Jesse stopped by at least twice a week, if for no other reason than to raid the brownies and cookies in the kitchen. And, he liked to remind his busy team that it was still his law firm, though there was never any doubt about that. He spent a few minutes with Egan and each of the Pettigrews and asked about their cases. Since he talked to Keith every day he knew his business. The firm was like a family, and Jesse was determined for it to grow and prosper.
They enjoyed the Christmas lunch, with no alcohol, and laughed at the gag gifts that made the rounds. The party broke up around 3:00 p.m. with hugs and holiday greetings. Jesse excused himself and said he needed to get back to the DA’s office. Seriously? On a Friday afternoon in December?
He drove to the Biloxi harbor and parked on the oyster shells. He put on his overcoat and waited for the ferry to Ship Island. The trip out there and back always cleared his head, and he made it three or four times a year. The air was cool and a blustery wind made it colder, and he thought for a moment the shuttle might be suspended. He rather liked the rougher Sound with an occasional spray of salty water in his face.
He boarded the Pan American Clipper, said hello as always to Captain Pete, walked past a row of slot machines, and found a seat on the top deck, away from the other passengers. He faced south, toward Ship Island, which was not visible. It was almost Christmas and the tourists were long gone. The ferry was practically empty. The horn gave a long, mournful blast and they rocked away from the pier. The harbor was soon behind them.
Jesse’s first term was almost over and he considered it unsuccessful. In his project to clean up the Coast, he had barely scratched the surface. Prostitution and gambling were still plentiful in the clubs. The drug trade was increasing. The unsolved murders remained so. He’d won the nuisance case against Carousel, but it was still open and doing a brisk business. He thought he had Ginger Redfield on the ropes but she got away. Her jury had been rigged and he felt responsible for letting it happen. The bluff with Joe Nunzio had gone nowhere. He wouldn’t squeal and Jesse didn’t have enough proof. As he was learning, cash was impossible to trace, and in the shadows there was plenty of it. He had not laid a glove on Lance Malco, the ruling Boss of the Strip, or Shine Tanner, the current number two. His lone win was closing the Siesta, but it was an inside job and he would always be convinced it was a setup. The anonymous tip to the Biloxi police probably came from someone working for Malco. Ratting out the Siesta gave him one less competitor.
In fifteen months, Jesse would announce his candidacy for reelection. He could almost hear the radio ads from his opponent, whoever it might be. Rudy had not cleaned up the Coast. It was dirtier than ever. And so on. The prospect of another hard race was never appealing, but now he had little success to build a campaign on. He had great name recognition and could play politics as well as anyone, but something was missing. A conviction, and a big one.
He got off the ferry at the dock on Ship Island and went for a walk. He bought a tall coffee and found a park bench near the fort. The wind had died and the sea was calm. For a boy who grew up on the water and loved the Sound, he now spent so little time in a boat. Next year he would do better. Next year he would take the kids fishing, just like he did when they were younger.
Convicting Lance Malco and putting him in prison would now be priority one. Murders, beatings, bombings, and burnings aside, Malco had been operating criminal enterprises in Biloxi for twenty years, and he had done so with impunity. If Jesse couldn’t put him out of business, then Jesse didn’t deserve the job as district attorney.
But he needed the help of another DA.
* * *
Two days after Christmas, Jesse and Keith drove three hours north to Jackson and arrived half an hour early at the state capitol for a meeting with the governor, Bill Waller, a former prosecutor.
Waller had served as the DA for Hinds County for two terms, and had made a name for himself going after the notorious murderer of a prominent civil rights leader. In his campaigns, he refrained from using the incendiary race-baiting language of his predecessors. He was considered a moderate who wanted real change in education, elections, and race relations in the state. As a former prosecutor, he had no patience for the crime and corruption on the Coast. And, he had met Jesse Rudy and was thankful for his support.