Stranger in Paradise

“What a terrible thought,” Jesse said.

“So you are not going to act?”

“Not at the moment,” Jesse said.

Ms. Fiedler stood.

“You have not heard the last of this,” she said.

“I was guessing that,” Jesse said.

Ms. Fiedler stalked out without speaking again. The men followed her. Carr stared straight ahead. Blake winked at Molly on the way out.

Jesse and Molly sat silently for a time. Then Jesse said, “‘No spicks on Paradise Neck’?”

“She was driving me crazy,” Molly said.

“I sort of guessed that, too,” Jesse said.

“Are you going to reprimand me?” Molly said.

“Worse, I’m going to punish you.”

“You are?”

“Yes,” Jesse said. “You may not talk dirty to me for the rest of the day.”

“Oh, God,” Molly said, “not that.”

9.

Jesse sat with Suitcase Simpson in the front seat of Simpson’s cruiser parked at Paradise Beach. Simpson was eating a submarine sandwich for lunch, taking pains not to dribble on his uniform shirt. Jesse was drinking coffee.

“Funny,” Simpson said. “Whenever you’re near the ocean, you have to look at it.”

Jesse nodded.

“Always makes me feel religious,” Simpson said.

Jesse nodded.

“I wonder why that is?” Simpson said.

“Got me,” Jesse said.

“Make you feel religious?” Simpson said.

“Yes.”

They looked at the ocean for a time. It was high tide and the water covered most of the beach. A few people in bathing suits occupied the narrow strip of sand above high water.

“Crow knows we’re watching him,” Simpson said.

“No reason he shouldn’t,” Jesse said. “Who’s with him now.”

“Eddie.”

“Crow doing anything interesting?” Jesse said.

“Nope.”

Simpson finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. He put the napkin and the sandwich wrappings back in the paper bag that the sandwich had come in.

“Mostly,” Simpson said, “he hangs around. He has lunch at Daisy Dyke’s a lot. He has a drink at the Gray Gull in the evening. Goes to Paradise Health & Fitness every day in the morning. Rest of the time he cruises around town.”

“Walking or driving?” Jesse said.

“Both. Drives all over town. Parks sometimes and walks around. Why?”

“Might help us figure out who or what he’s looking for,” Jesse said. “Where’s he walk around?”

“Shopping center, goes in the stores. Comes to the beach sometimes. Browses all the shops on Paradise Row sometimes. Watches tennis down by the high school.”

“He check out the commuter trains?” Jesse said.

Simpson shrugged. He took a small notebook from his shirt pocket and read through it.

“Nope,” Simpson said. “Haven’t seen him do that. I check with the other guys, too, and try to incorporate their notes in mine.”

Jesse smiled.

“Lead investigator,” he said.

“Might as well keep things together,” Simpson said. “Do it right, you know?”

“Suit,” Jesse said. “If it were in the budget, I’d give you a raise.”

“But it’s not,” Simpson said.

“No. He ever go down to the wharf?” Jesse said.

“Nope.”

“Softball?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe he’s looking for a woman,” Jesse said.

“Because of where he looks?”

“Yeah. I know it’s a big generalization, but he seems more interested in places where you’d find women.”

“I don’t think you’re allowed to think things like that in Paradise,” Simpson said.

“Incorrect?” Jesse said.

“This place is officially liberal,” Simpson said.

“Long as they keep the cha-chas out,” Jesse said.

Simpson smiled.

“Yeah. Molly told me about that.”

“Ms. Fiedler was down at the causeway the other day,” Jesse said. “With a clicker, counting the number of cars.”

“How many kids you say there were?” Simpson said.

“Twelve,” Jesse said. “Preschoolers.”

“Means a minibus probably,” Simpson said. “Once in the morning, and once in the afternoon.”

Jesse nodded. They both looked at the blue ocean for a while. Then Simpson grinned.

“They gotta be stopped,” Simpson said.

10.

Jesse’s ex-wife stuck her head into his office and said, “Hi, Toots, got a minute?”

Jesse felt the small trill of excitement in his belly that he always felt when he saw her.

“I got a minute,” he said.

Jenn came in, dressed to the nines, and gave Jesse a pleasant but passing kiss on the mouth. The trill of excitement tightened into a knot of desire and sadness. The kiss was passionless.

“I am on an investigative assignment,” Jenn said.

“What’s Channel Three investigating this time,” Jesse said. “The resurgence of platform soles?”

Jenn smiled.

“Are you saying that Newsbeat Three is not noted for high seriousness?”

“Yes,” Jesse said.

“This is a good one for me,” Jenn said. “It’s like hard news investigation.”

Jesse nodded. The knot in his stomach held tight. He knew it would be there until well after she left.

“Our sources tell us that Latino gangs are infiltrating Paradise,” Jenn said.

Jesse stared at her.

“Latino gangs,” he said.

“There is gang graffiti on several buildings in Paradise,” Jenn said.

She took some snapshots out of her purse and put them on Jesse’s desk so he could see them.

“Our sources sent us these pictures,” Jenn said.