“We’ll get somewhere,” Jesse
said.
59
When Jesse came into the station house Molly was at the front desk.
“You’ve reached new heights of
popularity,” she
said.
“Hard to believe,” Jesse said.
“Tony Lincoln called,” Molly said.
“He and Mrs. Lincoln will be
downtown this morning and would love to buy you lunch.”
“I have reached new heights,” Jesse said.
“Told you,” Molly said.
“They say where?”
“Gray Gull,” Molly said.
“Twelve-thirty.”
“Call them back,” Jesse said.
“Tell them I’ll meet them
there.”
“What do you suppose they’re
doing?” Molly said.
“Maybe they’ll tell me,” Jesse
said. “At lunch.”
“You might think about being a little careful,” Molly said.
“Bring some backup maybe?”
“Don’t want to discourage them,”
Jesse said.
“We don’t want them discouraging you, either,” Molly said. “In a
manner of speaking.”
“If it comes to confrontation,” Jesse said, “I figure I’m better
than they are.”
“And if you’re not?” Molly said.
Jesse shrugged.
“Jesse, you’re a good man and a good cop,” Molly said. “Better
than this town deserves.”
“Thank you.”
“It matters what happens to you,” Molly said.
“The ugly truth of it, Moll, is that it doesn’t matter a hell of
a lot to me.”
Molly looked at him silently. After a time she said,
“A lot of
people love you, Jesse.”
Jesse smiled. “Including you?”
“Especially me,” Molly said.
“And don’t shut me off by being
cute.”
“It’s hard for me not to be
cute,” Jesse said.
“I give up,” Molly said.
They were both silent for a moment.
Then Jesse said, “Thanks, Molly,” and went on into his
office.
At quarter past twelve Jesse showed up at the Gray Gull, and got
a seat by the window, in a corner, where it would be easier to talk. The Lincolns showed up at 12:30. They came in bubbling with good cheer. Tony was wearing a navy pea coat and a gray turtleneck sweater. Brianna had on fur. Jesse didn’t know what kind.
Jesse
stood as they approached.
“Hi,” Tony said. “Thanks for
coming.”
“Never turn down a free lunch,” Jesse said.
“Well, I know how busy you must be, but Brianna and I really
enjoyed talking to you before, and since we were in the neighborhood.”
Jesse nodded. The Lincolns took off their coats and piled them on the empty fourth chair at the table.
“Please,” Brianna said.
“There’s no need for you to
stand.”
“I’ll wait for you,” Jesse said.
When they were all seated, the waiter brought menus.
“You come here very much, Jesse?” Brianna said.
“Yes.”
“What’s good?”
“The view,” Jesse said.
Both Lincolns laughed.
“Oh my,” Brianna said.
“That’s not too
encouraging.”
“I guess we’d best not test the
kitchen,” Tony said. “Sandwiches
okay?”
“Sure,” Jesse said.
“It’s after noon,” Tony said.
“Shall we have a
cocktail?”
“We really ought to,” Brianna said.
Jesse nodded. Both the Lincolns ordered a cosmopolitan. Jesse had cranberry juice and soda.
“Of course,” Tony said. “How
thoughtless of us. You’re on
duty.”
Jesse let it go.
“The view is certainly everything it should be,” Brianna
said.
The day was bright, the neck across the harbor was covered with
new snow. The ocean water reflected the blue sky.
“It’s what they’re
selling,” Tony said. “If Jesse is right about the food.”
Jesse ordered the club sandwich again. Tony and Brianna each had
tuna salad on toasted whole wheat. Goes great with the cosmopolitan, Jesse thought.
“How’s the investigation going?”
Tony said.
“The serial killings?”
“Yes. Oh, of course,” Tony said.
“Talk about an amateur. It
never occurred to me that you had other cases.”
Jesse smiled.
“So in the serial killings,” Tony said.
“Are you getting
anywhere?”
Brianna was silent, listening to her husband, watching Jesse.
“There’s progress,” Jesse said.
“Really,” Tony said. “Are you at
liberty to talk about
it?”
Jesse shook his head.
“I understand,” Tony said.
“I hope none of them suffered,” Brianna said.
“The victims?” Jesse shook his head.
“It was over pretty
quick.”
“Good,” Brianna said.
“Do you think they knew, before they were shot, that they were
going to be shot?”
Jesse shrugged.
“What must it be like,” Brianna said.
“To know you’re going to
die.”
“Brianna,” Tony said. “Everybody
knows that.”
“It’s one thing,” Brianna said,
“to know you’re going to die
someday, and quite another to know you’re going to die in the next
moment.”
Tony nodded.
He said, “Have you ever been in that position, Jesse?”
“Facing death?” Brianna said.
Jesse smiled.
“I’m just a small-town cop,”
Jesse said. “Mostly we give out
parking tickets.”
He noticed that Brianna had put her hand on her husband’s thigh.
Neither of them had eaten much of their sandwiches.
“It must make everything very intense,”
Tony
said.
“I always wondered what it was like for the shooter,” Jesse
said. “That might be intense.”
“Exercising the ultimate human power,”
Tony said.
“If the shooter thinks about that kind of stuff,” Jesse
said.
“Do you think they do?”
Again Jesse shrugged.
“I’m just a small-town cop,”
Jesse said. “Mostly we give out
parking tickets.”
“I read somewhere that you came here from Los Angeles,” Tony
said.
His wife’s hand was still resting on his thigh. He had covered
it with his hand as they talked.
“Everybody has to come from someplace,”
Jesse
said.
“I think you are being modest,” Brianna said. “I think you might
know a lot about being a policeman.”
Jesse grinned at them.
“I’ve got a lot to be modest
about,” he said.
Tony gestured to the waiter for the check.
“You are a very interesting man,” Tony said.
“You certainly are,” Brianna said.
“I hope you haven’t minded us
asking you all these dumb questions.”
“Not at all,” Jesse said. “I
wish more citizens were as
interested in the police department.”
“Well, I don’t know why they’re
not,” Tony said.
He stood and put out his hand.
“I know you must be pressed for time.”
“A little,” Jesse said.
“Go ahead,” Tony said.
“I’ve got the check.”
“Thanks,” Jesse said.
“It’s been a nice break to talk with you.”
“Oh, how nice,” Brianna said.
“We must do it again
soon.”
Jesse stood, shook Tony’s hand, and
Brianna’s, and walked to the
door. Tony and Brianna watched him go. When he was out of the restaurant they sat back down at the table.
“Can he be as simple as he seems?” Brianna said.
“He probably is,” Tony said.
“But even if he isn’t, what
difference does it make. He’s simpler than we are.”
“You’re so sure,” Brianna said.