“I don’t,” Jesse said.
“Not for a minute?”
“First ten seconds, maybe,” Jesse said. “More anticipation, probably, than anything.”
“Those tapes shouldn’t exist,” Molly said. “Am I a prude?”
“We had to watch it,” Jesse said. “Not everybody does.”
“So you’re saying it should exist.”
“Most people, I’d say if you don’t like it, don’t look at it.”
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R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“It’s worse than that,” Molly said. “I don’t want it available to anyone who wants to look.”
“Not my area,” Jesse said. “But my guess is that it would probably do more harm to try and prevent it.”
“Censorship and all that,” Molly said.
“I don’t mind censorship,” Jesse said, “long as I get to be censor.”
Molly smiled.
“Yes. I know. But damn . . .”
“Consenting adults,” Jesse said.
“Not all of them,” Molly said.
Jesse smiled.
“There’s that,” he said.
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32
K elly Cruz sat with Mandy Morello at an outdoor table outside a bakery and deli
near the Marriott Marina Hotel. Kelly
Cruz was drinking coffee. Mandy was having a Pepsi-Cola and eating some sort of napoleon and smoking a cigarette.
“Is sex against the law?” Mandy said.
“Not for consenting adults.”
“How about posing for nude pictures?”
“Not for consenting adults.”
“Okay,” Mandy said. “What would you like to know?”
“Does being one of Mr. Ralston’s girls involve sex and nude pictures?” Kelly Cruz said.
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“Sure,” Mandy said.
She wiped whipped cream off her upper lip.
“Tell me about that,” Kelly Cruz said.
“That give you a charge?” Mandy said. “Hearing about it?”
Kelly Cruz sighed.
“Mandy,” she said. “I’m a fun person, just like you, but I am also a cop investigating a homicide, and I would just as soon not fuck around with it too much, okay?”
“Whoa,” Mandy said. “Kelly, I didn’t mean anything. It’s just how I talk.”
“Sure,” Kelly Cruz said. “Tell me about life with Thomas Ralston.”
“Well, ah, what can I tell you. He parties.”
“With you?”
“Sometimes with me.”
“Sometimes with others?”
“Sure.”
“One at a time?” Kelly Cruz said.
Mandy rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Not always,” she said.
“Other men involved?”
“Sometimes.”
“Are we talking about gang bangs here, Mandy?”
“Sometimes.”
