Breaking Point Read Online Free Page A

over to close the window before I left. The section of the lock that should have been attached to the upper sash was missing, so I couldn't lock it. If I'd been looking for evidence that Charlie Wilson was no handy man, the condition of his house provided plenty. Luckily for Iris, Iowa City was a pretty safe area and the missing lock probably would never pose a problem. Looking back over the closet, I noticed a briefcase at one side of the space that had some heft to it, so I picked it up and carried it out of the bedroom with me.
                  Iris was in the kitchen and I called her name as I went through the doorway. "Iris, do you mind if I take this case with me? I'll check through it and bring it back when I return the boxes."
                  "That's fine. Did you find anything in his clothes?"
                  "Nope. But then I don't know what I'm looking for yet. Can you hold on to the rest of the stuff for a while? I mean, don't give it away or sell it, just in case."
                  "That's no problem. It's been there this long and a little while longer won't hurt anything." Iris offered me a plate of the cookies and I didn't refuse them. While she was wrapping them up in the kitchen, I started carrying the boxes and the briefcase to my car.
                  On my last trip back to the house, I met a tall darkly bearded man walking up the steps. We both stopped.
                  "Hello." He said, continuing inside as he pulled off a glove and extended his hand. "I'm Gary Omar, a friend of Iris'. I'd guess you're Rudy the detective."
                  Gary had a firm handshake and a smile that seemed genuine. I decided I liked him. As I picked up the last of the three boxes, I could hear Iris' steps coming in from the kitchen and turned to see her face light up at the sight of Gary Omar. She stretched up to kiss him before they both saw me out. Good for you, Iris, I thought. Good for you.
                  With the things in the trunk of my Grand Am, I was soon back in Oak Grove. I set the boxes on the floor in my living room and carried the leather case through to my office, where I laid it on the desk. I snapped open the latches and flipped the top back to reveal the contents. The bottom surface was filled with neatly aligned pieces of optical equipment, each one held in place by Velcro bands that were attached to the floor of the case. There were binoculars, small telescopes, magnifying lenses, night glasses, assorted rifle sights and several sets of cleaning and repair kits. I removed each item in turn, took it apart and looked at all of it. Zip. Nada.
                  The lid of the case had slots for papers and was stuffed with catalogs and blank sales forms. Combing through all of it was equally non-productive. There was no sales book or anything personal here. Pondering again my choice of professions, and wondering if I could take out boredom insurance, I closed the case and set it back in the living room, next to the boxes I'd stacked beside the couch.
                  A quick cup of reheated coffee might help. I brought a mug back and sat on the couch to begin going through the boxes. They looked like they had been filled by opening drawers and dumping the contents. The first one contained some back issues of hunting and fishing magazines, several half-filled cigarette packs, a couple of pounds of more Regis' Optics catalogs and some junk mail, mostly of the "You May Already Be a Winner" variety.
                  The second box was smaller but had better stuff in it. Charlie's sales book was there, along with his personal address book, wallet and keys. Apparently Iris didn't want any part of this stuff, or maybe she couldn't stand to handle his things yet. There were some photos, mostly of him and Iris in happier times, several at the beach and one with the two of them all dressed up, in