Dark Harbor

Chapter 19

STONE STOOD BESIDE the Islesboro airport landing strip and watched an airplane materialize in the sky to the south. It got larger fast, and a moment later a Pilatus PC12 set down just past the numbers, reversed its prop and taxied to the ramp. The lettering on the side said new york state police. The airstair door swung down, and Dino stepped onto the tarmac carrying two bags. Somebody tossed him a briefcase, then the door closed, and the airplane taxied to the other end of the runway and took off again.

“Jesus, why don’t you get an airplane like that?” Dino said.

“Because it costs three million dollars,” Stone replied. “I’m thinking about having my Malibu Mirage converted to a turboprop, though, and upgrading the avionics. I can do that for half a million.”

Dino put his bags into the rear of the station wagon and got into the passenger seat.

Stone started the wagon. “So, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“This state cop was at the precinct and said he was flying up to Bar Harbor, so I asked if he could drop me here, and he did. What with the panic packing, I didn’t have time to call you. What’s happening?”

As they drove into Dark Harbor, Stone brought Dino up to date on the threat against Dick as well as Ed Rawls and the Old Farts.

“So now it’s an investigation by committee? Swell.”

“They have sources of information I don’t,” Stone said. “By the way, did you come armed?”

“Nope. I didn’t realize I’d be in danger.”

“I guess I’ll have to borrow Rawls’s shotgun again.”

“Whatever.”

They stopped at the Dark Harbor Shop. “I have to get a Times,” he said. “It gets here later than in the city.”

Dino got out and came in with him, had a look around the shop. A slender man with blond hair and beard was having a cup of coffee, and Dino glanced at him.

When they were back in the car, Dino said, “You saw the guy at the soda fountain, right?”

“Sort of. You know him?”

“Yeah, and so do you. We busted him for more than a hundred burglaries about seven, eight years ago, back when you were earning an honest living.”

“Harold Rhinehart? That was him?”

“Yeah. He has a beard now, and his hair is shorter, but that’s the guy.”

“How much time did he get?”

“He plead out for five to seven, which means he could have been out two and a half years ago, if he kept his nose clean in the joint and really impressed the parole board. You had any burglaries up here?”

“Not that I’ve heard about, but I’ll ask Rawls; he seems to know everything that’s going on. Maybe Rhinehart took his ill-gotten gains and retired up here.”

“I doubt it,” Dino said. “The guy was a pro, but he was obsessive about stealing. I don’t think there are any New York State parole officers on this island, either. If he got out in half his sentence, he should be reporting to a P.O. every week.”

“Dino, you’re a wonder; you’ve been here fifteen minutes, and already you’ve spotted a perp.”

“They’re everywhere,” Dino said. “Maybe I’ll just clean up this burg while I’m here.”

“How long can you stay?”

“I got a lot of vacation time built up; we’ll see.”

“How’s it going with Mary Ann?”

“Everything’s squared. We’re just waiting for a judge to sign off on the agreement and give us a decree, then I’ll be a free man.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Relieved.”

“No regrets?”

“Can’t think of any. It wasn’t like it was a marriage made in heaven, y’know. If the kid hadn’t been in the picture, we’d have screwed each other for a few months and called it a day the first time she complained about something. She knew it, I knew it.”

“Any luck on the apartment hunt?”

“Yeah, I found a nice six on Park in the sixties.”

“Sounds expensive.”

“By the time it’s done up I’ll have a couple mil in it”

“Sounds nice.”

“Had to be; the court has to approve it for Benito’s visits.”

“When do you close?”

“Yesterday,” Dino said. “Things move fast when it’s an all-cash deal. I’ve already got a designer working on the renovations and buying me some furniture.”

“You’re going to let a designer furnish the place?”

“Jesus, Stone, you think I give a shit about furniture? I told her, make it nice for the kid so the court will sign off on it. She’s going to get it painted, put in some new stuff in the kitchen and get the floors refinished. I’ll be in it in a month.”

“Dino, it’s New York; nothing happens in a month.”

“This designer lady is a real hard-ass; she’ll get it done. She’s already got her people lined up, and she gets paid more if it’s ready on time.”

“And you’re letting her pick out everything?”

“I picked out the TVs and the stereo and my chair for the den. The rest is up to her.”

“Good luck.”

“Listen, I’m a better judge of people than I am of furniture. Anyway, it’ll piss off Mary Ann if I’m in a really nice place, and I’ll enjoy that.”

They drove in silence until they got to the house and started unloading Dino’s bags.

“I just thought of something,” Dino said.

“What?”

“Hal Rhinehart.”

“What about him?”

“I heard a pretty good rumor one time from a guy on the organized crime task force that Rhinehart was doing some contract hit work, but they could never nail him.”

That stopped Stone in his tracks. “Why don’t you get on the phone and find out whether Rhinehart has jumped parole?”