Hothouse Orchid (Holly Barker 6)

“Then Bruno is cooked as well as dead. Nice of him to save the state of Florida the trouble, wasn’t it?”

“It sure was. I can’t remember when I’ve been so happy. It’s like the world has been lifted from my shoulders. Don’t tell anybody I said this, but I’ve thought more than once about killing him myself, and if I’d had an opportunity, I don’t know if I could have answered for myself.”

“You deserve to be happy, Lauren. Congratulations on clearing the murders, and congratulate Hurd for me, too, will you?”

“I sure will. I’ve gotta run, now. Oh, can you and Josh join Jack and me for dinner at his house Saturday at seven thirty?”

“I think so. I’ll ask Josh and confirm with you.”

“Bye-bye.”

Holly was salting the steaks and making a salad when Josh arrived. “Hey,” she said, accepting a kiss. “Drink?”

“I’ll make it; you’re busy,” he replied. “You seem a little dazed. Something wrong, or is it just the bourbon?”

“No, everything is good,” she said. She gave him the details of Bruno’s death and the clearing of the murders.

“That’s fabulous news!” Josh said. “But you don’t seem all that happy about it.”

“It’s just that it’s all too good to be true,” Holly said. “It’s too neat a package.”

“Bitch, bitch, bitch,” Josh said.

“I know.”

“Sometimes things just work out the way they should,” he said. “I mean, Bruno was always the suspect, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, but if he was the murderer, he was getting away with it, and I don’t see him killing himself because of an attack of conscience. In my experience of him, he didn’t have a conscience.”

“You have a counterhypothesis?”

Holly picked up the phone and dialed Lauren again.

“Hi, Holly.”

“A question, Lauren.”

“Okay.”

“What was the time of death on the last victim?”

“Midnight to four a.m.”

“And what was the time of death on Bruno?”

“Two a.m. to six a.m.”

“And what time did Jimmy get the call about Bruno not showing for work?”

“A little after ten a.m.”

“And what time did you get to Bruno’s house?”

“About ten thirty.”

“So how long w

ould Jimmy have been at Bruno’s house when you got there?”