Mac pulled her nightgown over her head, and for a few moments, her voice was muffled in its folds. "Have you ever met Jeremy?"
"We've never been formally introduced," Harm answered. "But I've seen him around town. He and his friends like to hang around the Habitat property."
Mac raised an eyebrow. "Causing trouble?"
"Mostly they just watch the rest of us sweat. I've tried inviting them to help, but they're not interested."
"Speaking of Habitat - how's the building coming along?"
Harm slid the strap off her shoulder, his hand lingering against soft skin. "Pretty well, actually. We should have the roof done soon. The Delgados are hard workers."
"I'm glad they qualified for the Habitat program. If they hadn't, I don't know how they would've put their lives back together."
"They aren't the only displaced family," Harm said as he traced the neckline of her gown with a single lean finger.
Her breath snagged, but she covered the sound by bending to pick up the dirty laundry. The fun of this game lay in not letting him know how much he was affecting her.
The twinkle in his eyes told her he was onto her, but he played along. "Didn't you say you were still working with a few who were fighting with their insurance companies?"
"Yes. The tight-fisted jackasses don't seem to think mudslides are covered." She crossed to the hamper, dropped in the laundry, and closed the lid. "Hell, Harm. Half the mountain wound up down in the valley. You'd think the adjusters would have a little heart."
Harm snorted, sidestepped, and suddenly she was trapped between him and the sink. Ignoring her gasp, he continued their conversation. "When have you ever known that to be the case, Mac?" He nuzzled a sensitive spot below her ear.
She tilted her head and caught his hips, pulling him closer. "Never, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating."
"I'm a little frustrated myself right now." The rumble of his voice against her neck made her smile.
"Oh?" she asked, blinking up at him with exaggerated innocence. "About what?"
His answer was a low predatory growl.
"Could you repeat that?" She feigned confusion and slid her hand across his chest. He moved impatiently against her.
"Enough talking, woman. It's bedtime."
Mac laughed and reached over to turn off the bathroom light. "You know what?" she said, taking his hand. "I think you're right."
Harm stepped off the ladder and turned toward the truck, his mind on the fresh box of roofing nails he needed. Young laughter diverted his attention, and he looked over at the group of teenage boys loitering at the end of the driveway. Jeremy was with them, his thin body encased in frayed jeans and a faded t-shirt.
"You kids looking for something to do?" Harm called.
One of their group, lean as a wolf and greasy haired, sneered. "Help build a house for a spic? Not a chance."
The words had barely left the kid's mouth when Harm had him by the shirt collar. He ignored the kid's panicked look and gasping breath.
"Let me make something perfectly clear to you, young man." Harm's voice was menacing. "If I ever, and I do mean ever, hear that you've been bad-mouthing this family, I'll make damn sure you regret it." He glared at the kid, watching the pockmarked face redden around fear-filled eyes.
Harm loosed his hold on the t-shirt with just enough force to make the kid stumble back a couple of steps. Then he watched while the six of them walked away, their young faces dark with injured pride.
"That's a bad bunch," said a voice at Harm's shoulder.
Harm turned to see Joe Delgado standing just behind him.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Harm said.
Joe waved the apology away. "I've been called worse," he said.
"That doesn't make it right."
"Maybe not, but it isn't worth making enemies over."
Harm looked after the boys and shook his head. "Where are their parents, I wonder."
Joe shrugged. "I doubt their parents even know where they are."
"Somebody should tell them."
"Maybe." Joe's answer was noncommittal as he handed Harm a box of nails. "Ready to get back to that roof?"
"Yeah." Harm followed the older man up the ladder and they settled back into the rhythm of work.
"I saw Jeremy today," Harm said over dinner.
"And?"
He shrugged. "I was over at the Delgados, putting in a couple of hours on their house when Jeremy showed up with his friends. One of them made an inappropriate remark and I encouraged them to find someplace else to hang out."
Mac snorted. "I'll bet you did. What did they say?"
Harm waved the question away. "It doesn't matter, but I suspect I've made myself an enemy or two."
Mac smiled and tilted her head. "Should I be concerned for your safety?"
"I think I can handle it," he grinned. "No need to call in the Marines." He got up to pour them each another glass of ice water. "Did you find out anything today?"
She shook her head. "You know how small town people are."
"Not much for talking to outsiders, I know."
"Nope. I did get a couple of names, though."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. One of them, a… Now how did Miss Emily put it? Oh yes." She smiled slightly as she remembered. "'Tall kid with pork fat hair and meatloaf skin'…"
Harm nodded. "Sounds like the kid I had words with this afternoon. What's his story?"
"Miss Emily didn't tell me much. His name's Mark Emerson. His dad owns the car dealership on the outskirts of town, and he's never been what you might call a model citizen."
"Did she know anything about any of the others?"
Mac shook her head. "She mentioned Jeremy, but we didn't get to talk about him because I had a client show up at about that time."
The phone rang, and Harm set down his fork and reached for the handset. Mac listened to the one-sided conversation while she cleared the table.
"Hi, Bill…. Yes, we've talked about it. We're going to see what we can do." Harm handed her his plate, his attention still on the phone call. "I saw them today, in fact. Over at the Delgados."
Mac began loading the dishwasher, her mind drifting back over the day. She was thinking about a possible new angle for one of the insurance cases when Harm's hand on her shoulder made her jump.
"Sorry," he said, squeezing lightly. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"That's what I get for letting my mind wander. What did Bill have to say?"
"Apparently there's been another burglary. He wants to know if we'd like a look at the scene of the crime."
"Let me slip into a clean top, and I'll be ready to go."
"Need any help?"
She grinned at him. "I think I can manage. Thanks for the offer, though."
"Anytime."
--------------------
When they arrived at the address Bill had given Harm over the phone, they found a lone police car in the driveway. The neighborhood was quiet, with only a few porch lights still lit. Miss Emily opened the door at their knock, her small dog cradled in her arms.
"Hi, Miss Emily," Mac said. She reached out to scratch the dog behind the ears. "And hello, Magwitch." Magwitch responded with a quick lick of tiny pink tongue. Mac moved into the house, listening with half an ear as Harm greeted their friend and followed her into the cozy living room. Bill looked up from his notebook.
"Hi, Mac… Harm," he said, nodding at the two of them. "Sorry to spoil your evening."
"Not a problem," Harm answered. "We told you we'd help, and we can't do that if we don't know what's going on."
Mac turned to their elderly friend, who'd followed them into the room. "Can you tell us what happened?"
"Nothing much to tell," Emily said, settling into an overstuffed armchair and arranging Magwitch on her lap. "I went to my daughter's house for dinner. When I got home, it was gone."
"What time was that? Do you remember?" Mac asked.
"Of course I remember." The reply was acerbic. "I'm old, but I'm still sharper than my granddaddy's pocket knife."
A smile twitched at Mac's lips, but she stifled her amusement. "I know you've probably already told this story to Bill, but would you mind telling it again for Harm and me?"
"I got home by eight," Emily said. "That's when Magwitch and I always go for our walk. We were out for about twenty minutes. When we got home, I read for a while, and then I went to get ready for bed. That's when I noticed it."
"Noticed what, ma'am?" Mac asked. She knew the story, because Bill had explained it to Harm on the phone, but it was always possible that a victim would remember a new and vital detail.
"My brooch was gone." Emily's voice trembled. "I'd set it out on my dresser so I'd remember to clean it before church on Sunday. I never expected…" She pulled a tissue out of her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. "I checked my other jewelry right away. It's all there. And as you can see.…" She waved a hand at the small television on its stand in the corner. "They didn't take my TV or my VCR."
The small television probably wasn't worth much, and VCRs were virtually worthless, but an antique brooch could be pawned in the next town for a tidy profit.
"Do you have a picture of the pin?" Bill asked.
Miss Emily looked doubtful. "Years ago, my husband took pictures of all of my jewelry, but I don't know... " Setting Magwitch on the floor, she stood and moved to an antique desk that stood against the wall. She pulled the lid open and began rifling through its contents.
Mac signaled to Harm. He nodded, and they excused themselves to check the outside of the house.
Emily's home was small, but impeccably maintained. Flowers bloomed in window boxes, the shrubs were trimmed, and the sidewalk was swept clean. They checked the front porch first, their flashlight beams moving in rhythmic patterns across the wooden planks. They checked the window boxes, hanging baskets, and wicker furniture, hoping to find a clue. But there was nothing, so they moved into the yard, years of partnership sending them in opposite directions without the need to confer.
Mac was searching underneath the flower-laden branches of a lilac bush when she heard Harm's call. She brushed off her knees and moved around to the other side of the house, where she found him standing beneath a dimly lit window. A dark object dangled from his fingers.
"Find something?"
"Maybe. Take a look at this."
It was a jelly bracelet. Solid black and about a quarter of an inch wide, it was no different from hundreds of others she'd seen. She took it from her husband and examined it in the flashlight beam. The narrow black band looked new, with no signs of wear or fading. The phrase Together We Stand was imprinted along its edge in thick white letters. She examined the inside of the band, then looked up.
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
"Remember that incident I told you about? The one this afternoon at the Delgados'?" Harm kept his voice low.
"I remember."
"Those kids were wearing these. I remember, because I thought it interesting that all of them had the same color."
Mac nodded. She knew the bracelets came in every color imaginable, so it did seem a little odd that a group of kids would all be wearing the same style.
"Gang ID?"
"Maybe." Harm shrugged. "At least it's a change from backward baseball caps."
"I don't think I like this any better."
"Neither do I." Harm put the bracelet in his pocket and turned to scan the window ledge with his flashlight.
Mac reached up and pushed gently against the window. It slid open easily. She glanced at Harm.
He shrugged again. "Small town trust," he said.
"Her insurance company won't be happy about that."
"What makes you think she even has insurance?"
"Good point."
They were startled by a deep voice from over their heads. "Find anything?"
Bill looked down at them from the open window.
"I'm afraid not," Harm said. He sent Mac a warning glance.
"I'm about finished here," Bill said. "I'll stick around long enough to make sure she locks up properly--for tonight, at least." His expression was tolerant, but tinged with frustration. "I doubt she'll make a habit of it, though. People are pretty trusting around here."
"It's a shame that has to change," Mac said.
Bill nodded before pulling his head back inside. The window slid shut, and they heard the latch click into place.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Mac asked quietly.
"Mac… You know what would've happened if we'd given that bracelet to Bill."
"He'd have been forced to act. I know. Still, withholding evidence is against the law."
"It's not the first time one of us has pushed the limits to solve a case, Mac."
She nodded. "Probably won't be the last, either." She took his hand as they walked around the front of the house. "So now what?"
"Now we talk to Jeremy."
"Maybe I should do that."
Harm stopped and looked over at her curiously. "Why's that?"
"Bad blood."
"Excuse me?"
His grin was infectious, and she smiled back at him, planting a quick kiss on his chin before moving past. "He isn't afraid of me yet."
She heard Harm's soft chuckle as he followed her into the house.
Inside, Mac knelt beside Miss Emily's chair. Magwitch was back in his mistress's lap, fast asleep. Mac stroked the soft fur. "We're going to do our best to find it for you, Miss Emily."
Emily patted Mac's hand absently, her gaze distant. "I know you'll do your best, dear." But it was evident from her tone that she didn't have much hope. "That brooch was my mother's and her mother's before that," she said sadly. "It was the only piece of jewelry my mother didn't sell during the Great Depression. Mama used to say that it had survived the Great Famine in Ireland, and it would survive the Great Depression here."
She looked up at the men. "I was wearing it the day my husband came home from the war." She shook her head. "To have brought it through so much, only to lose it this way…" This time she didn't bother to wipe away her tears. They slipped down her face, following the worn and wrinkled contours until they ran out of real estate; then they dripped, one by one, into Magwitch's thick fur.
Harm crouched on the other side of the chair, resting his hand gently on Emily's shoulder. "We'll find who did this. I promise." His gaze met Mac's, hers questioning, his determined. Emily finally nodded and accepted a tissue from Mac. Harm stood and crossed to Bill.
"I've got a couple of students in the morning," he said, referring to his part-time job at the small nearby airport. "But when I'm done with that, I'd be happy to check out some pawn shops for you."
"I'd appreciate that," Bill said. "You might try the ones on the other side of the pass first. A lot of the locals go there to pawn their stuff when they need quick cash."
"Then that's where I'll start," Harm said.
"Stop by my office on your way out. I'll get a copy of the picture for you to take with you."
"Will do."
Mac rose from her place at Emily's side with a final word of comfort. She and Harm said their goodbyes and let themselves out. By the time they got home, they'd agreed that Mac would try to talk to Jeremy the next day.