it.”
“Probably,” Maguire said. “There usually are, I guess.”
“See if you can find any,” Jesse said.
“I’m on it,” Maguire said.
“And if you find any,” Jesse said, “try not to throw them down the stairs.”
“God, Jesse,” Maguire said. “You spoil everything.”
Jesse grinned.
“It’s how I got to be chief,” he said.
18
JESSE MET Rita Fiore after work at the bar in the Langham Hotel in Post Office Square. She was wearing a green-and-blue dress with a skirt that ended well above the knees. Her thick, red hair was down to her shoulders. She had on slingback stiletto heels. Jesse stood when she came to the bar.
“Still got the wheels,” he said.
“Thanks for noticing,” Rita said.
She slid onto a bar stool next to him.
“There a dress code at Cone, Oakes?” Jesse said.
“Yes,” Rita said. “Otherwise, I’d dress sort of flamboyantly.”
“If you were more flamboyant,” Jesse said, “you’d get arrested.”
“By you?”
“I’m out of my jurisdiction,” Jesse said.
“Damn,” Rita said.
She ordered a mojito.
“How’s Jenn?” Rita said.
“Gone to New York,” Jesse said.
“Alone?”
“No.”
Rita sipped her mojito, looking at Jesse over the rim of the glass.
“So is that why we’re having a drink?” Rita said.
“You mean, am I looking for backup?” Jesse said.
“Something like that.”
“I asked you to meet me because I like you, and I like to see you, and I need some information from you.”
“In that order?” Rita said.
Jesse smiled and drank a little of the beer he was nursing.
“No particular order,” he said.
Rita nodded.
“I don’t mind being backup,” she said.
Jesse nodded.
“We’ll return to that in a little while,” he said. “First, I need to ask you about your managing partner.”
“Jay?” she said.
“Uh-huh.”
“Why do you want to ask me . . . oh! . . . his wife and the panty inspection.”
“Yep.”
“It happened in Paradise,” Rita said.
“Yep.”
“It’s been very embarrassing for Jay.”
“I’ll bet it has,” Jesse said.
“Are you still pursuing that?” Rita said.
“Sort of,” Jesse said. “Nobody much wants me to.”
“I’ll bet that bothers you a lot.”
Jesse shrugged.
“She violated those kids’ civil rights,” he said.
“I’m not sure that’s a legally sustainable argument,” Rita said.
