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“Danny says you saw Inspector Jalbert park around back.”

“That’s right. Why?”

“Did he park near Danny’s truck?”

“No, by the school buses, but that’s pretty close. Hey, did he put something in Danny’s truck? Try to set him up? I wouldn’t put it past him. He looked totally locked and loaded.”

“Did you see him put anything in Danny’s truck?”

“No…”

“Did you see him go to Danny’s truck? Kind of looking it over? You know, the way some guys look at trucks?”

“No, soon as I saw him get out of his car I told Danny. Then I went back to work. Danny said just because it was our last day, that was no reason to be slacking off.”

“I’m sorry you lost your job because of Coughlin.”

Jesse’s face darkens. “Wasn’t him. Chickenshit school administration said Danny had to go and I had to go with him. They made up a lot of bullshit reasons—”

“Jesse, watch your mouth,” his mother says. “This is an officer of the law you’re talking to.”

“It just makes me mad. They probably made up some stupid stuff on account of they couldn’t fire him because of that girl. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?”

I keep hearing that, Ella thinks.

“He went, so I had to go,” Jesse says. “I get that, I’m just a kid. But I needed that money for college.”

“You’ll get another job,” Davis says.

“Already did. At the sawmill.” Jesse makes a face. “The pay is better, so long as I don’t cut off a hand.”

“You better not,” his mom says. “You need that hand.”

Laurie and Luke have abandoned the swings. They are sitting in the shade of the small yard’s only tree, heads together, looking at the iPad Mini. As Davis glances their way, the two kids start giggling at whatever’s on the screen. Davis is suddenly very glad she came. After spending so much time with Jalbert, it’s like coming out of a stale room into fresh air.

“Let me get this straight,” Davis says, taking out her notebook. “You saw Inspector Jalbert park in back—”

“Yeah, even though out front is a lot closer to the building.”

“But you didn’t see him approach Danny Coughlin’s truck, or touch it in any way.”

“I told you, I had to go back to work.”

“Okay, understood.” She smiles and gives him her card. “If anything else occurs to you—”

“You should have seen him!” Jesse bursts out. “Waving that newspaper in Danny’s face. Low class! After Danny did the cops a favor! I don’t think that guy even cares who did it, he just wants to put Danny in jail.”

“Enough, Jesse,” his mother says. “Show some manners.”

“That guy Jalbert didn’t show any,” Jesse says, and Davis guesses that was true. But excusable. When you’ve got a rapist-murderer standing in front of you, manners have a way of going out the window.

“Thank you for your time. Come on, Laurie, we have to go.”

“We just got here!” Laurie groans. “Me’n Luke are playing Corgi Hop! It’s so funny!”

“Five minutes,” Ella says. Her ex claims she spoils the girl, and Ella supposes he’s right. But Laurie is what she’s got, all she’s got, and how she loves her. The thought of Coughlin putting his dirty bloodstained hands on her—on any girl—makes Ella cold.

“Mrs. Jackson, can I help you hang those clothes while I wait for them to finish their game?”