Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

“No kidding. See you around eight.” Holly hung up the phone with hope in her heart.

CHAPTER

43

H olly worked late on the personnel files, then went home, changed, fed Daisy and went to Jackson’s house. In addition to Jackson’s car there were two gray vans parked outside. Inside, Harry Crisp was talking on Jackson’s phone, five young men sat around the living room watching TV and reading magazines, and Jackson was on the back porch, grilling steaks. She gave Harry a wave and went out back.

Jackson flipped over some steaks. “You’re just in time,” he said. “These guys are hungry, and if I kept them waiting any longer, they’d be eating Daisy.”

Daisy looked up at the mention of her name.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, nobody’s going to eat you,” Holly said.

Daisy sat down and watched the steaks closely, as if they might bolt at any moment.

“How long have they been here?” Holly asked.

“Nearly an hour. Harry has been on the phone for all of that. What with the long-distance charges and the steaks, they’re going to break me.” Jackson started forking the steaks onto a large platter. “His guy swept the place and your trailer; I gave him the key. No bugs.”

“That’s good.”

“Let’s eat,” he said. He walked into the house, showed Harry the food and called everybody to the table.

Harry hung up the phone. “Holly, how are you?”

“Okay, Harry.”

“Oh, these are my agents—Bill, Joe, Jim, Ed, and Arnie.”

“Hey, guys.”

Everybody waved; a couple of them shook her hand. They sat down and fell on the food.

Daisy curled up on the rug a few feet away.

“What kind of dog is that?” Bill asked.

“Doberman pinscher, name of Daisy.”

“Girl dog?”

“Bitch is the word.”

“Funny, she looks very nice. Does she do anything besides sleep?”

“Daisy, get me a beer,” Holly said.

Daisy got up, went to the fridge and brought Holly a beer.

“What, she doesn’t open it?” Bill asked.

“That’s my kind of dog,” Arnie said.

“She’ll chew your leg off at the hip, too, if she’s asked nicely,” Holly said.

“Sorry if I said anything to offend you, Daisy,” Bill said contritely.

“Anything new since yesterday?” Harry asked.