Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

“Who are you?” the man asked.

“My name is Holly Barker.” She waited for a response but got none. “Who are you?” She kept her voice at the same level as his.

“Lieutenant Wallace,” the man replied. “What did you want to see the chief about?”

Holly was a little surprised that her name didn’t ring a bell with Wallace, but perhaps Chet Marley had his reasons for not spreading the word that she was coming to work that day. “I think I’d better wait for the chief and take it up with him,” she said.

“Chief Marley won’t be in today,” Wallace said. “I’m acting chief. Maybe you’d better take it up with me.”

“Acting chief?” Holly said, wrinkling her brow. “I don’t understand; the chief asked me to be here at nine this morning. Why isn’t he coming in?”

“That’s an official matter,” Wallace said.

“So is my appointment with the chief,” she replied evenly.

“Do you know the chief?” Wallace asked.

“Yes.”

“When did you last speak with him?”

“Last night around seven-thirty.”

“In person?”

“On the phone.”

“Do you know where he was at the time?”

“He was at home. I called him there.”

“How long did you talk?”

“Only a couple of minutes. He asked me to come in this morning.”

“For what purpose?”

“I’d rather the chief told you about that.”

“The chief’s not going to be able to do that.”

Now Holly was growing alarmed. “What do you mean?”

“The chief took a bullet in the head last night.”

Holly sat up straight. “Is he dead?”

“Not yet.”

At that moment, a handsome middle-aged woman bustled breathlessly into the room, startling Holly. “Are you Miss Barker?” she asked.

“Yes,” Holly replied.

“I’m so sorry to be late,” the woman said. “I was at the hospital.” She turned to Wallace. “Hurd, did you tell her?”

“Yeah, just now.”

“I’ve just come from the hospital,” the woman said. “I’ve been there since midnight.”