9 5
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“It’s a reference to Ronald Reagan,” Jesse said.
“That president?”
“Him,” Jesse said.
“Well, I think it’s mean not to trust us,” Claudia said.
“You’re right,” Jesse said. “I’ll never do it again.”
9 6
20
After the twins were gone, Molly stuck her head in the office door.
“Steve Friedman called in,” she said. “Got a couple of kids shoplifting in Waldo’s Variety Store.”
“What did they take?”
“Skin magazines.”
“Tell Steve to confiscate the magazines, let the kids sit in the cruiser for ten minutes to scare them, then kick ’em loose. No lectures.”
Molly grinned.
“That’ll be hard for Steve,” she said.
“I know. Tell him I said so.”
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“No parent notification?” Molly said.
“No.”
Molly was still grinning.
“How were the twins?” Molly said.
“Vague,” Jesse said.
“You survive with your virtue intact?”
“So much sex,” Jesse said, “so little brain.”
“You learn anything useful?” Molly said.
“Mostly I learned that they know more than they are say -
ing, and that they conceal that fact badly.”
“What do you think they know?”
“They know the two guys in the sex video,” Jesse said.
“They say so?”
“No.”
“What did they want?”
“I don’t think they quite know,” Jesse said. “They asked me to recommend a private eye.”
“To help us on the case?”
“Un-huh.”
Molly rolled her eyes.
“There are some good ones,” Jesse said. “I sent the little darlings to Rita Fiore, told them she could recommend.”
“Can she?”
“Probably. I know she uses some guy in Boston that’s supposed to be good.”
“You think they were serious?”
“I don’t think they’ve been serious in their whole vapid life, either one of them.”
9 8
S E A C H A N G E
“And you sent them to Rita,” Molly said, “so you could call her in a while and asked if they showed up.”
Jesse smiled and pointed a finger at Molly.
“You’re mastering my technique,” Jesse said. “When I leave, you can be chief.”
“Fat chance,” Molly said. “I better get on the horn to Steve. He’s probably already started his lecture.”
“Cruel and unusual punishment,” Jesse said.
“Wading through the skin magazines would be cruel enough,” Molly said.
“Not if you’re an adolescent boy,” Jesse said.
“You would know,” Molly said and left the office.
