Sea Change

“Bring them in,” he said.

Corliss and Claudia Plum were very blond, very slim, very R O B E R T B . P A R K E R

tanned and very slightly dressed. They wore very dark eye makeup, very light lipstick. One of them had on a sleeveless aqua-and-coral patterned summer dress with a short skirt, and showed very deep cleavage. The other had on a robin’s-egg-blue-and-pink dress of the same length, and showed lots of cleavage. Both wore slip-on shoes with very high heels.

One pair was aqua, the other was blue. Neither wore stock-ings. It was also clear that neither was wearing a bra. Jesse stood when they came in.

Aqua and coral said, “I’m Corliss.”

Blue and pink said, “I’m Claudia.”

“Jesse Stone.”

Both girls shook his hand and then sat without much re -

gard to the minimal length of their dresses.

Well, Jesse thought, at least they’re wearing underpants.

“I’m very sorry about your sister,” Jesse said.

“That’s why we’re here,” Claudia said.

“We want to know the truth,” Corliss said.

“We found your sister floating in the harbor,” Jesse said.

“So who killed her,” Corliss said.

“We don’t know that anyone did.”

“You don’t know? How come you don’t know. You think she just jumped in the ocean?”

“We don’t know exactly how she got in the ocean,” Jesse said.

“Well, she sure didn’t jump in,” Claudia said.

“Do you have a theory?” Jesse said.

“What about DNA?”

9 0

S E A C H A N G E

“We know her identity,” Jesse said. “Why do you think someone killed her?”

“She wouldn’t just fall in,” Corliss said.

“Did she drink?” Jesse said.

“Course,” Corliss said. “But she could handle it, she wouldn’t get drunk and fall in the ocean.”

Jesse nodded.

“I thought you were in Europe,” Jesse said.

The twins looked at each other.

“That’s what we told the parents,” Claudia said.

They both giggled.

“Partying,” Corliss said.

“Where?”

“In New York.”

“Manhattan?” Jesse asked.

“No, no, Sag Harbor.”

“All summer?”

Both girls giggled.

“Staying with friends?”

“Ohhh yes,” Corliss said.

“Could I have a name?” Jesse said.

“Name?”

“Of the friend you stayed with.”

“Why?”

“Better to know than not know,” Jesse said.

“You think we did something bad?” Claudia said.