Donovan was about to ask how long Jackson been working as a book restorer when Walton came in to announce that dinner was ready. By the time they were settled in the small dining room and had started on their salad, he’d forgotten his question. Instead, they got into a conversation about book theft and two men who had conspired the steal and sell rare items from a library in Pittsburgh over the course of nearly twenty years.
“Have you ever doubted the provenance of a book someone brought into your shop?” Jackson asked.
“A few times,” Donovan told him. “When I did, even though I couldn’t prove the papers were forged, I refused to buy the book or put it out on consignment. I’d rather not lose my good name because I was greedy.” He paused to take another bite of his pork chop before asking,
