There might be some publicity, depends mostly on the suspect. If he's not newsworthy, and we stay out of court with a plea bargain, nobody needs to know. I got no need to talk about it.

You called him a suspect, Jackie said. You think she's lying?

Jesse shook his head. Just cop talk, Jackie. He's a suspect until we convict him.

Well, she says she was raped, she was raped.

Molly brought Cathleen back.

I have a full statement, Molly said.

Jesse nodded.

Anything else you want to say, Cathleen?

Nope.

Okay, Jesse said. We'll arrange a lineup.

I'll know the bastard, Cathleen said.

Cathleen! Jackie said.

Well, he is a bastard, Cathleen said.

Sam stood.

He gets off, Jesse, I swear, I'll deal with him myself, Sam said.

Jesse stood and put out his hand.

No need, Sam, we're on it.

They all shook hands, and Molly showed them out. Jesse thought that Cathleen's handshake was not enthusiastic.

Chapter 27.

When Molly came back into Jesse's office, Jesse was looking out his window at the fire trucks being washed on the firehouse driveway beneath his window. He liked the way the stream of water from the hose sluiced away the suds worked up by the sponge. He liked the way it slid smoothly off and as the water dried up, the red finish of the truck gleamed in the morning sun.

Rape, my ass, Molly said.

Jesse nodded. Outside the firemen began to polish the chrome. They liked that truck. Like grooming a horse, Jesse thought. If it was alive, they'd give it a carrot.

Let's hear her statement, Jesse said.

Molly got the audiotape of her interview with Cathleen and they listened to it in Jesse's office.

They made me do a striptease, Cathleen said.

What were the circumstances? Molly asked.

They got a video camera, and they said I had to do a striptease or they wouldn't take me home.

Who is they? Molly said.

The guy that raped me and other guys and some women, too. They said I had to strip.

Perfect, Jesse said.

Keep listening, Molly said.

And then the guy who owned the boat took me into his bedroom and closed the door and threw me on the bed and raped me. He was like an animal. Just threw me down and jumped on me and stuck it in.

But, he did wear a condom, Molly said.

Yeah, sure.

Did he put that on just before he jumped on you like an animal?

Yeah, just before.

Was it in a packet? Molly said. Did he have to open the packet?

No, he just ... he had it in his pocket and just pulled it out and put it on.

They listened to the rest of it. She might have had a drink, but if she did, it was only one and she didn't finish it. What kind of drink? Vodka. Straight? Yes. Who brought her home?

Same guy brought her out. The one she met in the bar. Could she pick him out of a lineup? Yeah, 'course.

When the tape was finished, Jesse said, She got drunk at the Dory, went on a lark to the yacht. They fed her more booze. She got drunker and did a striptease. Then the owner brought her into his bedroom and had sex with her. They brought her home. Maybe they didn't treat her respectfully. Maybe she just was in trouble at home for being late and being drunk. Maybe she was afraid the tape they made of her striptease would get out. Whatever, she came up with this story.

Molly nodded.

Her mother knows she wasn't raped, Molly said. Yes, Jesse said. She does.

I guess Sam believes her. I hope he doesn't do something about this that will get him in trouble.

He'll let us do our thing, Jesse said. He's like a lot of fathers in this situation. He's saying what he thinks he's supposed to say.

What are you going to do?

Jesse smiled.

We don't know she's making this up, Jesse said. We're pretty sure, Molly said.

It's not our job to decide, Jesse said. It's our job to in - vestigate. The DA and the courts decide.

If we got her in here alone and talked to her for a while, Molly said, she'd tell us she's lying.

We don't want to do that, Jesse said.

We don't?

Then we'd have no reason to search the alleged crime scene.

The Lady Jane? Molly said.

And confiscate any videotape we might find, Jesse said. Molly began to nod her head slowly.

And since it is a lawful search, if we stumbled across anything that looked like evidence in the Florence Horvath homicide . . . she said.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, Jesse said. It helps to know what to do with the luck when it comes your way, Molly said.

Yes, it does, Jesse said.

Chapter 28.

Kelly Cruz sat on a terrace in the tallest building south of New York and looked at Biscayne Bay. The Cuban maid brought her iced tea with mint.

Mister and Missus will come right out, soon, the maid said.

Kelly Cruz nodded. The maid backed off the terrace. Kelly Cruz watched an ornate white cruise ship plod fatly south in the bay. She had never been on a cruise, but she couldn't imagine it was much fun.

Miss Cruz? Nice to see you again.

Kelly Cruz put her tea down and stood.

Mr. Plum, she said. Mrs. Plum.

Everyone shook hands.

Sit down, Mr. Plum said, please.

The Cuban maid appeared with iced tea for the Plums. That will be all, Magdalena, Mrs. Plum said. Thank you.

The first time she'd met them, Kelly Cruz thought they looked like brother and sister. Mrs. Plum had thick silver hair brushed back, and very large sunglasses. Her skin was evenly tanned. She was slim and wearing a white silk shirt with white linen slacks and sandals. Her toenails were polished. Early sixties, Kelly Cruz estimated. Both of them. Mr. Plum looked like his wife. Silvery hair, brushed back, even tan, dark glasses, white shirt and slacks. Mr. Plum smiled at Kelly Cruz.

Did I tell you when you came by last time? he said. That you're quite attractive for a detective.

It's a disguise, Kelly Cruz said.

Mr. Plum smiled widely and nodded in a way that made Kelly Cruz think he hadn't understood what she said.

Do you have any new information about Florence's death, Mrs. Plum said.

I need to ask you some more questions, tell you some things we have learned, Kelly Cruz said, and get your comments. Not all of the things will be pleasant.

Must you? Mrs. Plum said. Don't you think we may have heard enough unpleasant things?

She has to do her job, Mommy, Mr. Plum said.

Do you know a man named Thomas Ralston? Kelly Cruz said.

Mr. Plum looked thoughtful for a time.

Then he said, No, I'm afraid I don't.

Mrs. Plum? Kelly Cruz said.

He's one of the crowd of pimps and gigolos that Florence knew.

Florence? Are you sure, Mommy? I don't remember him. You remember only what you want to, Mrs. Plum said. And I'm not your mother.

Mr. Plum smiled at his wife.

Which was he, Kelly Cruz said.

I don't know. He had money. He owned a yacht. That was enough for Florence.

How did he get his money?

Wise choice of parents, Mrs. Plum said. Or, more likely, grandparents.

She glanced briefly at her husband. Perhaps he wasn't a self-made man, either, Kelly Cruz thought. He smiled happily at his wife.

How well do you know him.

I've met him once or twice.

So you don't know him well?

To know him at all is to know him too well.

He doesn't seem like a bad sort, Mommy, Mr. Plum said. I thought you didn't know him, Kelly Cruz said. Mommy, Mrs. Plum, reminded me, he said.

Kelly Cruz nodded.