4
I was sitting in the backseat of Captain
Healy’s unmarked Mass State police cruiser. Healy sat in front
behind the wheel, and beside him was an assistant DA from Middlesex
named Kate Quaggliosi. Kate had a fine body and olive skin. Her
hair was blond.
“Weren’t too useful, were you?” Kate said.
“I didn’t actually help them,” I said.
“Didn’t do much to hinder them,” Kate said.
“Don’t overstate,” I said.
“Okay,” she said. “You did nothing to hinder
them.”
“That’s more accurate,” I said.
“Good,” Kate said. “Glad we got that
settled.”
She looked at Healy.
“You know this guy?” she said.
“I do,” he said. “He’s very annoying.”
“I noticed,” Kate said.
“But if he couldn’t have saved this situation, no
one could have.”
“Gee, Captain,” I said.
Healy looked at me.
“Shut up,” he said.
He looked back at Kate.
“And trust me,” Healy said to her, “he does not
like it that this went down this way on his watch. And he won’t let
it go until he makes it right.”
“In whose opinion,” she said.
“His,” Healy said. “Only one matters to him.”
“Susan’s opinion matters,” I said.
“Who?” Kate said.
“Girl of my dreams,” I said.
“So you might as well learn to deal with him now,”
Healy said. “Because everywhere we turn on this, from here on in,
we’re going to bump into him.”
“Well,” she said. “Annoying and
persistent.”
“And sometimes helpful,” I said.
She looked at Healy. He nodded.
“I find it’s better to work with him than fight
him,” Healy said.
“You’ve told us everything you know,” she said to
me.
“Yep.”
“It’s not very much,” she said.
“I don’t know very much,” I said.
She smiled slightly.
“In this case?” she said. “Or are you speaking more
generally.”
“Probably both,” I said.
“Modest, too,” she said.
“I have much to be modest about,” I said.
“Certainly true,” she said, “since I’ve known you.
You have any questions for us?”
“You really blonde?” I said.
“With a name like Quaggliosi?” she said.
“I thought maybe it was your married name.”
“My husband’s name is Henderson. Henderson, Lake,
Taylor, and Caldwell, attorneys at law. He makes money; I do
good.”
“So you’re not really blonde,” I said.
“You’ll never know,” she said. “But thanks for
asking.”