help.”
“That may be true,” Nina said. “But what I said is also true. I don’t know anything more about the Horn Street Boys than what I’ve told you.”
Jesse said, “Thank you, Nina,” and turned and walked toward his car. Jenn lingered a moment, and then said, “Thank you,” and followed Jesse.
“That wasn’t very productive,” Jenn said, as they drove back across the causeway.
“I had to confirm what was a very passing remark, make sure I heard it right, so I’m not wasting time with a theory that isn’t so.”
“Meticulous,” Jenn said.
“It’s mostly what the work is about,” Jesse said. “Keeping track of stuff.”
“I wonder why people like Nina are so hostile to the media,” Jenn said.
“You and Nina have different goals,” Jesse said. “Even in the best case, you are trying to get at the truth. She is trying to salvage a few kids.”
“Are the two incompatible?” Jenn said.
“Sometimes, yes,” Jesse said. “Sometimes, no. People like Nina are intensely aware of the incompatible possibility.”
“You said ‘best case.’ What’s a worse case?”
“That your goal is not truth but advertising revenue,” Jesse said.
Jenn smiled.
“Oh,” she said. “That.”
39.
They were sitting on a bench by the marina five blocks from Horn Street, looking at the boats, sharing a can of Pepsi and a joint.
“You know how to get to Florida?” Esteban said.
“Florida?” Amber said.
“I’m supposed to take you to Florida,” Esteban said. “And I don’t know where it is.”
“What do you mean?” Amber said.
“Your old man’s giving me ten thousand dollars to bring you down.”
“I don’t want to go to Florida.”
“It’s ten thousand dollars, baby,” Esteban said.
“You gonna sell me to my father?” she said.
“No, no. I just bring you down, turn you over, he gives me the ten grand. I wait around a couple days. You run away and we come back up here. How long’s it take to get to Florida?”
“I won’t go,” she said.
“Yeah, baby, you will,” Esteban said. “Up front beside me, or in the trunk, either way you gonna go. Ten thousand dollars’s a lot of money.”
