Summer Cool - A Jack Paine Mystery (Jack Paine Mysteries) Read Online Free PDF Page B

too."
    "The garage, first."
    They went to the garage. Paine checked under the seats in their Plymouth Voyager, slid his fingers up under the dashboard, lifted the ashtrays in the back seat to check the wells. There were open cartons of oil and bags containing power steering fluid, transmission fluid, an oil filter. He found nothing but receipts.
    "Okay, Terry, let's look at the bedroom."
    The bed was made; there was a quilt with pastel squares framing yellow and blue geese. The chest of drawers was tall, four long drawers and two half drawers at the top; it was mahogany, with Queen Anne legs; on top of it was a silver tray holding perfumes and a black glazed ceramic whale with the back scooped out for a change holder.
    Paine went through the change holder; there was change and a couple of receipts from Sears, a pocket comb with a couple of tines missing, a Sears wallet photo of the two girls and Terry, all of them smiling, bunched together, Terry in back with her arms around them. Paine looked at it for a minute, and then put it back.
    "Which drawers are his, Terry?"
    She was standing behind him, arms folded. "Bottom two."
    The room was hot. There was a small air conditioner set into one window, but it wasn't turned on. The room was dark, blinds down, thin slices of heated light thrown against the far wall. A dressing mirror slanted downward, reflecting floor and bed at an angle.
    Paine pulled open the bottom drawer. Folded Izod shirts, no pockets; shorts, pockets empty. Two pairs of jeans. Behind, on the left side, a cluster of papers, insurance policy sheets, car registration forms, police benefit department information.
    "He stored all the important papers there," Terry said behind him.
    Paine put the papers back, slid his hand to the right along the back length of the drawer. An unused belt coiled like a snake, a package of unopened handkerchiefs. Two pairs of folded chinos, pockets empty. In the right far corner, a blue rectangular box. Paine pulled it out: a twelve-pack of Trojan condoms, two left.
    Behind him, Terry said nothing. Paine put the box back.
    The upper drawer was filled with boxer shorts, T-shirts, a folded pair of flannel pajamas that looked unused. White crew socks, black nylon stretch socks. A flat, wooden, hinged box in the right front with more change, another comb, more receipts and paper clips in it. Under it was a bill in a long brown envelope. He lifted it out, studied it: a doctor's charge with an outstanding balance that he realized the import of as Terry spoke.
    "That was from the second miscarriage," she said. He turned on his haunches to look at her: her arms folded, seemingly cold in the hot room, hugging herself. "There was some question about insurance payment, so they told us to wait on the bill."
    "I'm sorry Terry," Paine said.
    Her reply was too quick. "Don't be."
    Paine looked at her a moment, turned away, slipped the bill back into its place and closed the drawer.
    He stood, stretched his back. "Let me look at the closet," he said.
    There was one closet, long sliding doors. She owned two-thirds of the left side ; Bobby's clothes had the rest. Paine slid the door over, went through the two suits, the dress uniform. There were six white shirts, two blue, a couple of sports shirts with twin breast pockets. Another pair of chinos, hanging. There were three pairs of shoes, a pair of Adidas, the floor behind them was clean.
    "He took nothing with him," Paine said, standing.
    "No."
    "Let's look at the laundry," Paine said.
    She turned. Paine followed her out into the hallway. She stopped by the bathroom door. "Here." Just inside the bathroom door was a white wicker hamper, stuffed to overflowing.
    "I haven't done wash in a few days," she said. She opened the hamper, began to pull clothes out. The top was filled with girl things that she tossed aside ; about halfway down were a couple of Bobby's shirts, which she handed to Paine. He went through the pockets, found nothing. There was another