Robert B. Parker’s Damned If You Do

53

Jesse sat in his cruiser, talking with Captain Healy. The mall was now a crime scene. State police and emergency medical personnel swarmed all over it.

Fortunately, no civilians had been hit in the shooting. Several people suffered minor injuries. Two heart attacks had been reported. Three people suffered broken bones as a result of having been trampled. But aside from Walker and Clarice, there were no fatalities.

One of the medics had cleansed and bandaged Jesse’s wounds. He removed a sliver of concrete from Jesse’s arm and a smaller chunk from his cheek. As a preventive measure, he gave him a shot of penicillin so as to ward off any possible infection.

Walker’s bodyguard, the one that Jesse had taken down, had been hauled off to jail. The one that Nelly subdued had vanished.

He had told the story to Healy several times, each time searching for the window through which he might have been able to save Clarice. He purposely omitted mention of Nelly.

“I’m still puzzled as to the identity of the shooter,” Healy said.

“Once people heard the gunfire, all hell broke loose. It was impossible to identify anyone in the melee.”

“And you’re sticking to that?”

Jesse nodded.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No.”

“The shooter fired from behind Walker. You were in front of him. You didn’t see who it was?”

“I was crouched behind a concrete garbage bin. Walker was firing at me. People were everywhere. I never saw the shooter.”

“Fat Boy Nelly,” Healy said.

“What about him,” Jesse said.

“It had to have been him.”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“I’m asking you,” Healy said.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

Jesse shrugged.

“All I want is confirmation,” Healy said.

“I didn’t see who did it.”

Healy sighed.

“Go home,” he said.

“Soon.”

“There’s more to this than you’re letting on,” Healy said.

Jesse didn’t say anything.

“It’s something personal, isn’t it?”

Jesse remained silent.

“Go home,” Healy said as he got out of the cruiser. He looked back at Jesse through the open window.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Then he walked away.