soda,” Jesse said. “If the
evening gets really rousing, I’ll step up to the OJ.”
“I expect it to get rousing,” Rita said.
She made Jesse’s drink and poured herself some champagne.
“How is my disgusting client doing at his community service?”
she said.
“He’s there every afternoon after
school,” Jesse said. “He and
Drake treat Feeney like the fink-out that he is, but they’re too
scared to do anything about it.”
“So what are they doing?”
“Make-work mostly. Wash the floors, clean the toilets, polish
doorknobs. Molly finds stuff for them.”
“They probably ought to get more punishment than that for
gang-raping a young girl.”
“They had good legal counsel,” Jesse said.
Rita smiled.
“You know the argument as well as I do. In order for the justice
system to work, every one has the right to the best legal representation they can get.”
Jesse nodded.
“Doesn’t mean I liked any of
them.”
“I don’t either,” Jesse said.
“How’s the girl doing?”
Jesse shrugged.
“She and I went out and adopted a dog for her.”
“You and she?”
“It belonged to one of the serial victims. I was trying to find
it a home.”
“Did that make her happy.”
“I don’t think it made her happy. It did give her something to
care about.”
“What would make her happy?”
“I don’t know,” Jesse said.
“Maybe a couple years with a good
shrink.”
“Is that going to happen?”
“I gave her a name,” Jesse said.
“My goodness,” Rita said. “Cop
for all seasons.”
“I know a shrink,” Jesse said.
“You think she’ll see the
shrink?”
“Most people don’t,” Jesse said.
Rita nodded.
“I did,” she said, “after my
last divorce.”
“You’ve had more than one?”
Rita smiled and poured herself more champagne.
“I’ve had three,” she said.
