what she would see as the enemy.”
Dix nodded.
“Ever have a dog?” Dix said.
“Yes.”
“Was it spoiled?” Dix said.
“Yes.”
Dix smiled.
“For as tough a cop as you are,” he said, “you are a very big old softie.”
“That’s why I’m talking to you,” Jesse said.
“There may be other reasons,” Dix said. “But for now, fill me in on this.”
“You want details?” Jesse said.
“That’s where the devil is,” Dix said.
67.
“Francisco will do the wire transfer today,” Crow said.
“One million?”
“One million,” Crow said. “Wired to your account. When it arrives, I’ll call him. He gets his daughter.”
The two men stood with their backs to the seawall at midpoint on the causeway.
“That’s what you told him,” Jesse said.
“That’s what I told him.”
“You are a lying bastard,” Jesse said.
“Doesn’t make me a bad person,” Crow said.
“Something did,” Jesse said. “What I don’t get is, Francisco gives no sign that he loves her, but he’s willing to pay a million to get her back.”
“A,” Crow said, “a million dollars doesn’t mean much to him. And B, he’s Louis Francisco. No one is allowed to tell him no.”
“Ego,” Jesse said.
“Partly,” Crow said.
“And business.”
“Yep.”
“Power is real,” Jesse said. “But it’s a lot less real if it’s not perceived as power.”
Crow nodded. He was looking down the causeway toward the mainland end.
“Something like that,” he said. “Timing is going to be pretty much everything here.”
“I can help you with the timing,” Jesse said.
“I’ve timed it out half a dozen times,” Crow said. “We gotta start Francisco’s car about ten seconds after Esteban hits the
