Night and Day (2009) by Robert B - Stone 08 Parker

Author:Robert B - Stone 08 Parker [Parker, Robert B - Stone 08]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2011-03-15T17:30:21.218000+00:00

Chapter 39

"I THINK I have a lead on the home invader," Jesse said when he sat down in Dix's office.

"That's what you're supposed to do," Dix said.

"Get a lead on the home invader?"

"Yeah," Dix said. "You're a cop. It's your job."

"So?"

"So it's not my job," Dix said.

"Which means what?"

"Which means for the last several weeks you've been busy telling me about the cases you're working on."

"You've been helpful," Jesse said.

"And nothing about the case I'm working on," Dix said.

"Which is me," Jesse said.

"Yes."

"Being a skilled investigator," Jesse said, "I conclude that you want to talk about me."

"That's another thing you've been doing," Dix said. "You kid about it."

"About what?"

"About whatever it is," Dix said, "that you don't want to talk to me about."

"And kidding is a clue to that?"

"It is," Dix said. "It's a distancing technique."

Jesse was quiet. He looked around the office.

"Jenn went to New York," Jesse said.

Dix sat back in his chair, clasped his hands in front of his mouth and waited, looking directly at Jesse.

"She got a job on a syndicated morning show, and she's bunking with the producer till she finds her own place," Jesse said.

"The producer is male?" Dix said.

"Yep," Jesse said. "I suppose it would be cynical to suggest that she might have been bunking with him before she got the job."

"Or it may be simply learning from experience," Dix said.

"It's her M.O.," Jesse said.

Dix nodded. Jesse shook his head.

"I don't know," Jesse said.

Dix waited.

"I love her," Jesse said.

Dix nodded.

"And," Jesse said, "she loves me . . . or at least she hangs on to me."

Dix nodded again. He had an attitudinal mode sometimes that encouraged you to follow a subject in the direction you had taken. He had another one that let you know he thought you were going the wrong way. This time Jesse knew he should pursue this topic.

"Could she hang on to me for a reason other than love?" Jesse said.

Dix raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Why would she?" Jesse said.

They were both silent. Then Jesse could see Dix decide to prime the pump.

"Think about her life," Dix said. "She has some talent, but as you said, her M.O. is to sleep with men who can advance her career."

Jesse nodded.

"So that her life may seem to her to be in the control of others," Dix said.

Jesse nodded.

"In an outofcontrol life," Dix said, "what stability is there? What can she count on?"

Jesse was silent for a moment.

Then he said, "Me."

Dix nodded firmly.

"She could have that. Hell, when we were married she did have that," Jesse said.

Dix nodded.

"Hell, she could have that now if she'd stay with me," Jesse said.

"But she chooses not to," Dix said.

"Or can't choose otherwise," Jesse said.

Dix nodded.

"I'm not enough," Jesse said.

"Apparently not," Dix said.

"So we're saying that because I love her and she can count on me, she's free to fuck her way to success," Jesse said.

Dix smiled faintly and nodded again.

"How's that working out for both of you?" Dix said.

Jesse leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out in front of him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.