"Goddamn it, Elsa," Markham said.
Elsa almost jumped back, and Sunny led Cheryl and Spike into the house. They sat in the living room, where Sunny had sat before.
"Now," Markham said. "What's all this about?"
"Just so we don't waste time," Sunny said, "I've spoken with Don Cahill and Harry Lyle. And I've been to the Rackley center, and Spike and I have spoken, somewhat briefly, with Abraham Patton, Ed.D."
Elsa said, "I simply don't know what you're talking about." Markham said, "Elsa, be quiet. Not another word. I'm calling a lawyer."
"Egad," Spike said. "A lawyer!"
"I'm not the police, Mr. Markham," Sunny said. "You don't need a lawyer."
Markham picked a cell phone up from the top of the coffee table.
"You won't need to talk unless you wish to," Sunny said. "All you need to do is listen to what I say."
Markham held the cell phone, but he didn't dial.
"You arranged to kidnap your daughter and, as you can probably tell, I can prove it," Sunny said. "The chain of connection is apparent. Too many people are involved. And none of them are likely to go under protecting you."
Markham was silent. Sunny held his stare.
"What has she been telling you?" Elsa said.
No one paid her any attention.
"You'd testify against your own parents?" Markham said to Cheryl.
Cheryl nodded.
"She'd testify," Sunny said, "as to what happened to her. As I would testify about what I know. The court, and of course the media, would respond as it saw fit."
"What if I asked you to leave?"
"We'd go."
"What if I asked you to leave Cheryl with us."
"She's free to stay if she wishes," Sunny said.
Cheryl said, "No."
"Which apparently she does not," Sunny said.
"And if I tried to prevent her from leaving, would he intercede?" Markham said.
"Oh, sure," Spike said.
Markham nodded. He put down the cell phone.
"What do you want?" he said.
Sunny could see why Markham had advanced in business. He was sort of all self-centered pomposity when you met him, but when it all hit the fan, he became quite controlled.
"I want you to let your daughter lead her life," Sunny said. "I want you to treat her as if you were loving parents. And I want you to support her as you would were she living at home."
"You think we are not loving parents?" Elsa said.
"I'm convinced that you're not," Sunny said. "But that's not the argument."
Without looking at his wife, Markham said, "Shut up, Elsa."
To Sunny he said, "Agreed. How much?"
"We'll work out the amounts and the means of conveyance," Sunny said. "And to be clear, if everything doesn't go the way we agree, I'll blow my whistle to the cops and the press."
"E-mail me the amount," Markham said, handing her a card.
"She may or may not stay in touch with you; that's up to her," Sunny said. "But I will stay in touch with her, and if you are interested, I'll keep you informed."
"Yes," Elsa said.
"She had a physical this morning at Mass General, and except for some traces of tranquilizer still lingering in her system, she's healthy. Couple more days and the tranq will have dissipated and she'll be fine."
Elsa nodded.
Sunny said, "Anything you want to say, Cheryl?"
"No," Cheryl said.
"All we tried to do for you," Elsa said to her daughter.
"That's aimless," Sunny said, and stood.
Cheryl stood. Spike had never sat.
"We can find the door," Sunny said.
Neither Elsa nor Markham said a word, nor did they move. Sunny and Cheryl and Spike found the door. And went out.
44
TALKED TO Mike Mayo in Hempstead," Suit said to Jesse. "Mother saves the credit-card bills for one of the girls to pick up."
"She hasn't got any?" Jesse said.
"She has. She gave them to Mayo. There's no charges on them."
"None?"
"Nope."
"Must have used that card only for sex," Jesse said.
Suit nodded.
Molly called Jesse on the intercom.
"Mr. Ognowski is here waiting to see you."
Jesse waved Suit out of the room.
"Waiting?"
"Yes, sir."
"Send him in," Jesse said. "Try not to get trampled."
In a moment Nicolas Ognowski rumbled into Jesse's office and sat down.
"More patient today," Jesse said.
"I can be patient," Ognowski said.
Jesse nodded.
"I ask around about you," Ognowski said.
Jesse nodded.
"I see myself you are not afraid, you do not back down," Ognowski said. "Other people tell me you keep your word."
Jesse nodded again.
"They also say you good cop."
"I am," Jesse said.
"And you care, about being good cop."
"I do," Jesse said.
"And you sometimes drink too much," Ognowski said.
"I do," Jesse said.
"Reggie Galen is a criminal," Ognowski said. "The dead one, Knocko, him, too."
"I know," Jesse said.
"I know a lot about criminal," Ognowski said.
"I guessed that," Jesse said.
"My Petey work for Galen. So when he die, I ask around. I learn that Galen and Knocko in business together. I learn about a man named Bangston they in business with, and that they marry Bangston's daughters."
"Pretty good," Jesse said.
"People say Bangston daughters will fuck anybody."
"The Bang Bang Twins," Jesse said.
"What is Bang Bang?" Ognowski said.
"Slang for fucking," Jesse said.
Ognowski nodded.
"Somebody like Bang Bang," Ognowski said, "my Petey is ready."
"You think Petey was having sex with them?"
"Both?" Ognowski said. "I had not thought both. You think both?"
"Maybe," Jesse said. "That was their style. One or the other. You can't tell them apart, went to motels often."
"So she, they, Bang Bang their husband, no reason for motel."
"None," Jesse said.
"Bang Bang somebody else."
"Seems likely," Jesse said.
"You know all this I tell you?"
"Yes," Jesse said.
"And you do nothing?"
"Who killed Petey?" Jesse said.
Ognowski stared at Jesse for a moment. Then he nodded slowly.
"We do not know yet," Ognowski said.
"True," Jesse said.
"You have to know," Ognowski said.
"I do," Jesse said.
"But I do not. Maybe make them all…"
He put his fist out and opened it as if releasing a butterfly.
"Maybe none of them did it," Jesse said.
Ognowski shrugged.
"Maybe Knocko did it."
Ognowski shrugged again.
"Maybe Galen snuffed Knocko for killing Petey."
Ognowski sat silently for a moment, looking past Jesse at nothing.
Then he said, "I love my son. I get revenge, it won't bring him back, but I feel better."
Jesse nodded.
"He was my only son. When he learn what he need to learn working for other people, doing what he did, he will someday replace me."
"And now he won't," Jesse said.
"No," Ognowski said.
He paused and looked up at the ceiling, as if composing his next sentence.
Then he said, "Many places in this world, people know Nicolas Ognowski, and they do what he says because they fear him."
"And it's bad for business," Jesse said, "for anyone to kill Nicolas Ognowski's son and get away with it."
Ognowski nodded.
"That is the truth of it," he said.
"If anything happens to Galen or the two women," Jesse said, "I'll come looking for you."
"You will not find me," Ognowski said.
"How about they didn't do it and I catch the real killer later? How's that for business?"