Split Image

'They said if I didn't, I'd be booted out of the Bond.'

'Are other girls in the same boat?' Sunny said.

'Yes,' Cheryl said.

'Probably used the ones who had no other options,' Spike said.

Sunny nodded.

'So, did you do it?' Sunny said.

'Yes,' Cheryl said. 'I mean, it's not like I'm a virgin, but an old fat guy I never even met before?'

'You had sex with this guy at the Renewal House?' Sunny said.

Cheryl nodded.

'And as soon as it was over,' she said, 'I just put my clothes on and ran out of the house and ran here.'

'You did the right thing,' Sunny said.

'But where can I go?' Cheryl said.

'Here,' Spike said. 'You can stay with me while we work things out.'

'You?' Cheryl said.

'I won't molest you,' Spike said. 'I'm gayer than a French polka.'

'I guess so,' Cheryl said.

'We'll figure something out,' Sunny said. 'Let me look into it all a little more.'

'You won't tell them where I am,' Cheryl said.

'No, but even if I did, Spike won't let anyone bother you,' Sunny said.

'Even if there was a lot of them?'

'Even if the whole board of Seniors came,' Spike said.

'You may recall Spike in action,' Sunny said, 'when we got you out of the Rackley center.'

Cheryl looked at Spike.

'I think you beat up about three or four people,' she said. 'It's kind of hard to remember.'

'Three,' Spike said. 'Piece of cake.'

Sunny stood.

'What are you going to do?' Cheryl said.

'I'm not sure yet,' Sunny said. 'I may consult with the local chief of police.'

'Weren't you consulting with him last night?' Spike said.

'I was,' Sunny said.

'Probably good I didn't call till this morning,' Spike said.

'It was,' Sunny said. 'I think my cell phone was turned off.'

'Unlike yourself,' Spike said.

'Bite your tongue,' Sunny said.

She looked at Cheryl.

'You okay?' Sunny said. 'You need a bath, a doctor, anything?'

'I took a shower,' Cheryl said. 'And Spike put my clothes through his washer/dryer. But I don't have any of my other stuff.'

'Okay,' Sunny said. 'I'll get your stuff.'

'What if they won't give it to you,' Cheryl said.

Sunny smiled.

'I'll get your stuff,' she said.

54

MOLLY BROUGHT Natalya Ognowski into Jesse's office and held a chair for her to sit. Jesse could smell her perfume as she came in the door. Lotta perfume. She sat with her feet in their high pink wedges flat on the floor and her knees pressed together modestly. She was wearing a skirt that barely reached her thighs and a very tight cropped pink T-shirt that showed a lot of waistline. Her waist looked a little soft to Jesse, but he had recently been looking at Sunny Randall, whose waistline was not soft. Natalya was carrying a large straw bag that matched her T- shirt. She looked up timidly at Jesse.

'Chief Stone?' she said.

'Jesse,' he said. 'It's Natalya, isn't it?'

She nodded.

'Natalya Ognowski,' she said.

'Nice to see you again, Natalya.'

'Thank you,' she said. 'I need to talk about something.'

'Good,' Jesse said.

'I need your advice.'

'You would be unusual in that,' Jesse said.

'Excuse me?'

'I'll be glad to give you my advice,' Jesse said.

'I have been dating Mr. Normie Salerno,' she said.

Jesse leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his stomach.

'Muscleman? Works for Reggie Galen?'

'Yes.'

'Really?' Jesse said.

'Yes,' Natalya said. 'I am trying to find out who killed my husband.'

'You are?'

'Yes,' Natalya said.

'Does he know who you are?'

'No. He thinks I am a girl he picked up at the bar at Gray Gull.'

'Why him?' Jesse said.

'He was who I could pick up,' Natalya said.

Jesse looked at her silently for a moment.

'I'll be damned,' he said. 'Do you like him?'

'No,' Natalya said. 'He is a pig.'

'I didn't like him much when I met him,' Jesse said.

'But I date him and we do sex, and I give him vodka, and he talks about himself. But he doesn't talk about what I want to know. So we do more sex and I give him more vodka. I drink some of the vodka, too.'

'I don't blame you,' Jesse said.

'It is not so bad, I have only to give him sex and pretend I like it, and I can ask him about himself and he talks. He is very boring, but it is better than always doing sex.'

Jesse was quiet. He knew she would tell her story in the way that she would tell it. There was no point hurrying her. If she had something, it would eventually appear.

'We always go to my apartment,' she said. 'I say I am only comfortable there. And he does not care where we do it. I am very good at doing sex.'

Jesse smiled and nodded.

'And I have a tape machine that listens to everything that is said.'

She took a small tape recorder out of her purse and put it on the edge of Jesse's desk in front of her. Jesse raised his eyebrows.

'Is it all right if I play some of it?' she said.

'It is,' Jesse said.

'I will only play a part I think is important. Much of all the tape I have is of us doing sex, or Normie talking dirty. And me talking dirty to him to make him like me. It is embarrassing. I do not wish to play that.'

'Good,' Jesse said.

'Will you plug it in, please,' Natalya said. 'I do not know if the batteries are lasting.'

Jesse plugged it in. Natalya stood and hovered over the machine for a moment. Then she pushed play and sat back down in her chair.

'We do all these things,' Natalya said. 'And I do not even know your whole name.'

'Norman Anthony Salerno,' he said.

Jesse was watching Natalya. She was listening as if she'd never heard it before.

Natalya giggled on the tape.

'How come you have such big muscles, Norman Anthony Salerno?' There was a faint sound of ice cubes clicking in a glass. 'I pump a lot of iron,' he said. 'It's useful in my line of work.'

'What do you do for work,' Natalya said.