Loves Music, Loves To Dance

XVI THURSDAY March 7

How well did you know Nan Sheridan?” Vince snapped. He and a detective from the Midtown North precinct were taking turns questioning Jay Stratton. Stratton remained unruffled. “She was a student at Brown when I was there.”

“You dropped out of Brown and came back the year she was a sophomore?” “That’s right. I wasn’t much of a student my freshman year. My uncle, who was my guardian, thought it would do me a lot of good to mature a bit. I went into the Peace Corps for two years.”

“I repeat: How well did you know Nan Sheridan?”

How well indeed, Stratton thought. Lovely Nan. To dance with her was to feel a will-o’-the-wisp in your arms.

D’Ambrosio’s eyes narrowed. He had seen something in Stratton’s face. “You haven’t answered me.”

Stratton shrugged. “There’s no answer to give. Certainly I remember her. I was there when the whole student body was talking endlessly about the tragedy.” “Were you invited to her birthday party?”

“No, I was not. Nan Sheridan and I happened to be in several classes together.

Period.”

“Let’s talk about Erin Kelley. You were in an awfully big hurry to report those missing diamonds to the insurance company.”

“As Miss Scott can certainly verify, my first response when I spoke with her was irritation. I really didn’t know Erin well. It was her work I knew. When she didn’t keep the appointment to turn over the necklace to Bertolini, I convinced myself that she simply lost track of time. The moment I met Darcy Scott I realized how foolish that was. Her terrible concern made me see the situation clearly.”

“Do you often mix up valuable gemstones?”

“Certainly not.”

Vince tried another tack. “You didn’t know Nan Sheridan well, but did you know anyone who had a crush on her? Besides you, of course,” he added deliberately.