Robert B. Parker’s The Devil Wins

16

The station was ill-equipped to handle the glut of reporters crowded into the small conference room. That suited Jesse fine. When he noticed that most of the reporters weren’t wearing their coats, Jesse instructed Suit to shut off the heat in the building, then delayed the beginning of the press conference for twenty minutes. He’d already made sure there were no seats in the room. The more uncomfortable the media were, the sooner they’d stop asking questions and the sooner he could get on with his job. Jesse began with a brief statement about how all the resources of his department and those of the state police would be brought to bear on the cases. His main focus was on the body in the blue tarp. He gave as many specifics as possible on his John Doe.

“Finally,” Jesse said, holding up an enlarged print, “we have this. The tattoo is four inches long by three inches wide and is located under the victim’s left arm.” Jesse put the print down and raised his left arm. “It runs from here to here. Officer Simpson will distribute copies of this image as you leave the premises and it will also be available on ParadisePD.gov, as will many of the facts we discuss here today. The Paradise Police Department would appreciate your help in identifying the deceased.”

Jesse was purposefully less forthcoming about the girls. He did confirm that the bodies found at the abandoned factory building were those of Mary Kate O’Hara and Virginia Connolly. He mentioned that the ME believed Mary Kate’s death was caused by numerous stab wounds, any of which might have been fatal. That there were notches and scrapes on several of her ribs, scapula, and clavicle that were consistent with wounds from the same knife. He didn’t elaborate beyond that. He noticed that even before he opened the floor to questions some of the reporters were rubbing their hands together and blowing on them for warmth. He almost smiled.

A Boston TV reporter Jesse recognized because he had worked with Jenn said, “You didn’t give the cause of death for the Connolly girl.”

“You’re correct.”

“Will you give it to us now?”

“No.”

After that, the questions came rapid-fire.

“Have you officially notified both sets of parents?”

“I spoke with Mrs. O’Hara yesterday afternoon and Mrs. Connolly will be arriving in town later today.”

“Does the ME have any idea how long the blade on the knife was that killed the O’Hara girl?”

“She does. Next.”

“Does she have an estimate as to how long the girls have been buried there?”

“We believe the girls have been where they were discovered since shortly after they disappeared.”

“You believe that based on what?”

“Science.”

Jesse was at his irksome best.

“Is it your theory that the John Doe is somehow connected to the murder of the girls?”

Jesse shrugged. “I’m not in the theory business. I’m in the evidence business.”

“Do you have any suspects?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“That would be telling. Next.”

The sparring went on for about fifteen minutes before Jesse turned the mics over to Healy, who was equally vague, just less annoyingly so. After ten minutes of Healy giving the press the runaround, they surrendered to the cold and left.

Jesse and Healy shook hands. Healy said he had to get back to the office, but that he could return to town tomorrow if Jesse needed him.

“I’ll let you know,” Jesse said. “Today I’ve got to talk to Ginny Connolly’s mother. Molly’s picking her up at Logan. Then it’s due diligence time. Going back and re-interviewing everyone mentioned in the old reports.”

At the mention of Ginny Connolly’s mom, Healy rolled his eyes.

Jesse asked. “What’s that about?”

“When you meet Maxie Connolly, you’ll see.”