"You going to blow the bridge?"

"If I need to."

"No way we're going to make this omelette, Jimmy, without breaking a few eggs," Crow said.

"You care?"

"No."

"What the hell do you care about, Crow?"

"Nothing you'd understand, Jimmy."

"Apache stuff?"

Crow shrugged and sipped some more coffee.

"Sure," he said.

"Well we get-um much wampum," Macklin said.

"Apaches care about wampum, don't they?"

"Apaches don't know nothing about wampum, that's East Coast Indian shit."

"So what do Apaches care about?"

"Cash," Crow said.

THIRTY-SEVEN.

"That registration you wanted me to;

check?" Suitcase said as he came into the office.

"Car's registered to Harry Smith, okay.

Address on Pier Seven in Charlestown." He handed Jesse the pink message sheet. Jesse glanced at it. The address was the rehabbed Charlestown Navy Yard. He folded the pin slip and put it in his shirt pocket.

"Heard you was with Abby at the Gull] last night," Suitcase Simpson said.

"Heard she had a few."

"Observant," Jesse said.

"Heard she was all over you."

"I think one is connected to the other," Jesse said.

"She spend the night at your place?"

"Suit, maybe you should start dating more," Jesse said.

"Me and the other guys chipped in," Suitcase said, "bought you these."

He took a large bottle of multivitamins from the side pocket of his uniform jacket, handed them to Jesse, and nearly collapsed with laughter.

"Goddamn, Jesse-talk about a cock jockey," Suitcase struggled to speak through the laughter.

"Your ex-wife... Marcy Campbell... Abby... I'm going to start walking... my mother... to church."

He staggered back against the wall of Jesse's office, now laughing too hard to stand upright. His eyes were wet; his red cheeks were crimson. Jesse smiled and waited for him to get control. Suitcase was only twenty-five. He was a big twenty-five but not a very old one. Molly Crane knocked on the door as she opened it.

"Morris Comden's here, Jesse," she said.

"Wants to see you alone."

"Probably looking for sex tips," Suitcase gasped.

"Take Suit out, and send Morris in," Jesse said.

"You give him the vitamins?" Molly said to Suitcase.

Suitcase nodded, and Molly giggled and left the door open as she and Suitcase went out. In a moment Morris Comden came in, glancing back over his shoulder at the two cops who'd just left.

"Must be a hell of a joke, Jess," Comden said.

"Doesn't take a hell of a joke to get those two hysterical," Jesse said.

"What's up, Morris?"

Comden looked around the office and glanced back at the half open door.

"Mind if I close the door, Jess?"

"No."

Comden got up and closed the door and came back and sat down. He hated how Jesse always just answered your question and nothing more.

"We got us a problem, Jess."

Jesse waited.

"You know I've always been in your corner," Comden said.

Jesse waited.

"You remember how I stood with you during the trouble last year," Comden said.

"No, Morris, I don't."

Comden didn't know what to say to that, so he went on as if Jesse hadn't spoken.

"But this is a tough one," Comden said. His voice was a little hoarse, as if he needed to clear his throat.

"Kay Hopkins."

Jesse leaned back in his chair with his elbows resting on the arms of the chair and his fingers laced across his flat stomach.

"You know she's always backed me politically," Comden said.

Jesse nodded.

"And her husband is financially well connected."

"Uh-huh."

Bastard doesn't help you, Morris thought. He never helps you.

He just sits there.

"Charlie makes a difference in a town like this," Comden said.

"And I've been very privileged to call Charlie my friend."

"And supporter," Jesse said.

"Charlie has supported me, and Kay has worked very hard for me."

The office was quiet. Occasionally there was the sound of traffic going by on Summer Street. And the sound of a door shutting somewhere down the hall.

"And, ah, now, damn it, Jess they're asking for my support."

"And?"

"And I think they have a right to it."

Again the room was silent. Jesse was perfectly still in his chair.

Comden was unable to say anything else.

Finally Jesse said, "Well if that's all you got to say, Morris, nice talking to you."

"Jess... I... they, ah, want you to resign."

"I'm sure they do," Jesse said.

"They're adamant."

"I'm sure they are."

"Jesus, Jess... Will you resign?"

"No."