Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

“No, that’s all right,” Holly said. She slipped out of her slacks and shirt and into a uniform. Jane produced a badge from her desk drawer and pinned it on.

“Now, let’s get your picture taken.” She pulled down a home movie screen on one wall and produced a Polaroid camera from her bottomless desk drawers. “Just stand right there and look nice,” she said, then snapped the picture. A moment later she had stuck the photograph to the computer printout and was laminating it in a desktop machine. “There,” she said, looking satisfied with her work. She took a leather wallet from her desk, inserted the ID card and handed it to Holly. A gold shield was affixed to the wallet.

“Thank you, Jane.”

“Now you’re officially Deputy Chief Holly Barker, and nobody can do a damn thing about it. Your contract is for five years, after all.”

“Might somebody want to do something about it?” Holly asked.

“You never know. Oh, one more thing,” Jane said. She unlocked a heavy steel cabinet and took out a pistol with a holster and belt, a box of ammunition and an envelope. “Here’s your weapon, a nine-millimeter Beretta automatic, and fifty rounds of ammunition. Sign right here.” Holly signed. “You can have another weapon of your own, if you want to, but you’ll need to register the serial number with me and fire a round for our ballistics records.”

“Okay.”

Jane opened the envelope and shook out a pair of handcuffs and two keys, then clipped them onto the pistol belt. “The chief likes eve

rybody to have a spare handcuff key in their pocket, in case, God forbid, anybody should ever cuff you with your own handcuffs.”

“Good idea.”

Jane took a thick, ring-bound document from a shelf and handed it to Holly. “This is our bible,” she said. “The chief has been working on it for a long time. It outlines our standard operating procedures for all personnel.”

“The chief sent me a copy,” Holly said. “I’ve read it, and I’m very impressed.”

“He said he thought you might make some suggestions for revisions,” Jane said.

“Not right away—maybe later.”

Jane handed her a sheet of paper. “Here’s a personnel roster with everybody’s rank and assigned duties.”

“I’ve seen this, too,” Holly said. “I’m not sure I’ve memorized it yet, though.”

“I believe you’re all set,” Jane said. “We’ve got an office ready for you next door. Let me show you.” She led Holly into an office nearly as big as the chief’s. It seemed well equipped and comfortable. “Here’s the combination to your safe and your keys to your office and the building,” she said, handing Holly a slip of paper and some keys. “I expect you should use the chief’s car until…he’s back at work. It’s the blue, unmarked car in space one in the lot. Here are the keys.”

“Thanks.”

“There’s a watch change at ten o’clock; we can officially introduce you then.”

“Sounds good. I take it nobody but you and the chief knew I was coming?”

“That’s the way the chief wanted it,” she said.

“Jane, a minute ago, you said something about nobody being able to do anything about my being here. If people had known I was coming, might somebody have tried to do something about it?”

“Well,” Jane said, “you never know, do you?”

“I guess not. I think I’d better see Lieutenant Wallace before the others. Will you ask him to come in here?” Holly settled herself behind her new desk and waited.

CHAPTER

4

T wo minutes passed before Hurd Wallace made his entrance. Holly stood up and stuck out her hand. “Let’s start over,” she said. “I’m Holly Barker, and I’m coming to work here today.”

Wallace shook her hand. “Glad to meet you,” he said. “Welcome aboard.”

“Have a seat, and let’s talk for a minute before the watch change.”

Hurd did as he was asked.