Hothouse Orchid (21 page)

55

A
s soon as Holly got home, she taped up the resolver in its box, then let herself into her office, fired up her computer and called Lance.

“Yes?” he said, as his face appeared on the screen.

“It’s Holly. I did the job on the safe, and it was empty, except for a stack of money—several thousand dollars—and a single .223 cartridge.”

“Why would anyone own a large safe and have only that in it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s clearing out.”

“Has he given you any indication of that?”

“No.”

“You say he owns an airplane?”

“Yes.”

“Look him up in the federal aircraft registry, then check the airplane to see if it has the correct tail number. If he has changed it in the computer, it might not match the numbers on the airplane.”

“Oh, all right, Lance. By the way, I’m supposed to report any large purchase to you, am I not?”

“Yes. What are you buying?”

“I’ve bought an airplane, and I’ll be flying it back to Manassas.”

“What sort of airplane?”

“A Piper Malibu Mirage.”

“How much did you pay for it?”

She told him.

“Would an investigation of your financial condition reveal enough substantiated funds to cover that?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll note it in your personnel file. You may be sure that such a large purchase will raise a flag, and someone will get on the mainframe and check out your assets, perhaps want to question you.”

“I expected that.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“Anything else you want done on the subject of our friend?”

“I can’t think of anything else, can you?”

“No.”

“Then let’s let it rest for the time being.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Holly said.

“You’ll be back next week?”

“Yes. Thanks for the time off; I’ve enjoyed it.”

“Oh,” Lance said, “you probably know that your name was given as a reference by an employment applicant.”

Holly was puzzled. “And who might that be?”

Lance picked up a sheet of paper and looked at it. “One Joshua Harmon, M.D. He’s applied to the medical division as a surgeon and emergency physician.”

“Yes, I know him.”

“Do you recommend him?”

“Yes, unreservedly.”

“I’ll note that on his application.”

“Will he be hired?”

“With your recommendation, I should think so, unless his background check turns up something that contradicts your opinion. He’s already passed the basic computer check; the interviews of his friends and past employers are being conducted now.”

“When did he apply?” Holly asked.

“Ten days ago,” Lance replied. “What is your connection with him?”

“Purely social.”

“Is he the lump I saw in your bed once, when I phoned you?”

“Goodbye, Lance,” Holly said, then hung up. Lance’s face disappeared from the screen.

T
hat night Holly and Josh went to dinner at the Yellow Dog Café, up near Melbourne. They got drinks and then ordered.

“How was your day?” Josh asked.

“Passable,” she replied. “And yours?”

“Fairly dreary. Setting a femur broken in a skateboarding accident was the highlight of my day.”

“That must mean that most of this part of the world is healthy, then.”

“I suppose.”

“Tell me, Josh, are you happy in your work?”

“I’m bored with it,” Josh replied.

“Were you thinking of changing your employment?”

“Well, I’ve been here over four years, and a change would be . . .” He stopped talking and looked at her. “You know,” he said.

“I’m CIA,” Holly replied. “I know everything.”

“I shouldn’t have given you as a reference,” he said.

“I’m glad you did.”

“I was going to surprise you.”

“You did.”

“Pleasantly, I hope.”

“I was surprised. You didn’t tell me what you were doing.”

“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.”

“I guess not.”

“Look, I can always withdraw my application, if you don’t want me around, but I have to say, I thought you’d be pleased.”

“I am,” she admitted. “My life at Langley has been all about work since I’ve been there. It’ll be nice to change that a little.”

“I’ll do what I can to help,” Josh said, squeezing her thigh.

“How did you even know there was a medical division at the Agency?” she asked.

“They tried to recruit me near the end of my surgical residency,” he said.

“Why didn’t you accept?”

“I wanted to make some money before I went into . . . public service.”

“And why did you reapply now?”

“You have to ask?” Josh asked.

Holly smiled. “You’re sweet.”

“Do you think I’ll be accepted?”

“If they don’t find out that you’ve been a North Korean sleeper since grade school.”

“Oh, God, I didn’t think they would check on that!”

She laughed. “My recommendation won’t hurt.”

“You recommended me?”

“I did, just this afternoon.”

“I guess that must mean you want me around.”

She took his hand. “It does.”

He smiled.

“Something you should know, though,” Holly said.

“What’s that?”

“You’re going to have to work hard at the Agency; you may not have much time to see me.”

“I’ll figure something out,” he said.

“And, if you don’t, I will,” she replied.

56

H
urd Wallace telephoned his nominal superior, Colonel Timothy Wyatt, who was head of the state police. Hurd effectively reported only to the governor, but he made a point of making equipment and personnel requests through Wyatt, as a courtesy and to maintain good relations for situations like the one he now faced.

“Good morning, Hurd,” Wyatt said without warmth.

“Good morning, Colonel,” Hurd replied.

“What can I do for you?”

“I want to request some equipment for a special operation,” Hurd said.

“What is the nature of your operation?”

“To obtain evidence against and arrest a suspect in the rapes and murders of several women in the Vero Beach area.”

“Was the most recent of them named Patricia Terwilliger?”

“Yes, Colonel.”

“I was under the impression that the suicide and confession of one James Bruno cleared her case and the others.”

“Did you have a particular interest in Ms. Terwilliger?”

“She was my wife’s sister.”

“Colonel, I apologize for not speaking to you directly about the case; I was unaware of the relationship.”

“I would have thought that a crack investigator such as yourself would have known that, Captain.”

“We made the family notification to her mother. One of my people visited her personally to break the news.”

“My wife was grateful for that. You have not responded to my question: I thought Patricia’s murder had been committed by James Bruno.”

“There is some question as to whether he acted alone,” Hurd half-lied.

“You think he may have had an accomplice?”

“It’s a distinct possibility. It’s also possible that the accomplice may have murdered Bruno and staged the suicide.”

“Well, this case just gets more and more interesting,” Wyatt said.

“I’ve made a practice of copying you on every report I’ve submitted, Colonel, and I will continue to do so.”

“What equipment do you need to continue this investigation?”

“I need GPS, audio and video equipment to be concealed in the suspect’s car by state technicians and a van equipped to conduct electronic surveillance on the car. I also need a helicopter, as a backup, to provide visual surveillance.”

“Anything else?”

“I can provide the two chase cars I’ll need, but should something arise on the technical front, I’d need in-depth advice and assistance from appropriate personnel.”

“I see,” Wyatt replied. “When and for how long?”

“From this Friday through the weekend plus a couple of more days. I’ll need the helicopter only on the day of the operation.”

“I assume you will have the proper warrant.”

“I will deal with that locally,” Hurd replied.

“Please hold,” the colonel said.

Hurd sat, the receiver to his ear, for eight minutes by his watch. It seemed like half an hour. Then there was a click.

“I have my chief of technical services, Mike Green, on the line,” Wyatt said. “I have authorized him to supply your needs, so I’ll hang up and let you two work out the details. Goodbye and good luck, and I’d appreciate it if you would transmit to me any further details that emerge in the case we discussed.” Wyatt hung up.

“Mike?”

“I’m here, Captain. What can I do for you.”

Hurd told him.

H
olly and Lauren Cade met for lunch at the Ocean Grill, as was becoming their habit.

“Hurd has requisitioned the equipment we need for the operation,” Lauren said. “Now would be a good time for you to call Jane Grey and get her cooperation.”

“When will you need Jimmy’s car?” Holly asked.

“If she can get it Friday night and return it Monday morning, that would be ideal.”

Holly produced her cell phone, looked up Jane’s direct line and called.

“Orchid Beach Police Department, Jane Grey.”

“Hi, Jane, it’s Holly.”

“How you doing, Holly?”

“Real well, but I need your help on something.”

“Anything I can do, sure.”

“First I have to tell you some things that have to remain with you and no one else.”

“Gotcha.”

“Jimmy Weathers has become a suspect in the rapes and murders.”

“It wasn’t Bruno?”

“Maybe. We’re not sure, but in order to find out, we’re going to have to place some equipment in Jimmy’s car, and we’ll need the weekend to do that.”

“I see,” Jane replied.

“Can you get him to use another car from Friday afternoon until Monday morning while his car is worked on?”

“I think I can manage that,” Jane said.

“Thank you, Jane. Would you call me back when that’s all set up?”

“I will. Anything else?”

“That’s all.”

“I’ll call you later.” Jane hung up.

“Jane is with us,” Holly said to Lauren. “I had to tell her those things, but she’s completely trustworthy.”

“That’s all right,” Lauren said.

“Anything else new in the case?”

“Well, I’ve had all sorts of thoughts about it.”

“What thoughts?”

“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

J
immy 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.

L
auren 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!”

“There’s just one more arrest I want to be there for,” she said, “and then I’m all yours.”

“Want to tell me about it?”

“I’ll tell you about it when it’s over,” she said.

H
olly’s phone rang late that afternoon. “Hello?”

“It’s Lance.”

“Hey. You want me to go to the secure phone?”

“No, it’s not necessary. I just called to let you know that Joshua Harmon is being offered the position he applied for.”

“Great! When?”

“Tomorrow morning,” Lance said. “I thought you might like to tell him yourself.”

“Thanks, I would. Tell me, Lance, how did this all move along so quickly?”

“Dr. Harmon has friends in high places,” Lance replied. “Goodbye.” He hung up.

Holly hung up, laughing.

S
he was getting dinner ready when Josh arrived, looking a little down. “Another bad day?”

“Another boring one,” Josh said, pouring them both a drink and taking a stool.

“You’re really getting tired of it here, aren’t you?”

“That and I’m not very happy about your going back and leaving me behind.”

“Are you sure you want to move to McLean?”

“I certainly want to move somewhere, and McLean is where you are, so that’s good enough for me.”

“So you would consider a job offer good news?”

“I don’t want to think about it; then if I don’t get it I’ll be less disappointed.”

“I wouldn’t want you to be disappointed,” Holly said, kissing him on the forehead.

“Well, that’s a nice thought,” Josh replied. “That makes me feel better already.” He raised his glass. “That and this Scotch whiskey.”

“Congratulations,” Holly said. “You got the job.”

He looked at her closely. “Are you serious?”

“Perfectly.”

“How could this happen so quickly?”

“You’ve got friends in high places,” Holly said.

Josh came off the stool, grabbed her and kissed her. “That’s the best news I’ve ever had,” he said.

“And you’re young yet,” she laughed.

He began helping her in the kitchen.

“I was thinking,” she said. “I’ve got to fly my new airplane back, so you could drive my Cayenne and rent one of those tow bars to pull your car behind.”

“Good idea,” he said. “And I can fill them both with my stuff.”

“How much stuff do you have?” Holly asked.

“Well, not all that much, really. I always make it a policy when I move to throw away as much stuff as I can do without.”

“That’s a relief,” Holly said. “I have only so much closet space.”

“Huh?”

“In my house,” she said. “You’re not going to turn down a free sack, are you?”

He kissed her on the neck. “Certainly not.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she said. “It’s been nice having a roomie here, and I think it’s a good idea to continue the practice.”

“Why thank you, ma’am.”

“You’ll get a written offer from the Agency,” she said, “and they’ll ask you for a local address up there. Use mine.”

“Shall I sign up as Mr. Holly Barker?”

“Not just yet, buster; I’m a cautious woman.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“I’d rather have a long affair than a short marriage,” she said.

“I guess that’s one way to look at it,” he replied, nodding.

“It’s the only way to look at it,” Holly said.