Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets

Twenty-Two

Molly intercepted Jesse as soon as he came back into the station.

“It’s Ellis Munroe on the line,” she said. “He wants to know why you didn’t tell him you caught the arsonist.”

“I’ll take it in my office.”

“Have fun.”

“Wouldn’t be the word I’d use,” Jesse said. He went back behind his desk and hit the button on his phone to pick up Ellis.

“You got him?” Ellis said.

“And hello to you, too, Ellis.”

“Don’t be a dick, Jesse. I heard you broke into a hotel room yesterday and caught the arsonist.”

“Maybe,” Jesse said.

“I can have him in front of a judge this afternoon and arraigned — wait, what?”

“I said ‘maybe.’ ”

“ ‘Maybe’?” Ellis’s voice was doing that thing where it increased in volume, sounding shrill. Couldn’t be a good trait for a lawyer who had to appear in court all the time. “What do you mean, ‘maybe’? Is this the guy you saw throw a gasoline bomb at the Burton place or not?”

“I’m not sure that’s the most important piece of the puzzle here.”

“It’s a pretty big goddamn part of the crime of arson, Jesse!”

There were a couple of ways Jesse could play this. He could snap back, slam the phone down, or he could ignore Ellis and do what he wanted to do. He’d done all of those in the past.

But he knew Ellis pretty well by now. So he tried something new.

“Ellis, I know this is the guy who did it. But I think I could find out why. I think I can find out who’s behind it. And it might be an important lead on identifying those people in the photos.”

“I know you love playing cops and robbers, but in my office, we like to put criminals in jail once we’ve caught them.”

Jesse held his tongue for a second. “I’m not suggesting we let him go. I am sure he knows what we need to know. If we arrest him, he gets a lawyer. He gets bail. We could lose our only lead.”

Ellis grunted. “And this is your alternative. Keeping him in your jail.”

“He could be a key witness. If you give me the chance, I can talk him around. I’ve got seventy-two hours I can hold him.”

“Forty-eight, actually,” Ellis said.

“Seventy-two with the right judge and a smart lawyer making the case,” Jesse said. “We hold him as a material witness for questioning.”

“Don’t try to bullshit me. Are you going to do this whether I sign off on it or not?”

“I’m hoping we don’t have to find out.”

A deep sigh came over the phone.

“You think he knows who those people in the photos are?”

“I can guarantee he knows who told him to burn the house.”

Another deep sigh.

“Go play cops and robbers. I hope it works.”

“You and me both,” Jesse said. “Thanks, Ellis.”

“Why, Jesse. I believe that’s the first time you’ve ever thanked me for anything.”

“Don’t worry,” Jesse said. “I won’t get in the habit.”