Husky sat quietly in the corner booth reading a newspaper as the Sunday morning streets lay empty all around him. The occasional cabbie whizzed by outside every now and then as if to remind everyone that even on a cold winter day such as this, there was still some life in the city. 

"Can I get another coffee?" Husky said as he looked around the diner. He was the only living soul in there apart from the old man lazily wiping off tables with a dirty rag and a rather sharply dressed woman sitting in a corner booth reading a book. 

The old man, looking up at his words, stopped wiping. He placed the rag on his shoulder and walked up to the counter. Grabbing a pot he walked over to Husky's table and poured a cup of lukewarm liquid. "Is this what passes for caffeine around here?" Husky said no longer able to hide his irritation as he took a sip.

"The door's open boyo. You don't like it you go find some place else." The man said with a shrug and walked back to the table, wiping it again. Shaking his head Husky sighed and turned back to his paper. This country was steadily going down the crapper. Heck with all the heat right now, it was hard enough to make a buck or two, now he had to take lip from an old fool . 

As he pondered the state of affairs he heard a commotion and looked up at the elegantly dressed woman with a hysterical expression on her face. 

“No no I’m certain! It was right here!” Esther’s voice reached a fervent pitch as she frantically searched the table where she had been sitting for the better part of an hour before stepping out for a short time. The woman was clearly rather well off, as obvious by the clothes she wore and the way she carried herself. Her long black hair was neatly pinned up and she wore a cream-colored day dress that flared out right above her knees.

“Calm down ma’m and tell me what it is you’re looking for.” The old man who had been serving coffee across the room a moment ago came hurrying towards her.

“My ring! My grandmother’s antique diamond ring!” Esther flipped through the pages of her book, shaking it out as if the ring would magically appear. “It most have slipped off my finger while I was sitting here or when I was on my way out the door. I didn’t even notice until just now and I came right back inside. I’m certain I was wearing it when I originally came in. It’s a one of a kind, a family heirloom.”

The old man searched around the table, moving chairs around, before looking at Esther with a frown. “I’m sure if it’s here we’ll find it.”

Esther sat in one of the chairs for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths to collect herself. “I can’t possibly stay, I’m already late for an appointment. Here,” She took a pencil and piece of paper from her bag and wrote down her contact information. “The ring is fairly simple looking. One large diamond with two smaller ones on the side, set in a gold band. I’m going to put a $10,000 reward on it, so anyone who may have found it is enticed to turn it in. The emotional value of it far outweighs what it’s worth.”

She handed the man the slip of paper, tears threatening to spill out. He nodded while taking the paper. “Of course, I promise we’ll search high and low for it.”

Esther nodded in thanks before taking one last look around, her eyes lingering for a moment on the only other patron in the diner, before she hurried out the door.

Husky, having lost all interest in his newspaper looked at the two of them in amusement. The woman was visibly distraught, her eyes welling up with tears. At the mention of a reward, the old man's eyes lit up and the ghost of a smile came on his face. If he had been reluctant to make an effort to look for the ring, he no longer was. He looked around fervently , flipping the table upside down, not caring about the mess he made. 

The woman, anxious to leave , hesitatingly gave him her address and walked away barely stopping herself from sobbing. Husky saw the old man trash the place desperately trying to find the infamous diamond ring. Finally after a good quarter of an hour , his face laden with disappointment he stopped. Realizing the ring was not there, he sighed and got up, slowly tiding the place up again. 

Now that the search no longer held his interest, Husky decided he might as well leave. Finishing his now cold coffee he folded the paper and tucked it under his arm . Leaving some money on the table he nodded to the old man and said with a chuckle "Serves you right for serving that piss you call coffee." The old man reverting back to his nonchalant state simply said, "Yeah, yeah whatever. I'll find it sooner or later. We'll see what you have to say about it then."

Sighing to himself Husky walked towards the exit and abruptly stopped at the door. "Hey! What's that?" He exclaimed , bending as if to pick up something. "Well I'll be damned. Look what I just found."  He said as he turned to show the old man the ring in his hand. Sure enough, the old man recognized the ring and said "Ah hand it over and I'll make sure she gets it, poor woman must be so worried."

"Oh no you don't. I found it, I get the reward." Husky replied. The old man could not let an opportunity such as this slip by, he had to think of something quickly. But he had been a successful business owner for 30 years, longer than this pup infront of him had been alive. Thinking to himself how easy this was the old man said, "Her address is in Spain boyo, how do you think you're gonna return the ring eh? Tell you what, I'll give you 500 bucks , you drown yourself in whiskey for the next week."

Husky paused to ponder the offer. Scratching his chin in deep thought, he looked back at the man. "You're right I don't need the hassle and I do need the money. But I ain't no fool neither. Make it two grand or you can forget about it."

With a smile the old man walked over to the cash register. Emptying it he praised himself mentally for finding a way through. Handing the crisp notes to Husky he extended his hand for the ring. Taking a moment to count the nods, Husky nodded and handed the man the ring and walked out. 

The cold wind sent a shiver down his spine and he rubbed his hands on his arms trying to warm himself up as he turned the corner. A car came by and stopped next to him. The passenger door popped open and he sat down beside the woman from the diner.

Esther left the diner and walked about a block before she burst out laughing, seemingly at nothing. An older woman walking the opposite direction from her gave her a rather odd look when she did, but Esther simply smiled back in response. She'd been practicing the ability to cry on cue for awhile now and it seemed to come more naturally every time. Pulling her coat shut tighter, she hurried down the block and dug a set of keys out of her purse.

Slipping into the driver’s seat of the sleek black car she’d purchased just recently, Esther waited. She knew he’d need time to haggle with the old man, but not too much time or he’d be standing out in the cold waiting for her. Starting up the engine, she turned up the heat and drove slowly around the block, stopping at the corner where she would have a clear view of the door to the diner.

Seeing him walk out, she waited a few moments before she slowly pulled the car up next to him and came to a stop. Leaning over, she pushed the passenger door open and greeted him with a smile. “Get in, it’s freezing!”

Once he climbed into the vehicle, she quickly drove away from the diner. “How’d it go?” Her eyes darted over to him for a moment before looking back at the road, already heading to their next destination. “We get a decent amount?”

"Luckily he fell for your hilariously over the top antics and we made a couple grand." Husky teased, chuckling as she playfully punched his arm. 
As they drove on he smiled, remembering the first time they pulled this con, back when they had just joined the Long Neck Gang out west. He had no idea she would be a natural when he recommended she talk to his bosses about joining the crew after their first encounter in Vegas. 

As she slowed down he snapped back to the present. "This diner should put the earnings at over 20 large. Not bad for a weekend. I think we can take a break after this. Wine and a steak sound good?" he asked as he opened the door and walked out. Slamming the door behind him, he leaned through the open window and picked up another fake ring from the 100 odd they'd stuffed into a bag in the car. 

"What? No kiss for good luck?" Husky teased looking up at her with a sly grin, ready to walk into the diner for another classic glim drop.