Orchid Blues (Holly Barker 2)

"And I need somebody to run me over to the bank; Jackson 's car is still there."

"If you're finished with me here," Stone said, "I'll give you a ride. I've got to get back to Piper and give them a whole lot of money."

"Thanks," she said. "Scratch that, Hurd; I'll go with Stone."

Hurd nodded and left the office.

"I think we're done here, if you're ready," she said.

"My rent-a-car is out back."

Holly went to her office and got Daisy. She introduced her to Stone.

"Beautiful dog," Stone said, scratching her behind the ears.

"She's my best friend," Holly said.

They walked out to the parking lot and got into his car. Stone drove slowly, following her directions.

"You said you practice law?"

"That's right. I have an independent practice, and I'm of counsel to a big firm, Woodman and Weld."

"I've heard of them," she said. " Jackson loved his small practice. He just had one partner, and he liked being in charge of himself."

I can understand that," Stone said. "I enjoy the independence, too."

"How much longer are you here?"

"Just a couple of days. I take delivery of the airplane this afternoon, then I have to get some dual instruction time in before my insurance company will let me fly it back to New York."

"I can imagine," she said.

They drove along in silence for a couple of minutes. "Holly," Stone said at last, "forgive me for mentioning this, but you seem to be operating pretty well for someone who has just suffered a great personal loss."

"It's something I learned when I was in the army," she said.

"You were in the army?"

"Twenty years. I was an MP; finished up commanding an MP company. I learned to concentrate on the task at hand and forget about everything else. I'm in that mode now, but tonight, I'll probably come apart."

Stone nodded. At the bank, he pulled into the parking lot.

"Let's go inside," Holly said. "I want to see where it happened."

Stone led her inside. "There was a carpet here," he said, pointing. "We were standing right there."

Holly looked around. Everything seemed perfect

ly normal, except that they had taken the carpet away to have Jackson 's blood cleaned from it. She nodded. "Let's get out of here."

Stone walked her out to the parking lot to where Jackson 's convertible was parked. "Do you have his keys?"

"I have my own," Holly said, taking the key from her pocket. "Hop in, Daisy."

Daisy cleared the top of the door with room to spare and settled into the passenger seat.

Holly leaned over and took an envelope from the front seat of the car and opened it. Then it hit her. "Oh, God," she said. " Paris." She began to sob. "He was taking me to Paris for our honeymoon."