“Yes,” Dr. St. Claire said.
“You mean more than earning my own money.”
‘ ’Yes.‘ ’
“You mean this too, don’t you.”
“Yes.”
“So I’m starting to take better care of myself, and that means I can take better care of Jesse.”
“Or whoever,” Dr. St. Claire said.
Jenn sat back a little in her chair and thought about that.
“Often,” Dr, SL Claire said,
“circumstances of heightened intensity can accelerate things.”
“Like rising to the occasion,” Jenn said.
“Yes,” Dr. St. Claire said.
“Very much like that.”
sandwich with everything on it at a shop called the Italian Submarine near the town wharf, and brought it home for supper. He would have two drinks. One before the sandwich and one with it. He was on his first drink when Abby called him.
“I’m ready to forgive you,” Abby
said.
“That’s good.”
“I wish you trusted me, but you don’t.
Maybe you can’t.
But I find that I’m missing you and decided that not seeing you was punishing me as much as you and so I want to see you.“
“Olaiy.”
“Control yourself,” Abby said.
“I hate it when you get giddy with excitement.”
“You want tO go with me to the Halloween dance at the Yacht Club?” Jesse said.
“Well, yes,” Abby said. “I mean
I want to go with you, but I wish it didn’t have to be to the Yacht Club dance.”
“Sort of part of my job,” Jesse said.
“I know. Chief of police and all that,”
Abby said. “Actually I guess I’m supposed to go too, being town counsel.”
“Want to come here first for a drink?”
Jesse said.
“Yes. What time?”
“Say seven, we don’t want to get to the bail too early.”
“I guess,” Abby said.
They were quiet for a moment. Jesse sipped his drink.
He suspected that Abby was sipping hers.
“How have you been?” Abby said.
“Any progress on who killed that young
woman?”
“Some,” Jesse said. “I know who
did it, but I need evidence.‘ ’
“You know who did it?”
“Yeah.”
“Well who… I guess you can’t
say, can you? Have you heard from your ex lately?”
“She hasn:! let you go, has she,” Abby
said.
“I hear from Jenn pretty regularly.”
“Have you let her go, Jesse?”
