a week's stay at a suite in a luxury hotel. I knew it was from him, and almost didn't go. But hey, Barbados. He met me there. We had a great time. It's impossible not to have a great time with Jack. He was proud of me-the whole college-graduate thing. He never held any hard feelings toward my mother or me for stepping out of his life. He popped up a couple more times. The last was before I moved here, when I was living in Philadelphia."
    "The New York business isn't mine," Vince said. "But your break-ins are-and William Young is."
    "He'd never hurt Willy, if that's what you're thinking. Not over ten times as much money. And he'd never come into my home and tear it up this way. He wouldn't do that to me. To anyone, for that matter. He loves me, in his way, he loves me. And it's just not his style."
    "What do you know about this Crew?" Vince asked Max.
    "Enough to say Jack and Willy fell in with bad companions. The inside man on the New York job was a gem merchant. He was shot, execution style. His body was found in his burned-out car