right rear, Suit to his left. He looked back at Molly. She had her gun out from under her skirt.
“It’s a trap,” he said.
“Yes, it is,” Molly said. “Put the gun down.”
Ralston looked back at Jesse. There was a little earpiece in Jesse’s left ear.
“You figured this out,” Ralston said.
“Put the gun on the ground,” Jesse said.
Ralston stared at Jesse and glanced at Suit and looked back at Molly. Nobody moved.
Ralston lowered the gun.
“The end of the Night Hawk,” he said.
“Put the gun on the floor,” Jesse said.
“Jail time.”
“Put it down now,” Jesse said. “I won’t tell you again.”
“We know naught of our coming hither or our going hence,” he said. “Readiness is all.”
He raised the derringer suddenly and leveled it at Molly, and all three cops fired. Ralston went down in a heap and lay still on the floor. The three cops looked down at him. Jesse crouched and felt for a pulse and found none and stood.
“Dead,” Jesse said.
Silently, Suit holstered his weapon and picked up Molly’s shirt from where she had dropped it on the floor. He draped it over her shoulders.
“I wonder which one of us killed him,” Molly said.
“All of us,” Jesse said.
“At his request, I think,” Molly said.
74
JESSE SAT in the warm evening with Sunny Randall on his small balcony. She had a martini.
He had a scotch. It was a clear night. There were stars. And in the bright moonlight they could see the outline of Paradise Neck, with its lighted windows looking a bit starlike as well.
“All three shots were fatal?” Sunny said.
“According to the ME,” Jesse said.
“Shooting team give you an okay?” Sunny said.
“Yep. Healy led the team. Necessary lethal force.”
“Good,” Sunny said. “How do you feel about it?”
“Had to be done,” Jesse said.
“I know,” Sunny said. “But how do you feel about it?”
Jesse sipped his scotch. He smiled at Sunny.
“Had to be done,” he said.
“Oh,” Sunny said. “I see.”
Jesse looked at her for a while.
“You’ve done it,” Jesse said. “How did it make you feel?”
“Had to be done,” Sunny said.
“Exactly,” Jesse said.
“And the others?” Sunny said.
“Molly’s fine,” Jesse said. “I think she thought he deserved to be shot. Suit? I don’t know.
It’s hard to figure sometimes what Suit is thinking.”
“Probably makes it easier that you all killed him,” Sunny said.
“Like a firing squad,” Jesse said.
They sat quietly. No boats moved in the harbor. The gulls were quiet. There was no breeze, just the faintly cool ocean scent that drifted up to them. Jesse got up and made them each another drink. As he finished, the phone rang. He looked at the caller ID.
“I have to take this,” Jesse said. “It won’t be long.”
“I’ll close the French doors,” Sunny said.
“No,” Jesse said. “It’s Jenn. I want you to listen.”
Sunny looked at him but said nothing. Jesse picked up the phone.
“Jesse,” Jenn said. “Oh, thank God you’re there.”
“I’m here,” Jesse said.
