Chapter Thirty-one

"This is Molly Crane," Jesse said. "Lilly Summers."

"Nice to meet you," Molly said.

"And you," Lilly said.

She nodded at Jesse.

"How is he to work for?"

"Needs a lot of attention," Molly said.

"He does," Lilly said, "doesn't he."

They walked past the desk and into the corridor. To the left was Jesse's office. Straight ahead was the squad room. To the right was the line of four holding cells.

"I don't think I've ever seen a jail cell," Lilly said. "They don't look very tempting."

"They're not supposed to be," Jesse said.

The squad room had a long pine table in the center.

It was yellow with shellac. There was an empty pizza box on it, some empty cardboard coffee cups, and a carton half full of donuts.

There were two cubicles on the back wall. There was a computer set up in each.

"Looks like the faculty lounge," Lilly said. "This where you gather the men to solve crimes?"

"When they're not eating," Jesse said.

"Where do you keep guns and things?"

"There's an equipment closet off the squad room."

He held the door to his office open as Lilly went in.

"So this is where you rule," she said.

"And read the paper," Jesse said.

Lilly walked around the small office. She picked up Jenn's picture from Jesse's desk.

"This her?"

"Yes."

"She looks familiar."

"She's the weather girl on Channel Three."

"I think you're supposed to say 'Weather Woman.' "

"I think so," Jesse said.

Lilly looked at the picture another long moment before she put it back on Jesse's desk.

"I wish she weren't so damned good-looking," she said.

"Me, too," Jesse said. "Want some coffee?"

"Sure."

Jesse poured two cups and gave her one. She sat across from his desk and sipped it.

"Have you found out about Billie Bishop?" Lilly said.

"The dead girl is Billie Bishop," Jesse said.

"Oh dear," Lilly said. "You're sure."

"I am."

Lilly had on a dark blue warm-up suit. Her hair was caught back with a blue headband.

"Have you told the parents?"

"Yes."

Jesse had on jeans and a corduroy jacket.

"How were they?"

"Very unusual," Jesse said.

"Grief?"

"I'm not sure. The father, I think so. The mother? Maybe not."

"Are you serious?"

"The mother was maybe relieved," Jesse said.

"My God."

"Whatever else is going on in that family," Jesse said, "it's the mother that controls it."

"I don't think I ever met her," Lilly said.

"I've had to tell a number of people that someone has died," Jesse said. "She's not like anyone else."

"What are you going to do?"

"We have a name in Boston. I have Suit going through the Internet, see if he can find anything that this name would have in common with Billie, or Paradise, or Swampscott."

"Suit?"

"Officer Simpson. We call him Suitcase."

"After the ballplayer," Lilly said.

"Very good."

Lilly nodded. She stood and walked to the file cabinet and picked up a baseball glove.

"Is this your glove?"

"Yes."

She read the label on the wrist strap.

"Rawlings," she said. "Is it a good one?"

"Yes."

"Have you always had it?"

"Since the Dodgers signed me."

"Do you still use it when you play softball?"

"Sure. That's why the pocket is so big."

Lilly nodded, looking at the glove.

"I'd love to see you play some night."

Jesse looked at the calendar on his desk next to Jenn's picture.

"We play Thursday night," he said. "Game starts at six."

Lilly nodded. She put the glove back on top of the file cabinet.

"How about Molly?" she said.

"How about her?"

"You and she? Anything?"

"No. Molly's married, got kids in school."

"That doesn't always prevent things," Lilly said.

"It does in this case."

"What's her husband do?"

"He's a carpenter. Works in the Rucker Boatyard."

"Does she ever do anything but cover the front desk?" Lilly said.

"Sure."

"So she's not just a secretary with a gun?"

"No. She likes the day shift and she likes to be in the station so her kids can reach her if they need to."

"Couldn't they reach their father-at the boatyard?"

"They can."

"Fathers are as responsible for their children as mothers."

"That would be my guess," Jesse said.

She smiled at him.

"You're pretty hard to argue with, aren't you?"

"I think so," Jesse said.

Lilly got up again and walked past Jesse's desk and stared down at the fire trucks parked outside the station.

"I've never had sex in a police station," she said.

Jesse smiled. "Me either."

"Does anyone ever have sex in one of the cells?" Lilly said.

"Not to my knowledge."

"Maybe somebody should," Lilly said.

"I don't think so."

"Would you dare?" Lilly said. Her voice was bubbly with humor and something else.

"No."

"Scaredy-cat?" Lilly said.

"That's me," Jesse said.

"I've always had a fantasy of sex in some public place."

"You have a hidden side," Jesse said.

Lilly turned from the window and looked directly at him. The humor and something else in her voice glistened in her eyes.

"I do," she said.

Jesse didn't say anything.

"Does it bother you?" Lilly said.

"No," Jesse said. "I like it."

"But you wouldn't make love to me in a jail cell?"

"Not one of mine," Jesse said.

Again Lilly looked straight at him. "How about your office?"

"Can't," Jesse said.

The sound was still in her voice and the look was still in her eyes, but there might have been the tinge of annoyance in both.

"Because?"

"Because I don't want to be caught."

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"It would embarrass me, and the department," Jesse said.

"School principals aren't supposed to do that kind of thing either. It would embarrass me, too. But the risk is part of the fun."

"I like you. I like to have sex with you. But this is what I have. I'm divorced from the only woman I seem able to love. I am trying not to drink. I can't play professional baseball like I was supposed to. All I can be is a cop, and this is my last chance at that."

"And you can't jeopardize it."

Jesse smiled. He felt himself relax. She understood.

"No. I can't. Not for fun."

"Will Jenn always be the only woman you're able to love?"

"I don't know. She is so far."

Lilly sighed, and smiled.

"Well," she said. "I guess I'll just hang around and see."

"You can't count on me changing," Jesse said.

"Maybe not. But I can count on you to fuck my brains out, can't I?"

"Absolutely," Jesse said.

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