Go on and kiss the girl
Finally, her sobs stopped and she moved away from me. I found my handkerchief and gave it to her. She blew her nose and then looked up at me.I didnt want you to fuck me, she said, “I just wanted you to hold me, but it felt like that, didnt it. Her name was Jennifer Stamos. She was twenty-eight and had been at Cowl for six years. In fact, she had been in Sara Ewess class. Devine knew this because she was in the firms employee directory, which was accessible to all at Cowl. It did not contain addresses, like an old phone book did, or other personal information. This was strictly business-related. It was known, firm-wide, without a shred of originality,as the Book. It contained all the things each person had done while at Cowl: every deal, every triumph, every failure, every screwup. Cowl kept score like no one else. Everyone had a numeric and alphabetical grade that, combined, served to define their firm-wide ranking for all to see, and, to ratchet the pressure up even more, that ranking was updated daily. I mean he doesnt know — well, every last detail about us. I know, Mason told her. Im a narrow-minded old fuddyduddy. Ive always been suspicious whenever I see a woman jumping out of a window… I saw two small cots, both swaybacked; a three-drawer bureau, a washbasin and a pitcher on top of it; a single straight-backed chair. The metal bucket was presumably used to pee in. This was the best suite in the house. I hope its good. Theyre up the mountain, at a place called 10,000 Waves, he said. Viv is on board for that, Dino said. I imagine that Vanessa would be for it. And Will Valentine, his beer-guzzling friend with more optimism than any person Devine had ever met, and who loved his adopted country more than some native-born citizens, was also dead. All fifty thousand dollars worth of them, I suppose, she said bitterly. I know. No, Mason said, you would prefer to leave it in terms of generality, wouldnt you, Sheriff? The consideration didnt show on the transfers. It was a private matter. Have you been talking to some of them? Murfin said. How do you know she didnt take jewelry? Go right ahead. So what did you do?..