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Show page 104 her need to rid herself of the phony hair that Stetson Jack made her x^ear, her hustling jobs in truck stops, u n t i l she determinedly got s e t t l e d near the lake and near the engineer's brother, Big Miles Bolin. At f i r s t she had wanted the money. But if Miles had i t , she had never found i t. Cora held her c i g a r e t t e t i g h t l y and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Miles had been kind t o her. Life had been good and loving and easy 771th Miles'. And a l l the while he probably had known of her part in i t . Good Miles. Dear, sweet Miles. She hurried with supper preparations and had everything ready when he came out dressed in clean x<7hites. "There's a doubleheader tonight, Miles," " I ' l l watch i t . Don't let me keep you up." When Miles awoke the next morning his f i r s t thought was of the two men who had rented his boat. They were greedy; they xrould s t i l l be out on the island, digging and sweating, and perhaps quarreling. He stretched an arm across the bed. His arm f e l l across empty space. Cora could, he knew, be in t h e front or rear yard tending her flowers, or in the garage, or in the kitchen. He lay in bed and let his mind become wide awake and then he knew that she was noxvhere around the premises. He sat up and looked at the clock. The time was 8:20. He had three cups of coffee and three c i g a r e t t e s for breakfast and wondered if Cora's joining the two men had been part of a prearranged plan. Obviously, t h a t ' s where she had gone. He had another cup of coffee and remembered when his |
