Stranger in Paradise

69.

“Suit,” Jesse said. “You and Molly bring Amber here tomorrow morning. No later than nine.”

“If she objects?” Suit said.

“Bring her,” Jesse said. “Handcuff her if you have to. Arthur, you man the desk. If there’s an emergency, and I mean a real one, not somebody’s cat is missing, you cover it and Suit will take the desk. Otherwise, Suit, you and Molly are in a cell with Amber. Vests and shotguns.”

Suit nodded. Jesse looked around the squad room.

“She’ll want to know why,” Molly said.

“Don’t tell her,” Jesse said. “Peter, you’re on the Neck. Buddy, you’re at the construction detour. Murph, you’re on the backhoe. Eddie, you’re in a car on the Neck with John. Peter will join you when the balloon goes up. Steve and Bobby, you’re in a car at the other end. Buddy and Murph will join you. There will be some Staties in unmarked cars in the parking lot at the beach. Commander is a corporal named Jenks. They’ll pitch in…at my request…if they’re needed.”

“And you’re in the van,” Paul Murphy said.

Jesse nodded.

“At the construction site,” he said. “I’ll be in radio contact with everybody, including Crow. When it goes down, you wait for me, and when I say so, we come in from both ends and arrest everybody in sight.”

“And do what with them?” Peter Perkins said. “We don’t have a paddy wagon, and even if we did, we probably don’t have enough cell space.”

“Healy promised me a State Police wagon, and we can use the Salem City jail.”

“Crow?” Suit said.

“Except Crow,” Jesse said.

“I still don’t get what’s in this for Crow,” Peter Perkins said.

“Nobody does,” Jesse said. “He seems to think it’s fun.”

“Hell,” Peter Perkins said. “I’m not sure what we’re getting out of this.”

“We might close a couple of cases, and give Amber Francisco a life,” Jesse said.

“Sounds like protect and serve to me,” Suit said.

“Me, too,” Jesse said.

“On the other hand,” Suit said, “how you gonna explain the million bucks to the IRS?”

“That’s why they make accountants, Suit,” Jesse said.

“Oh,” Suit said. “I knew there was a reason.”

“Screw the IRS,” Steve Friedman said. “How you gonna explain it to Healy?”

“First,” Jesse said, “let’s see if it works.”

“You’re gonna have to explain this to a lot of people whether it works or not,” Peter Perkins said. “We’re all just obeying orders. But you’re in charge.”

“Glad you noticed,” Jesse said.

“Healy ain’t gonna like it,” Perkins said.

“Maybe I’ll get lucky,” Jesse said. “Maybe somebody will shoot me.”