Hothouse Orchid (Holly Barker 6)

“Maybe.” She took out the phone. “Excuse me a minute. I just thought of something.” She selected a number from her phone’s address book.

“Hello?”

“Jimmy, it’s Lauren Cade.”

“Hey, Lauren.”

“There’s something you could do that would be a big help,” she said.

“Sure, anything I can do.”

“Can you check the right tires on Bruno’s cruiser for cuts?”

“What are you looking for?”

“A cut across the tread. I checked his car at his house today but couldn’t see anything; it might have been parked with the cut on the ground.”

“I get you,” he said. “Sure, I’ll check the car every chance I get. You’re sure it’s on the right side?”

“I think so. You can check all four.”

“Will do.”

“Thanks, Jimmy.” She hung up.

“That was Detective Weathers?” Teddy asked.

“Yes. He’s going to check Bruno’s tires for me.”

“And if you find a cut, you can get a warrant?”

“Maybe. Then, if we can match the cut in the tread to the cast we took, we’ll have some material evidence.”

“I’ll be the first to congratulate you,” Teddy said, slicing and serving the meat loaf before adding mashed potatoes and beans to the plates. Then he put them on the table, and they sat down to eat.

“I fantasize about searching Bruno’s house and finding the panties,” she said.

“What panties?”

“Oh, I guess I didn’t tell you,” Lauren said. “He keeps his victim’s panties-at least, we’ve never found any at the crime scenes.”

34

Lauren Cade was at her desk the following morning when her phone rang. “Detective Cade,” she said.

“Lauren, it’s Jimmy Weathers.”

“Hey, Jimmy.”

“I checked Bruno’s tires this morning, and there’s a cut on the right front one. It’s deep, wedge-shaped and crosses about three-quarters of the tread.”

“Jimmy, I love you,” Lauren nearly shouted. “Tell me you didn’t manipulate the car in any way.”

“I didn’t touch it. The wheels were sharply turned to the left, and the cut was visible to any passerby. You shouldn’t have any trouble with the warrant.”

“Thank you, Jimmy! I’ve got to go see Hurd now.” She hung up and hurried down the hall to Hurd Wallace’s office, smiling.

“What?” Hurd said when he saw her face.