Trouble in Paradise

"You're James Macklin's girlfriend."

"Was," Faye said with no inflection in her voice.

"And you saw me one night in the Gray Gull having a drink with Abby Taylor, and because of the way she was acting, you decided she must be my girlfriend."

Faye had no reaction.

"And when I came to ask you about Macklin and Cromartie, you knew that the thing on Stiles Island was already going down, and you got scared that I'd screw it up, so you went and grabbed Abby to use as a hostage. In case I had Macklin, you figured maybe you could barter my girlfriend for your boyfriend. You were wrong about me and Abby, but that wasn't your fault. You made a reasonable surmise."

Faye sat motionless, looking at nothing.

"Why'd you do that?" Jesse said.

Faye looked at him sharply. It was the first reaction he'd gotten.

"Why the fuck do you think?" she said.

"I figure it's because you loved him and would do anything you could to save him."

Faye was silent a long time. But she was looking at Jesse. Her eyes were alive. She began to nod her head slowly.

Finally she said, "Yes," her voice full of force.

Jesse leaned back in his swivel chair and rocked gently, balancing the chair with the tips of his toes.

"You got any money?" Jesse said after a time.

Faye didn't answer.

"She had a thousand dollars in her bra when I brought her in," Molly said.

Jesse nodded. Faye's face was pinched and white as if she were in pain.

"Go get her money," Jesse said to Molly.

Molly stared at him for a moment and then left the room without closing the door. Neither Faye nor Jesse spoke while she was gone. Molly came back into the room with an envelope and handed it to Faye.

"I'm going to take her for a ride," Jesse said.

"Alone?" Molly said.

"Yep."

"A female prisoner, Jesse? You're leaving yourself wide open."

"It'll be okay," Jesse said in just that calm way that Molly understood. It meant, I will do this no matter what anybody says.

Molly nodded once in submission and went back to the front desk. Jesse took Faye's arm, and they walked out to Jesse's official car and got in. Faye didn't say a word. She held the envelope that Molly had given her in her lap. She hadn't opened it. She didn't ask where they were going. Jesse went over the Tobin Bridge and turned off in City Square and drove back down past the Navy Yard to Faye's condo. When he got there and parked the car, he turned in the seat and looked at her.

"I know you don't believe it, but maybe you can remember that I said it. You will get over this. In time you will feel better. In time, and I know you don't want to now, you may meet another guy."

Faye shrugged, looking at the envelope in her lap.

"You're free to go," Jesse said.

Faye stared at him.

"I killed Jimmy because I had to," Jesse said.

"I don't have to do anything to you."

Faye stared at him some more without moving.

"This doesn't wash it clean," Faye said.

"Nothing will," Jesse said.

"In time it will be easier."

Faye still sat in the car, staring.

"Get going. Don't hang around here. Go far away, and I won't look for you."

Faye opened the car door and got out slowly and walked toward the stairs to her condo. Jesse waited as she went up. She took a key from the mailbox and opened her door. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at Jesse. Then she went in and closed the door, and Jesse backed the car around and drove back to Paradise.

When he walked into the station alone, Molly said, "Where's the woman?"

"She escaped," Jesse said and kept walking into his office and sat down at his desk.

Molly followed him in.

"Escaped?" Molly said.

Jesse nodded.

"The biggest collar I ever made," Molly said.

"You still get credit for the collar. I'm the one lost her."

"Lost her, bullshit," Molly said.

"You let her go, you sentimental dumb son of a bitch."

"Molly, I am your chief."

"And you are also a sentimental dumb son of a bitch," Molly said.

Jesse shrugged. Molly came around the desk and bent over and kissed him on the mouth, then straightened and walked out of the office. Jesse got some Kleenex out of the bottom drawer and wiped his mouth.

SIXTY-EIGHT.

It was Sunday morning. Jesse and Jenf were in Rowley, sitting at the counter of the Agawam diner, eating ham and scrambled eggs and home fries and toast.

"Do you know what happened to the ones that got away?"

"Not exactly. A big power boat washed up on the beach north of Port City couple days ago. There was a dead man in it. Guy , named Fred Costa, had a record."

"How'd he die?" Je

The diner was warm with the smell of coffee and bacon. Outside the diner, along old Route One the trees were just begi

"Bullet in the head."

"You think he was involved?"

"Maybe."

"And the Indian one?"

"Wilson Cromartie," Jesse said.

"No sign."

"And all that money?"

"Gone."

"Still you got three of them," Je

"Actually I got one of them," Jesse said.

"They had already killed two of their own."