“I don’t want to put you in the position where you have to break a promise or lie to me. I like you too much. Hell, I depend on you too much.”
“Jesse, I…”
Again, Jesse stopped her.
“Suit is very appealing to a certain kind of older, affluent, dissatisfied woman,” Jesse said. “They see him as both masculine and cute. Like a big, friendly bear, and he is often in marked contrast to their husbands.”
“Like Hasty Hathaway’s wife,” Molly said.
“Yeah,” Jesse said. “Like her. In return, Suit is flattered by the attention of such a woman, and their age and status seem not to be a detriment but an attraction.”
“Oedipus again?” Molly said. “Maybe you’ve been seeing that shrink too long, Jesse.”
“In fact,” Jesse said, “not long enough. But for whatever reason, Suit has a track record of bopping some surprising women.”
“Lot of that going around,” Molly said.
Jesse grinned.
“You bet,” Jesse said. “And I’m all for it. As long as it does not compromise what we do here.”
“You think Suit is doing the hokey-pokey with Miriam Fiedler?” Molly said.
“I do,” Jesse said.
“If you were right, would it harm the department?”
“Not if Suit kept it separate,” Jesse said. “Not as long as he continues to serve and protect the kids at the Crowne estate.”
“You think he wouldn’t?” Molly said.
“No,” Jesse said. “I think he will. But I don’t want him, or us, embarrassed.”
Molly nodded.
“I would,” she said, “if he were doing something.”
“Good,” Jesse said.
They sat together for another moment in silence. Then Jesse looked at Molly and said, “Miriam Fiedler?”
And Molly giggled.
22.
It took a long time for Mrs. Franklin to open the door.
When she did, Crow said, “My name is Wilson Cromartie. I work for a man named Francisco.”
She tried to shut the door, but Crow wouldn’t let her.
“We need to talk,” he said, and forced the door open and went in and closed it behind him.
The woman backed away.
“Don’t hurt me,” she said.
Her voice was blurred and Crow assumed she’d drunk most of the beer she’d bought earlier.
“I won’t hurt
