The Plug's Wife by Chynna Read Free Book Online Page B

nails dug moon shaped craters into her palm.  Summer’ legs were unsteady as she tiptoed backwards towards her bed. Summer crawled back into bed and willed herself to calm down.  Her heart was batting like a wild moth under her rib cage.  What were you doing, Jesse?  The feds?  Stealing kilos?  Pissing off suppliers and distributors? Jesse was not the man she believed him to be. She had truly married a stranger. 
    Summer rushed into the walk-in closet that she was to share with her husband. Most of their belongings were still in boxes.  On top of one of Jesse’s boxes sat a brown paper bag with a white police evidence sticker still affixed to the outside.  The detectives had handed the bag over to Summer after they interviewed her for a third time. 
    There hadn’t been any leads or clues in finding suspects. They asked her to give them a call if she thought of anything significant that might help them find the culprit.  That was out of the question for her.  Summer would find out who was to blame and deal with the situation without the help of the cops. 
    With shaky hands, Summer tore at the red evidence tape that sealed the bag shut.  Summer unfolded the bag and dumped the contents onto the floor.  She eased herself down on the floor to sort through the pile of her husband’s personal items.  Her heart sank.  The first thing she picked up was Jesse’s blood stained wedding band.  He’d only worn it about fifteen minutes before he was shot. 
    Summer held the ring up to her face.  She read the inscription on the inside of the band.  Partners in Crime Forever.  That’s what Jesse had always said, that she was his partner in crime .  He had told her that he wasn’t big on stupid pet names like baby, honey, and sweetheart .  And she definitely wasn’t the soft type to appreciate those terms of endearment.  When Jesse would come home, he would say, “So what did my partner in crime get into today?”  That always made Summer smile.
    Summer slid the ring onto her thumb.  It was too big even for the fattest finger on her hand.  She made a note to herself to get a necklace and wear it around her neck. 
    Summer lifted Jesse’s wallet.  It was swollen with cash and cards.  Summer held the Hermes wallet up to her face and inhaled.  It smelled like fine leather and Creed cologne, Jesse’s signature scent.  JB loved the finer things in life .  She picked through the compartments of the wallet, taking out bankcards, credit cards and business cards. Tucked deep into the fold, Summer found a worn, wallet-sized picture.  She squinted her eyes into dashes as she looked down into the baby’s face.  Even though it was a newborn in the picture, Summer knew it was the same boy from the funeral home.  His features were remarkably similar to Jesse’s.  She flipped the picture over.  Jesse Banks, Jr.  March 3, 2010.  Summer clasped her hand over her mouth.  How could he have hid something like this from her?   She bit into her bottom lip until she drew blood.  Her suspicions had been correct.  Jesse had a son while they were together and had never bothered to tell her about it.  Even worse, the child had been born on the same day she claimed was her birthday.  The hairs on her neck prickled and something in the center of her chest tightened.  She wondered if this was what a broken heart felt like. 
    Summer picked up the coveted prize—Jesse’s cell phone.  It was turned off, which meant the police probably already imaged it.  Summer pressed the power button and waited for the phone to boot up.  When the phone loaded up, the lock screen read “Marrying My Partner in Crime.”  Surprisingly, Jesse didn’t require a security pass code to access his phone features.    Summer searched through Jesse’s contacts.  They all seemed to be coded with a half name and a few numbers.  Summer reviewed the contacts with the highest numbers next to their names.  These numbers must mean