“They’re not supposed to be,” Jesse said.
The squad room had a long pine table in the center.
It was yellow with shellac. There was an empty pizza box on it, some empty cardboard coffee cups, and a carton half full of donuts.
There were two cubicles on the back wall. There was a computer set up in each.
“Looks like the faculty lounge,” Lilly said. “This where you gather the men to solve crimes?”
“When they’re not eating,” Jesse said.
“Where do you keep guns and things?”
“There’s an equipment closet off the squad room.”
He held the door to his office open as Lilly went in.
“So this is where you rule,” she said.
“And read the paper,” Jesse said.
Lilly walked around the small office. She picked up Jenn’s picture from Jesse’s desk.
“This her?”
“Yes.”
“She looks familiar.”
“She’s the weather girl on Channel Three.”
“I think you’re supposed to say ‘Weather Woman.’ “
“I think so,” Jesse said.
Lilly looked at the picture another long moment before she put it back on Jesse’s desk.
“I wish she weren’t so damned good-looking,” she said.
“Me, too,” Jesse said. “Want some coffee?”
“Sure.”
Jesse poured two cups and gave her one. She sat across from his desk and sipped it.
“Have you found out about Billie Bishop?” Lilly said.
“The dead girl is Billie Bishop,” Jesse said.
“Oh dear,” Lilly said. “You’re sure.”
“I am.”
Lilly had on a dark blue warm-up suit. Her hair was caught back with a blue headband.
“Have you told the parents?”
“Yes.”
Jesse had on jeans and a corduroy jacket.
“How were they?”
“Very unusual,” Jesse said.
“Grief?”
“I’m not sure. The father, I think so. The mother? Maybe not.”
“Are you serious?”
“The mother was maybe relieved,” Jesse said.
“My God.”
“Whatever else is going on in that family,” Jesse said, “it’s the mother that controls it.”
“I don’t think I ever met her,” Lilly said.
“I’ve had to tell a number of people that someone has died,” Jesse said. “She’s not like anyone else.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We have a name in Boston. I have Suit going through the Internet, see if he can find anything that this name would have in common with Billie, or Paradise, or Swampscott.”
“Suit?”
“Officer Simpson. We call him Suitcase.”
“After the ballplayer,” Lilly said.
“Very good.”
Lilly nodded. She stood and walked to the file cabinet and picked up a baseball glove.
