Blood Orchid (Holly Barker 3)

“I’m sorry to put you on the spot, but . . .”

“Oh, Hurd, I’ll give you the kind of recommendation that would keep him from even thinking about hiring somebody else.”

“I appreciate that, Chief.”

“How could I do anything else? You’ve been all I could have asked for in a deputy chief.”

“Thank you.”

“When would you want to go?”

“As soon as you’re comfortable.”

“Hurd, I’m never going to be as comfortable with somebody else as I have been with you.”

“Thank you, again.”

“Tell me, who do you think would be good to replace you?”

Hurd looked at his feet. “Well . . . I thought about that, and—I hope this doesn’t sound egotistical—I don’t think there’s anybody in the department who’s ready for the job.”

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Holly said.

“They’re all too young and new at it. I admired your wanting to bring in young people, and I understood how that helped with your budgeting, since their salaries start lower, but I guess it’s kept us from having an obvious successor.”

“You’re right about that,” Holly said.

“Tell you the truth, it might be best not to hire one. You could parcel out my duties to three or four other people and get along without a deputy. Maybe before long one of them would start to look like somebody who could handle the whole thing.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Holly said. “At least, it would take the pressure off about searching for somebody to hire. I might get some flak from the city council, though, not having another experienced person around.”

“I could make a couple of phone calls that might help with that,” Hurd said. “I’d be happy to back you up. My advice would be to hang on to the part of the budget that pays me, though. The council will want to reduce your budget if you don’t replace me immediately. You could tell them that you’re just taking your time finding the right person.”

“You were always a better politician than I, Hurd,” Holly said, laughing. “That’s a very good idea.”

“Well,” Hurd said, standing, “I’d better get back to work. We ought to have something later today or early tomorrow on IDing your floater.”

“Okay, that’s soon enough.” She stood up and offered Hurd her hand. “You deserve this.”

Hurd shook her hand and went back to his office.

Holly sat down and called Ed Shine.

“Are we speaking?” Ed asked.

“Only just,” Holly replied.

“What kind of recommendation can you give Hurd Wallace?”

“Only the very best,” she said. “You’re very lucky to get him, and you’d better treat him right or I’ll arrest you on some spurious charge and put you in jail.”

“I didn’t go after him, Holly; he came to me.”

“I know he did, and I don’t blame him a bit. I want to ask a favor, though.”

“Shoot.”

“I want to hang onto him until I can reassign his duties to others in an orderly way.”