Death In Paradise by Robert B. Parker Read Free Book Online Page B

two adults with a mixture of suspicion and contempt. Jesse stopped in front of Carla and waited until she finished a sentence.
    Then he took his badge out and showed it to her and said, "Hello, Carla, remember me?"
    She turned and stared at him. She looked at Molly in uniform beside him.
    "Jesse Stone," he said. "I was at your home the other day."
    "What do you want?" she said.
    "This is Molly Crane," Jesse said.
    "She your wife?"
    "She's a cop," Jesse said. "Like me. We need to talk with you, and are willing to bribe you with the ice cream of your choice."
    "Big fucking deal," Carla said.
    "Okay, no ice cream. We still need to talk."
    "About what?"
    The other kids had gathered into an audience and Carla was playing to them.
    "About Billie."
    "Billie?"
    "Your sister," Jesse said.
    "My sister's name is Emily and she's at college."
    "Your other sister. Billie. The one your parents won't talk about."
    Carla was silent.
    Someone in the audience said, "Billie the Bopper."
    Some of the kids snickered.
    "Shut up," Carla said.
    "Why don't we go sit in the car," Molly said, "and we can talk."
    "How come you're a cop?" Carla said to Molly.
    It was a sullen question. But even as she asked it, she started to move toward the car. Molly smiled at her as they walked across the street.
    "I got sick of being a movie star," Molly said.

Chapter Seventeen
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    Molly was in the backseat. Carla sat in the front seat with Jesse.
    "Do I have to talk with you?" Carla asked Jesse.
    "Not yet."
    "Shouldn't I have a lawyer or something?"
    "You're not under arrest," Jesse said. "We just need to know about your sister Billie."
    "You think she's dead?"
    "Yes."
    "Can't you tell if it's her by looking?"
    "No."
    Carla was silent.
    "So why do you think it's her?"
    "The young woman we found was wearing Hooker Royce's class ring on a chain around her neck," Jesse said.
    "Does Hooker know where she is?"
    "I talked with him on the phone," Molly said. "He doesn't."
    Carla's face was pinched, and there was a tightness around her mouth. But Jesse saw no sign of tears.
    "What happened to her?" Carla said.
    "Someone shot her," Jesse said, "and put her body in a lake."
    "Jesus," Carla said.
    "Yes."
    All three of them were quiet, listening to the air-conditioning in the unmarked police car.
    "Do my parents know?" Carla said.
    "Only what you heard me tell them," Jesse said.
    Again the soft sound of the air-conditioning. Across the street the kids were back to hanging out, but most of them looked regularly over at the car.
    "Who did it?" Carla said.
    "Don't know," Jesse said. "We're still trying to identify the body."
    "You're just a bunch of hick cops anyway," Carla said. "You'll never find out."
    "Do you have a family dentist?" Jesse said.
    "Of course."
    "What's his name?"
    "Dr. Levine. Why?"
    "It might help us identify the victim," Jesse said.
    "Can't you just use fingerprints?" Carla said.
    "Do you know where Billie is?" Jesse said.
    "No."
    "When's the last time you saw her?"
    Carla shrugged.
    "When's the last time she was home?"
    "They kicked her out right after school ended."
    "Your mother and father kicked her out?"
    "Yes."
    "Because?"
    "They said she was a druggie and a whore."
    "Was she?"
    Carla shrugged again.
    "Did they tell you not to talk about it?"
    Carla didn't answer. She was motionless, looking at her knees.
    "What did they say, Carla?" Molly asked.
    Carla answered without raising her eyes.
    "They said there was only two of us now. Me and Emily."
    Her voice was very small.
    "Have you heard from her since she left?" Jesse said.
    "No."
    "How do you feel about all this?" Molly said.
    Carla shrugged again, concentrating on her knees. "Billie messed up," she said.
    "Are you scared you might mess up?" Molly said.
    Carla didn't say anything. Molly took a card case from her shirt pocket, selected a card, and handed it to Carla.
    "If you do mess up," Molly said, "you can call me. I'll help you."
    Carla still didn't speak. But she took the card.

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