Blood Orchid

40

Holly put in a full day at the station, meeting with each of the four officers Hurd Wallace had chosen to take over his duties. At the end of the day, she drove home and was looking in the fridge for something to eat when Daisy was suddenly on her feet, growling, looking at the door to the beach.

Holly grabbed her 9mm and walked to the door, the weapon held at her side. She turned the knob slowly, then kicked open the door and stepped outside.

Grant Early was lying in the sand, a bottle of wine beside him. “Hey, is this how you always greet a neighbor? I was about to knock when the door hit me.”

Holly offered a hand and helped him to his feet. “I’m sorry, Grant, it’s been a little tense around here.”

He picked up the bottle and dusted off the sand. “I just thought you might like some dinner.”

“I feel like pizza; that okay with you?”

“Sure, I’ll order. Anything you don’t like on your pizza?”

“I like everything but green peppers; Ihate green peppers.”

Grant picked up the phone and called in the order. “So why are things so tense?”

“Long story,” Holly said.

Grant began opening the wine. “I’ve got all the time in the world.” He poured them both a glass, and they went to the sofa and sat down.

“Okay, yesterday I shot and killed a man; he has a relative who might have taken it badly. Fortunately, Harry already had a tail on him, and he told me Lauderdale PD picked him up yesterday, but I guess I’m still a little spooked.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“I mean, are you okay with the shooting?”

“It was a good shooting; I’m getting over it.”

“I know how that feels,” Grant said. “The first man I killed haunted me for a long time.”

“There was more than one?”

“Two. They were both good shootings, but it was still hard to live with. You might want to talk to somebody.”

“I’m talking to you,” she said.

“I was thinking of somebody more professional,” Grant said.

“Who’s more professional than you? You understand it a lot better than any shrink would.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I got a call yesterday from a woman who had some evidence in my case. I drove down to Lauderdale to get it, and when I walked into her house, somebody else was already there, wanting it too. He tried to draw down on me, and I shot him once, middle of the target. Blew a hole through my handbag.”

“Did you play it by the book with the local cop shop?”

“I did.”

“Then you’re in the clear.”

“Yeah, Harry called some captain there for me, asked them not to put my name in the paper, just in case Trini read about it.”

“Who?”

“Trini Rodriguez.”

Grant sat up. “Holy shit.”

“Huh?”

“You killed his brother?”

“Or his cousin; don’t know for sure.”

“He had a brother, Ernesto.”

“That’s the one. How do you know about Trini?”

“The Rodriguez brothers are famous, in certain circles,” Grant said.

“What circles?”

“Enforcement circles.”

“What kind of enforcement?”

“Loan collections, used to be. Last I heard they’d branched out into contractual work.”

“Hit men?”

“Yes, but nothing too refined.”

“Not like anything that required accuracy with a rifle?”

“Nothing like that, requiring any sort of finesse; more the kind, like, walking up to somebody and shooting him in the head. They’re remorseless killers. Does Trini know you shot Ernesto?”

“Maybe, I’m not sure. You remember I told you about Pedro Alvarez? My floater’s cousin?”

“Sure.”

“I was sitting outside Pedro’s shop when Trini walked inside, stayed two or three minutes, came out, and drove away. Later, I was sitting with Harry at a Burger King when we heard that Pedro had been popped, and the time was about when I was sitting outside Pedro’s shop.”

“You think Pedro told him about you?”

“I think if Trini asked, Pedro told him. I actually met Trini, sort of, at the firing range, so he’d remember my face, though he wouldn’t know my name.”

“But Pedro knew your name and where you were from.”

“Yes.”

“Well, Trini and Pedro were talking aboutsomething for those two or three minutes.”

“I figure Trini heard about Ernesto’s getting dead, and he went to Marina’s house, then, when she wasn’t there, he went to Pedro’s shop to find out where she was.”

“Did Pedro know where Marina was?”

“No.”

“He probably wanted to know who shot Ernesto, too.”

“Yeah, but Pedro didn’t know I was involved. He wouldn’t even have known Ernesto was dead; it was too soon.”

“Where is Marina?”

“With her mother and her mother’s sister, in Sarasota.”

“Did Pedro know about the mother’s sister?”

“Marina says not.”

“Would Marina ever have told Carlos about her mother’s sister?”

“I don’t know, but Carlos is dead.”

“What was this evidence you went to get from Marina?”

“A notebook with a lot of incriminating information in it.”

“Incriminating for Trini?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s the notebook now?”

“Harry has it. He may have sent it to Washington.”

“Let’s recap: Trini may know who you are and where you’re from, right?”

“Right, but it’s okay; Lauderdale picked him up yesterday.”

“Trini has colleagues. Are you in the phone book?”

“No. But…” Holly had just thought of something.

“What?”

“Carlos broke into my house and bugged my phones; he was probably reporting to Trini.”

The doorbell rang, and they both jumped.

“It’s gotta be the pizza,” Grant said.

The doorbell rang again. “Pizza delivery!” somebody shouted from outside.

“I’ll get it,” Holly said.

“No, I’ll get it,” Grant replied, getting up.

Holly handed him her pistol. “If it has green peppers on it, shoot him.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Grant set the pistol on the coffee table, went to the door, cracked it, and peered out. “It’s pizza,” he said. Then Grant flew backward as somebody kicked open the door.