Death in Paradise

Chapter Twenty-five

Molly was at the front desk when Jesse came into the station carrying coffee in a paper cup.

"We found Dr. Levine," Molly said.

"Billie's dentist."

"Yes. Suit brought the dental chart over that we got off the body."

"And?"

"It's her."

Jesse nodded. There was no satisfaction in it. He sort of wished it wasn't Billie.

"You call that phone number from Sister Mary John?"

"Yes," Molly said, and looked down at her notepad. "Development Associates of Boston. Nobody there ever heard of Billie."

"Or so they say."

Molly smiled. "Or so they say."

"What's the address there?" Jesse said.

Molly gave it to him. "You going to talk with them?"

"Yes."

"Before you go we need to talk about Mr. and Mrs. Snyder," Molly said.

"The Bickersons?"

"She's in the hospital."

"How bad?" Jesse said.

"Nothing fatal-concussion, couple of fractures. The ER called us."

"Her husband put her there?"

"That's what she told the ER doctor."

"Didn't we send her down there the last time we had them in?"

"Yes. They found a lot of old injuries."

"And?"

"She swore they were skiing injuries. Said her husband didn't hit her," Molly said. "DeAngelo talked with an assistant DA who said if she stuck to her story, there wasn't enough of a case."

"I figured that," Jesse said. "I was hoping he might get scared."

"Booze," Molly said.

Jesse nodded.

"So how come she's blowing the whistle this time?"

"Maybe enough is enough," Molly said. "Suit's on his way there to get a statement."

"If she sticks with it," Jesse said, "arrest the husband, read him his rights. Call the DA's office."

"You going to go see the people at-" She looked down at her notebook again. "-Development Associates of Boston?"

"Yeah."

"If this Snyder thing gets complicated, I'll call you."

"Molly, you run this station better than I do," Jesse said.

"I know," Molly said. "But the sexist bastards made you chief."

"Oh," Jesse said. "Yeah."