"Marcy, he was a cop in Los Angeles when I married him."

"But did you ever see him being a cop, you understand?"

Jenn got it quickly.

"You mean like you did?" Jenn said.

"Yes, and I know it's not my business, and I'm probably driven by gratitude and maybe post traumatic shock syndrome, but God if you had seen him."

"Tell me about it," Jenn said.

"He was, I don't know, there we were, like captives being led away, and then there was Jesse. One minute everything is hopeless and we're all terrified, and then..." Marcy couldn't think how to put it.

"Was he calm?" Jenn said.

"Yes."

"He would be," Jenn said.

"And you saw him shoot this man."

"Yes."

"Was that awful?" Jenn said.

"No "Marcy said.

"Jesse can be very tough," Jenn said.

"And very brave."

Jenn nodded.

"Yes," she said, "very brave."

They both picked at their salads for a moment. The salads were mostly iceberg lettuce with a single red onion ring on it and two cherry tomatoes.

"This will not make us fat," Marcy said.

Jenn smiled.

"Nor happy," she said. She took a bite of salad. The dressing was on the side in a little cup. It was a bright orange.

"Sorry about the restaurant," Jenn said.

"It's right near the station."

"That appears to be its only charm," Marcy said.

"I'll know better next time."

They each had a bite of salad.

"What is the point of you telling me about Jesse?" Jenn said.

"I guess I hoped it would help you make up your mind."

"He's told you about me."

"Yes."

"You lovers?"

"No, good friends."

"You fucking him?" Jenn said. ," "Yes."

"But you don't love him."

"Been a long time," Marcy said, "since I thought those two were inseparable."

Jenn smiled without committing herself on sex and love.

"And you like him a lot," she said.

"Yes."

"It's easy, isn't it," Jenn said, "to like him a lot. I like him a lot too."

"And love him?"

"Yes, absolutely, I love him," Jenn said.

"Then?"

"

"Then'... loving him and living with him are different things."

"I don't see why."

"You don't have to."

For the first time, Marcy heard the iron in Jenn's voice and realized that she was something a little more than a media cutie. It startled her a bit, though it didn't frighten her, and it made her feel better for Jesse, knowing he wasn't wildly in love with an airhead.

"No," Marcy said, "I don't. But it would be good if you did."

"I know some" Jenn said.

"I know that Jesse loves me, but I know that he has to back off a little and give me some airspace."

"Obsessive?"

"Some."

"He doesn't seem obsessive to me," Marcy said.

"He's not in love with you," Jenn said.

"Ah-ha," Marcy said.

Jenn was quiet.

"If I could be a friend to both of you," Marcy said, "I'd like to be."

"Hard to figure how that will work," Jenn said.

"Might be worth a try," Marcy said.

"What's in it for you?"

"Payback, I suppose," Marcy said.

"What's in it for me?" Jenn said.

"A girlfriend isn't a bad thing," Marcy said.

Jenn finished her salad and broke off a piece of bread.

"May I call you?" Marcy said.

Jenn ate the piece of bread without butter.

When she had chewed and swallowed, Jenn said, "Will you tell Jesse?"

"No."

Jenn smiled at Marcy and nodded.

"Sure," she said.

"Call me."

SIXTY-SEVEN.

Jesse had Faye brought from her cell to his office. Molly stayed in the room.

"You can un cuff her, Molly."

Molly unlocked the cuffs.

"Sit," Jesse said.

Faye sat. Her face was without expression. Her eyes seemed empty. Jesse looked at some papers on his desk for a moment.

"Faye," he said.

"We got you for assjjjlL and kidnapping."

Faye didn't say anything.

"You wanna explain to me what you were doing?" Jesse said.

Faye shook her head.

"Okay," Jesse said.

"Then I'll explain it to you, and you tell me if I got anything wrong."

Faye was silent and motionless. Molly was equally still against the wall near the door, her service pistol looking, as it always did, a little too large for her.