“Hot damn,” Kelly Cruz said. “I’m only a detective for five years, but that might be a clue.”
“Might be,” Jesse said. “They are owned by the following, you got a pencil?”
“I’m ready.”
“Thomas Ralston,” Jesse said. “Allan Pinkton. Harold Berger.”
“Addresses?”
“All in Fort Lauderdale,” Jesse said and read them off.
“Never heard of any of them,” Kelly Cruz said. “But they probably never heard of me, either. I’ll check them out. They may not be home, of course, they may be up there taking part in the excitement.”
“You seem negative, Detective Cruz,” Jesse said, “about yacht racing.”
“Don’t mean to,” Kelly Cruz said. “Must be at least as exciting as watching a miniature golf match.”
Jesse was silent for a moment.
“Well, no,” Jesse said slowly. “It’s not that much fun.”
5 0
12
C hannel 3 Action News set up downtown in Paradise, in the parking lot behind the Ranch Market. There was an equipment
truck, and an air-conditioned mobile home to house production, wardrobe, and makeup and Jenn. Jenn had a small dressing room in it, with her own bathroom. A maze of hookups ran around the trailer and across the parking lot.
“I can even take a shower,” Jenn said.
“Always wise,” Jesse said.
A stocky strong-looking woman came in without knock-ing. She had short gray hair and Oakley sunglasses and seemed, even standing still, to be in a hurry.
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“Marty,” Jenn said, “this is my . . . friend Jesse Stone.
He’s the police chief here. Jesse, this is Marty Freeman, my producer.”
“Stone?” Marty said. “Same name as yours.”
“We used to be married,” Jenn said.
“Nice to meet you,” Marty said. “Come on, Jenn, got to use all the light we can.”
Jenn was in full makeup. She kissed Jesse, very carefully, on the mouth, and went out after Marty. Jesse watched as she went away. She had on a dark blue top and white pants, and expensive sneakers. Very yacht-y. The pants fit her well, and Jesse watched her backside twitch as she walked away. He was seeing her sexually again. Was he supposed to? Christ, who wouldn’t see her sexually? He looked around the small dressing room. There was a small closet with several changes of clothes. He could smell her perfume. He knew that when she took a shower and toweled off, she would spray scent in the air and walk into it naked. He wondered how many other men knew that. He imagined them watching her, as he had.
A group of them. Faceless, nameless, somehow triumphant.
Laughing and elbowing each other like players in a bad farce.
She smiled at them. Soon she’d have sex with them. He could hear himself breathing.
He looked at himself in the mirror. His face looked ordi-nary, the way it always looked. He spoke to the image in the mirror.
“Man,” he heard himself say. “I need a drink.”
5 2
13
E verybody’s in the squad room,” Molly said.
“Alert and ready to examine evidence.”
“Video come in from Fort Lauderdale?”
Jesse said.
“How’d you guess?”
“Male intuition,” Jesse said. “Who’s in the cars?”
“Martin and Friedman,” Molly said. “Not happy.”
“And the other eight members of Paradise’s finest?”
“In the squad room,” Molly said. “Waiting for you. Prob -
ably sent out for popcorn.”
“You want to watch it?”
“I’m a cop,” Molly said. “I need to see it, I’ll see it.”
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
