The Bitterest Pill

Sixty-three

Vinnie Morris was well turned out, but that was no surprise to Jesse Stone. Except for a brief period several years back when he had taken to wearing track suits, Vinnie’s wardrobe on any given day tended to surpass the value of Jesse’s weekly paycheck, before taxes. Today was no exception. Morris was dressed in a light gray wool box-check two-piece suit. The creases on the front of the pants were knife-sharp. Beneath the suit jacket was a custom-made light blue shirt and a slightly darker silk tie. The shirt cuffs extended a perfect inch below the jacket sleeves.

Vinnie shook his head at the sight of Jesse in his rumpled navy blazer, white shirt, jeans, and running shoes.

“Who dresses you? Let me send you to my tailor.”

“No, thanks,” Jesse said. “One day’s outfit would bankrupt me.”

“What’s the plan?” Vinnie nodded at the pawnshop.

“I want to rattle them.”

Vinnie smiled. “Easy enough.”

“Good.”

“You want me to say anything?”

Jesse said, “You’ll know what to say and when to say it.”

“Better be a good steak for lunch.”

Vinnie followed Jesse through the door. Jolene was helping another customer but noticed the two men enter. She didn’t make a happy face at the sight of Jesse, but it wasn’t a frightened expression. If she knew who Vinnie Morris was, Jesse was certain the look on her face would have been quite different. And if Molly had seen the two of them together here like this, Jesse could only imagine the look on her face.

Jesse made certain to place himself in front of the display case containing the Western novels he’d been looking at the last time he was there.

“Hello, Jolene,” Jesse said, as the woman came up to them.

Vinnie Morris stood next to Jesse, not saying a word. Jolene turned to Vinnie and was effusive about his clothing. Jesse was certain that she had made Vinnie’s day. Then she turned back to Jesse.

“Yes, I’m so sorry we weren’t able to help you during your last visit. But I see you are still interested in these novels.”

“I am, but could you please ask Jerry to come out here.”

She said, “I’m not certain he’s in.”

It was a familiar stall that Vinnie took as his cue. “Tell him I’d like to speak with him.”

Jolene rolled her eyes. “And you are?”

“Vinnie Morris.”

Jolene suddenly seemed to need the display case to hold her up. When she recovered, she turned and headed straight to the door she had disappeared through during Jesse’s last visit. But this time, Jerry was already coming through the door. He had no need of Jolene to deliver the message.

“Hello, Mr. Morris.”

“Hello, Jerry. How are you?”

“Fine, Mr. Morris. Good.”

“Really? You seem to be sweating a little there.” Vinnie offered him a pristine white handkerchief.

“Thanks,” Jerry said, waving the hankie off. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

“My friend, here,” Vinnie said, putting his hand on Jesse’s shoulder, “says you sold something that he had a receipt for. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but I like having good relations with the police.”

Jerry’s eyes got big, and he was sweating more heavily. “The police?”

Jesse took that as his cue and showed Jerry his Paradise police chief’s shield. Jerry seemed afflicted with the same weak legs that Jolene had experienced and put his hands on the display case for support as she had.

“Chief Stone has some pretty crazy notions about you, Jerry. He thinks you’ve been moving merch through here that is connected with a drug syndicate. You know how I feel about drugs. I told him you would never do anything that stupid, something that might blow back on me and my business. I told him you knew how angry I would be if you did such a thing. Tell him he’s crazy, Jerry.”

“Chief Stone, I can assure you we would never do anything to risk Mr. Morris’s concerns. Never.” Jerry was unconvincing.

Vinnie Morris reached across the counter and patted Jerry on the biceps. “Good man.” He turned to Jesse. “See, Chief Stone, what did I tell you?”

Jesse said nothing. He was sure Vinnie had sufficiently rattled Jerry’s cage. He shrugged, and after taking one last look at the Western novels, he left. Vinnie Morris stayed behind to say a few parting words to Jerry.

Just as Nurse Lutz had waited for Jesse’s Explorer to pull away before punching in Arakel Sarkassian’s number, Jerry did the same.