Orchid Blues (Holly Barker 2)

"He said, 'Come out here about six. You turn right just as you enter Main Street, and we're the first house on the left.' Then he hung up."

"I've got to call Harry right now. I'll get back to you."

"Okay."

She hung up and dug out Harry Crisp's home number.

"Hello?"

"Harry, it's Holly. We're back in business."

"How?"

"Rawlings has invited Ham to dinner."

"That's great. It means they're still interested in him, in spite of his daughter being in law enforcement."

"Isn't it great?"

"Maybe. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Well, they're not inviting him out there to shoot him."

Harry said nothing.

"Are they?"

"I shouldn't think so. But listen, Holly, it's important that he not do anything to arouse their suspicions on this visit. I mean, don't hang a wire on him or anything."

"I'll admit, I had been thinking about doing that."

"Just tell him to play it loose.".

"That's what Ham does best."

"Thanks for letting me know about this right away," Harry said. "Now, let's both get some sleep. Call me back when Ham reports in."

"Okay, Harry, good night." Holly hung up and called Ham back.

"Hey."

"Harry's excited, too."

"What do you want me to do out there?"

"Eat fried chicken and listen a lot, nothing more."

"You don't want me to burn down the place or anything?"

"Nope. Just be Ham, or a reasonable facsimile who's also a bigot and a crypto-Nazi."

"I guess I can handle that, as long as they don't give me a lie detector test."

"They're still feeling you out, Ham. I don't think these people recruit all that readily; they're very careful."

"That's what ol' Peck told me at our first meeting: careful and quiet."

"Ham, how do you feel about doing this?"