“I assume she came here because I was here,” Jesse said.
Dix nodded again.
“And then she morphed into a soft-feature reporter,” Jesse said. “She did a special on Race Week, few years ago.”
Dix waited.
“And then she sort of morphed into an investigative reporter when we had the big murder case last year.”
“Walton Weeks,” Dix said. “National news. How’d she draw that assignment?”
“Probably because she was my ex-wife,” Jesse said. “They figured it would give her access.”
“Did it?”
“Some,” Jesse said.
Dix waited.
“So I’m kind of tangled up in her career,” Jesse said.
Dix waited.
“And sometimes she exploits me,” Jesse said.
Dix didn’t move.
“And sometimes,” Jesse said, “it’s like she compromises her career because of me.”
Dix made no sign. Jesse didn’t say anything else for a while.
Then he said, “So her career and me are clearly tied together in some way.”
Dix looked interested. Jesse was silent again. Then he looked at Dix and spread his hands.
“So what?” he said. “I don’t know where to go with it.”
Dix was quiet for a long time. Then he apparently decided to prime the pump.
“What’s your career mean to you?” Dix said.
“Redemption,” Jesse said. “We already settled that in here.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Redemption for being a drunk and a lousy husband…” Jesse said.
“And for getting hurt,” Dix said, “and washing out of baseball?”
“Yeah, that, too.”
“Being a good cop is your chance,” Dix said.
“To be good at something,” Jesse said. “I know, we already talked about that.”
They were quiet again. Jesse had done this long enough to know that the fifty minutes were almost up.
“You think her career is her chance at redemption?” Jesse said.
“I don’t know,” Dix said. “What do you think?”
“Weather girl isn’t much of a redemption,” Jesse said.
“How about investigative reporter?”
Jesse nodded.
