High Profile

13

“Jenn’s lying down in the bedroom,” Jesse said on the phone.

“Can you talk with Lutz?”

“Sure,” Molly said.

“See if he can ID the woman,” Jesse said. “Find out what Weeks was doing in town. Why Weeks needed a bodyguard, that kind of thing.”

“I can do that,” Molly said.

“Thank you.”

“And run the daily briefing, and the front desk.”

“I know you can.”

“And take care of my husband and four kids.”

“Of course,” Jesse said.

“I am woman, hear me roar.”

“It won’t be forever,” Jesse said.

“What are you going to do about Jenn?” Molly said.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Maybe it will be forever.”

“No. I’ll figure it out.”

“I’m a woman, Jesse. I sympathize maybe more than you can imagine with Jenn. I want her safe, and I want the rapist where he should be.”

“Which might be in the ground,” Jesse said.

“I would have no problem with that,” Molly said. “As long as you came out of it okay.”

“Thank you.”

“I care about you, Jesse, and I can imagine how you feel,” Molly said. “Yes, we can get by in the short run, probably. But this department won’t function without you.”

“Yes.”

“Especially now.”

“Yes.”

“Plus, you can’t find the rapist for her if you are home watching her all day.”

“Sometimes I’ll be at the studio watching her,” Jesse said.

“You know what I mean,” Molly said.

“I do.”

“And we can’t spare anybody, Jesse. Not now, not with the two murders and the goddamned press. Plus, the governor’s office calls every day. And some congressman.”

“I know.”

“And what are you going to do about Sunny Randall?” Molly said.

“I don’t know.”

“Jesse,” Molly said. “This is a fucking mess.”

“Thank you for noticing,” Jesse said.

“I want to ask you a bad question,” Molly said.

“Why should today be different,” Jesse said.

The line was silent for a moment.

“Do you completely believe her?” Molly said.

“That is a bad question,” Jesse said.

“I know.”

Again the line was silent.

Then Jesse said, “Maybe not completely.”

After a time, Molly said, “Will you be there if I need you?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll talk with Lutz,” Molly said. “And call you back.”

“Talk about phoning it in,” Jesse said.

He hung up and stood and walked past his picture of Ozzie to the French doors and opened them and went out and stood on the balcony and looked at the harbor and thought.