Painted Ladies

4

I was sitting in the backseat of Captain Healy’s unmarked Mass State police cruiser. Healy sat in front behind the wheel, and beside him was an assistant DA from Middlesex named Kate Quaggliosi. Kate had a fine body and olive skin. Her hair was blond.

“Weren’t too useful, were you?” Kate said.

“I didn’t actually help them,” I said.

“Didn’t do much to hinder them,” Kate said.

“Don’t overstate,” I said.

“Okay,” she said. “You did nothing to hinder them.”

“That’s more accurate,” I said.

“Good,” Kate said. “Glad we got that settled.”

She looked at Healy.

“You know this guy?” she said.

“I do,” he said. “He’s very annoying.”

“I noticed,” Kate said.

“But if he couldn’t have saved this situation, no one could have.”

“Gee, Captain,” I said.

Healy looked at me.

“Shut up,” he said.

He looked back at Kate.

“And trust me,” Healy said to her, “he does not like it that this went down this way on his watch. And he won’t let it go until he makes it right.”

“In whose opinion,” she said.

“His,” Healy said. “Only one matters to him.”

“Susan’s opinion matters,” I said.

“Who?” Kate said.

“Girl of my dreams,” I said.

“So you might as well learn to deal with him now,” Healy said. “Because everywhere we turn on this, from here on in, we’re going to bump into him.”

“Well,” she said. “Annoying and persistent.”

“And sometimes helpful,” I said.

She looked at Healy. He nodded.

“I find it’s better to work with him than fight him,” Healy said.

“You’ve told us everything you know,” she said to me.

“Yep.”

“It’s not very much,” she said.

“I don’t know very much,” I said.

She smiled slightly.

“In this case?” she said. “Or are you speaking more generally.”

“Probably both,” I said.

“Modest, too,” she said.

“I have much to be modest about,” I said.

“Certainly true,” she said, “since I’ve known you. You have any questions for us?”

“You really blonde?” I said.

“With a name like Quaggliosi?” she said.

“I thought maybe it was your married name.”

“My husband’s name is Henderson. Henderson, Lake, Taylor, and Caldwell, attorneys at law. He makes money; I do good.”

“So you’re not really blonde,” I said.

“You’ll never know,” she said. “But thanks for asking.”