“I’ll settle for lifting their gun per-
“Probably a way to do that,” Healy said.
“You know the kid blew the whistle on them?”
“Yes,” Jesse said.
“Good kid?”
“Kind of a burnout,” Jesse said.
“Well, she saved your ass.”
“I plan to mention that to her,” Jesse
said. “Abby Taylor too.”
The light from the east was whiter now, making the electric lights in Jesse’s office look weak.
“You should get out of here,” Healy said.
“There’s going to be a lot to do later.”
‘
nodded and swiveled in his chair and looked out Jesse his window. There was a television van with its odd- looking antenna parked next to the police cruisers. Channel Three/Action News was stenciled on the side.
“And the media is always with us,” he
said.
“I’m getting too old for this all-night shit,” Healy said.
“You got a bottle of whiskey somewhere?”
Jesse took it out of his bottom drawer and put it on the desk in front of Healy.
“Glass on the windowsill,” Jesse said.
“Join me?”
Jesse shook his head. Healy poured about an inch and drank it down. Then he capped the bottle and pushed it back across the desk toward Jesse. Jesse didn’t stir. He was too tired to put it away.
“How long you been on this job?” Healy
said.
“About six months.”
“Nice start,” Hea[y said.
After Healy left, Jesse sat for a while until he got the strength to get up. He walked past the television c6w without speaking, and got in his car and went ho6. He was so tired it was hard to focus on the road. Th sun was up by the time he got home and there was a different tone to the black winter water in the harbor. He pared in his slot and walked heavily up the teps to his condonumui — m.
When he opened the door he heard the television. He closed the door quietly behind him and took out his gun and walked softly to the living room. Sitting on the sofa with her feet up on the coffee table watching the early- morning news was his ex-wife.
“Jesus Christ, Jenn,” Jesse said.
She stood and smiled at him.
“You’re okay,” she said.
Jesse nodded.
“The janitor let me in,” Jenn said.
“I told him I was your wife.”
“You’re not,” Jesse said.
“We’re divorced.”
“I saw on the news about last night,” Jenn said.
“It’s over,” Jesse said.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I was worried‘ about you. I missed
you.”
·
“Jenn, I don’t know,” Jesse
said.
“You still seeing that other woman?”
“No.”
Jenn smiled.
