Hothouse Orchid (Holly Barker 6)

“Maybe. He’s still out there.”

“Yeah, I heard about the one on the beach, up from your house.”

“They found her car this morning. There was a severed hand in the trunk.”

“He cut off her hand?”

“Not the body Daisy found; she still had both hands. This is a new one-taller, slimmer.”

“Spooky,” Ham drawled.

“Yeah.”

“This guy has graduated from assault and rape to murder and now to dismemberment in hardly any time at all.”

“You’re the cop; tell me what it means.”

“It means he’s liking it more and more. No telling what he’ll do to the next one.”

“Was the hand cut off before or after the girl died?”

“I don’t know, but the ME will. God, I hope it was after.”

They heard a car pull up, and a moment later, Ginny’s voice. “I could use some help with these groceries!” she called.

Ham and Holly got up, emptied her car and put everything in the kitchen.

“Tuna casserole in ten minutes,” Ginny said.

They had a leisurely lunch with a bottle of white wine. Holly helped Ginny clear the dishes, then they sat on the back porch for a while and talked.

Holly’s cell phone rang, and she answered it. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Hurd. Thanks for helping Lauren this morning,” he said.

“She’s smart; she would have covered it without my help. Has the ME had a look at that hand yet?”

“Yep. You were right: she’s taller and slimmer than the last one; older, too-probably late thirties.”

“Did he offer an opinion on whether the hand was severed before or after death?”

“After, he says. He agrees with you about the bolt cutters, too.”

“Hurd, I remembered something about the night this guy went after me.” She told him about seeing the car parked near Ham’s turnoff. “Ham saw it there once, too.” She told him about the cigarette butts.

“You preserved them?”

“Yes, they’re in my glove compartment.”

“Where are you now?”

“At Ham’s, but I’m going home in a minute.”

“I’ll stop by your place later this afternoon and pick up the evidence, if that’s all right.”

“Sure. If I don’t answer the bell, I’m on the beach. You can get the bag from my glove compartment.”

“See you later.” He hung up.