Split Image by Robert B. Parker Read Free Book Online

listened.
    Finally Rebecca Galen stepped forward.
    "I think we've talked long enough for today," she said. "I know my sister will be willing to talk again. But the doctor has prescribed a sedative, and I think she should take it."
    "One other question," Jesse said. "Ray Mulligan? Where was he when Knocko was murdered?"
    Robbie shook her head.
    Rebecca said, "Knocko fired him the week before."
    "They were old friends," Jesse said. "School days. Why'd he fire him?"
    Robbie shook her head again.
    "They had a disagreement," Rebecca said. "Neither of us knows about what. Our husbands' world was pretty much theirs."
    "So, who does security now?" Jesse said.
    "Bob," Rebecca said.
    "Your Bob," Jesse said.
    "Yes, he sort of looks after both estates."
    "You know where Ray Mulligan is now?" Jesse said.
    They both shook their heads.
    "Robbie really needs to rest," Rebecca said.
    "Sure," Jesse said, and stood.
    Healy and Liquori stood as well. They said good-bye, and Rebecca showed them out.
    As they went down the front walk to their car, Liquori said, "Never thought I'd see someone upset 'cause Knocko Moynihan died."
    "Especially somebody like her," Jesse said.
    "Especially," Liquori said.

19

    T HEY SAT in Healy's car, in the town beach parking lot. Liquori did most of the talking.
    "I already gave Captain Healy the stuff I got on Reggie," Liquori said. "I assume he passed it on to you."
    "He did," Jesse said.
    "You got time to listen to background?" Liquori said.
    Healy nodded. Jesse said, "Yes."
    "Okay," Liquori said. "Him and Knocko had their problems."
    "After Broz retired?" Healy said.
    "Yeah," Liquori said.
    He looked at Jesse.
    "You wasn't around here twenty years ago."
    "Nope."
    "Guy named Broz ran pretty much the whole metropolitan area," Liquori said. "South almost to Providence, west to Springfield, north . . . hell, all the way to Montreal, for all I know."
    "And when he quit there was a fight for territory," Jesse said.
    "His kid wasn't up to it," Liquori said. "And there was some shouting and shooting and deal making, and we ended up with Gino Fish getting downtown, Tony Marcus got all the schwartzas, Knocko got the south, Reggie got north."
    "When did this all happen?" Jesse said.
    "Twenty years, give or take," Liquori said.
    "'Bout the time Reggie married his wife," Jesse said.
    "When did Knocko get married?" Healy said.
    Liquori shrugged.
    "I can check," he said. "Mighta had something to do with the deal they made?"
    "Mighta," Jesse said.
    "Like some of those old-time marriages," Liquori said. "You know? Like the king's sister marries the other king's brother or something."
    "Maybe," Jesse said.
    "What do we know about the wives?" Healy said.
    "Nothing much," Liquori said. "They have never showed up on our screen, you know? No arrests, no accessory after charges. Nothing. Far as we know, they had nice marriages without any big troubles."
    "At least no public ones," Healy said.
    "None that we got," Liquori said.
    "Any thoughts, Jesse?" Healy said.
    "But far as I can tell, they were both happily married," Jesse said.
    "Couple of fucking hooligans," Liquori said. "Like Knocko and Reggie?"
    "Doesn't make sense to me, either," Jesse said. "Course, that may be because of the kind of marriage I had."
    "Tell me about it," Liquori said.
    "I been married forty-one years," Healy said. "Sometimes it works."
    "And sometimes it don't," Liquori said.
    Jesse didn't say anything. No one else did, either. The tide was out, and the smooth, wet expanse of beach that had been exposed by its going out ended in a line of seaweed and shells that marked its highest incursion. The sunlight was quick and right along the tops of the waves.
    "Maybe we need to know more about these women," Healy said.
    "I'll go through what I got," Liquori said.
    "I can probably scrape up someone to look into them, too," Healy said.
    Jesse nodded.
    "No harm to it," he said. "Knocko actually retired?"
    "No," Liquori said.
    "Like Reggie is, partly."
    "Healy told me