Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

“No, you said not to.”

“Good. There’s something else I have to ask you about, Hurd. I’m sorry if it seems like prying.”

“Shoot.”

“Did Bob Hurst have anything to do with your divorce?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, was he having an affair with your wife?”

Hurd shook his head. “I don’t believe he was. They started seeing each other after we separated. He told me that himself. Our house was just down the street from his, and we had socialized a little while I was still married. Bob had been divorced some years ago. He was lonely, I guess. I wasn’t suprised that he and Linda got married.”

“So, after Bob started seeing your wife, he would have had access to her house?”

“Yes, I suppose so. I had moved out, into an apartment, and like I said, he lived just down the street. Why are you asking about this?”

“Because I think Hurst stole the Smith and Wesson thirty-two from her house, the one Chet Marley was killed with.”

“That makes some kind of sense, I guess. It was Bob who filed the burglary report for Linda.”

“A smart move,” Holly said. “Let me ask you this: remember the tape we heard of the bug in Barney Noble’s car?”

“Yeah.”

“You think that could have been Hurst in the backseat?”

“I honestly don’t know. It was impossible to identify a voice from what we heard. Wasn’t the FBI going to try to clean up the tape and improve the quality?”

“Yes, but I don’t know if it’s been done yet. I haven’t heard anything.”

“I think we ought to go talk to Bob Hurst,” Hurd said, looking at his watch. “He might still be at the station.”

“We don’t really have anything on him yet. The tape isn’t good enough, unless the FBI can work wonders with it.”

“He doesn’t know how good the tape is,” Hurd said.

“You’ve got a point. Let’s go.”

As they walked into the police station, Bob Hurst was walking out.

“Got a minute, Bob?” Holly asked.

Hurst looked at his watch. “My wife’s expecting me for dinner.”

“You’re going to be late,” Holly said. She led Hurst to interview room one, with Hurd Wallace bringing up the rear, and closed the door behind them. “Sit down,” she said.

Hurst looked at Holly and Hurd. “What’s this about?” he asked.

“Put your gun and your badge on the table,” Holly said.

“I asked you a question.”

“And I gave you an order.”

Reluctantly, Hurst did as he was told. Hurd put the two items into his pocket, and they all sat down.

“Consider that I have read you your rights,” Holly said.