“What am I going to do now?”
“I’m thinking, I’m thinking.”
35
STONE AND HOLLY were already having a drink at Elaine’s when Lance arrived.
He settled himself at their table and ordered a drink. “So, how was sunny Florida?”
“Sunny,” Stone replied. “I don’t know how they stand it down there.”
“Yes, it’s a hard life. Holly, are you keeping the criminal elements of Orchid Beach in check?”
“Oh, that’s not hard. It’s mostly traffic and the occasional drug bust or burglary.”
“Aren’t you bored?”
“Funny you should mention that.”
“Oh, really?”
“I’ve told Stone I’m thinking about making a change. God knows, life is good down there, but it’s not very interesting.”
“Perhaps I can be of help,” Lance said. “Let me work on that.”
“Sure.”
Stone spoke up. “Actually, you can be of help on something else, Lance.”
Lance smiled. “Trini?”
“Right,” Holly said.
“I saw the news reports. When I heard that they’d taken Trini away in an FBI car I suspected they’d be hiding him. Is he back in the Witness Protection Program?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Have you spoken to anyone at the FBI?”
“Yes, but I’m never speaking to him again.”
“Holly, surely you know by now that the FBI is never going to stretch to help anybody in local law enforcement.”
“I knew that, but it’s been brought home to me afresh.”
“Perhaps your best move would be to humiliate the FBI into turning Trini over to you.”
“Humiliate them? That sounds like fun.”
“Of course, you’d be burning your bridges. They’d never return another phone call of yours.”
“Just tell me how to humiliate them.”
“I know a well-placed reporter at The New York Times. I’m sure he’d like a story about how the FBI is hiding a mass murderer, keeping him from being prosecuted. Would you like to meet the gentleman?”
Holly grinned and opened her mouth to speak, but Stone threw up a hand.
“Hang on,” he said.