“None,” Lutz said.

“That makes two of us,” Jesse said.

16

Could you join me with the governor’s guy?” Jesse said to Molly as he walked to his office.

“Always best to have a witness,” Molly said.

The man in Jesse’s office didn’t stand when they came in. He was maybe fifty. He wore black wingtipped shoes, a dark suit, a red tie, and a white shirt with a collar pin. His sandy hair was newly cut and parted on the left.

“Richard Kennfield,” he said. “From Governor Forbes. Didn’t she tell you I was waiting?”

“Officer Crane?” Jesse said. “Yes, she told me.”

Jesse sat behind his desk and, pushing the chair back, put one foot on an open bottom drawer.

“And you chose to keep me sitting here for several hours?”

“Yes,” Jesse said.

“Do you have an explanation?”

Jesse nodded. Molly remained standing by the door.

“I do,” he said.

Kennfield waited. Jesse was silent.

“What is it?” Kennfield said after a while.

“I had police work to do,” Jesse said.

“And you don’t think police work includes talking to the representative of the chief executive of the state?”

“Nope.”

“Are you being deliberately obtuse?” Kennfield said.

“I’m not sure it’s deliberate,” Jesse said. “What can I do for you?”

Kennfield paused for a moment and weighed his options. Then he shook his head slightly, puffed his cheeks a little, and blew some air out.

“Walton Weeks was a longtime supporter of Governor Forbes,” Kennfield said.

Jesse nodded.

“The governor is very concerned about his murder.”

Jesse nodded.

“We would like a full report on the death of Walton Weeks,” Kennfield said. “And the progress of the investigation.”

“Me too,” Jesse said.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning I don’t know any more than you do.”

“We want progress reports,” Kennfield said. “We want to know every step you’re taking.”

“I’ve got everybody in the department looking for the killer or killers. We haven’t found him…or her…or them.”

“And we want the state police involved,” Kennfield said.

Jesse realized that Kennfield was checking off a mental list.

“I’ve been in touch with the homicide commander,” Jesse said.

“We want the full resources of the state brought to bear on this investigation,” Kennfield said. “We want you working hand in glove with Captain Healy.”

“Sure,” Jesse said.

“Now”—Kennfield checked off another mental point—“what is your theory of the case?”

“Same people that killed Weeks,” Jesse said, “killed Carey Longley.”

“Carey…?”

“His assistant.”

“Oh, yes,” Kennfield said. “Because of the same murder weapon.”

“Because of that,” Jesse said.

“And what haven’t you told the press?” Kennfield said.

“That Carey was ten weeks pregnant with Walton’s kid.”

“Pregnant?”

“Yep.”

“Is that a holdback?” Kennfield said.

“No,” Jesse said. “We hold back things that only the killer could know, so if someone knows it, it’s a clue. The killer or killers could have known, or not known, and if they knew could have known or not known that it was Walton Weeks’s child. No point in holding it back. Somebody knows it, it proves nothing.”

“Then why didn’t you tell the press?” Kennfield said.

“Saw no good reason to. There’s Weeks’s widow and Carey’s next of kin to think about.”

“Yes, it’s best kept quiet,” Kennfield said. “Lorrie Weeks is a very close friend of the governor, and she has always been as supportive as Walton was.”

“I can’t promise you,” Jesse said. “It may become pertinent, and if so, I’ll blab.”

“That would not endear you to us.”

Jesse nodded.

“We want your cooperation in this,” Kennfield said.

Jesse nodded.

“And our cooperation with you can be very helpful.”

Jesse nodded.

“You don’t seem to care,” Kennfield said.

“I don’t,” Jesse said.

“Perhaps we could change that,” Kennfield said.

He stood and walked to the door. With the door half open, he turned back to Jesse.

“Is it something personal?” he said. “Do you dislike the governor?”

Jesse shook his head.

“I don’t even know the governor,” Jesse said. “It’s you I dislike.”

Kennfield stared for a moment at Jesse, then he turned and left.

“Wait until he gets to his car,” Molly said.

“Why?”

Molly smiled.

“I gave him a parking ticket,” she said.

Jesse smiled and raised his right hand and Molly high-fived him.

17

How’s it going so far?” Jesse said on the phone.

“Fine,” Sunny said. “She’s taking a shower right now.”

“You think this might be kind of bizarre?” Jesse said.

“If things get back to normal, it will get bizarre, I suspect,” Sunny said. “Right now it’s about sisterhood.”

“She and Rosie get along?”

“Deeply bonded,” Sunny said. “In fact, Rosie is sitting at the bathroom door as we speak, waiting for Jenn to come out.”

“Jenn’s never had a dog,” Jesse said.

“Well, she seems to like Rosie, and Rosie likes her,” Sunny said.

“Jenn’s a lot of fun,” Jesse said.

“Except when she’s not,” Sunny said.

“Except then,” Jesse said. “I don’t assume you’ve made much progress on the rapist.”

“We’re just getting ourselves comfortable together,” Sunny said. “I haven’t even asked her about it yet.”

“Hard to investigate if you have to stay with her all the time.”

“My friend Spike will help with the babysitting,” Sunny said. “And helping me investigate might be good for her…and here she is, looking elegant in a large bath towel.”

Jesse could feel the memory of Jenn in his stomach. She would come from the shower like that, and flip the towel and flash him.

“I need to talk with her,” Jesse said.

Jenn said, “Hello?”

“You okay?”

“Yes.”

“What can you tell me about Walton Weeks?”

There was a pause. Jesse knew Jenn’s focus was deep but narrow. It would take her a minute to think of anything but her situation. Suitcase Simpson appeared at Jesse’s door, saw that Jesse was on the phone, and paused. Jesse waved him away and he disappeared.

“Me?” Jenn said.

“You’re in his business,” Jesse said.

“Well, I know he’s very successful,” Jenn said.

“Uh-huh.”

“And he’s, let’s see…He’s got the weekly TV show.”

“Walton’s Week,” Jesse said.

“Clever, isn’t it,” Jenn said. “And he’s got his daily radio show, and the syndicated column he does.”

“It’s in the Globe around here,” Jesse said. “Is he right-wing, left-wing?”

“Oh, hell, Jesse. I don’t know. You know I don’t pay attention to stuff like that.”

“Who would know?” Jesse said.

“Have you tried the Internet?” Jenn said.

“I’m looking for someone I can talk with.”

“I don’t…” She was silent while she thought. “I know.” Her voice quickened. “My former news director, Jay Wade. He’s a communications professor now, at Taft, you know, in Walford.”

“I know.”

“I could call him for you,” Jenn said. “Arrange for you to see him.”

“You and he are pals?”

“Sure, we worked together for two years, Jesse.”

“And he was your boss?” Jesse said.

“Yes. He’s the one gave me that Race Week feature.”

Alone in his office with his feet on the desk, Jesse nodded silently.

“I can call him,” Jesse said. “Thanks.”

When they had hung up Jesse sat motionless for a while. I wonder if Jay fucked her? He shook his head. Got to stop doing that. He stood and went to the door of his office and stuck his head out and yelled.

“Suit.”

18

I been going through that list of names you got from the bodyguard,” Suit said.

Jesse waited. Suit always admired Jesse’s silence. Suit thought he himself talked too much. He wished he were silent like Jesse.