Inspector Green Mysteries 9-Book Bundle by Barbara Fradkin Read Free Book Online

neutral. “Describe him.”
    “He was gross. Huge and fat. He wheezed as he waited. At least 275 and six-foot-two. He reminded me of John Candy— you know, the movie star?—but his hair was lighter brown, and he had a silly little mustache. He was into leather, but if he was hoping to score points with it, no woman in her right mind— Oh!” Her eyes flew open, intensely blue. “There was a woman too! Dashed in at the last second. She seemed kind of worried, like she was looking for someone.”
    “Any physical details?”
    “Kind of hard looking. Blonde, but out of a bottle and with one too many perms. Bony face. Full of angles. It’s hard todescribe people in words.” For the first time, she smiled at him, her eyes crinkling and two dimples framing her cheeks. His lustful thoughts took wing again. “I could draw them if you like.”
    “You draw?”
    “One of my many talents, Inspector. I’ve always doodled, and sometimes the hours at the library are long and boring. I draw sketches of the people I see, just for fun. In fact, I drew a picture of Jonathan Blair last week.”
    He stared at her. “You’re kidding!”
    She jumped to her feet. “I’ll show it to you. I look for special faces, unique expressions...”
    She skipped out of the room, and Green found himself looking around for clues to her many facets. The apartment was small and crammed with cheap furniture. In the corner of the room stood a ten-speed and a child’s bike. Bunched into the cushions of the sagging sofa was a young girl’s jacket, and a pair of children’s rain boots stood by the door. Stacks of notes, books and old newspapers covered most of the surfaces. A busy woman, he thought, full of curiosity and ideas, but not enough hours in the day for them all.
    She emerged from the other room holding up a sketchpad in triumph. He was struck by how vividly blue her eyes were. It was an effort to force his down onto the paper she held. Then he received a second surprise. Jonathan Blair gazed out at him from the sketch, sad and contemplative. His face, partly cast in shadow, was breathtakingly handsome. The drawing was brilliant.
    “Was he really this handsome?”
    Reverence glinted in her eyes as she studied the picture. “Yes, he was. Thick dark hair and blue eyes you could die in. That’s why I noticed him. He was reading this journal articleand taking notes, just like any other student on the floor. But then he set down his pen, rested his chin on his hand and stared into space. There was such profound despair on his face! Like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He stayed that way for the entire fifteen minutes it took me to draw him.”
    “Had you seen him before or since?”
    “I had, in fact. He was a regular, and once you see that face you never forget it.”
    “Ever talk to him?”
    She smiled and shook her head, suddenly sheepish. “No, I keep my fantasies to myself. The last thing I need is a man in my life.”
    I don’t know about that, he found himself thinking and pulled himself firmly back on track. “Ever see anyone with him?”
    “A few times he had a girl with him. Hung all over him. She was gorgeous, too.”
    Green’s pulse quickened. “Describe her.”
    “Mediterranean-looking. Maybe Arab or even a light-skinned Indian. Thick, wavy black hair that framed her face like a halo. Large black eyes, long-lashed. That satiny milk chocolate skin that doesn’t have a flaw in it.”
    “I can tell you hardly gave her a second glance.”
    She laughed. “You’re much nicer when you’re human, Inspector. I can draw her for you too.”
    He felt himself flush. “Could you? I’m serious. These are important witnesses. Could you draw all four? The guy who pulled the fire alarm too?”
    “No problem. I’ve got the day off and my daughter’s not back from school till three-thirty. I can have them ready for you by tonight.”
    He knew there was no further reason to stay. Not with adozen leads to follow up