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"Maybe I'm just a drunk," Jesse said.
"Whatever you are, Jesse," Su
Jesse shrugged.
"What's Dix say?"
"You think I told him?"
"Of course you told him," Su
"We're working on that question," Jesse said.
" 'What he's for?' "
"No," Jesse said. "We're working on what set me off."
"Is it okay now," Su
"Yes," Jesse said. "Molly and Suit covered for me. Said I was out of town at the time, an issue with my ex-wife."
"And the selectmen bought it?"
"They did," Jesse said. "They're not the smartest three guys in town."
"If they were," Su
"Good point," Jesse said.
They paused behind several other cars at a stoplight at the juncture with Route 2A's bypass, where Route 2 took a sharp turn southwest.
"But you must feel lousy about it," Su
"Yes."
"Ashamed," Su
"Yes."
"Had a drink since?" Su
"No."
"Miss it?"
Jesse nodded.
"Yes," he said.
"I don't think you're an alcoholic, Jesse," Su
The light changed. Jesse drove across the intersection and into Concord.
"I'll work on it," he said.
"I know you will," Su
They were quiet until they reached the Concord police station. Jesse pulled in and parked. Then he turned and put his hand on Su
"Thank you," he said.
Su
"You're welcome," she said.
22
THEY PICKED UP a Concord detective named Sherman Ke
"It's ugly," Jesse said, as they got out of the cruiser. "But pretentious."
"True," Su
Ke
"Summers," he said, "I used to work construction while I was going to college. And I worked on this place. They built a whole bunch of them out here when mortgage money was easy."
He was a sturdy young guy with a crew cut and some modest lettering that said Sherm tattooed on his left wrist.
"Some foreclosures around here?"
"Like a damned going-out-of-business sale. People got balloon notes all of a sudden coming due. People who had no business buying one of these fucking monsters… 'Scuse me, Ms. Randall."
"My father was a cop," Su
Ke
"So you don't give a fuck," he said.
"I do not," Su
"Anyway," Ke
"I do," Su
They went to the front door. Ke
"Hi," Ke
"Ms. Randall," she said.
"Mrs. Markham," Su
"Could you tell me what this is about?" Elsa said.
"May we come in?" Ke
"I am not required to let you in," she said, "unless you have some sort of document, I believe."
"True," Ke
"I'll decide that," Elsa said, "when I know what this is about."
"Your daughter is missing," Jesse said.
"I know that," Elsa said.
"She's missing from the Bond of the Renewal group home," Jesse said. "Where she lived, in Paradise."
Elsa was silent for a moment. Her face had a hard, sort of sick look, Jesse thought. As if she didn't feel well. Then she spoke.
"You could have informed me of that by a phone call," she said.
"We could," Jesse said.
"But you chose to come here," Elsa said.
"We did," Jesse said.
"Phone call's kind of cold," Ke
"They could have sent just you," she said to Ke
"Thought you might be helpful," Jesse said.
"I'm no longer responsible for her. She wants to shack up with some Jesus freak, I have no control over that."
"You think she's shacking up?" Jesse said.
"That would be her style," Elsa said.
"Any idea which Jesus freak?" Su
"None."
"Has she done this before?" Jesse said.
"What the hell do you think she's been doing in your stupid town for the last several months?" Elsa said.
"Any other instances," Jesse said, "besides her adventures in Paradise?"
"Drive through town," Elsa said. "Any long-haired, tattooed drug addict you see."
"Many of those in town?" Jesse asked Ke
Ke
"Not that many," Ke
"Enough," Elsa said.
Ke
"Is Mr. Markham here?" Jesse said.
"John's at work," she said. "As he is every other weekday."
"Industrious," Jesse said.
"It costs a lot of money to be Elsa and John Markham," she said.
"But worth it," Jesse said.
"Every pe
"What does Mr. Markham do?" Su
"He's senior vice president of marketing at Pace Advertising," Elsa said.
"And Cheryl Markham?" Jesse said.
"She has chosen not to live under our roof," Elsa said. "She wants to be on her own. Very well. She is on her own."
"You've not heard from her," Jesse said.
"I have not."
"And you have no idea where she might be?" Jesse said.
"I do not."
"Or with whom?" Jesse said.
"None."
Jesse nodded. He looked at Su
He said, "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Markham."
She nodded and closed the door.
They walked back to the Concord patrol car. They got in. Ke
Then he said, "Jesus Christ."
"You notice she didn't ask us to let her know if we found her daughter," Jesse said.
Su
"She don't care?" Ke
"Maybe she'll know if we find her daughter," Jesse said.
"How would she know…" Ke
"Might," Jesse said.
Su
"Which would mean she took the kid herself," Ke
"Or arranged it," Jesse said.
"You think they kidnapped their own daughter?" Ke
"People do," Jesse said.
"So, where is she?" Ke
"No way to know," Jesse said. "Yet."
"Why would they do it?" Ke
"For her own good?" Jesse said.
"Or," Su
"Or we could be wrong," Jesse said.
"We often are," Su
"Well," Ke
"And loose," Jesse said.
"You mean she might be locked up?"
"Might," Jesse said. "You know what she looks like?"
Ke
"No," he said. "But I can probably get her picture from the high school."
"If you do," Jesse said, "send me a copy."