Free Trouble in Paradise by Robert B. Parker

money,“ Jesse said.
    ”Their father can afford it.“
    ”He supports them?“
    ”As always. I raised them. He paid for it. He’s always been good that way.“
    ”What way wasn’t he good?“
    ”He was, is, a doctor. Very successful. A neurosurgeon. And he fucked every nurse that would hold still for twenty seconds.“
    ”Like all the jokes,“ Jesse said.
    ”Like all the jokes,“ Marcy said.
    ”He’s not a bad man. He’s generous, and he’s a good father in his way. But where his penis leads, he follows.“
    ”When’d you get divorced?“
    ”Ten years ago.“
    ”You over it?“
    ”Yes.“
    ”Want to get married again?“
    ”No,“ Jesse finished the last of his beer and set it on the table beside him.
    “Well,” he said.
    “Hello.”
    “Hi.”
    They both laughed again. Marcy drank some wine.
    “Here’s the deal,” she said.
    “I like men. I like wine. I like sex. Right now I’m having a nice time and I hope to have an even nicer one. I am not going to fall in love with you, and I don’t think you’ll fall in love with me. And, assuming you’re interested, we can have some nice uncomplicated sex with nothing at stake. And we can be each other’s friend.”
    Jesse leaned back in his chair and looked at her and said, “Works for me.”
    He kept looking at her in the semi-lucent darkness. She was quiet for a while as he did so, and then she said, “Assessing the goods?”
    “No, well maybe. I was just thinking how clear you are.”
    “I had a good shrink,” Marcy said.
    “The shrink had a good patient,” Jesse said.
    “Also true,” Marcy said.
    She stood and walked to the railing of her deck and placed her hips against it and sipped her drink.
    “The trouble with being clear is that it makes the transitions a little awkward,” she said.
    “I’m going to take a shower. Would you care to join me?”
    “Sure,” Jesse said.

 
     
    NINETEEN
    “I need a boom guy,” Macklin said.
    He was leaning on a railing on the Baltimore waterfront looking across at the aquarium, talking to a tall, bony redhaired man named Fran.
    “Uh-huh?” Fran said.
    Fran wore small, round, gold-rimmed glasses. His wiry red hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail. He had on a short-sleeved green shirt and khaki pants and Hush Puppies. His bare arms were heavily freckled. He had a gold earring.
    “You are the best around.”
    “True,” Fran said.
    “What’d you have in mind?”
    “I need a bridge blown.”
    “Legally?”
    ”Course not.“
    ”What else?“
    ”Other things. I’ll tell you when you need to know.“
    ”Maybe I need to know to decide if I want the job.“
    ”Job’s worth more than a million.“
    ”Total?“
    ”Each.“
    A water taxi pulled up to the dock below them and some tourists got out and headed up the stairs toward Harbor Place.
    ”Each is good,“ Fran said.
    ”Who’s in it?“
    ”So far, Crow, JD, Faye, and me,“ Macklin said.
    ”She waited for you.“
    ”Yes.“
    Fran nodded.
    ”Where’s this going to go down?“ he said.
    Macklin smiled and shook his head.
    ”Keep thinking about the million,“ Macklin said. ”It’s what you need to know.“
    ”You wouldn’t have Crow if you didn’t think it would take some doing,“ Fran said.
    ”Better to have him and not need him,“ Macklin said, ”than need him and not have him.“
    ”Maybe,“ Fran said.
    ”How many guys you need all together?“
    ”One more after you,“ Macklin said.
    ”I’m married now,“ Fran said.
    ”Congratulations.“
    ”Four kids.“
    ”How about that,“ Macklin said.
    ”I been legit since I got out. Working for the city, mostly slum clearance.“
    ”Making the big buck?“
    ”Not this big,“ Fran said.
    ”How long will it take?“
    ”You’ll probably be gone a week, ten days.“
    ”Ten days?“
    ”It’s a big job. You’ll need some time.“
    ”Ten days,“ Fran said, ”I could blow up Baltimore.“
    ”You have to look at the site,“ Macklin said.
    ”Decide