Blood Orchid (Holly Barker 3)

“Don’t be sorry, be safe,” he said, kissing her back.

“Listen, if we’re going to keep exchanging tomato sauce, let’s do it at your place.”

“Pack a bag, and pack Daisy a bag, too. Enough for a couple of days, or until they find Trini, whichever comes first.”

Soon, they were walking hand in hand up the beach toward Grant’s house, with Daisy gamboling in the dunes. Holly had the gun in her other hand, all the way.

42

Holly was in her office reading about the death of Howard Singleton when Harry called.

“I want to bring you up to date,” he said.

“You still sound terrible, Harry. Are you at work?”

“Yes, but soon I’m going home and to bed.”

“Okay, bring me up to date.”

“Nobody has found Trini Rodriguez so far, but there’s a statewide APB out for him; sooner or later he’ll turn up.”

“I hope he doesn’t turn up on my doorstep again,” Holly said.

“Grant gave me an account of the evening. Sounds like you saved his neck.”

“I’m always happy to pull the FBI out of it. By the way, have you seen this morning’s Miami papers?”

“No.”

“The head guy at the GSA, Singleton, got hit yesterday.”

“I know about that.”

“It’s got to be related to the Palmetto Gardens thing.”

“It’s not. I spoke to Singleton’s deputy yesterday, a guy named Willard Smith. He says they weren’t working on anything similar. My guess is a jealous husband.”

“Yeah? Well, my guess is Trini Rodriguez.”

“Why would Trini and his people want Singleton dead?”

“I think that would be a real good thing for the FBI to figure out, Harry. A federal employee is dead, and that puts it right in your lap, doesn’t it?”

“I prefer to let the local cops lead on things like this, unless there’s a pressing reason for it to go federal.”

“Call Singleton’s replacement and ask him if he wants to be next; that might get him thinking about why the man was killed.”

“I told you, I’ve already talked to him, and they aren’t working on anything remotely related to this other stuff.”

“Harry, can I remind you that we don’t know what the hell this other stuff is about?”

“Not yet.”

“If we don’t know what it’s about, how do we know that Singleton’s killing wasn’t related? I think his death ought to be on the federal front burner.”

“You’ll have to let me make that judgment, Holly; it’s what I do.”

“You are the most exasperating man,” she said.