Hothouse Orchid (Holly Barker 6)

“Whether Jimmy and Bruno were in it together, and if they were, did Jimmy kill Bruno.”

Holly thought about that. “I’m inclined to think that Bruno would want to work alone, but I certainly can?

??t discount your theory of their working together. I think it’s entirely possible, maybe even likely, that Jimmy killed Bruno, simply because the combination of drugs and alcohol found in Bruno’s system would have made it nearly impossible to wake him up. Anybody could have stuck a gun in his mouth and written a suicide note.”

“That’s what I think,” Lauren said, “but I think Jimmy’s only motive for doing that would be the involvement of both of them in the rapes and murders.”

“Jimmy would have Bruno’s job as a motive. Maybe when he went to wake Bruno, he couldn’t rouse him and took the opportunity to remove Bruno as an obstacle to his career.”

“That makes sense. Bruno was about to start interviewing for a deputy chief’s slot, and Jimmy had no assurance that he’d get the job.”

“When do you make the run at Jimmy?” Holly asked.

“Monday, if the work on the car goes okay,” Lauren replied.

“Like I said, I want to be in a chase car.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Lauren said.

57

Jimmy Weathers arrived at work the following morning and had no sooner settled at his desk than Jane Grey was standing in his doorway.

“Good morning, Jimmy,” she said brightly.

“Good morning, Jane,” he replied.

“I’m going to need your car at five o’clock on Friday for maintenance; it’ll be back Monday morning.”

“What kind of maintenance? It’s pretty new.” He was now driving Bruno’s car, which had been purchased when the new chief had arrived.

“Our maintenance contract calls for periodic inspections, not always at the manufacturer’s specified times,” Jane replied smoothly. “Tell you what, I can let you have that Mustang convertible we confiscated in the drug bust a couple of weeks ago; it hasn’t come up for auction yet.”

Jimmy brightened. “Hey, good deal,” he said.

She handed him the Mustang’s key. “You can pick it up at the impound lot any time Friday before five. It’s only a short walk to impound. Just leave your keys in the car.”

“Will do,” Jimmy said, and Jane went back to her office.

Jimmy was getting a little restless, and he thought maybe the Mustang might make it easy to pick up a girl over the weekend. It was too flashy to use for the big job-it might get noticed-but it was great for just getting laid in.

Lauren sat at the breakfast table and watched Jack wolf down his scrambled eggs and sausages. He ate a lot, she reflected, but never seemed to gain any weight.

“What have you been up to?” she asked.

“Well, I cleaned out the safe, packed up my stuff and loaded it into the airplane,” he said. “Thought I’d get a head start on our move.”

“Good idea,” she said. How much stuff can I take in the airplane?”

“Take a week’s clothes, have the rest packed into boxes at a pack-and-ship place and tell them you’ll call them with a new address soon. It’s a good time to get rid of any clothes you don’t really like, and the shopping’s good in Santa Fe.”

“In that case,” she said, “I think I’ll hold myself to two suitcases and give the rest to the Salvation Army store.”

“That’s the way to think,” Teddy said. “I always travel light: if I buy a new jacket, I throw one away. How’s your case coming?”

Lauren took his hand. “I think I’m going to be free to go early next week,” she said.

“That’s good news!”