“I’ve always been sort of fascinated with it, to tell you the truth,” Molly said. “We haven’t actually done anything yet, but my husband and I have certainly discussed it.”
“It’s very freeing,” Kim said.
“I can see how it would be,” Molly said.
“Did you know that the incidence of divorce is lower among swingers?” Kim said.
“I didn’t know that,” Jesse said.
“And infidelity,” Kim said.
“Of course,” Jesse said. “Everything is right out in the open.”
Kim nodded.
“I don’t mean to be nosy,” Molly said. “But is it really?”
“Is it really what?” Kim said.
“Right out in the open?”
“You mean the, ah . . .”
“The sex,” Molly said. “I mean, do you get to watch each other?”
“If you wish,” Kim said.
“Wow,” Molly said. “That sounds like it would be fun. Do you and your husband see each other?”
“Sometimes,” Kim said.
Her face was flushed. She didn’t look at Jesse.
“Wow,” Jesse said. “I’m not so sure I could perform. Is it possible to just watch?”
“Some people do that,” Kim said.
“Men and women?”
“Men mostly,” Kim said.
“Is there anyone who just watches?” Jesse said.
“I don’t know,” Kim said.
“Anyone come alone?”
“No,” Kim said. “No single men.”
“Single women?”
“I don’t think it’s against the rules, but women aren’t into it that much.”
“Really?” Molly said. “I thought it sounded exciting.”
Kim’s mouth clamped shut for a moment before she spoke.
“Not to anyone I know,” Kim said.
Molly smiled and shrugged.
“Well, it’s all about freedom,” Molly said. “Isn’t it?”
Kim nodded.
“Who’s the biggest watcher?” Jesse said.
“Oh, I can’t tell you anyone’s name,” Kim said.
“Kim,” Jesse said. “We’ve staked out your house. You had what appeared to be a party there three weeks ago. We have photos of who came and went. We have the plate numbers of all the cars. We’ve checked the registrations. We know who’s in the club. We only want you to tell us which ones like best to watch.”
“You . . . you can’t do that,” Kim said. “We’re within our rights.”
“We can do it. We did do it, and yes, you’re within your rights,” Jesse said. “But I need to know who likes to watch. And I can question everyone in your club until I find out, but it would be easier if you told me now.”
“That’s not true,” she said. “You’re just saying that.”
Jesse nodded and opened his middle drawer. He took out a sheet of paper and began to read.
“Mr. and Mrs. Martin Felts, Ralph Alfonzo and Maria Dupree, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Crosland
. . .”
“Oh, God,” Kim said.
“Shall I go on?” Jesse said.
“No,” Kim said. “No.”
Jesse nodded and put the paper back in his middle drawer.
“How did you find out in the first place?” Kim said.
Jesse shook his head.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said.
“But they’ll know you got their names by watching my house,” Kim said.
“Yes,” Jesse said.
“And you’d question my husband.”
“Yes.”
“So he’d know,” Kim said.
Jesse waited. Kim’s eyes began to fill.
“Why can’t you just leave us alone?” Kim said. “We’re not harming anyone.”
“Just looking for a name,” Jesse said.
Kim looked at Molly. Molly smiled encouragingly. Kim looked back at Jesse, and quickly around the small room.
Then she said, “Seth.”
“Seth?”
“Seth Ralston,” she said.
“He ever watch you?” Jesse said.
Kim’s face reddened again.
“Yes.”
“Others?”
“We all talk about how he mostly doesn’t want to actually do it.”
“We?”
“All the girls,” Kim said.
“So what does his partner do while he’s watching?” Molly said.
Kim shrugged.
“Sometimes she does a three-way with Hannah and Hannah’s partner.”
“Hannah is?” Jesse said.
“Seth’s wife,” Kim said. “Hannah Wechsler.”
Jesse nodded.
“Thanks, Kim,” he said. “That’s a great help. Do you need a ride home?”
“No,” she said. “I have my car.”
Jesse stood and put his hand out. Kim shook it. Molly stood, too.
“I won’t have to come again, will I?” Kim said.
“Oh,” Jesse said. “No. Of course not.”
34
“YOU MEAN that?” Molly said.
“What?”
“That she won’t have to come in again?”
“No,” Jesse said. “I didn’t. I just figured we’d squeezed her enough for today.”
“Yes,” Molly said. “She was going to break down on us if we pushed her more.”
“I still have the issue of the kid to deal with.”
“We skirted around that pretty good,” Molly said.
“We did,” Jesse said.
“Course, Kim’s not the brightest bulb in the string,” Molly said.
“You think she likes swinging?” Jesse said.
“No.”
“So why do you think she does it?” Jesse said
“I don’t know, but I’ll guess it has to do with her husband.”
“I was starting to worry about you,” Jesse said.
“I was pretty convincing,” Molly said.
Jesse grinned.
“When you decide to get into swinging,” he said, “can I watch?”
“Ugh!” Molly said.
“ ‘Ugh’ about swinging, or ‘ugh’ about me watching.”
“All of the above,” Molly said. “I especially like her saying that there’s less infidelity among swingers.”
“Depends on how you define ‘unfaithful,’ ” Jesse said.
“Like it’s okay if we both do it?” Molly said.
“Or it’s okay if we each give permission to the other one,” Jesse said.
“Right,” Molly said. “Eat this apple, Adam. It’s okay if we both take a bite.”
“Boy, are you retro,” Jesse said.
“I am,” Molly said. “And no remarks about Native Americans.”
“Moi?”Jesse said.
“Vous,”Molly said. “My one-night stand with Crow was infidelity. I’m not exactly sorry I did it. But it was unfaithful to my husband and my marriage, and I know it and don’t pretend otherwise.”
“You love your husband,” Jesse said.
“I do, and did while I was unfaithful.”
“You’re okay with it?”
“Yes.”
“What if he’d given permission?”
“Permission, shmission,” Molly said. “It’s still infidelity, and gussying it up with a bunch of free-to-be-you-and-me crap doesn’t make it otherwise.”
“So you were just pretending when you told her how tempting it was to you,” Jesse said.
“I was,” Molly said.
“God, you were good,” Jesse said.
“Everybody says that,” Molly said.
Jesse grinned again.
“Does this mean I’m not going to get the chance to watch,” he said.
“I’ll put you on the list,” Molly said. “We gonna look into Mr. Ralston?”
“We are,” Jesse said. “Ms. Wechsler, too, I think.”
“How about the Clark kids?” Molly said.
“Step at a time,” Jesse said. “First I’ll find the Night Hawk, then we’ll save the children.”
“And after that?” Molly said.
“Probably leap a tall building,” Jesse said. “At a single bound.”
35
“I SIMPLY couldn’t do it,” Gloria Fisher said. “I simply would not.”
Jesse sat across from her in her living room. Molly sat beside her on the couch.
“Tell me about it,” Jesse said. “From the beginning.”
Gloria nodded. She was like the others, dark-haired, trim, in her early forties.
“My husband went to work. I got my daughter off to school, took a shower, got dressed, and when I came out of the bedroom, he was here.”