when we get there.
He turned
slowly and looked around the parking lot. Across from him was the exit onto Sea Street. To the right a path led through another small screen of trees to Maple Street. Jesse walked to the exit and looked at Sea Street. To the left took you out of town, heading for Route 1. To the right was downtown and the waterfront. He walked back and through the path to Maple Street. Front lawns, driveways, garrison colonials. To the right, near the end of the street, one of the houses was more brightly lit than the others, with several cars parked out front. Kennedy’s house?
“You know which house is
Kennedy’s?” Jesse said.
“No, I can ask Anthony.”
Jesse shook his head.
“Okay,” he said to Perkins. “You
can close it
up.”
Perkins nodded.
“I’ll talk with those kids,”
Jesse said.
“First cruiser,” Perkins said.
“Where the skateboards
are.”
21
Jesse got into the front seat of the cruiser beside Ed Cox and turned to talk with the boys in back. The boys were about fourteen.
They reeked of self-importance. Too bad about the dead guy, but this was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to them.
“My name’s Jesse Stone,” he said.
“We know who you are.”
“Did you tell your story to the officer?”
Jesse
said.
“Yes.”
“And give him your names and addresses?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, now I want you to tell me.”
“My name’s Richard Owens,” one
of the boys said.
He was short and slim and blond with a slacker haircut and a gold stud in his left earlobe.
“What do they call you?” Jesse said.
“You mean like my nickname?”
Jesse nodded.
“Rick,” the boy said. “Or Ricky
sometimes.”
“You?” Jesse said to the other boy.
He was an olive-skinned kid, with long black hair that had not fared well in the rain.
“Sidney Lessard,” the boy said.
“They call me
Sid.”
“Okay, Sid,” Jesse said.
“Officer Cox will take you someplace else out of the rain - you can use my car, Eddie.”
“How come we can’t stay
together?” Rick said.
“Police procedure,” Jesse said.
“What procedure?” Rick said.
“See if you both tell the same story.”
