Death in Paradise

Chapter Nine

"They moved the cars," Angstrom said as he came into Jesse's office. "And she went around and told people to cool it."

"You leave Perkins there?"

"Him and John," Angstrom said. "I'm sorry I had to drag you out there."

"It's why I get the big bucks, Arthur."

"My wife wore pants as tight as Mrs. Shaw I wouldn't let her out in public," Angstrom said. "How the fuck she get them on?"

"She's probably a strong-willed woman," Jesse said.

"What's casuistry mean?" Arthur said.

"I have no idea," Jesse said.

Suitcase came into the office with Doc Lane. He was carrying a big evidence bag, which he held up as if he'd caught a record-breaking fish. Doc had a cinder block in each hand, which he set on the floor by Jesse's desk.

"Doc found it," Simpson said.

"Rope and shoe?"

"Tied to a couple of cinder blocks," Doc said.

He was a rangy, weathered guy who fished, and tended bar at night, and did the diving for the police when there was any to do.

"Any gun?"

"None that I could find," Doc said. "The bottom is muck, Jesse. Gun could be under ten feet of it, if it's in there at all."

Jesse looked at the rope. It was the kind that you buy in fifty-foot lengths at lumber yards, about the size of clothesline, but made of nylon. When you cut it, you needed to burn the ends, so the rope wouldn't unravel.

"The ends are frayed," Jesse said.

"Two of them are mine," Doc said. "I had to cut it loose from the cinder blocks."

"I see that. The other ends are starting to unravel. Means he probably cut it at the time he used it, and didn't have time to melt the cut end."

"Or he was in the water," Simpson said, "and the matches were wet."

There was one small shoe tangled in the rope.

"Looks like the one she was wearing," Jesse said. "We'll get a size match."

It was the first time either Simpson or Angstrom had seen one of the shoes. Neither had looked at her when she came out of the water.

"Penny loafer," Angstrom said. "I got three daughters and none of them had any penny loafers."

"A retro girl," Jesse said.

"You need me anymore, Jesse?" Doc said.

"No. Thank you. Send me a bill, and I'll buck it over to the town clerk."

Doc left. Jesse stood and went around his desk and squatted on his heels and looked at the cinder blocks. They were still damp.

"New," Jesse said. "Arthur, now that you've brought law and order to Paradise Neck, go around to hardware stores and lumber yards and see if anyone bought two cinder blocks and some nylon rope in the last month or so."

"In what area?"

"North shore," Jesse said. "To start."

" Lot of people buy rope and cinder block."

"Yeah, but how many buy two cinder blocks and some rope at the same time?"

"You think the guy was that stupid?" Simpson said.

"Maybe. And maybe he used a credit card," Jesse said.

"That would be amazingly stupid," Simpson said.

"We can hope," Jesse said.