Blood Orchid (Holly Barker 3)

65

Holly and Grant lay on a double chaise beside the swimming pool at The Marquesa, a small but luxurious Key West inn, sipping rum and tonics. Daisy slept in a puddle of shade under a nearby tree.

“This isn’t bad, is it?” Grant asked.

“I’ve been in worse places,” Holly agreed. “You know, this is the first vacation I’ve had since I took the job in Orchid Beach. I was supposed to have a honeymoon, but . . .”

“Yeah, I know. I’m glad you could take the time now. Harry’s still pissed off at you, you know.”

“Why? I told him he could have Ed Shine as soon as he’s done his time. If Harry had been straight with me about a few things, he’d be a lot happier now.”

“I haven’t mentioned that to him, but you’re right,” Grant said. “You’ve committed the cardinal sin with Harry, you know; you prevented him from taking all the credit.”

“Yeah, and I’m really crushed about that.”

“There are rumors that he may get transferred to a less desirable post.”

“Oh?” Holly asked. “What will I do for entertainment?”

“In the meantime, he’s got another assignment for me. Undercover again.”

Holly sat up on one elbow. “Where?”

“I can’t tell you; it’s a secret.”

Holly poured her icy drink on his chest. “Just for that, I’m not going to tell you where the five million seven hundred and sixty thousand dollars is.”

“What?” Grant asked, flicking ice off his chest and mopping with a towel.

“I took five million seven hundred and sixty thousand dollars from Ed’s stash at Blood Orchid,” Holly said.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“I was watching them unload a van at the admin building, and I filched it when they weren’t looking. I wanted to know what was inside. Then I hid it.”

Grant sat up and looked at her. “The tree,” he said. “The one where you carved the H. You buried it near there.”

“I’m not talking,” Holly said smugly.

“You can’t keep it, you know.”

“I was thinking of giving it to you,” she said playfully. “But not if you’re going to disappear on me.”

“It belongs to the government.”

“Why should it? I stole it, fair and square.”

“No, you stole it from the government.”

“At the time, the government had not even expressed an interest in it, let alone possessed it.”

Grant lay back on the chaise. “This is an interesting situation,” he said. “You stole it from Ed Shine, which means drug dealers. He probably doesn’t even know it.”

“I shouldn’t think so.”

“You’re not a federal employee.”

“No, I’m not.”