Stranger in Paradise

“You’ve been kind to take her in,” Francisco said. “But I am her father.”

Jesse didn’t say anything.

“I’ve come to take her home,” Francisco said.

“She doesn’t want to go with you,” Jesse said.

“Many children defy their parents. It doesn’t mean they should be allowed to run wild.”

“You can’t have her,” Jesse said.

“You do not, I believe, have any legal authority to prevent me,” Francisco said.

Jesse nodded.

“Bring suit,” Jesse said. “We’ll run it through the courts.”

Francisco smiled pleasantly.

“Perhaps I will,” he said. “Do you happen to know a man named Wilson Cromartie?”

“I do,” Jesse said.

“Do you happen to know his whereabouts?”

“I don’t,” Jesse said.

“Or a young man named Esteban Carty?” Francisco said.

“We’ve never met,” Jesse said.

“Too bad,” Francisco said. “I can’t say you’ve been terribly helpful.”

“Gee,” Jesse said.

“Still, I believe we can manage without your help.”

“Is that the royal we?” Jesse said.

“I have a number of employees with me,” Francisco said.

“If you attempt to retrieve your daughter, I will arrest you,” Jesse said.

“My employees may protest,” Francisco said.

“If necessary,” Jesse said, “I’ll arrest them.”

“There are many ways to skin a cat,” Francisco said.

He stood up and stared at Jesse. Something changed in his eyes. It was like gazing suddenly into the soul of a snake.

“And,” Francisco said, “to skin you, motherfucker.”

His voice rasped when he said it. They looked at each other for a still moment.

Then Jesse said, “Ah, there you are.”

59.

As soon as Francisco left the office, Jesse called Molly.

“Kid’s father just left here,” he said. “Suit out front?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll call him,” Jesse said.

“Does the father know she’s here?”

“Not yet.”

“But you think he’ll find out.”

“Sooner or later,” Jesse said.

“Is he alone?”

“I doubt if he’s ever alone,” Jesse said.

“Should we move her?”

“Where will she be safer?” Jesse said.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay, so stay with her,” Jesse said. “Keep Suit awake. Call me if anything looks funny.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You wouldn’t know where Crow is,” Jesse said.

“Why are you asking me?” Molly said.

“Because you’re the one I’m talking to on the phone,” Jesse said.

“Why do you want to know?” Molly said.

“Because I’m trying to keep track of as many loose cannons as I can. Any idea where he is?”

“No,” Molly said. “Of course not.”

“Okay,” Jesse said. “Where’s the kid?”

“She doesn’t get up until afternoon,” Molly said.

“Jenn left for work yet?”

“She’s in the shower,” Molly said.

“Stay close,” Jesse said.

When Jesse hung up, Molly looked at the phone.

Well, wasn’t I jumpy! Maybe I’m not cut out for adultery.

Jenn came from the bedroom wearing a white terry-cloth robe. Her hair was still wet, and she wore no makeup.

God, she looks like a schoolgirl.

“Your hair’s wet,” Molly said.

“I just took a shower,” Jenn said.

“Naturally curly hair?” Molly said.

“Yes. God was kind.”

“If mine gets wet it goes floop,” Molly said.

“God was kind to you in other ways,” Jenn said. “Is that coffee?”

“It is.”

Jenn poured some coffee into a thick white mug, put in a sugar substitute, and sat at the kitchen table opposite Molly.

“Amber’s father has arrived,” Molly said. “Jesse won’t give her up.”

“Does the father know she’s here?” Jenn said.

“Not so far,” Molly said.

“You think Jesse has a legal leg to stand on, keeping the girl from her father?” Jenn said.

“I don’t think Jesse expects it to go through the legal system,” Molly said.

“Because the father is a gangster?”

“Yes.”

“That’s kind of scary,” Jenn said.

“Yes, it is,” Molly said.

“Does it scare you?”

“I have a lot of training, and some experience, and I have great respect for Jesse Stone.”

Jenn nodded.

“But does it scare you?’

“Some,” Molly said.

“Me, too,” Jenn said.

“But you’ll stick?”

“I am not going to get to the big leagues,” Jenn said, “if I run away from a developing story because I’m scared.”

“Any other reason?” Molly said.

Jenn smiled. It wasn’t exactly a happy smile, Molly thought.

“I, too, have great respect for Jesse Stone,” Jenn said.

“And he thinks he’s such a mess,” Molly said.

“He is,” Jenn said. “In many ways. And I have helped him to be a mess. But he’s a good cop. And he won’t quit on us. And at the very center of himself, he’s a very decent man.”

“Why can’t you be together?” Molly said.

Jenn shook her head.

“I don’t know, really,” she said. “We work on it all the time.”

“When you were married did you ever cheat on him?” Molly said.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To get ahead. I thought I was an actress.”

“And you slept with a producer?” Molly said.

“Yes.”

“How’d you feel about it?”

“Lousy,” Jenn said.

“Because you’d cheated?”

Jenn sipped her coffee, holding the mug in both hands, her elbows resting on the table, the light reflecting off the harbor brightening the room.

“Not exactly,” Jenn said. “I guess I felt lousy because the sex was a means to an end.”

“The end being your career?”

“I guess.”

“The career was important, though,” Molly said.

“I know,” Jenn said. “Jesse seemed so complete, except for drinking too much.”

“Even then?”

“Yes. And I felt so incomplete….” She shrugged and made a small half-laugh. “Still do.”

“And guilty?”