The sergeant opened the screen door and walked in. “Jesus!” he said. “Nice doggy.”
“Her name is Daisy. Say ‘Hello, Daisy.’ ”
“Hello, Daisy,” the sergeant said. “Can I touch the guy without him eating me?”
“It’s a she, and you’re friends now.”
The sergeant gingerly patted Daisy on the head. “Nice Daisy.”
“Yes, she is.”
He went and felt the wounded man’s throat. “He’s dead,” he said.
“Let’s wait for the EMTs to determine that,” Holly said, as they heard a siren coming down the street. “Daisy, come here.” The dog padded over, and Holly picked up the leash again. “Good girl, good dog.” Daisy nuzzled her leg.
“Now,” the sergeant said, “you want to tell me what went down here?”
“Why don’t we wait for homicide, so I won’t have to do it twice?”
The sergeant produced a portable radio and asked that homicide detectives be sent to the address.
Holly led Marina out to the front porch to wait. When the sergeant went to look around the house, Holly said, “Where is the notebook?”
“In the freezer,” Marina replied.
“Let’s leave it there.”
The homicide detectives secured the scene and called for a crime-scene tech, then they came back outside. “Can I see your ID?” one of them asked Holly. He examined it carefully. “And where is Orchid Beach?”
“Up the coast a couple of hours.”
“And what brings you to our jurisdiction, Chief?”
“I came to see Ms. Santos. When I arrived, the perp was threatening her.”
“So you shot him?”
“Not right away, not until he went to his back for a gun.”
“And how did you know he had a gun?”
“I saw the bulge under his shirt when his back was to me,” she said. “I already had my hand on my weapon. I had told him to kneel and put his hands behind his head.”
“Did you identify yourself as a police officer and show him your badge?”
“I identified myself as a police officer, but I had my dog in one hand and my weapon in the other, so I couldn’t show him a badge right at that moment.”
“I see. And you believed it was necessary to use deadly force?”
“His weapon is lying next to him,” Holly said. “I haven’t touched it.”
“Why was the perp threatening Ms. Santos?”
“It appeared to be a robbery,” Holly said. “When I arrived, the living room was in disarray, and his hand was drawn back as if to strike her.”
“Was he looking for something specific, Ms. Santos?”
“I don’t know,” she replied innocently. “He was tearing up the living room when I walked in from the kitchen, and then Chief Barker arrived.”
“Did you know him?”
“No, I’ve never seen him before.”
“Was there anyone with the man?”
“When I arrived, there was a car parked out front with a Latino male at the wheel, reading something. After I fired, I heard the car start and leave in a hurry.”
“Any further description?”
“Dark hair, a mustache, that’s about all I could see. The car was a late-model Lincoln Town Car, black.”
“Great,” the detective said. “Not many of those around Lauderdale. Are you here on official business, Chief?” the detective asked.
“Yes. Ms. Santos was the fiancée of a man named Carlos Alvarez, who was murdered in my jurisdiction. I was here to discuss that with her.”
“And what, exactly, did you discuss?”
“We didn’t have time to discuss anything,” Holly said.
“And what did you want to ask her?”
“I don’t think that’s relevant to your investigation of the homicide,” Holly said.
“Well, I guess your internal affairs people are going to want to discuss this with you.”
“We don’t have an internal affairs division,” Holly said.
“Lucky you.”
“I’d like my weapon back as soon as you’re done with it,” Holly said, giving the detective her card.
“Sure. Now why don’t you come inside and walk me through what happened?”
“Glad to, Detective.”
The crime-scene tech handed the detective an open wallet. “Florida driver’s license,” he said.
“Ernesto Rodriguez,” the detective read from the license. “Name sound familiar to either of you?” he asked Holly and Marina. Both shook their heads.
Two hours had passed before the corpse was taken away and the investigation completed. Holly went into the kitchen with Marina. “Now, the notebook, please,” she said.
Marina went to the fridge, took an open bag of Tater Tots from the freezer, fished out the notebook, and handed it to Holly.
“Thank you,” Holly said, putting it into her damaged handbag. “What did the man say to you when he came inside?”
“He said he was a friend of Carlos, and he wanted his notebook. I told him I didn’t know about a notebook, and he became angry and started to tear the place apart. Fortunately, you arrived about that time.”
“Did he hit you?”
“No, he only pushed me against the wall, but he was about to hit me.”
“Did you know him, Marina?”
“I’ve seen him in Pedro’s shop,” she said, “but I don’t know his name.”
“Often?”
“Just once. He was talking to Pedro in the office when I dropped in to see Carlos.”
“Where is your mother?”
“She’s working at the church today.”
“We’d better get the living room cleaned up before she comes back. We don’t want her to be frightened.”
Marina nodded, and the two women went to work, restoring the room to its former appearance, except for the bloodstain on the carpet.
Marina got some spray carpet cleaner from the kitchen and was about to begin using it when Holly stopped her. “Do you have any disinfectant?”
“Yes, some Lysol.”
“Better spray the stain well before you clean it. You never know about blood these days.”
When the house was in order, Holly made to leave. “Something else, Marina,” she said.
“Yes?”
“You shouldn’t speak to Pedro again. If he calls you, tell him you don’t want to talk to him, and if he tries to see you, call the police.”
“Why?”
“I believe he sent the man here today for the notebook, and since he doesn’t have it, he’ll still want it. I think Pedro was involved with whatever Carlos was doing. I’ll speak to him and tell him to stay away from you.”
“Thank you,” Marina said.
“In the meantime, I think it’s best if you and your mother leave the house for a few days. Rodriguez had a friend with him, and we don’t want you to be here when he comes back. Is there somewhere you can go? A friend or relative that Pedro doesn’t know?”
Marina thought about it. “My mother has a sister in Sarasota; we can go there.”
“Does Pedro know about her?”
“No.”
“Good. You’d better pack a bag for your mother and yourself and go pick her up at the church.”
Holly waited until Marina was on her way, then got back in her car and drove away, heading for the locksmith’s shop.