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'Like what?'

'I don't want to get him in trouble with you,' Jesse said.

'I'm in charge of him,' Bloom said. 'I'm supposed to know what's going on.'

'Not this time,' Jesse said.

'What the hell is this?' Bloom said. 'I am responsible for the safety of the public.'

'And I'm not?' Jesse said.

'Well, yeah,' Bloom said. 'But I'm supposed to know.'

'I feel your pain,' Jesse said. 'I am the chief of police in Paradise, Massachusetts. I am investigating two murders and I don't know anything.'

'It'll go easier if I'm there,' Bloom said.

Jesse took in a long breath.

'He won't talk to me if he's worrying about you revoking him right back into Slam City,' Jesse said.

'If I send you to him and don't go with you, it'll make me look bad,' Bloom said.

Jesse leaned back in his chair and swiveled around so he could look out his office window at the fire trucks being washed in the driveway next door. He breathed in and out carefully.

Then he said, 'If you come near me or him while I need him, I will throw your ass out into Lafayette Street and step on your face.'

'Hey,' Bloom said.

'I will then get you fired,' Jesse said.

He hung up the phone and yelled out his office door for Molly. In a moment she appeared.

'Intercom broken?' she said.

'Where's Suit?' Jesse said.

'I believe he is in the squad room drinking coffee.'

'Get him in here,' Jesse said.

'Wow, are we surly today,' Molly said, 'or what?'

'Chief-of-police manual allots an hour of surliness a month,' Jesse said.

Molly smiled.

'I thought you'd already used up this month's,' she said.

'Just get Suit for me,' Jesse said.

'I will.'

51

LAFAYETTE STREET IN SALEM was lined with substantial clapboard homes and an occasional brick building that had the look of the 1930s. One of them, located on the left-hand side of the street, a little north of the college, was the new home of Ray Mulligan. Jesse was driving his own car, and neither he nor Simpson wore a uniform. They parked across the street.

'Okay,' Jesse said. 'Mulligan is on the fourth floor, apartment four-B. I'll go in. You wait outside, and make sure no one else enters the apartment.'

'What if they insist?'

'Insist back,' Jesse said.

'I'm not sure we got any jurisdiction in Salem, do we?'

'If it comes up,' Jesse said, 'tell 'em we do. I want to talk with Mulligan alone.'

'What if there's trouble inside?' Suit said.

'If I scream,' Jesse said, 'come running. Otherwise, I just want to keep the parole jerk away from us.'

Suit saluted.

'Okay, boss,' he said.

There was no elevator. They walked up. On the fourth floor they paused to breathe. Then Suit leaned on the wall at the head of the stairs and Jesse walked down the short corridor and knocked on 4B.

Mulligan was big. He was wearing a white tank top and gray sweatpants. He was bald, with a round, red face. He was developing a potbelly, Jesse noticed. His arms were pale and muscular, with some dark prison tattoos. Jesse held up his badge. Mulligan looked at it and smiled.

'I woulda known anyway,' he said.

'How?'

'You look like a cop,' he said.

'Damn,' Jesse said.

Mulligan stepped away from the door, and Jesse went into the apartment. It was very small: a bedroom/sitting room, a kitchenette, and a bath. And it was neat. The bed was made. No clothes lying around. A copy of The Boston Globe and one of the Salem Evening News were folded on the bed.

'I'm making breakfast,' Mulligan said. 'Mind if I cook while we talk?'

'Fine,' Jesse said. 'What are you having?'

'Eggs and spinach,' Mulligan said, and went to the stove. He was wearing brown leather sandals. 'What kinda cop are you? I didn't even read the badge.'

'My name's Jesse Stone. I'm chief in Paradise.'

'Oh, yeah,' Mulligan said. 'About Knocko getting bopped?'

'Yep.'

'Had nothing to do with it,' Mulligan said.

'Can you prove it?' Jesse said.

Mulligan stirred the spinach in his fry pan a little with a spatula.

'Don't have to,' he said.

'True, but it would save me wasting time if you had an alibi,' Jesse said.

'Don't even know exactly when he got bopped,' Mulligan said.

Jesse told him.

'Can't remember at the moment,' Mulligan said. 'But if I need one, I'll bet I can come up with one.'

'I'll bet,' Jesse said. 'You knew Knocko most of your life?'

'Yep, since the first grade, with the nuns, at Saint Anthony's.'

'And you were his bodyguard a long time,' Jesse said.

'Knocko and me looked out for each other most of our lives.'

'Long time.'

'He was getting a little soft, last few years.' Mulligan patted his belly. 'Like most of us. But he was a tough cookie.'

'So I've heard.'

'He hadn't fired me, maybe I coulda prevented it,' Mulligan said.

'Too bad,' Jesse said. 'Why'd he fire you?'

Mulligan broke two eggs into the fry pan and put the cover on. He looked at the clock on the stove.

'The wife,' Mulligan said.

'She fired you?'

Mulligan was timing his eggs.

'Knocko calls me in one morning, and he says, right outta the blue, he says, 'Ray, I gotta let you go.' And I say, 'You're firing me?' And Knocko says, 'Yes. I want you gone today.' And I say, 'Why?' And he says, 'Because I don't want to kill you. I known you too long.' '

Mulligan took the cover off his fry pan and looked at his eggs. He nodded to himself and shut off the stove. With the spatula he carefully slipped the eggs and spinach onto a plate. He put the plate on his little counter and looked at Jesse.

'I say, 'Why would you kill me?' And Knocko says, 'Robbie told me about you. She told me what you were trying on her.' And I say, 'I don't know what you're talking about. I never touched her.' And Knocko says, 'She told me herself. You saying my wife's a liar?' And I say, 'Knocko, on my mother, I never came near her.' And he stands up and he's got a piece and he says, 'Get outta here now, or I swear to God I'll kill you where you stand.' And I know he means it, so I leave. And I ain't never seen him again.'

'You mess with the wife?' Jesse said.

'I did not,' Mulligan said.

He sat at his counter.

'You mind if I eat?' he said.

'No,' Jesse said. 'Go ahead, eat.'

Mulligan shook salt and pepper onto his eggs.

'The wife mess with you?' Jesse said.

Mulligan had a mouthful of eggs and spinach. He raised his head and nodded approval.

When he had chewed and swallowed, he said, 'You're pretty good. Yeah, her and her hot-pants sister, they both came on to me.'

'Together or separately?' Jesse said.

'Both,' Mulligan said. 'You want some coffee?'

'No,' Jesse said. 'Thanks. But you didn't take the offer?'