Death in Paradise

Chapter Sixteen

"What makes you think she'll show up here?" Molly said.

She sat beside Jesse in his unmarked car, parked across from an ice cream stand on the Lynn Shore Drive, above the beach.

"Lilly Summers told me the kids hang out here."

"The principal?"

"Un-huh."

"Did she also tell you that school records show Billie Bishop's parents to be Henry and Sandra Bishop?"

"Actually," Jesse grinned at Molly, "she told you that when you called her."

"Nice to be remembered," Molly said. "So why don't you just confront them with the record?"

"I thought I might learn more by talking to the kid first," Jesse said, "before everybody shuts down because they're scared or mad or defensive or whatever they'll get."

"You only saw her that one time," Molly said. "You sure you'll recognize her?"

Jesse smiled.

"Of course you will," Molly said. "Cancel the question."

It was a still July day. There was no air movement. The foliage in the little park looked thick and permanent. The ocean was still. Insects hummed. Around the ice cream stand young kids gathered in a colorful confusion of tee shirts, shorts, high-priced sneakers, and expensive bicycles. Occasionally someone bought ice cream.

"They're the right age group," Jesse said.

"Twelve to fourteen," Molly said. "I got a couple."

"Tough being that age," Jesse said.

"Tough being a kid," Molly said.

Jesse nodded. He looked steadily across the street at the kids.

"This principal," Molly said, "Dr. Summers?"

Jesse nodded.

"How's she look?"

"Good," Jesse said.

Molly waited. Jesse kept looking at the kids.

"Anything there?" Molly said.

"You mean sex?" Jesse said.

"Sure," Molly said. "Or romance, or companionship, or fun."

"Not while you're still around," Jesse said.

Molly laughed.

"I'm a married Irish Catholic," she said. "I don't do any of that stuff."

"So how come you got four kids?"

"I have to sleep sometime," Molly said. "What about Doc Summers?"

Jesse smiled.

"If she presses me," Jesse said, "I may have to sleep with her."

Carla Bishop pedaled up on a black mountain bike with green striping.

"There's the sister," Jesse said.

Carla was talking with some animation to three other girls near the corner of the ice cream stand. The two cops got out of the car and moved across through the crowd. Molly was in uniform. Jesse was not. Those kids that noticed at all eyed the two adults with a mixture of suspicion and contempt. Jesse stopped in front of Carla and waited until she finished a sentence.

Then he took his badge out and showed it to her and said, "Hello, Carla, remember me?"

She turned and stared at him. She looked at Molly in uniform beside him.

"Jesse Stone," he said. "I was at your home the other day."

"What do you want?" she said.

"This is Molly Crane," Jesse said.

"She your wife?"

"She's a cop," Jesse said. "Like me. We need to talk with you, and are willing to bribe you with the ice cream of your choice."

"Big fucking deal," Carla said.

"Okay, no ice cream. We still need to talk."

"About what?"

The other kids had gathered into an audience and Carla was playing to them.

"About Billie."

"Billie?"

"Your sister," Jesse said.

"My sister's name is Emily and she's at college."

"Your other sister. Billie. The one your parents won't talk about."

Carla was silent.

Someone in the audience said, "Billie the Bopper."

Some of the kids snickered.

"Shut up," Carla said.

"Why don't we go sit in the car," Molly said, "and we can talk."

"How come you're a cop?" Carla said to Molly.

It was a sullen question. But even as she asked it, she started to move toward the car. Molly smiled at her as they walked across the street.

"I got sick of being a movie star," Molly said.