“We always stay together,” Corliss said.
“It won’t be long,” Jesse said. “Maura?”
Trooper Quinlin stood and put a hand under Corliss’s right arm and helped her up.
“We always stay together,” Claudia said.
“Not this time,” Jesse said.
He nodded at Quinlin, who turned Corliss gently and walked her out of the office. Molly got up and closed the 2 4 3
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
door behind them, and sat back down behind Claudia. Jesse looked at Claudia without speaking. Claudia smiled very brightly.
“We’re twins, you know, we don’t like to be separated,”
she said.
Jesse continued to look silently at Claudia.
“Did your father sexually molest you?” Jesse said.
Claudia stared at him. “What?”
“Did your father sexually molest you,” Jesse said.
Claudia looked around the room as if Corliss might suddenly appear and answer the question. Jesse waited. Claudia stopped looking around and looked at him and opened her mouth and said nothing. Jesse waited. Claudia looked over her shoulder at Molly. Molly smiled at her but didn’t speak.
“That’s terrible,” Claudia said finally.
“It is,” Jesse said. “Did he molest you together or separately?”
Claudia shook her head.
“Did he molest all three of you together?”
“Three?”
“Florence, you and Corliss.”
“Stop asking me that,” Claudia said.
She began to cry. Jesse sat quietly and watched her. Behind Claudia, Molly sat looking at her hands, which were clasped in her lap. After a time Jesse took a box of Kleenex from a desk drawer and put it in front of Claudia, on the edge of his desk, where she could reach it.
2 4 4
S E A C H A N G E
“Let me define what I mean by molest,” Jesse said. “So there won’t be any confusion.”
Claudia took one of the Kleenex and dabbed at her eyes.
“Did he touch you in a sexual way? Did he penetrate you?”
Claudia bent forward double and put her hands over her ears and began to moan. Jesse watched her quietly.
“For God’s sake, Jesse,” Molly said. “Leave the poor child alone.”
“I need answers,” Jesse said.
“Well, there are other ways,” Molly said. “If you don’t stop traumatizing her, I’ll file a report with the selectmen.”
Jesse grunted. He stood without a word and went out of the office. As he closed the door behind him he saw Molly get up and put her arm around Claudia’s shoulder. Jesse smiled to himself. Then he went down into the squad room and closed the door.
Corliss and Maura Quinlin were sitting silently at the table. He sat down across from Corliss.
“Well,” he said, “the truth is out.”
“Excuse me?”
“About your father molesting you,” Jesse said.
“Oh . . . my . . . God,” Corliss said.
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52
T he report to the selectmen line was in-spired,” Jesse said to Molly.
“I thought so,” Molly said. “Made me
look like really good cop at the same time it made you look like really bad cop.”
“And cowardly,” Jesse said.
Molly smiled faintly.
“You did scoot,” Molly said, “as soon as you heard it.”
They were quiet. Outside Jesse’s window the early eve -
ning was starting to darken.
