Lutz began to back toward the front door, the gun still in his hand.
“I don’t want to do this, Lutz,” Jesse said.
Lutz nodded and smiled at him sadly.
“But you will,” Lutz said.
He raised the gun and aimed at Jesse and Jesse shot him in the middle of the mass, three times, his hand steady, his mind now empty, concentrating only on the shot. Lutz lurched a little. The gun fell from his hand. He went back another couple of steps and fell over, and lay on his side and bled to death on Jesse’s rug.
Jesse stayed where he was by the bar and looked at the body on the floor. The sound that came after gunfire was always paralyzing. After a time he put the gun on the bar and got off the bar stool and walked over to Lutz and looked down. Lutz’s face had lost all expression. His open eyes saw nothing.
“You goddamned fool,” Jesse said.
Then he went to the phone and called the station. 2 8 5
63
Jesse sat alone on his deck, looking at the dark harbor and at the lights of Paradise Neck across the harbor. Lutz was gone. His rug had been cleaned. The press had left. The governor had called to congratulate him. Neat as a pin. He put his feet up on the railing and tilted his chair back slightly and rocked.
“Lorrie Pilarcik,” he said aloud.
He could see the running lights of the harbormaster’s boat moving among the moored boats in the near harbor, heading deviously for the town wharf. Behind him, through the open door of the deck, across the living room, he heard a key
H I G H P R O F I L E
in the front-door lock. Only one person had the key. In a moment, it opened and then closed and he heard her footsteps.
“Jesse,” she said. “It’s Jenn.”
He put his hand up and she took it and held it as she sat down on the chair beside him.
“You okay?” she said.
“I am,” Jesse said.
“I heard about it on the news.”
Jesse nodded.
“You want to talk about it?” Jenn said.
“Not very much,” Jesse said.
“Have you been sleeping?” Jenn said.
“Not much,” Jesse said.
“I remember what you’re like,” she said.
“I’m glad you remember,” Jesse said.
“If you’ll have me, I’d like to spend the night,” Jenn said.
“That may not make me sleep,” Jesse said.
Jenn smiled.
