Death in Paradise

Chapter Thirteen

On Saturday morning, a Swampscott patrolman named Antonelli took Jesse to visit Billie Bishop's parents. The Bishops lived on Garland Terrace, off Humphrey Street, maybe half a mile away from the ocean. It was a two-story colonial house faced with brick. The shutters were dark green. The front door was white. Ivy had grown halfway up the front of the house.

Mrs. Bishop answered the doorbell.

The Swampscott cop said, "I'm Officer Antonelli, ma'am. Swampscott Police. This is Chief Jesse Stone from Paradise."

"Is there anything wrong?" Mrs. Bishop said.

"Just a routine investigation, ma'am. May we come in?"

"Oh, certainly."

Maybe forty-two, a lot of blond hair, a lot of eye makeup. She might have been a cheerleader. Hell, Jesse thought, she might be a cheerleader. She was wearing jeans and a white tee shirt that hung down to her thighs. In blue letters across the front was printed PERSONAL BEST.

"Hank," she said into the kitchen, "there are some policemen here."

Hank appeared drinking coffee from a large mug that had the word mug printed on it.

Everything's labeled, Jesse thought.

"Hank Bishop," he said. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Just routine," Antonelli said. "Could you tell us where your daughter is?"

"Carla's here," Bishop said.

A girl, maybe thirteen, was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Jesse smiled and nodded at her. She had no reaction. Antonelli looked at Jesse.

"How about Billie?" Jesse said.

"I have no daughter named Billie," Bishop said.

"Elinor Bishop?"

"No."

Jesse looked at the cheerleader wife. "Mrs. Bishop?"

She shook her blond head firmly.

"No," she said. "We have no Elinor Bishop."

"Do you have any other children?"

"Yes," Bishop said. "Carla's older sister, Emily."

"And where is she?"

" Mount Holyoke College," Mrs. Bishop said quickly.

"In the summer?" Jesse said.

"Many students go to college in the summer," Mrs. Bishop said. "Emily plans to graduate in three years."

Jesse was watching Carla. She was motionless in the doorway. Neither in the room, nor out of it. Her face was blank.

"We have a young woman dead in Paradise," Jesse said. "We have reason to believe her name is Elinor Bishop, and we were led to believe that she was your daughter."

"You were misled," Bishop said.

"You have no daughter named Elinor Bishop?"

"We do not," Bishop said.

Jesse looked at Mrs. Bishop. She shook her head firmly. He looked at Carla in the doorway. She seemed stiff with immobility. Her face perfectly inanimate. Jesse nodded. With his head he gestured Antonelli to the door.

"Thank you very much for your time," he said.