Chapter Thirty-seven

Jesse, out of uniform, sat in his own car on Tremont Street and watched the front door of Development Associates. He had been doing that, when he could, off and on, for two weeks. Brian Kelly had done it when he could, off and on, for two weeks. They had learned that Alan Garner arrived every morning by nine. That Gino and Vinnie showed up when they felt like it. And that nobody else showed up at all.

It was hot. The windows were open. There was no breeze. The city smelled hot. Close hot. City hot. Hot asphalt. Hot metal. Hot brick. Hot exhaust. Hot people. The Explorer had air-conditioning. But a car parked all day with its motor running would, after a time, attract attention. Jesse had learned a long time ago how to sit almost motionless for as long as he needed. He'd learned how to relax his shoulders and widen his mind, and breathe easily, and sit.

As he sat, Brian Kelly came to the car and got in beside him.

"Gino come out and confess yet?" Kelly said.

"Surprisingly, no," Jesse said.

"Well, maybe I got something for you," Kelly said. "I called your office and they said you were here."

"I'm here a lot," Jesse said.

"That nun," Kelly said. "Sister Mary John. She wants to talk with you. But she forgot what police department you worked for."

"And called you?"

"No. She called Bobby Doyle. He called me. Didn't you leave a card?"

"She must have lost it."

"Well," Kelly said. "She's probably thinking of salvation and all that."

Jesse nodded.

"She say what she wanted?"

"No. Just that she wants to see you."

Jesse looked at his watch.

"Been here all morning?" Kelly said.

"Since quarter to nine," Jesse said.

"And the pretty boy comes at nine. And unlocks the place."

"That's right."

"Gino and Vinnie show up yet?"

"Not this morning," Jesse said.

"They must be developing something off-site."

"For all I've seen," Jesse said, "they haven't ever developed anything on-site. Nobody but the pretty boy and Gino and Vinnie ever come here."

"That's the evidence I've developed," Kelly said.

"If there's something going on with young girls, it doesn't seem to be going on here."

"Not while we're looking," Kelly said.

"Which, between us, is most of the time."

"But not all," Kelly said.

"No."

They were silent. The heat pressed on them. The street was nearly empty. The metal exterior of the car was too hot to touch.

"You're putting a lot of time on this," Kelly said.

Jesse nodded.

A single yellow cab rolled by, going slowly, as if it were too hot to drive fast.

"I worked homicide for a while," Kelly said. "I always hated it when it was a kid."

"Yes."

They were quiet again. Kelly shrugged.

"Not every case gets solved," Kelly said. "You worked homicide for a while. You know that."

"I do," Jesse said.

They were quiet again.

"I'm up the street," Kelly said after a while. "You want to go see that nun, I can sit here and do nothing for a while."

"That would be good," Jesse said.

"You find out anything interesting, you'll let me know."

"I will," Jesse said.

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