“It’s called Craig and Noble. Jack Craig is a former Miami police captain. Barney Noble is, or was, his partner.”
“You think that means something?”
“Let’s see, what could it mean? That maybe my ex-partner sent Barney Noble up here, under cover, to off me?”
“I guess not.”
“I think it’s just a coincidence. I’ve never even met Noble, or anybody else from that place, come to think of it.”
“What’s your ex-partner’s name?”
“Elwood Mosely, a.k.a. ‘Cracker.’ I never heard him called anything else.”
“Description?”
“Six-two, two-twenty-five, bright red hair, pale complexion.” He thought for a m
oment. “Ugly.”
“You think he could be around here?”
“Who knows? After last night, maybe.”
“I could pull his photograph out of the system and have a watch put out for him.”
“That’s just the sort of thing that could backfire on you with the council—doing favors for a…what am I to you?”
“A lover.”
“That’s the word I was looking for.”
“You’re a citizen. Write me a letter on your law firm letterhead saying that you’ve had previous difficulties with the guy, and you’ve heard he may be in town, and could we keep an eye out for him.”
“Okay, I can do that.”
“Can I use your phone? I usually call my dad on Saturday mornings. I’ll use a credit card.”
“Sure, and don’t worry about the charges; I’ve got the ten-cents-a-minute deal.”
Jackson cleared the table while Holly sat on the living-room sofa and used the phone on the coffee table. She dialed Ham’s number and waited. It rang and rang, but there was no answer.
Jackson came and sat down beside her. “Nobody home?”
“Apparently not, but it’s strange—Ham has an answering machine that picks up on the third ring, but it didn’t pick up.”
“Probably he’s out somewhere and his machine is broken.”
“I guess so,” she said. “I’ll try him again later.”
Jackson kissed her on the ear. “How about burning a few calories?” he breathed, loosening the tie on her robe and finding a breast.
She turned toward him and let the robe fall open. “You’re a regular maniac for exercise, aren’t you?”
“You betcha,” he said, pulling her down on the sofa.
CHAPTER
25