said.
“We handle our own business here. Part of liberty is self-reliance.”
“You bet,” Jesse said.
Hathaway stood and put one of his long-fingered bony hands on Jesse’s shoulder.
“Don’t mean to come down too hard
on you, Jesse. But I have a responsibility to this town. Call on me for anything you need… and let’s keep our troubles in-house.”
“Gotcha,” Jesse said.
Hathaway patted Jesse’s shoulder briefly and turned and left the restaurant. Jesse sat looking after him, turning his coffee cup slowly on the tabletop. I wonder what Hasty u actually worried about, Jesse thought. He looked at Hathaway’s plate. He had eaten the center of his cinnamon toast and left the crusts. Cinnamon toast, Jesse thought. Jesus Christ!
morning eastern tame. Jesse took it in his office.
“I got Paradise, Massachusetts?”
Charlie Buck said.
“Yes,” Jesse said.
“You the chief of police?”
“Yes. Jesse Stone.”
“My name’s Charlie Buck.
I’m an investigator for the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department in Gillette,
Wyo’ming.”
“Well, you’re an early
riser,” Jesse said. “What is it there, about seven?”
“Seven oh three,” Buck said.
“I’m interested in a man might have lived in Paradise at, one time, man named Thomas Carson.‘ ’
‘He was the chief before me,“
Jesse said.
Buck‘ grunted.
“Well, he was driving a Dodge truck up
along Route 59 north of Bill a while back, when it blew up and him with it. Took us this long to trace what was left.”
36
‘r’ ‘. r
“In .Wyoming?”
“Yemh, no of Bill, heing towed
GilleRe?‘
“You esblish why it blew upT”
Jesse sd.
“Bomb.”
“So it’s a hocide.”
“You ght say so.”
“You have y leads?”
“We was hoping you’d e le. If e
mb hadn’t tossed e ck’s sefi numar couple hun ft away we woul’t even ow who he w.”
“Considerable mb,” Jesse sd.
“Consideble,” Buck sd.
“Figu it w supped to pulverize evening so we coul’t I.D. e victim. How long you had e job?”
“Got in May,” Jesse sd.
“Didn’t acmly’s until June.”
“You ow when Con left?”
“Befo May,” Jesse sd.
“Sometime e spring, I
. Until I tk over, guy nu Bke w acting
chief.“
