Robert Parker - Split Image

She was small and soft, with a smooth, round face, no makeup, and straight blond hair that hung to her shoulders.

"Honest to God," Sunny said.

"You got a gun?"

"I do," Sunny said.

"Where?"

"In my purse," Sunny said. "Sometimes I tuck it into my stocking top if I'm expecting action."

"You're not wearing stockings," Cheryl said.

"A weak attempt at humor," Sunny said. "Purse is fine."

"How'd you get to be a private eye," Cheryl said.

The boyfriend watched Sunny closely.

"My father is a retired police captain," Sunny said. "I was a police officer for a while… Just seemed a good idea at the time."

"You married?"

"No."

"Ever been?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"None of your business," Sunny said.

The boyfriend looked at her harder. Cheryl shrugged.

"Just asking," she said.

Sunny nodded.

"You like it here?" Sunny said.

"I can't believe they hired a detective to come talk to me," Cheryl said.

Sunny nodded.

"So," she said. "How do you like it here?"

"Here?"

Sunny nodded brightly.

"Here," she said.

"It's very cool here, isn't it, Todd?"

The boyfriend nodded.

"What's the coolest part of it," Sunny said.

"No hassle," Cheryl said. "Everyone here is really, you know, mellowed out."

"No rules," Sunny said.

"Well, a'course, there gotta be rules," Cheryl said.

"What are they?"

"No drugs, no alcohol, no smoking," Cheryl said. "No meanness."

" 'No meanness'?" Sunny said.

"You know, no being mean to anybody."

"Oh," Sunny said. "And if you break the rules?"

"The group has a gathering," Cheryl said, "and decides."

"What's the worst punishment?"

"You have to leave the group."

"How about sex," Sunny said. "Any rules on that?"

"You think sex is bad?"

"No," Sunny said. "I like it."

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.

Sunny nodded. Nothing conflicted with the Patriarch's version.

"So, you're here because you want to be," Sunny said.

"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?" Sunny said.

Cheryl stared at her for a moment.

"When you were eighteen," Cheryl said, "were you worrying about twenty years later?"

Sunny smiled.

"No," she said. "I wasn't."

"So?" Cheryl said.

"Good point," Sunny said.

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. Sunny beckoned Cheryl and walked to the railing. Below in the harbor, someone's yacht, sails loosely furled, was edging in toward the town landing under power. Cheryl came and stood beside her.

"Anything you want to say that Todd can't hear?" Sunny said softly.

"Todd? He's my boyfriend."

"I understand," Sunny said. "But I just need to be sure. Is there any restraint on your leaving?"

"I don't want to leave."

Sunny nodded. "I know that, too," she said. "But if you did want to leave, would there be anything to prevent you?"

"No," Cheryl said.

"And you don't want to leave?"

"God, no."

"I'll take you out now if you want to go," Sunny said.

"I don't want to go," Cheryl said. "Why won't you believe me?"

"I do believe you," Sunny said. "I just have to be sure."

"Well, be sure," Cheryl said, and turned away and walked back to sit beside Todd.

Sunny followed and stood in front of Cheryl.

"If I brought your parents here," Sunny said, "would you talk to them?"

Cheryl made a dismissive sound.

"They aren't going to come here," she said.

"Maybe not," Sunny said. "But if they did?"

"Sure," Cheryl said. "If you stayed with us."

"I will," Sunny said. "But why?"

"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," Sunny said.

"Whatever," Cheryl said. "Doesn't much matter anyway. They are so totally not going to come."

"Let me ask them," Sunny said, "and I'll let you know."

"I don't mind talking to you," Cheryl said.

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?"

"Petey." Robbie shook her head. "Petey was the nicest man."

"As leg breakers go," Jesse said.

"That's not so," Robbie said. "Petey was a sweet man."

She smiled at her husband.

"Like Francis," she said.

"Francis," Jesse said.

"My real name," Knocko said.

"Where'd Knocko come from?" Jesse said.

"When I was a kid," Knocko said, "I used to be kind of a rough guy."

"Petey do any work for you?" Jesse said.

"I'm retired," Knocko said. "He used to run some errands now and then for Robbie."

"Like what?" Jesse said.

Knocko looked at his wife.

"Honey?" he said.

"Oh, pick up something at the market, take something to the cleaner's. He did the same for Becca."

"That was it?" Jesse said.

"You know Reggie was in the rackets once," Knocko said. "Everybody knows that. You're in the rackets, even if you ain't anymore, you need some security."

"Which Bob's in charge of," Jesse said. "For Reggie."

"Yeah."

"We all know you were in the rackets once," Jesse said. "Who does your security?"

"Security's kind of a fancy word," Knocko said, and winked at Robbie. "Got a buddy walks around with me."

"What's his name?" Jesse said.

"Ray Mulligan," Knocko said. "Met in grade school. Nuns seated us alphabetically, you know? I was always right next to Ray."

He patted Robbie's arm. She smiled at him.

"You're Rebecca Galen's twin sister," Jesse said.

"Yes, identical twins. Unless we dress differently, even we have trouble telling us apart."

"What was your, ah, birth name?" Jesse said.

"Why you wanna know that?" Knocko said.

"'Cause I don't know," Jesse said. "You been questioned before, Knocko. You know that cops ask questions to see where they lead."

"You ever been a cop anyplace but here?" Knocko said.

"Why you wanna know that?" Jesse said.

"'Cause I don't know," Knocko said.

Jesse smiled.

"I worked robbery homicide in L.A. for a while," Jesse said.

"So you done something but hand out traffic tickets," Knocko said.

"Not much," Jesse said. "What was your maiden name, Mrs. Moynihan?"