Molly nodded.
Cathleen said, “I don’t like talking about it.”
“Come on, hon,” Molly said. “I’m fun to talk with.”
“Yeah, right,” Cathleen said. But she stood and followed Molly out.
“She didn’t do nothing wrong,” Jackie said. Her thin hands were clenched together in her lap.
1 2 3
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“I’m sure she didn’t,” Jesse said.
“Probably shouldn’t have gone out to the yacht,” Sam said.
“She’s a teenager,” Jackie said. “They do foolish things.”
Sam nodded. His head was down, and he appeared to be studying his thick hands.
“You got to do something about this, Jesse.”
Jesse nodded.
“I didn’t want to come here. I wanted to get some guys and go out and beat the shit out of everybody on the fucking boat.”
“Coming here was better,” Jesse said.
“I have to, I’ll go out there myself and break the fucking boat up.”
“You won’t have to,” Jesse said.
“She’s a good girl,” Jackie said. “A little wild, maybe, like most kids. But at heart she’s a good girl.”
“Anyone can see that,” Jesse said.
“She’s got a boyfriend. She’s going to UMass in the fall.”
“This will pass,” Jesse said, just as if he meant it.
“And she’s underage, isn’t she?” Jackie said.
“No, Jackie, she’s not. Not if she’s seventeen,” Jesse said.
“Statutory age of consent in this state is sixteen.”
“Well, they took advantage of a young girl.”
Jesse nodded. Everyone was quiet. Jesse was good at quiet.
Silence was his friend.
“Does everyone have to know?” Sam said.
“There might be some publicity, depends mostly on the 1 2 4
S E A C H A N G E
suspect. If he’s not newsworthy, and we stay out of court with a plea bargain, nobody needs to know. I got no need to talk about it.”
“You called him a suspect,” Jackie said. “You think she’s lying?”
Jesse shook his head. “Just cop talk, Jackie. He’s a suspect until we convict him.”
“Well, she says she was raped, she was raped.”
Molly brought Cathleen back.
“I have a full statement,” Molly said.
Jesse nodded.
“Anything else you want to say, Cathleen?”
“Nope.”
“Okay,” Jesse said. “We’ll arrange a lineup.”
“I’ll know the bastard,” Cathleen said.
“Cathleen!” Jackie said.
“Well, he is a bastard,” Cathleen said.
Sam stood.
“He gets off, Jesse, I swear, I’ll deal with him myself,”
Sam said.
Jesse stood and put out his hand.
“No need, Sam, we’re on it.”
They all shook hands, and Molly showed them out. Jesse thought that Cathleen’s handshake was not enthusiastic.
