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"Ah, yes," the Patriarch said. "Sex."
"That one," Su
"Let me ask you what you believe."
"About sex?"
"Yes."
Su
"I like it," she said.
"Yes, most of us do as well. We believe in consenting adults. We believe in sex as an expression of affection, and we disapprove of sex as an expression of pathology."
"Well," Su
The Patriarch looked genuinely startled.
"You can?"
"Sarcasm," Su
"Oh, excuse me," the Patriarch said. "I am often too earnest."
"Better than the reverse," Su
"I am quite wealthy," the Patriarch said.
"Is this your house?"
"It is."
"How'd you get wealthy," Su
"I inherited my parents' wealth," he said.
"No heavy lifting," Su
"My parents were a pretty heavy burden when they were alive," the Patriarch said. "But no, I've never had to scramble for money."
"Parents can be a heavy burden even when they are no longer alive," Su
"So the psychiatrists would have you believe," the Patriarch said.
"But you don't believe them?"
"Psychiatry is superfluous," the Patriarch said. "If we open our soul and simplify our life, the benevolence of the universe will flow into us."
Su
"Would it be possible to speak with Cheryl DeMarco?"
"Of course," the Patriarch said.
12
SUNNY SAT WITH CHERYL and her boyfriend on the patio in the front of the house, where below them in the harbor sailboats bobbed at their moorings and fishing boats went purposefully. The boyfriend was a tall, husky blond kid with a blank, sincere face. He sat beside Cheryl and held her hand.
"This here is Todd," Cheryl said. "He's my boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you, Todd," Su
Todd nodded a hard-bitten nod. He was there, Su
"Are you, honest to God, a private eye?" Cheryl said.
She was small and soft, with a smooth, round face, no makeup, and straight blond hair that hung to her shoulders.
"Honest to God," Su
"You got a gun?"
"I do," Su
"Where?"
"In my purse," Su
"You're not wearing stockings," Cheryl said.
"A weak attempt at humor," Su
"How'd you get to be a private eye," Cheryl said.
The boyfriend watched Su
"My father is a retired police captain," Su
"You married?"
"No."
"Ever been?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"None of your business," Su
The boyfriend looked at her harder. Cheryl shrugged.
"Just asking," she said.
Su
"You like it here?" Su
"I can't believe they hired a detective to come talk to me," Cheryl said.
Su
"So," she said. "How do you like it here?"
"Here?"
Su
"Here," she said.
"It's very cool here, isn't it, Todd?"
The boyfriend nodded.
"What's the coolest part of it," Su
"No hassle," Cheryl said. "Everyone here is really, you know, mellowed out."
"No rules," Su
"Well, a'course, there gotta be rules," Cheryl said.
"What are they?"
"No drugs, no alcohol, no smoking," Cheryl said. "No mea
" 'No mea
"You know, no being mean to anybody."
"Oh," Su
"The group has a gathering," Cheryl said, "and decides."
"What's the worst punishment?"
"You have to leave the group."
"How about sex," Su
"You think sex is bad?"
"No," Su
Cheryl looked faintly startled.
"They got no rules on sex," she said. "As long as you keep it real."
" 'Real'?"
"You know, with somebody you, like, love," Cheryl said.
Su
"So, you're here because you want to be," Su
"Exactly," Cheryl said. "I'm with Todd. We got friends, a life, stuff to do, people to help us."
"How 'bout twenty years from now?" Su
Cheryl stared at her for a moment.
"When you were eighteen," Cheryl said, "were you worrying about twenty years later?"
Su
"No," she said. "I wasn't."
"So?" Cheryl said.
"Good point," Su
She stood.
"Todd," she said, "I want to whisper a couple things to Cheryl over by the railing there. Girl stuff, might be a little embarrassing."
Todd shrugged as if he knew just what she meant. Su
"Anything you want to say that Todd can't hear?" Su
"Todd? He's my boyfriend."
"I understand," Su
"I don't want to leave."
Su
"No," Cheryl said.
"And you don't want to leave?"
"God, no."
"I'll take you out now if you want to go," Su
"I don't want to go," Cheryl said. "Why won't you believe me?"
"I do believe you," Su
"Well, be sure," Cheryl said, and turned away and walked back to sit beside Todd.
Su
"If I brought your parents here," Su
Cheryl made a dismissive sound.
"They aren't going to come here," she said.
"Maybe not," Su
"Sure," Cheryl said. "If you stayed with us."
"I will," Su
"They're clueless," Cheryl said.
"And I'm not?"
"You don't seem it," Cheryl said.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," Cheryl said. "Most grown-ups are clueless."
"Maybe they just know different clues," Su
"Whatever," Cheryl said. "Doesn't much matter anyway. They are so totally not going to come."
"Let me ask them," Su
"I don't mind talking to you," Cheryl said.
13
MRS. MOYNIHAN let Jesse in. She looked just like Rebecca Galen.
"Hi," she said. "I'm Robbie Moynihan."
"Jesse Stone."
"Please come in," Robbie said. "My husband and I were just having coffee. Would you care for some?"
"That would be nice," Jesse said.
"Follow me," she said.
Jesse followed her through the house, which looked very much like the Galens' house. Her backside looked very much like Rebecca's.
"So, whaddya need from me, Stone," Knocko said, when Jesse was seated.
He was a big man gone soft. You could still see what he was, Jesse thought, though it was disappearing fast. Robbie sat beside him and looked attentive as he spoke.
"Fella named Ognowski was killed around here, couple days ago," Jesse said. "We're just canvassing the neighborhood."
Knocko laughed.
"You're canvassing me and Reggie," he said.
"It's where we've begun," Jesse said. "You know Ognowski?"
"Petey? Sure I know him. He worked for my brother-i n-law."
"Any reason you know that somebody would kill him?" Jesse said.
"Not a clue," Knocko said. He looked at his wife. "You, sweetheart?"