Summer Cool - A Jack Paine Mystery (Jack Paine Mysteries) by Al Sarrantonio Page A

you."
    The stocky one shook his head dully, so Paine kicked him again in the ribs.
    "Jesus!" he said. "Stop it!"
    "Tell me who sent you."
    "I can't," the stocky one said. Paine made sure the skinny one was watching and he kicked the stocky one again, harder, and the stocky one screamed.
    Paine went to the other one and said, "Tell me who sent you."
    "Please, let's just forget it," the skinny one said.
    "You saw what I did to your friend?"
    The man nodded.
    Paine kicked him smartly in the side.
    "Anapolos sent us!" the skinny one said.
    "Who are you?" Paine asked.
    The skinny one was moaning, lying on his back, holding his side. "Jesus!"
    "You're not Jesus," Paine said. He cocked his foot back and the skinny one stopped moaning long enough to say, "Koval. My name's Koval."
    "Who's he?" Paine asked, pointing to the stocky one.
    "Kohl," Koval said. "His name's Richie Kohl."
    "What do you have to do with Anapolos?"
    Richie Kohl had rolled up into a sitting position, arms around his knees. He looked grouchy and hurt. "We live in his building in Easton."
    "Pennsylvania?" Paine said. "Anapolos owns a building in Easton, Pennsylvania?"
    Koval, the skinny one, nodded. "Two buildings. They're pigsties."
    "And what are you if you live in them?"
    "We owe him rent," Kohl said.
    "Get up," Paine said.
    They both rose, warily.
    "Here's the story," Paine said. He reached under his desk, turned off the tape recorder. "I see you around here again, I bust your heads. Then I get you arrested. I want you to tell Anapolos he's a scumbag. Got that?"
    They nodded, looking like schoolboys caught stealing milk money.
    "And if it helps," Paine said, as they slouched toward the door, "You don't owe Anapolos rent anymore. In fact, you've got the next six months rent free."
    Koval and Kohl looked at Paine blankly.
    "Get out," Paine said.
    Paine closed the door behind them, and turned on his message machine.
    Chief Bryers' voice was on the tape immediately. It said, "Paine, call me." The rest of the tape was empty.
    Paine punched the number in, and was put through immediately.
    "Paine," Bryers said, "I'd like to see you now."
    "Still hot with that job offer, Chief?"
    Bryers waited a beat before answering. "A man named Roberto Hermano, who Bob Petty was working with, was found murdered. And Coleman has disappeared. I'd like to see you. Now, if you can, Paine."
    "I can," Paine said.

11
     
    P aine didn't know Bryers well. He had been brought in to clean up the department only six months before and by all indications had done a good job. People were scared of him, which meant he was effective. And he had been Coleman's main worry, which was fine with Paine.
    Bryers' office was spartan and neat; the clock on the wall outside said 3:05 and the air conditioner had been turned off. There was a residual breath of cool air that Paine relished as he sat down.
    "I hear that you spoke with Roberto Hermano," Bryers said, directly. He looked like the kind of man who didn't waste time. He looked like his office. His tie was still knotted, his shirt white and unstained with perspiration, the sleeves buttoned at the cuff. His face was a bureaucrat's: oval, symmetrical, bland but potentially hard, the eyes unblinking, the hair thinning, parted, always combed. He'd look at home here or behind a lawyer's desk, or a vice president's desk at any corporation anywhere. He looked like the kind of man who would be good at implementing policy, or carrying out orders to the letter. Paine wasn't sure if he liked him or not.
    "I talked with Hermano two days ago." Paine smiled slightly; it went unreturned. "Just a friendly talk."
    "Coleman told you about him?"
    "Well. . ."
    "Coleman told you about him," Bryers stated, as if he were reading from prepared notes. "He also told you about Petty's drug investigation. Also, he made an unauthorized job offer to you, with incentives attached that made the offer, in effect, a bribe."
    "Can I guess?" Paine said. "You had Coleman's office