tech college in New York State, and we didn’t see much of him after that, until he came back and took over the business. His dad was sick then, lived a few more months. Hal grew up in that shop, though, so he didn’t have any problem taking over.”
“Is there a police officer on the island?”
“Constable,” Jimmy said. “You’re looking at him.”
“Jimmy, have you had any reports of burglaries on the island?”
“Over what period of time?”
“After Hal Rhinehart came back.”
Jimmy looked at them both carefully before replying. “What’s your interest in this?”
“Dino is a police lieutenant in New York. He and I used to be partners in the NYPD, and we arrested Rhinehart for burglary a few years back.”
“I heard about that,” Jimmy said. “I also heard from his parole officer—indirectly, through the state police—when he came back.”
“That’s what we were wondering about,” Dino said. “How Rhinehart could be here, when he’s supposed to be on parole.” As if he didn’t know.
“Apparently, he arranged things with his parole officer when his dad got sick,” Jimmy said. “He reports by phone, I’m told.”
“You never answered my question, Jimmy,” Stone said.
“Which question was that?”
“Have there been any burglaries on the island since Rhinehart came home?”
“No.” Jimmy took a long beat. “But Camden and Rockland have had a rash of them. You think it’s Hal?”
“What kind of burglaries?”
“What do you mean?”
“Big, small? Jewelry, lawn mowers, what?”
“Jewelry and cash, it said in the paper.”
Stone and Dino exchanged a glance.
“We had some burglaries here, too,” Jimmy said.
“When and how many?”
“When Hal was a teenager; a dozen or more. Come to think of it, they stopped when he went to college. I never made the connection.” Jimmy sighed. “I hope to hell this new rash is not Hal’s doing. We need a cabinetmaker around here; you go to the mainland for something like that, and it’s a lot more money, and Hal’s gotten to be as good as his dad.”
“I expect the folks in Camden and Rockland wouldn’t feel the same regrets you would, if he turned out to be the guy,” Stone said.
“You want me to talk to him?” Jimmy asked.
Dino spoke up. “Let me do that,” he said.
“Okay, you’re the pro; I’m just here to call the state boys if something happens. You want me to call them about this?”
“Not yet,” Dino said.
21
T HE CABINET SHOP was in a low building behind a neat, shingled house close to the road, and the smell of sawdust rolled over Stone in a wave of memory. All woodworking shops smelled like this, and his father’s shop had been no exception. It was a clean, fresh smell, sometimes tinged with burning when a saw cut hardwood.
There was a lot of machinery, some of it not new. A huge bandsaw appeared to be at least fifty years old, but it was clean, rust-free and well oiled. Three men were working on different machines, each with hearing protection and goggles. Half a dozen newly completed kitchen cabinets hung on a wall, awaiting painting and hardware.
Stone let Dino take the lead into the shop. He could do most of the talking, too, and it was just as well, given the size of the lump in Stone’s throat brought on by the scent of sawed wood.
A tall man near the front of the shop switched off his machine when he saw them enter. He pulled off his earmuffs and let the goggles fall to his neck as he walked slowly toward them. “This way,” he said, beckoning. He led the way into a spacious office containing an old rolltop desk and a large drawing table. Rolls of plans protruded from pigeonholes next to the desk. He pointed to a pair of nicely built chairs, and they sat down.
“Remember us?” Dino asked.
Rhinehart nodded but didn’t speak.
“Wonder why we’re here?”
“Yes, I do,” he said slowly. His voice was deep. “I didn’t think we had any further business.”
“Looks like we
“Is there a police officer on the island?”
“Constable,” Jimmy said. “You’re looking at him.”
“Jimmy, have you had any reports of burglaries on the island?”
“Over what period of time?”
“After Hal Rhinehart came back.”
Jimmy looked at them both carefully before replying. “What’s your interest in this?”
“Dino is a police lieutenant in New York. He and I used to be partners in the NYPD, and we arrested Rhinehart for burglary a few years back.”
“I heard about that,” Jimmy said. “I also heard from his parole officer—indirectly, through the state police—when he came back.”
“That’s what we were wondering about,” Dino said. “How Rhinehart could be here, when he’s supposed to be on parole.” As if he didn’t know.
“Apparently, he arranged things with his parole officer when his dad got sick,” Jimmy said. “He reports by phone, I’m told.”
“You never answered my question, Jimmy,” Stone said.
“Which question was that?”
“Have there been any burglaries on the island since Rhinehart came home?”
“No.” Jimmy took a long beat. “But Camden and Rockland have had a rash of them. You think it’s Hal?”
“What kind of burglaries?”
“What do you mean?”
“Big, small? Jewelry, lawn mowers, what?”
“Jewelry and cash, it said in the paper.”
Stone and Dino exchanged a glance.
“We had some burglaries here, too,” Jimmy said.
“When and how many?”
“When Hal was a teenager; a dozen or more. Come to think of it, they stopped when he went to college. I never made the connection.” Jimmy sighed. “I hope to hell this new rash is not Hal’s doing. We need a cabinetmaker around here; you go to the mainland for something like that, and it’s a lot more money, and Hal’s gotten to be as good as his dad.”
“I expect the folks in Camden and Rockland wouldn’t feel the same regrets you would, if he turned out to be the guy,” Stone said.
“You want me to talk to him?” Jimmy asked.
Dino spoke up. “Let me do that,” he said.
“Okay, you’re the pro; I’m just here to call the state boys if something happens. You want me to call them about this?”
“Not yet,” Dino said.
21
T HE CABINET SHOP was in a low building behind a neat, shingled house close to the road, and the smell of sawdust rolled over Stone in a wave of memory. All woodworking shops smelled like this, and his father’s shop had been no exception. It was a clean, fresh smell, sometimes tinged with burning when a saw cut hardwood.
There was a lot of machinery, some of it not new. A huge bandsaw appeared to be at least fifty years old, but it was clean, rust-free and well oiled. Three men were working on different machines, each with hearing protection and goggles. Half a dozen newly completed kitchen cabinets hung on a wall, awaiting painting and hardware.
Stone let Dino take the lead into the shop. He could do most of the talking, too, and it was just as well, given the size of the lump in Stone’s throat brought on by the scent of sawed wood.
A tall man near the front of the shop switched off his machine when he saw them enter. He pulled off his earmuffs and let the goggles fall to his neck as he walked slowly toward them. “This way,” he said, beckoning. He led the way into a spacious office containing an old rolltop desk and a large drawing table. Rolls of plans protruded from pigeonholes next to the desk. He pointed to a pair of nicely built chairs, and they sat down.
“Remember us?” Dino asked.
Rhinehart nodded but didn’t speak.
“Wonder why we’re here?”
“Yes, I do,” he said slowly. His voice was deep. “I didn’t think we had any further business.”
“Looks like we
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