through his door. He barely fit. Jesse guessed six-six and probably three hundred pounds. The suit was a little small for him. Behind the man came a smallish woman with big blond hair. Her dress was flowered and puffy at the shoulders. It was very short. Behind both of them, as they pushed into the office, was Molly. She had her gun out and at her side, pointed at the floor.
'I don't know who this is, Jesse,' she shouted from behind the big man. 'He just pushed right past me and headed for your office.'
Jesse nodded.
'Have a seat,' he said.
The big man squeezed into one of Jesse's visitor chairs. The woman sat beside him, with her ankles crossed as modestly as possible given the skirt length. Her shoes were black with an ankle strap and a high cork platform. In the doorway, Molly still had her gun out, but she held it behind the doorjamb so it was not obvious.
The man said, 'My name's Ognowski.'
His voice seemed to come from someplace cavernous.
Jesse held up his hand.
'First,' Jesse said. 'Some rules.'
'Rules?' the big man said.
'My name is Jesse Stone. I am the chief of police here. This is my station house.'
'So?'
'In my station house you do what my officers, particularly this one'-he nodded at Molly-'tell you to do.'
'This little girl?' the big man said.
'Her, me, whoever,' Jesse said. 'You understand that rule?'
'I go where I wish,' the big man said.
'You go straight to a cell, you don't calm down,' Jesse said.
The man stood slowly and looked down at Jesse.
'You will put me in a cell?'
Jesse took the gun from the drawer and pointed it at him.
'Yes,' Jesse said. 'We will shoot you if we have to.'
The big man glanced back at Molly, who was also pointing her gun at him. Then he looked back at Jesse. He nodded once and sat back down. When he spoke, his voice had softened, but it continued to radiate power like a diesel generator.
'You are not welcoming,' he said.
'Not yet,' Jesse said.
The big man nodded again, as if in agreement with himself. Jesse put the gun back in the drawer, but he left the drawer open.
'You are a hard man,' the big man said.
'Of course I am,' Jesse said. 'I'm the chief of police.'
'I am a hard man, too,' the big man said. 'It is not a bad thing.'
'Sometimes it is a good thing,' Jesse said.
'My name is Nicolas Ognowski,' the big man said. 'I want to know who murdered my son.'
'We don't know yet, Mr. Ognowski,' Jesse said. 'I'm sorry for your loss.'
'When will you know?'
'As soon as we can,' Jesse said. 'Who is this?'
'Petrov's wife.'
'And your name?' Jesse said.
'Natalya.'
Her voice was small. Or maybe everyone's voice sounded small in the context of Ognowski's.
'My condolences, Mrs. Ognowski.'
She bowed her head silently.
'We have very little evidence yet regarding the death of Petrov Ognowski,' Jesse said. 'Do either of you have anything to tell me?'
'She does,' Ognowski said.
Natalya continued to look down at her lap, which was barely covered by her skirt.
'Do you know something useful, Mrs. Ognowski?' Jesse said.
She nodded. Jesse nodded toward the door where Molly still stood, her gun still out and hidden by the doorjamb.
'Would you prefer to talk to Molly?' Jesse said.
'She'll talk to you,' Ognowski said. 'Tell him now, Natalya.'
She blushed.
'Another woman,' Natalya said.
'Do you know who?' Jesse said.
Natalya shook her head.
'Are you sure?' Jesse said.
Natalya nodded.
'Did you ever see her?' Jesse said.
Natalya shook her head.
'Did he tell you about her?'
She shook her head again.
'But you are sure he was seeing another woman,' Jesse said.
She nodded her head vigorously.
'How did you know?' Jesse said.
She didn't answer.
'Tell him how you know, Natalya,' Ognowski said.
Natalya raised her eyes and looked straight at Jesse. Her face was red.
'I am with him at night,' she said. 'We are doing love. And I am knowing I am not first person he do this with today.'
'How do you know?' Jesse said.
'I know. I know like a voice saying in my head, he do this already today. I know.'
She looked hard at Jesse.
'You understand?' she said.
It seemed to matter to her that he did. He thought of how he had known that with Jenn. He did understand. He nodded slowly.
'Yes,' he said. 'I do.'
She smiled faintly.
'Did it happen more than once?' Jesse said.
'Many,' Natalya said.
'But you don't know who?'
'No.'
'Could it have been more than one?' Jesse said.
Natalya looked at Nicolas Ognowski.
'Petrov liked women,' Ognowski said.
'Doesn't mean it got him killed,' Jesse said.
'It is a clue,' Ognowski said. 'More than you had before we came.'
'True,' Jesse said.
'You will find him,' Ognowski said. 'Or I will. If I do, it will save you much trouble.'
'And if I warned you to stay out of it?' Jesse said.
Ognowski stared silently at Jesse.
Then he said, 'Petrov was my only son.'
Jesse nodded.
'Anything else you can tell me?' he said.
'That is all we know,' Ognowski said.
'Where can I get in touch with you?' Jesse said.
'I will get in touch with you,' Ognowski said.
He stood. Natalya stood as soon as he did.
'You would not let me walk over you,' Ognowski said.
'No,' Jesse said.
'Many people do.'
'You have a lot of presence,' Jesse said.
Ognowski nodded.
'It is a good sign that you would not,' he said.
