“I’m considering my options,” Crow said.
“Would one of those be to get out of town?” Jesse said.
“Not yet,” Crow said.
“Why not,” Jesse said.
“Unfinished business,” Crow said.
“You want to see this through with the kid?”
“Something like that,” Crow said.
“Let’s not get in each other’s way,” Jesse said.
“Sure,” Crow said
Jesse put the .38 back on his hip and the .40 in a small gym bag with two boxes of ammunition.
“You gonna pick up the brass?” Crow said.
“No,” Jesse said.
“Great to be chief,” Crow said.
43.
Molly and Jesse were in the squad room, drinking coffee.
“I’m sorry, Jesse,” Molly said. “I can’t take her.”
“I know,” Jesse said.
“I have a husband and four kids. I can’t impose her on them.”
“I know,” Jesse said. “I guess I’ll have to take her.”
“Yourself?”
“Can’t have her living here,” Jesse said.
“You can’t bring a fourteen-year-old girl home to live with you, Jesse, alone.”
Jesse shrugged.
“I mean, what if she claims you molested her?” Molly said.
“I’ll claim I didn’t,” Jesse said.
“But even if you can prove you didn’t, that kind of thing will cling to you for life,” Molly said. “It’s not like this is a good kid. You can’t tell what she’ll do.”
“I know.”
“So, what about that female private detective you were dating?”
“Sunny Randall?”
“Yes. How about you get her to look after the kid.”
Jesse shook his head.
“That book is closed,” Jesse said. “Right now, I don’t want to open it again.”
“You cannot take her in alone,” Molly said. “What if she’s sick, what if…you just can’t be parenting a fourteen-year-old girl that’s not your daughter.”
