“So how did a copy end up on Harrison Darnell’s boat?”
Jesse said.
“We talked about that,” Corliss said. “Me and Claud. We thought maybe Florence brought a copy to show him. Harrison liked stuff like that.”
“I think it was mailed from Miami,” Jesse said.
“That’s the other thing we thought,” Claudia said.
“Which was?” Jesse said.
“Maybe Daddy sent it,” Corliss said.
“Why would he do that?”
“Daddy’s odd sometimes,” Claudia said.
“We thought maybe he sent it to Harrison to embarrass Flo,” Corliss said.
“He didn’t know that it wouldn’t?” Jesse said.
“I think he thought Flo had a nice upper-class wealthy beau,” Claudia said.
“He thought we did, too,” Corliss said.
“What were you afraid Daddy would do if he found out you had hired a private detective to investigate him?” Jesse said.
“We thought he’d kill us,” Claudia said.
She looked at Corliss. They both nodded.
“Who told you about your sister’s death?” Jesse said.
“Mom,” Corliss said.
“So why did you tell me Kimmy Young told you?”
“Kimmy?” Claudia said.
“We told you Kimmy?” Corliss said.
“Yep.”
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S E A C H A N G E
“God, why would we do that?” Claudia said.
“That was what sort of tore the cover off,” Jesse said.
“We were scared,” Corliss said. “I guess we just said a name.”
“We were afraid if we told you Mom, that would sort of lead you to Daddy,” Claudia said.
“Because you didn’t want to get him in any trouble,” Jesse said.
“Yes,” Corliss said.
“We love him,” Claudia said.
“And he loves us,” Corliss said.
“And you were afraid he might kill you,” Jesse said.
“Daddy gets so mad sometimes,” Claudia said.
They looked at each other again and nodded.
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59
K elly Cruz met Jesse at the gate in the Miami airport. She had a short black haircut and a wide mouth and nice posture. Her
ass was, in fact, perky. She was wearing white heels and white slacks and a blue linen jacket and holding a handmade sign that said stone. Jesse was glad that she was good-looking. They shook hands and he followed her outside where they got into a maroon Crown Victoria parked under a no-parking sign in front of the terminal. Kelly Cruz got into the front beside the driver. Jesse got in back.
“Jesse Stone,” Kelly Cruz said. “Raymond Ortiz.”
The driver turned and said hello.
S E A C H A N G E
“Raymond works Homicide,” she said. “Here in Miami.”
“Nice to have an official presence,” Jesse said. “In case we want to arrest somebody.”
“That’s me,” Ortiz said. “Official presence.”
“How you want to handle this?” Kelly Cruz said as they headed east from the airport on the Dolphin Expressway.
“My usual approach,” Jesse said, “is to blunder in and shake the sack and see what falls out.”
“Works for me,” Ortiz said.
“It’s your case,” Kelly Cruz said.
