Orchid Blues (Holly Barker 2)

"What's up?" she asked.

"I checked out the three names from Lake Winachobee, and came up with nothing-no arrest records, no outstanding warrants."

"That's what you'd get if they were assumed names, isn't it?"

"Exactly. What I'd like is some fingerprints."

"I'm not sure how we'd get those," Holly said.

"I wouldn't try right now. Just keep it in mind. Now, why were you calling me?"

"Remember Franklin Morris?"

"The loan officer? Sure."

"He bailed over the weekend."

"Quit his job?"

"Quit the town. He and his wife are gone, their house is empty, and he took most of the money out of his bank account on Friday afternoon. A neighbor says he and the wife pulled out in a van, a convertible and a horse trailer in the wee hours of Sunday morning."

"Uh-oh."

"Also, we've learned that he got his job with a fraudulent recommendation from a nonexistent Miami bank."

"I'll get a warrant. This is a federal matter."

"Okay. I've already put out an APB in five states for the cars, but we have no plate numbers."

"I'll check the car registrations and get the numbers."

"Thanks, Harry."

"So he fooled us both in the interviews, huh?"

"Looks that way. On the other hand, he might not have had anything to do with the robbery; maybe he just thought that the investigation might bring too much attention to bear on him."

"That's a possibility, I guess, but I'm inclined to discount it, for the moment."

"Me, too."

"Okay, Holly, let's keep in touch about this."

"Bye, Harry."

The phone on her desk rang as soon as she put it down.

"Holly Barker."

"Chief, my name is Warren Huff."

"What can I do for you, Mr. Huff?"

"I was just over at a house I own that I rent out, and I found it empty and a search warrant in the kitchen."

"That would be the Franklin Morris house."

"Yes, ma'am. It was a real shock finding it empty."