“Fuck you,” Courtney said, breaking free of Portia’s grasp.
Portia slapped her.
Courtney reached for her face, fighting back tears.
Richard stepped between them.
“Do as your mother says. Get in the car.”
“Fuck you, too,” she said.
She stepped to the car and opened the front passenger-side door. She looked at her parents with contempt.
“You don’t know anything,” she said.
She got in the car and slammed the door behind her.
Richard and Portia exchanged angry glances. They climbed into the backseat. The driver closed the door after them, quickly got into the car, and drove away.
Jesse stepped from the courthouse shadows. He watched the Lincoln disappear into the late-morning traffic.
When it was out of sight, he got in his cruiser and drove off.
38
The mood on the set was euphoric. The first week had gone smoothly, and the production was both on schedule and on budget.
More important, the rushes had shown Marisol to be delivering the most complex and fully realized performance of her career. Although it was still early in the process, expectation levels for the movie were on the rise.
The Hollywood-based studio executive who was overseeing the production had phoned Marisol to offer his compliments and to schmooze with her.
“Marisol,” said the voice on the other end of the line, “it’s Ross Danielson.”
“Ross,” she said. “What a lovely surprise.”
“I just had to pick up the phone and tell you how amazing the dailies are.”
“Really?”
“You know what a fan of yours I am,” he said. “I’ve never seen you better.”
“Oh, Ross. That’s so sweet of you.”
“I totally mean it. I’m already smelling Oscar.”
Marisol giggled.
“I totally mean it. I’ve mentioned it to Sumner, and he’s instructed me to start formulating a campaign.”
“An Oscar campaign?”
“Absolutely.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Just keep up the good work. Bonnie Garvin in marketing and I are trying to clear our schedules so that we can fly out to see you.”
“You mean visit the set?”
“I do.”
“Wow.”
“I’ll let you know,” he said.
Fresh flowers sent from the head of the studio appeared in her motor home. Elaborate gift baskets filled with fine wines, fresh fruit, and exotic cheeses showed up in her hotel room.
Frankie had asked Jesse to stop by at lunchtime, and they were seated together in the catering tent when Marisol poked her head in. She sat down with them, accompanied by Crow.
“I heard you were on set,” she said to Jesse. “I wanted to stop by and say hello.”
Jesse smiled at her.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Marisol said. “Mr. Crow here has looked after me very well.”
Jesse looked at Crow, whose flat-eyed expression revealed nothing.
“Your lovely phone has worked miracles,” she said. “Not a single call from him. I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”
“Which shows in the work,” Frankie said. “Things are going extremely well.”
“I’m very pleased to hear that,” Jesse said.
“We owe you, Jesse,” Marisol said.
“Not at all,” he said.
She stood.
“I just wanted to stop by and say hello,” she said to Jesse. Then she turned to Crow.
“Mr. Crow,” she said. “I think I have just enough time for a quick nap.”
She smiled and headed for the exit.
Crow stood. He looked briefly at Jesse.
“Mr. Crow,” Jesse said.
“I’d appreciate it if you would call me that, too,” Crow said.
Then he hurried over to Marisol and accompanied her out of the tent.
“She’s happy,” Frankie said.
“Seems that way.”
“She hasn’t heard from him all week. She told me he’s gone camping.”
Jesse didn’t say anything.
“She said that Crow made her feel safe.”
“He tends to do that.”
Frankie looked at her watch.
“We’re almost back. I have to go speak with the First AD.”
They stood, and Jesse walked with her to the AD trailer.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so preoccupied,” Frankie said.
“I understand.”
“I’ll call you.”
She kissed him lightly and then disappeared into the trailer.
39
Ryan waited until dark before returning to the cottage. It was Sunday, and the movie company would be at rest until tomorrow.
He drove by the shooting location and saw only a single vehicle parked in front of it. He assumed it belonged to the security officer assigned to look after the equipment, who had more than likely made himself comfortable inside.
Ryan continued past the cottage.
Once out of sight, he turned the Prius around, driving past the location until he reached the cottage closest to the intersection of Lakeside Drive and Fisherman’s Road. This cottage, too, had been closed up for the winter.
He turned into the driveway and headed for the back. Once there, he got out of the car and walked to the detached garage. He pulled on a pair of rubber gloves, jimmied the lock, and opened the door. He backed the Prius inside. He reached for his backpack and closed the garage door behind him.
Using the cottages on his side of the road as cover, he made his way past the location, stopping across the way from the cottage he had chosen. When he was certain that no one was watching, he ran across the road.
He walked to the rear of the cottage and opened the kitchen door, which he had earlier left unlocked.
Once inside, he emptied his backpack. He had brought a two-day supply of food, which he placed in a kitchen cabinet.
Then he went to the smaller of the two bedrooms, where he unloaded the rest of his things.
He picked up his .38-caliber Beretta automatic pistol and press-checked it. He placed it on the night table.
He looked at his watch. It was three-fifteen a.m. He yawned.
He lay down and made himself comfortable.
He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he pulled the trigger.
40
When Courtney came out of the main building of the Wilburforce School, she was surprised by the sight of Jesse Stone standing beside his cruiser.
“What are you doing,” she said to him.
“Working on my tan.”
“No. I mean what are you doing here?”
Jesse looked at her.
“Waiting for you.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know.”
“So why are you waiting for me?”
“What did you think of the hearing?”
“I think I was railroaded.”
“‘Railroaded’?”
“Yes.”
“Do you even know what the word means?”
“I was dealt with unfairly.”
“It was your mother, right?”
“My mother what?”
“Who used the word.”
Courtney didn’t say anything.
“I guess the arrogance is hereditary.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You weren’t railroaded, Courtney. No one was out to get you.”
She shifted uncomfortably.
“The first thing that has to happen, if you’re going to learn anything from this, is that you have to accept responsibility for what you did.”
Jesse moved away from his car and stood face-to-face with her.
“You made a mistake. Several of them. But what’s done is done. Now you have to admit those mistakes and take responsibility for them.”
“Why are you hassling me this way? Isn’t it enough that you made me lose my license, and now I have to walk everywhere? That I have to endure six months of some stupid community service?”