'We bring the woman in?'
'No,' Jesse said.
'She know we're coming?' Suit said.
'Yes,' Jesse said. 'I talked with her this morning.'
'There's stuff going on that I don't get,' Suit said.
'There is,' Jesse said. 'Just go get him and hold him till I get back.'
'Where you going?'
'Gotta talk to a guy,' Jesse said.
'What guy?'
'Guy who might tell me things,' Jesse said.
'I could go talk to the guy,' Suit said. 'And you could bring in the weight lifter. Be sure the job's done right.'
Jesse smiled.
'I have every confidence in you, Suit,' he said. 'Just keep Normie here until I come back. No one sees him. No one knows he's here.'
'What happens if somehow someone finds out and a lawyer shows up?' Suit said.
'Deceive him,' Jesse said.
'Or her,' Suit said.
'Or both,' Jesse said.
65
JESSE MET BOB DAVIS sitting on a bench in a pavilion on Revere Beach. It was gray weather, overcast and spitting rain. The tide was high, and the dark waves foamed in close to the pavilion. The wind off the water was unseasonable, and the long beach was nearly empty except for a woman and a dog. The woman threw a ball. The dog chased it.
'Thanks for seeing me,' Jesse said, when he sat down.
Davis nodded. He was wearing a tan raincoat with the collar up.
'Whaddya need?' Davis said.
'I want to know who killed Petrov Ognowski, and who killed Knocko.'
'You wearing a wire?' Davis said.
'Nope.'
'Mind if I pat you down?' Davis said.
'Nope.'
Jesse stood, took his gun off his hip, held it in his right hand, and put both hands above his head.
'Pat,' he said.
Davis went over him carefully. When he was through, Jesse put the gun back on his hip and sat back down.
'So, tell me about life on Paradise Neck,' Jesse said.
'What I say here stays here,' Davis said.
Jesse nodded.
'If you tell me you killed these people, you walk away clean,' he said. 'And tomorrow I start looking for you. Otherwise, you'll never see me again.'
'I didn't kill them,' Davis said. 'And I ain't gonna help you nail Reggie. I was with him a long time; I owe him that.'
Jesse nodded.
'Whaddya know?' Davis said.
'I don't know much for certain,' Jesse said. 'But I think Normie Salerno killed both of them.'
Davis shrugged.
'He pulled the trigger,' he said.
'And Normie killed Knocko.'
'He pulled the trigger,' Davis said. 'On Knocko, too.'
'Who told him to?' Jesse said.
Davis was looking at the dog chasing the ball.
'Nice-looking dog,' he said.
'I'll take that to mean Reggie told him to,' Jesse said.
'I like dogs,' Davis said. 'Never had a chance to own one.'
'Why did Reggie tell him to do it?'
'What do you know about the twin wives,' Davis said.
'Enough,' Jesse said.
'They make a move on you?'
'Yep.'
'They are some sick broads,' Davis said.
'Yep.'
'Well,' Davis said. 'Here's what I think went down. I didn't know it when it happened. I'm still not sure of all the details, but I'm in the ballpark.'
Jesse nodded.
'They was playing their game with Petey,' Davis said. 'Petey was a good kid, but he was a moron. Instead of enjoying the ride, he decides he's made his fortune. He tries to blackmail the both of them.'
'With what?' Jesse said.
'I don't know. I think he had evidence. Pictures, tape recordings, something. Easy enough to rig if he did a little planning.'
'Easy,' Jesse said. 'So, he went to the women?'
'No,' Davis said. 'He went to Knocko and Reggie.'
Jesse waited.
'And as I get it, Knocko was in a funk. He wants Petey dead. But he knows Petey is one of Reggie's people and he don't want to ace him without, like, clearing it.'
'So he did and Reggie said he'd take care of it,' Jesse said.
'What I figure,' Davis said. 'But Reggie never says nothing to me. I don't know why. He's embarrassed? He knows I kind of like Petey? Doesn't want to ask me to do one of our own, you know, somebody in the outfit?'
'You think he knew about the twins?' Jesse said.
'Yeah,' Davis said. 'He did. They was both playing house with him, same time they was playing house with Petey.'
'Kind of dangerous,' Jesse said.
'Maybe why they did it,' Davis said.
'Probably,' Jesse said.
'Stuff's too hard for me,' Davis said. 'So I don't know who killed Petey, and nobody else seems to know, and nobody seems much to give a shit, and… life goes on.'
'How about Knocko,' Jesse said.
'I guess Knocko gave a shit,' Davis said. 'I guess he was pretty mad about his wife doing a low-level thug like Petey.'
'He didn't know about the Bang Bang Twins?' Jesse said.
'I don't think so,' Davis said.
'He thinks she's been faithful,' Jesse said.
Davis nodded.
'Poor slob,' he said. 'He can't get over it, and I guess he got to slapping his wife around.'
'Because of her fling with Petey,' Jesse said.
'Yep.'
'And she spoke to her sister, and her sister spoke to Reggie…'
Davis nodded.
'And Reggie says to me he wants Knocko whacked. And I say, 'Whack Knocko? You been friends forever.' And Reggie says, 'He's been beating up my wife's sister. They both want him dead.' And I say, 'What about Ray?' And Reggie says, 'Don't worry about Ray. Ray's gone.' '
'The twins got him fired,' Jesse said.
'Anyway, I'm saying, 'This is crazy. Just have her move out,' and Reggie's saying, 'You do it or I get somebody else to do it.' And I say, 'Who,' and he says, 'Normie.' And I say, 'Normie's a blow.' And Reggie says, 'Yeah, well, he done Petey okay.' '
'Easy enough if they think you're their friend,' Jesse said.
'Is,' Davis said. 'Was. Both of them. The hard part for Normie would be shutting up about it afterwards.'
'He didn't,' Jesse said.
'Good,' Davis said. 'So he can take the fall.'
'I'm going to try to take all of them down,' Jesse said. 'But I'll do it by flipping Normie. I won't use anything of yours.'
