57.
Jesse was drinking coffee at his desk at 7:30 in the morning when Healy came in.
“I thought when you made captain you didn’t have to get up so early,” Jesse said.
“By the time you make captain,” Healy said, “you been getting up early for so long, you can’t change the habit.”
He poured himself some coffee and sat down across the desk from Jesse.
“Solve any homicides recently?” Healy said.
“No,” Jesse said.
“Me either,” Healy said. “I had one of our accounting guys look into the Fiedlers’ financial situation for you.”
“And?”
“They have a net worth of two hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars,” Healy said.
“Including their house?” Jesse said. “Their house must be worth three million.”
“Almost none of it equity,” Healy said. “There’s two mortgages on it.”
“They are supposed to be one of the wealthiest families in town,” Jesse said.
“I remembered you telling me that,” Healy said. “So I told the accountant to poke around a little. According to what he got from the IRS and God knows where else, the accountant says that ten years ago they had a net worth in the area of fifty million.”
“What happened to it?”
“Don’t know,” Healy said. “Don’t know if they hid it, or spent it, or lost it. What I know is what the accountant told me. They got a net worth lower than mine.”
“Low,” Jesse said.
Healy nodded.
“How you doing with your crime wave,” Healy said.
“Badly.”
“Any other help you want from the Massachusetts State Police?”
“I’m doing so badly,” Jesse said, “I don’t even know what help to ask for.”
“Your man Crow involved in any of this?” Healy said.
“When did he become my man?” Jesse said.
“He’s not mine,” Healy said.
“Lucky you,” Jesse said. “Sure he’s involved. But I can’t prove it…yet.”
“Where do the Fiedlers come in?” Healy said.
“I don’t know,” Jesse said.
“But you wanted to know their finances,” Healy said.
“Mrs. Fiedler seems so committed to stalling that school project,” Jesse said. “I kind of wondered why.”
“And her finances tell you?”
“Her maiden name was Crowne,” Jesse said. “The property belonged to her father. He left it to charity, but if the charity doesn’t use it, it goes to her.”
“And it’s worth a lot of money,” Healy said.
“Ten million,” Jesse said.
Healy nodded.
“If you got fifty million, another ten is nice but not crucial,” Healy said. “However, if you’re down to your last three hundred thousand…”
“And you have two mortgages on your house,” Jesse said, “ten million could save your ass.”
“Nice to know it’s not simple bigotry,” Healy said.