they felt it. Marcy was the gold standard for such women.
“You think I only show up when there’s a problem with Jenn?”
“Yes,” Marcy said, and grinned at him. “Fortunately for me, it happens enough so that I see you a lot.”
“Course of true love,” Jesse said, “never did run smooth.”
“You and me? Or you and Jenn?”
“True love? Both.”
“Wouldn’t it be pretty to think so?” Marcy said.
“I love you, Marce, you know that.”
“Like a sister,” Marcy said.
“Not quite like a sister,” Jesse said.
“No,” Marcy said, “you’re right. Not like a sister.”
The waitress brought Marcy some white wine and Jesse an iced tea. Marcy looked at the tea.
“Off the booze again?”
“Got no plan,” Jesse said. “Tonight I thought iced tea would be nice.”
“Got any other plans for the night?” Marcy said.
“Let’s see what develops,” Jesse said.
“Let’s.”
They read their menus, Marcy got a second wine, Jesse got a second iced tea. The waitress took their food order and headed for the kitchen. The shipyard next to the Gray Gull was silent now, and in the harbor the last of the evening boats were coming back through the gathering evening.
“Of course you remember the events on Stiles Island ten years ago,” Jesse said.
Marcy seemed to immobilize for a moment like a freeze-frame in a movie.
Then she said, “When I was tied up and gagged and threatened with death by a bunch of cutthroats? Those events?”
“You do remember,” Jesse said.
Marcy nodded.
“I wish I didn’t,” she said. “Forced to think about it, I also remember that you came and saved me.”
Jesse nodded. The waitress returned with their salads. They didn’t speak while she set them down and left.
“You remember one of them? An Indian? A man named Crow?” Jesse said.
Marcy again had a freeze-frame moment. It lasted longer than the first one had.
“My protector,” she said.
“He’s passed the statute of limitations,” Jesse said. “But if I can get a witness or two to say he was involved in a felony that resulted in homicide, even if he didn’t do the killing, I can get around the statute.”
She shook her head.
“You won’t be a witness?”
“No.”
