Blood Orchid

47

The following day, Holly worked listlessly, hungover and depressed, a bad combination. Just before lunchtime, she got a phone call.

“Hey, Holly, it’s Ed Shine,” he said.

“Oh, Ed, it’s good to hear from you.”

“How about dinner tonight?”

“Thank you, Ed, but I’m tied up.”

“Sounds like I’ve got competition.”

“Well, maybe.”

“How about lunch; you free?”

“Sure.”

“Come on out to Blood Orchid; meet me at the clubhouse, and I’ll show you what my new chef can do. Then we’ll play some golf.”

“Oh, I don’t think I can take the time for golf, but I’d love lunch.”

“Half an hour?”

“See you then.”

“I’ll leave your name at the gate.”

“Bye.”

Holly freshened up and put on civilian clothes, then drove out to Blood Orchid. The guard waved her through the gate, and she drove to the clubhouse. As she got out of her car, she looked over toward the practice range and saw a very peculiar sight: Hurd Wallace taking a golf lesson! She went inside.

Ed was waiting for her at a table overlooking the golf course; he was the only other person in the dining room. She gave him a kiss and sat down.

“Drink?”

“Maybe a glass of wine with lunch,” she said.

“I’ve already ordered for us,” Ed said. “Trust me?”

Holly smiled. “Anytime. How’s it going with Blood Orchid?”

“I’ll tell you, this is going to turn out to be a better investment than I thought. I’ve sold six houses and three building lots; we’ve already got construction started on two houses.”

“How so fast?”

“The corporation already had the building permits, and the buyers liked the plans.”

“That’s great, Ed.”

A waiter arrived with soup: lobster bisque.

“This is wonderful,” Holly said, tasting it.

“This new chef is a wonder, that’s why.”

“Where’d you find him?”

“In New York; he was the number-two man in a big-time restaurant, but he wanted to get out of the city. I was able to offer him a very attractive package, and he jumped at it. He’s got a lovely wife and two kids, one of whom is starting school this year. I’ve helped him get the boy into a good private school.”

“Sounds like a wonderful deal for him,” Holly replied. “But how about you? Is this going to be a big enough operation to afford that kind of talent?”

“I want only the best,” Ed said, “and by this time next year, the place will be generating big revenues. Everybody I’ve hired has been the best available-except for my security chief, of course; he’s second-best.”

“I saw Hurd out on the practice range, having a golf lesson,” Holly said. “Never thought I’d see that.”

“Oh, Hurd’s a natural,” Ed said. “The pro thinks he’s going to be quite good.”

“Does he have time for golf lessons in the middle of the day?”

Ed grinned sheepishly. “Well, he’s a little underworked at the moment-will be until the place really gets going. I knew that would be the case, that’s why I gave him a golf club membership.”

“The course looks wonderful,” Holly said.

“I had the designer back to install some improvements, and we’re already under way. I’m keeping one of the three courses untouched while the other two are being worked on. That way, my members won’t be bothered with the construction.”

They finished their soup, and the waiter brought their main course.

“What is it?” Holly asked.

“It’s fresh sea bass, cooked in a potato wrapping, with an excellent sauce,” Ed said.

The waiter poured them a glass of white wine.

“And that’s a Batard Montrachet, ’eighty-nine,” Ed said. “The bastard of Le Montrachet.”

Holly tasted it. “Wow,” she said softly.

“Exactly. Now tell me, what’s up with you?”

“Oh, Ed, I’m up to my ears in a huge mess.”

“Tell me about it,” Ed said, concerned.

“Well, for a start, we found the guy who took a shot at you.”

“Hooray for that!” Ed said. “Who is he?”

“Was. His name was Carlos Alvarez, and we found him floating in the Indian River with a bullet in his head.”

“I never heard of him.”

“He was a hired hit man, the same one who killed the two Miami developers. He was quite a shot, too; you were very lucky.”

Ed gave a low whistle. “I guess I was. Who hired him?”

“I don’t know,” Holly admitted. “We’ve traced Alvarez back to some people named Pellegrino, in Miami.”

“There’s a restaurant by that name,” Ed said. “I’ve had dinner there; very good.”

“Pio Pellegrino and his father, Ignacio. Turns out the old man is a former mafioso from New York named Falcone. He disappeared a few years ago and turned up in Miami with his son and a new name.”

“So I had dinner in a Mafia restaurant?” Ed said, sounding delighted. “That’s a new experience. Are they the people who wanted me dead?”

“Yes, and whoever they work with or for. We haven’t gotten past them yet, although the FBI is working on it.”

“I guess they really wanted this property bad, then.”

“Yes, but you’re safe now, since you own it. There’s nothing in it for them to try to kill you again.”

“Who killed… what’s his name? The hit man?”

“Another hit man named Trini Rodriguez.”

“He doesn’t sound like Mafia,” Ed said.

“There’s all kinds of Mafia, Ed. We’ve even got a Russian involved in all this.”

“This is the craziest business I ever heard of,” Ed said, shaking his head. “I’m glad I’m out of it.”

“I wish I were out of it; these people have already tried to kill me.”

Ed’s eyebrows went up. “My God! Are you safe?”

“I work on it every day.”

“Listen, I’ve got a couple of guest cottages here; why don’t you move into one of them? They’re very comfortable, and this has to be the most secure place in Orchid Beach.”

“Thank you, Ed, that’s very sweet of you. I’m staying with a friend at the moment, but if that doesn’t work out, I might take you up on your invitation.”

“Is your friend anybody I know?”

“Maybe; his name is Grant Early. He looked at some property out here.”

“Oh, yes, I met him in our office; nice fellow. Some sort ofdot.com millionaire, I believe.”

“Yes, he apparently got out just in time, before the crash in those stocks.”

“Some people are just lucky, I guess,” Ed said.

“Yes, and you’re one of them.”

“Keep me posted on your case, will you? It’s fascinating. I lead such a dull life compared to you.”

“Believe me, Ed, you’re better off with a dull life.”