“Okay, Counselor,” Jesse said. “It’s your call.”
“It is,” Ingersoll said. “And I can do without any kibitzing from your subordinate in the corner.”
“Everyone can,” Jesse said.
Ingersoll stood and took his wife’s arm. She stood with him.
“Keep me informed,” Ingersoll said, and they walked out.
48
“THAT SONOVABITCH,” Molly said.
“Jay Ingersoll?”
“Asshole,” Molly said.
“He does have a nice, easy way about him,” Jesse said.
“I was married to him,” Molly said, “I’d run off with the Night Hawk.”
Jesse smiled and nodded.
“He’s very important,” Jesse said.
“He implied you were after sex details because they turned you on.”
“I believe he did,” Jesse said.
“And that you were incompetent.”
Jesse nodded.
“He was, like, mad at you about this,” Molly said.
“And his wife,” Jesse said.
“Yeah, and me, for crissakes.”
“Insufferable,” Jesse said.
“Doesn’t it make you mad?”
“I was thinking about other stuff,” Jesse said.
“Like what?”
“What do you think of her story?”
Molly paused in mid-anger.
“Her story,” she said.
“Yep.”
Molly sat back a little and thought about it.
“He hit her,” Molly said.
Jesse nodded.
“He fondled her,” Molly said.
“Uh-huh.”
“And”—Molly began to speak fast—“he tied her up.”
“Uh-huh.”
“If I wasn’t so busy being outraged at Jay Ingersoll, I’d have noticed that right away.”
“True,” Jesse said.
Molly was quiet again, rolling it around in her head.
“The Night Hawk never touched them,” Molly said.
“Correct,” Jesse said.
“So either the Night Hawk has changed his approach, or it’s a copycat. . . .” Molly said.
“Or . . .” Jesse said.
Molly frowned.
“Or?” she said.
Jesse waited.
“Or she made it up,” Molly said.
Jesse nodded.
“And she didn’t know the details,” he said.
“Which is why we never released the details,” Molly said. “So if there was a copycat or something, we’d know.”
“Yep,” Jesse said.
Molly grinned at him.
