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48
IN THE GRAY GULL, at their table for two, they could look at the harbor and across at the Neck. It was early evening, and the boats in the harbor moved gently at their moorings. The light at that time of day had a faint blue tone. Su
"Both of them," Su
"Yep."
"Buck naked," Su
"Well," Jesse said. "They had shoes on."
"How was that?"
"New and different," Jesse said.
"Was it, ah, sexually stimulating?"
"Yes."
"But you didn't follow through," Su
"No."
"Why not?"
"It didn't seem like a good idea," Jesse said.
Su
"I haven't met many men," she said, "who think about how good an idea it is when confronted by a naked woman."
"I know," Jesse said. "I'm a little surprised, myself."
"Were you daunted by the fact there were two?"
"Maybe," Jesse said. "Never did anything but the standard one-on-one that I can recall."
"Maybe you were daunted by the fact that they might be murderers."
"That's daunting," Jesse said. "It's also daunting, if I ever got them into court, to explain to their defense attorney that yes, I did have sex with them both."
"The old cluster-fuck defense," Su
"That one," Jesse said.
"How did they take it?" Su
"The rejection?" Jesse said. "They just stared at me and didn't say a word."
"And you left," Su
"Yep."
"Probably hadn't heard 'no' before," Su
"A lot less than they've heard 'yes,' I'd guess," Jesse said.
"So, what'd you learn in this exercise?" Su
"You don't have to have sex with anyone who wants it?"
"Girls know that from puberty," Su
"Clearly they were banging Petey," Jesse said. "Clearly they were not banging Knocko."
"Molly was right," Su
"Apparently," Jesse said. "And I would guess they're both banging Reggie."
"Infidelity and murder are not incompatible," Su
"Wow," Jesse said. "I wish I'd said that."
"Hell," Su
They both laughed. The waitress brought them each another drink.
"Spike sent these over," she said.
"Tell him thank you," Jesse said.
"Want to hear about the menu?" the waitress said.
"Not yet. I'm right at a crucial point in the seduction," Jesse said.
"Oh," the waitress said. "You want some oysters."
"I'll let you know," Jesse said.
The waitress smiled and went away.
"One scenario," Jesse said. "His wife's bopping Petey. Knocko finds out. Kills Petey out of jealousy. Then finds out she's been bopping Reggie. Makes a run at Reggie and isn't good enough."
"What about Ray Mulligan?" Su
"Yeah," Jesse said. "That bothers me, too."
"It's sort of fu
"It is," Jesse said. "Maybe the girls helped get rid of him."
"Why?"
"Maybe they wanted Knocko dead," Jesse said. "Maybe they liked Petey."
"So, who you think pulled the trigger?" Su
"Reggie?" Jesse said. "Or had Bob do it?"
"Revenge for Petey?" Su
"Maybe," Jesse said. "Maybe the Bang Bang Twins got him to do it."
"And what have you got to take to the DA?" Su
"Not much," Jesse said.
" 'Not much' is a wild exaggeration," Su
"Well," Jesse said. "Yes."
Su
"Be nice if you could find Ray Mulligan," Su
"Yes," Jesse said. "If I can."
"You're the chief of police," Su
"Oh, right," Jesse said. "Of course I can find him."
The waitress returned.
"You ready to order?" she said.
Jesse looked at Su
"Yes," Jesse said. "We can order."
"You want those oysters?" the waitress said.
"Bring him a dozen," Su
The waitress smiled and shot at Jesse with her forefinger.
49
I'VE BEEN THINKING?" said.
Dr. Silverman nodded and cocked her head slightly, ready to listen.
"We talked a while ago about being incomplete," Su
"We talked of how you felt incomplete," Dr. Silverman said.
Su
"Anyway," she said, "I was thinking of my mother and sister."
Dr. Silverman gave a small encouraging nod.
"Your sister is older?" she said.
"Yes, and she's a mess, like my mother," Su
"Might be useful to talk about them again."
"You've forgotten?" Su
"I do forget things," Dr. Silverman said. "But in this instance it's more of a therapeutic tool. If you reexamine the same thing in a different context, new things sometimes appear."
"My mother knows very little, and fears many things. But she pretends to know a lot and fear nothing."
"That must be difficult for her," Dr. Silverman said.
"It makes her hysterical much of the time," Su
Dr. Silverman nodded.
"And my sister is much like her. She doesn't know much, either, but she substitutes beliefs. She believes in having gone to a good school. She believes in being with a man who's gone to a good school… and has prestige… and money."
"And that has not worked out for her."
"No, she's gone through husbands and boyfriends and careers without any success in any of them."
"So what she believes hasn't worked for her," Dr. Silverman said.
"God, no," Su
"Is she hysterical much of the time as well?"
"Absolutely."
"Would she admit it?" Dr. Silverman said.
"Absolutely not," Su
They sat quietly. Dr. Silverman was as pulled together as always: dark skirt, white shirt, very little jewelry, conservative heels. Probably part of the work wardrobe. Don't distract the patient. Her makeup was subtle and quiet. Her nails were manicured and polished.
"They're emotionally disheveled," Su
Dr. Silverman nodded.
"And they were my role models growing up," Su
"So you assumed that all women were emotionally disheveled?"
"I didn't want to be like them," Su
"Who did you want to be like?"
"My father. I don't mean I wanted to be a man. I mean I didn't want to be disheveled."
Dr. Silverman nodded.
"What part did your father play in all this?" she said.
"He took care of them," Su
"Why do you suppose he takes care of them?" Dr. Silverman said.
"He's stuck," Su
"And he loves you," Dr. Silverman said.
"Yes, but he doesn't take care of me."
"Tell me again why your marriage broke up," Dr. Silverman said.
"I guess we were just too different. I mean, my father's a cop. His father's a crook."
"So what drew you to him?"
"He was so complete, and he loved me," she said.
"But Richie wasn't in the family business, you told me."
"No," Su
"So why did you break up?"
Su