from sight. “Thirty feet.”
At fifty feet he turned to us. “He’s coming up.” He began to haul slowly on the rope. After several minutes the diver hoisted himself out of the water. His partner helped him take off the tanks, and he pulled his mask off.
“Man, it’s cold down there,” he breathed. He toweled his face and legs with a balled up sweatshirt.
“See anything?” said Stern.
“Nothing. I didn’t hit bottom. About thirty feet down there’s an opening that goes back under. Looks like a big cave. There’s current under there, it feels like. About fifty feet there’s another big hole in the side. Looks like a tunnel that curves in and back. I looked down with the light and all I could see was more water and a lot more of those ledges and caves. I figure somewhere down there there’s an underground river. We’ll need better gear if you want us to really explore it.” He raised his eyebrows at Stern.
“No signs of anything, then?”
“Nope. Anything that fell in there could get sucked into one of those tunnels. Or maybe just go straight down, God knows how far.”
“These quarry pools,” the other man said. “Kid drowned in one in Quincy couple of years ago. We went down, found some old auto bodies. Couldn’t find the kid. Finally they drained it. Still couldn’t find him.” He shrugged. “Something about these quarry pools.”
Stern nodded. “We’ll get the proper equipment in and try to do it right.” He turned to me. “Look, Mr. Coyne. You’re in the way, okay? It’s going to be a long, boring afternoon, and I doubt we’re gonna find anything very dramatic. You’re thinking the boy’s body is down there. Well, if it is we may not find it. Okay?” He snatched his dark-framed glasses from his face and jabbed at me with them. “So why don’t you go home and do whatever it is you do to make a living, and let us do what we do?”
I stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “You’ll let me know?”
“Sure. You’re involved, okay? You’re an important part of this investigation. I’ll keep in touch. Don’t call me. I’ll call you. So run along, now, huh?”
I stood up. “Let me know if you ever decide to run for public office, will you, Stern?”
I walked back to my car and drove home. I needed a shower.
9
J AN WAS LYING ON her stomach on a big beach towel spread out on the concrete apron by the pool. By her head a paperback book sat on its open pages. The white bikini she wore contrasted with the deep bronze of her skin. It looked as if she had been investing considerable time—and whatever sort of energy it took—into acquiring her tan.
I dragged an aluminum folding chair close to her and sat in it. Her face rested on her left cheek, turned away from me.
“Watch the rays, will you?” she said without moving her head.
“Sorry.” I moved back. “How are you?”
“How do you like my tan?” she mumbled into the towel.
“Real nice, Jan. It’s a good one.”
“They said you were coming. I told them you shouldn’t bother. I had to put a top on because you were coming. Now I’ll get lines.”
“Lines?”
“On my back. Oh, hell. You don’t mind if I take this off, do you? I really don’t want to get lines.”
She reached around and unsnapped the top of her bathing suit. It fell away and she lay spread out in front of me naked except for the little patch of white cloth across her rump.
“You should see my breasts. No lines at all. I had a little problem with them at first. The nipples get burned, you know? They’re very sensitive. I had to put a lot of lotion on them. Rub it in thick. This is the best tan I ever had.”
“Jan—”
“Let’s have a drink. There’s a cooler over there in the shade. Vodka and tonic. All mixed. We’ll have to share. Only one glass. You don’t mind sharing a glass with me, do you?”
I took the glass over to the cooler and filled it. I took a sip. It was mostly vodka. I put it down beside her, and she
At fifty feet he turned to us. “He’s coming up.” He began to haul slowly on the rope. After several minutes the diver hoisted himself out of the water. His partner helped him take off the tanks, and he pulled his mask off.
“Man, it’s cold down there,” he breathed. He toweled his face and legs with a balled up sweatshirt.
“See anything?” said Stern.
“Nothing. I didn’t hit bottom. About thirty feet down there’s an opening that goes back under. Looks like a big cave. There’s current under there, it feels like. About fifty feet there’s another big hole in the side. Looks like a tunnel that curves in and back. I looked down with the light and all I could see was more water and a lot more of those ledges and caves. I figure somewhere down there there’s an underground river. We’ll need better gear if you want us to really explore it.” He raised his eyebrows at Stern.
“No signs of anything, then?”
“Nope. Anything that fell in there could get sucked into one of those tunnels. Or maybe just go straight down, God knows how far.”
“These quarry pools,” the other man said. “Kid drowned in one in Quincy couple of years ago. We went down, found some old auto bodies. Couldn’t find the kid. Finally they drained it. Still couldn’t find him.” He shrugged. “Something about these quarry pools.”
Stern nodded. “We’ll get the proper equipment in and try to do it right.” He turned to me. “Look, Mr. Coyne. You’re in the way, okay? It’s going to be a long, boring afternoon, and I doubt we’re gonna find anything very dramatic. You’re thinking the boy’s body is down there. Well, if it is we may not find it. Okay?” He snatched his dark-framed glasses from his face and jabbed at me with them. “So why don’t you go home and do whatever it is you do to make a living, and let us do what we do?”
I stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “You’ll let me know?”
“Sure. You’re involved, okay? You’re an important part of this investigation. I’ll keep in touch. Don’t call me. I’ll call you. So run along, now, huh?”
I stood up. “Let me know if you ever decide to run for public office, will you, Stern?”
I walked back to my car and drove home. I needed a shower.
9
J AN WAS LYING ON her stomach on a big beach towel spread out on the concrete apron by the pool. By her head a paperback book sat on its open pages. The white bikini she wore contrasted with the deep bronze of her skin. It looked as if she had been investing considerable time—and whatever sort of energy it took—into acquiring her tan.
I dragged an aluminum folding chair close to her and sat in it. Her face rested on her left cheek, turned away from me.
“Watch the rays, will you?” she said without moving her head.
“Sorry.” I moved back. “How are you?”
“How do you like my tan?” she mumbled into the towel.
“Real nice, Jan. It’s a good one.”
“They said you were coming. I told them you shouldn’t bother. I had to put a top on because you were coming. Now I’ll get lines.”
“Lines?”
“On my back. Oh, hell. You don’t mind if I take this off, do you? I really don’t want to get lines.”
She reached around and unsnapped the top of her bathing suit. It fell away and she lay spread out in front of me naked except for the little patch of white cloth across her rump.
“You should see my breasts. No lines at all. I had a little problem with them at first. The nipples get burned, you know? They’re very sensitive. I had to put a lot of lotion on them. Rub it in thick. This is the best tan I ever had.”
“Jan—”
“Let’s have a drink. There’s a cooler over there in the shade. Vodka and tonic. All mixed. We’ll have to share. Only one glass. You don’t mind sharing a glass with me, do you?”
I took the glass over to the cooler and filled it. I took a sip. It was mostly vodka. I put it down beside her, and she
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