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Mr. Kazinski rolled his cane along his legs thoughtfully. “I’m not ordinarily one to tell another man his business, but someone has to rescue your nephew-in-law from his own stupidity.”
Brock agreed about Van’s stupidity, but he didn’t air the opinion too much around the boy’s aunt.
“I’ll grant you that,” Brock said.
“I am not blind as a bat,” Mr. Kazinski said. “But I don’tneedtoseeallthatwellanyway.MyIngegotus here at the right time. I’m sure of it. She’s had her binoculars at the window every day, and he walks by here at bang on five after seven every single morning.”
Which is why Brock and Mr. Kazinski were here lying in wait for the boy. No, sitting in wait. With Brock resolutely refusing to be distracted by envy of someone who could fold himself up swami-style the way Mr. Kazinski had.
Their mission was to find out why Mary had taken the extraordinary action of dumping her man before he could dump her. It meant, of course, delving into some delicate matters, but they’d be speaking man to man here.
Brock spotted Van and raised his entire arm, which even Mr. Kazinski should be able to see, to point in Van’s direction. Van, who had gone back into full starchmodeinhisattire,marchedstiffly,allunknowing, in their direction.
“Why, young Van, is that you?” Mr. Kazinski called on cue.
Van approached with the distinct lack of speed Brock had last seen when he called victims into his kitchen to try his latest experiment aimed at making liver palatable.
“Morning,” the boy mumbled.
“Come and join us.” Brock patted the piece of the park bench between him and Mr. Kazinski.
“I need to get some exercise in. I don’t mean to be rude … ”
“Keep us company for a bit. Then you can get back at it.”
“Thwack it, yes, that’s the ticket.” Mr. Kazinski thumpedtheheavy,intricatebrassofhiscanelightly into one cupped palm.
Good, Brock thought. The sight of that cane knocked a little of the visible reluctance out of the boy.Hewoulddoashewastold.He’dhadarelatively close encounter with Mr. Kazinski’s cane back on meeting Mary for the first time. Mary wasn’t here to save him now. So, Van sat.
“I have something I need to tell you,” Brock said as Van took his seat.
“We don’t need to sell him,” Mr. Kazinski said with disgust. “We just need to knock some sense into him.” Mr. Kazinski fingered his cane hopefully.
Vansatinglumsilencethatsaidhedidn’twantany sense knocked into him, but realized he didn’t have much choice.
Brock hadn’t wanted any sense knocked into himself, either, when he got stupid enough to think he and Cyn had to break up. He had even needed help with understanding he couldn’t let a pissant little prince have a wonderful woman like Cyn.
Mr. Kazinski patted Van on the knee. “It’s sad to think love is wasted on you young whippersnappers. You don’t know what to do with it. I didn’t when I was your age. Luckily for me, I met my Inge. She set me straight soon enough.”
Van’s face took on a little of what Brock thought was a hunted look. Was the boy afraid Mrs. Kazinski andherlethalpursewouldpopoutofthebushestoo? If Brock could get a word in edgewise, he’d calm that fear.
“You see,” Mr. Kazinski continued, “as my Inge explained, just because women run, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to be caught. I mean, sometimes it means they do want to be caught. I mean — ”
“You mean she said you were an idiot. After she left, it took you three weeks to figure out you were supposed to run after her,” Brock said.
“Well, yes. Heh, heh. My Inge had to teach me a few other things too. Including — ahem — ”
“Well, yes, there is the … delicate matter, of why Mary left in the first place.” Brock cleared his throat. “This is something we gentlemen are usually reluctant to discuss — ”
“But it has to be done.” Mr. Kazinski brought his cane down on the cement side of the park bench for emphasis.
Van jumped a good inch off the bench. When he settled, he was a little farther away from Mr. Kazinski and his cane.
“Oops.” Mr. Kazinski brushed away the sizeable cement chip his cane had dislodged from the bench. He brushed at the scuff on his cane. “Where was I? Oh, yes, the subject that must be discussed.”
Van stirred uneasily.
“Yes. It won’t do any good to chase her if … ahem … ”
