Hothouse Orchid (Holly Barker 6)

Lauren walked back to the right front tire and knelt to look at it again. “Look at this,” she said.

Hurd walked over and squatted. “What?”

Lauren flicked a little piece of rubber that extended from the tire like a pin. “It’s a new tire,” she said. “These little appendages fall off after a while.”

“Shit,” Hurd said. “That means he bought a new tire after Jimmy saw the cut this morning.”

“But why would he have done that?”

“I don’t know,” Hurd said.

Lauren got out her phone and called Jimmy Weathers’s cell phone.

“Hello.”

“Jimmy, it’s Lauren. We got the warrant, and we’re inspecting the tires now. There’s no cut on any one of them, and there’s a brand-new tire on the right front.”

“Damn,” Jimmy said. “He must have seen the cut. It was deep enough to bother you; I wouldn’t have wanted to drive on it. One good bump, and you’d have a blowout.”

“I guess you’re right,” Lauren said.

“I’m sorry, Lauren. I don’t know what else to say.”

“Not your fault, Jimmy,” she said. “Bye-bye.” She turned to Hurd. “Where does the Orchid department buy its tires?” she asked.

“Up US-1 a couple of miles. Let’s go.” Hurd headed for the car, and Lauren followed.

The crime lab van pulled up behind the garage.

“The car’s on the hoist,” Hurd said. “This is about the rape/ murders; check everything, and be careful to properly preserve any evidence. We’ll be back.”

Lauren got into the car, and they drove away.

35

Holly was driving back from the airport after her day’s training when an unmarked police car suddenly passed her, moving fast. Lauren Cade was looking at her in the rearview mirror, waving, with Hurd Wallace sitting next to her. Holly’s curiosity was piqued: another murder? She accelerated and fell in behind the car.

They pulled off the road at Vero Discount Tires, and Holly followed. What were they doing? Getting a flat fixed? If so, what was the hurry? She got out of the car. “Hey, Lauren, Hurd.”

“Hey, Holly.”

“What’s up?”

“We’ve got a lead in the rape/murders,” Lauren said.

“At a tire place?”

“We found a tire print with a deep cut in it at the crime scene yesterday,” Hurd said, “and we got a report from Jimmy Weathers that Jim Bruno’s cruiser had such a tire cut, but Bruno replaced the tire earlier today. Join us?”

Holly went with them into the tire store.

“Afternoon,” a clerk behind the counter said. “What can I do you for, folks?”

Hurd flashed his badge. “Did Police Chief Bruno buy a replacement tire here today?”

“Sure did. Right before lunch.”

“Can we see his old tire?”