“Night and day,” he sang, “I am the one.”
He raised his glass toward the dark glass in the French doors that opened onto his deck.
“Only me beneath the moon and under the sun.”
He drank again.
God,he thought, I’m drunk.
He walked into the bedroom, where Jenn’s picture still stood on the night table by the bed.
He looked at it for a moment and shook his head. Then he turned it facedown on top of the night-stand and drank some scotch.
44
JESSE HAD coffee with Sunny at the Gray Gull, which was now closed for renovation. They sat at the bar and watched Spike unload a large stainless-steel refrigerator from a truck and carry it the length of the restaurant.
“Yikes,” Jesse said.
“Spike is very strong,” Sunny said.
“I would have guessed that,” Jesse said.
“He looks like sort of a big lovable bear, and sometimes people misjudge that,” Sunny said.
“That’s probably an error,” Jesse said.
“Plus,” Sunny said, “he does some martial-arts training.”
“Like he needs to,” Jesse said.
“Plus, he’s really quite quick on his feet.”
Jesse nodded.
“If I ever have trouble with Spike,” Jesse said, “I think I’ll rely on gunplay.”
“Use a big caliber,” Sunny said.
Jesse grinned.
“Besides,” Sunny said, “you won’t have trouble with Spike.”
“Because I’m the chief of police?” Jesse said.
“Because you’re my friend,” Sunny said.
“You still painting?” Jesse said.
“Not since Rosie died,” Sunny said.
“But you will,” Jesse said.
“I hope so.”
“Might you buy a new Rosie?” Jesse said.
“I don’t know,” Sunny said. “I invested so much time in her. I was married when Rosie was a puppy. . . . Now I live alone. . . . I don’t know.”
Jesse nodded.
“Richie’s wife have the kid yet?” he said.
“Two more months,” Sunny said.
“That does not bode well for your relationship,” Jesse said.
“Hardly,” Sunny said.
Jesse got up and went behind the bar and got the coffeepot and poured them both some more coffee.
“Maybe it’s time to move on,” Jesse said.
“You can say that to me?” Sunny said.
“I know.”
“For crissakes,” Sunny said. “You’ve been hanging on for years to an ex-wife who sleeps around.”
“I know,” Jesse said.
“And you’re telling me to move on?”
“Maybe we both should,” Jesse said.
Sunny leaned back on her bar stool and stared at Jesse. Then she smiled.
“We do appear to be running out of options,” she said.
“You still seeing that shrink?” Jesse said.
“Dr. Silverman,” Sunny said. “Yes. You?”
“I still talk to Dix,” he said.
There was a half-pint carton of half-and-half on the bar. Jesse added some to his coffee and stirred in sugar. Sunny had her coffee black, with Splenda.
