“Seems to be getting more active, though,” Maguire said.
“Or people are being more careful,” Jesse said.
“Pretty much everybody in town knows there’s a peeper on the loose,” Maguire said.
“Everybody’s looking out their window.”
“And reporting anybody they see,” Jesse said.
“So some of these may not really be the peeper,” Maguire said.
Jesse shrugged.
“Could even be a copycat,” he said.
“Or several,” Jesse said.
“Hell, we’ve practically got the cuffs on him,” Maguire said.
“Stay with it, Johnny,” Jesse said. “I got nobody to help you.”
“It’ll be luck,” Maguire said. “We’ll spot him by accident someplace. Or he’ll look in the wrong house and somebody’s husband will make a, ah, citizen’s arrest.”
“Be nice,” Jesse said.
“Anyway,” Maguire said. “All the women got to do is pull their shades.”
“So far,” Jesse said.
“I been reading up a little,” Maguire said. “Peepers don’t normally take it further.”
“Not usually,” Jesse said.
“On the Internet it says ‘rarely.’ ”
“Sure,” Jesse said.
“You’re saying ‘rarely’ doesn’t mean ‘never’?”
“I got a twelve-man force here, and I’ve got you on this full-time,” Jesse said.
“Because it’s possible,” Maguire said.
“Otherwise, he’s just a nuisance.”
“Yeah,” Maguire said. “I’ll keep on it.”
“You’ve interviewed all the victims,” Jesse said.
“Sure,” Maguire said, “and wrote it up.”
Jesse nodded.
“Interview them again,” he said.
“They’ll say the same thing,” Maguire said.
“Usually people don’t,” Jesse said. “Maybe there’s something they left out, forgot, dis-missed as irrelevant. Their stories are all we’ve got, Johnny. You may as well keep working them.”
“Okay, Jesse.”
“And be polite and friendly,” Jesse said. “We don’t want them to wish they’d never reported it.”
“I am always polite and friendly,” Maguire said.
“I know that,” Jesse said. “Course, there was that guy fell down the stairs while in your custody.”
“Accidents happen,” Maguire said. “Besides, he was beating on his wife and kids.”
Jesse nodded.
“And you would never throw somebody down a flight of stairs,” Jesse said.
“Absolutely not, Chief.”
Jesse nodded.
“That’s what I told the selectmen,” he said.
“Protect and serve,” Maguire said.
“Absolutely,” Jesse said. “I wonder if there are any people who’ve been peeped at and haven’t reported it.”
“Probably,” Maguire said. “There usually are, I guess.”
“See if you can find any,” Jesse said.
“I’m on it,” Maguire said.
“And if you find any,” Jesse said, “try not to throw them down the stairs.”
“God, Jesse,” Maguire said. “You spoil everything.”
Jesse grinned.
“It’s how I got to be chief,” he said.
18
JESSE MET Rita Fiore after work at the bar in the Langham Hotel in Post Office Square. She was wearing a green-and-blue dress with a skirt that ended well above the knees. Her thick, red hair was down to her shoulders. She had on slingback stiletto heels. Jesse stood when she came to the bar.
“Still got the wheels,” he said.
“Thanks for noticing,” Rita said.
She slid onto a bar stool next to him.
“There a dress code at Cone, Oakes?” Jesse said.
“Yes,” Rita said. “Otherwise, I’d dress sort of flamboyantly.”
“If you were more flamboyant,” Jesse said, “you’d get arrested.”
“By you?”
“I’m out of my jurisdiction,” Jesse said.
“Damn,” Rita said.
She ordered a mojito.
“How’s Jenn?” Rita said.
“Gone to New York,” Jesse said.
“Alone?”
“No.”
Rita sipped her mojito, looking at Jesse over the rim of the glass.
“So is that why we’re having a drink?” Rita said.
“You mean, am I looking for backup?” Jesse said.
“Something like that.”
“I asked you to meet me because I like you, and I like to see you, and I need some information from you.”
“In that order?” Rita said.
Jesse smiled and drank a little of the beer he was nursing.
“No particular order,” he said.
Rita nodded.
“I don’t mind being backup,” she said.
Jesse nodded.
“We’ll return to that in a little while,” he said. “First, I need to ask you about your managing partner.”
“Jay?” she said.
“Uh-huh.”
“Why do you want to ask me . . . oh! . . . his wife and the panty inspection.”
“Yep.”
“It happened in Paradise,” Rita said.
“Yep.”
“It’s been very embarrassing for Jay.”
“I’ll bet it has,” Jesse said.
“Are you still pursuing that?” Rita said.
“Sort of,” Jesse said. “Nobody much wants me to.”
“I’ll bet that bothers you a lot.”
Jesse shrugged.
“She violated those kids’ civil rights,” he said.
“I’m not sure that’s a legally sustainable argument,” Rita said.
“But she did.”
Rita smiled.
“And you want her to suffer some consequence,” she said.
“I do.”
“That would be you,” Rita said. “If it’s any consolation, Betsy Ingersoll is probably pretty embarrassed and wishes it hadn’t happened.”
“You know her?”
“Not really,” Rita said. “She attends a few of the hideous social events the firm occasionally runs, to prove how warm and fuzzy we are. She doesn’t get to say much.”
“Because Jay does most of the talking?”
“Nearly all,” Rita said.
“Okay,” Jesse said. “So tell me about her husband.”
“He was a hell of a lawyer,” Rita said.
“Was?”
“He probably still is,” Rita said. “But he doesn’t do much law anymore. Now he mostly manages the firm.”
“And the firm does well,” Jesse said.
“Very,” Rita said.
“He love his wife?” Jesse said.
“I don’t know.”
“Say he does,” Jesse said. “What else does he care about?”
“The firm.”
“Anything else? Kids?”
“No kids,” Rita said.
Rita finished her mojito. The bartender stepped promptly over.
“Another one, Ms. Fiore?” he said.
“Yes.”
“You, sir?” the bartender said. “Another beer?”
Jesse hesitated.
“Drink scotch, Jesse,” Rita said. “You look miserable.”
“Dewar’s and soda,” Jesse said to the bartender.
“Yes, sir.”
Rita said, “Have you met Jay?”
“He came by and leaned on me a little bit,” Jesse said.
“There are a lot of successful men like him,” Rita said. “After a while he starts to think that he can do whatever he decides to do and who’s to say nay.”
“You like him?” Jesse said.
“I admire him,” Rita said.
“Would you want to be married to him?” Jesse said.
“Oh, God, no,” Rita said.
“Because?”
“He’s totally self-absorbed, like so many of them.”
“He appears to be protecting his wife,” Jesse said.
“He’s protecting his reputation,” Rita said. “He doesn’t want to be seen as the husband of a dope.”
Jesse nodded.
“Why are you so interested?” Rita said. “You going to take him on?”
“Just gathering information,” Jesse said. “It’s always better to know stuff.”
“Well, he’s got a lot of chits that he can call in,” Rita said.
“I figured,” Jesse said.
“And he’ll call them if he needs to,” Rita said. “Don’t think he’s just another empty suit.”