Holly drove to Grant’s house after work, an unmarked car following her. She had arranged for around-the-clock cops to be parked outside.
She entered the house to wonderful smells of cooking. “Hello there,” she called.
“Dinner’s in half an hour,” Grant called back.
“Mmmm,” she said, sniffing the air and kissing him. “Did you ever do an undercover job as a chef?”
“Short-order cook once, for a week. The worst work I’ve ever had to do; it nearly put me off food.”
She fed and walked Daisy, and came back to the house. “I’m going to grab a shower while you’re finishing dinner,” she said.
When she came back downstairs, dinner was on the table—a risotto with shrimp and asparagus, and a lovely chardonnay.
“So, how was your day?” Grant asked.
“Not bad. The ME called, said the dead pizza guy was Russian.”
“How could they tell? Was he carrying a passport?”
“No ID at all, but he had amalgam fillings, which you don’t find in this country anymore, and he had a Russian military tattoo.” She described it to him.
Grant shook his head. “Blood and loyalty. I’ve never heard of anything like that. Crossed daggers doesn’t sound military, either; crossed swords, maybe.”
“I saw a photograph; it’s definitely daggers.”
“Send it to Harry; he can run it against the Bureau’s files.”
“Good idea.”
“You run the guy’s prints?”
“Yes, but we came up with nothing.”
“If he’s an immigrant on a visa, his prints should be on file with INS. Tomorrow, run them against their files. They may not have gotten passed on to the Bureau yet.”
“Thanks for the suggestion.”
Grant started clearing the table, and Holly helped. Then her cellphone rang.
“Hello?”
“Miss Barker?” The voice was female and quavering.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“It’s Marina Santos.”
“Is something wrong, Marina?”
“I went to the grocery store, and when I came back . . .” Her voice broke, and she seemed unable to go on.
“Marina, what is it? Tell me.”
“My mother and my aunt are dead.”
“Oh, God.”
“There was blood all over the kitchen; they were shot.”
“Marina, where are you now?”
“I’m on my cellphone in my car, parked on the street outside my aunt’s house.”
“What’s the address?”
Marina gave it to her, and Holly wrote it down. “All right, Marina, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to start your car and drive away—don’t hang up. When you drive away, check your rearview mirror to see if anyone is following you. Now, go ahead.”
“All right.”
Holly heard the car start.
“I’m driving down the street, and no one is behind me.”
“All right, give me your cellphone number.” Holly wrote it down. “Now, I want you to go to a public place, very well lighted, like a supermarket parking lot, and park right in front of a big store. I’m going to call the police, and then I’ll call you back with further instructions.”
“All right,” Marina said.
Holly hung up and called Ham’s house.
“Yo,” Ham said.
“It’s me,” Holly said. “Is Ginny there?”
“You don’t want to talk to your old man?”
“Not right now, old man; let me talk to Ginny.”
Ginny came on. “Hi, Holly, what’s up?”
“Ginny, can you fly me to Sarasota?”
“Sure, when?”
“Right this minute; it’s urgent.”
“All right.”
“Tell me the name of the closest airport; we’re going to pick up a passenger.”
“It’s called Sarasota-Bradenton, and it’s near the north-south interstate, north of Sarasota. You can tell your passenger we’ll meet him at Dolphin Aviation.”
Holly heard Ham speak up in the background. “Tell her I’m coming, too.”
“Tell Ham to come armed,” Holly said. “I’ll see you at the airport, just as fast as I can get there.”
“Right.”
Holly hung up. “I’ve got to fly to Sarasota; Trini has killed my witness’s mother and aunt.”
“Jesus,” Grant said. “I’m coming with you.”
“Drive me to the airport,” Holly said. “I don’t know how much room there is in the airplane.”
“Hang on.” Grant went upstairs and came back putting on a jacket over a shoulder holster.
“Daisy, you stay here and be a good girl,” Holly said.
Daisy put her head on the floor, but watched them as they left.
In the car, Holly called Marina back.
“Hello?”
“Marina, are you all right?”
“Yes, but I’m very scared.”
“Do you know how to get to the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport?”
“No.”
“Do you know how to get to the interstate?”
“Yes, I can see it from here.”
“Get on the interstate going north and look for signs to the airport. When you get there, find a place called Dolphin Aviation and wait for me there; I’m flying in.”
“Dolphin Aviation?”
“If you can’t find it, ask. You’ll get there before I will, so just go inside and make yourself comfortable. Tell them you’re being picked up if they show any interest in you.”
“All right.”
“And keep your cellphone with you.”
“All right.”
Holly hung up, called the Sarasota Police Department, and asked for the duty commander.
“This is Lieutenant Brower,” a voice said.
“Lieutenant, this is Chief of Police Holly Barker, from Orchid Beach, Florida.”
“Where is that?”
“Directly across the state from you, east coast.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve got it on the map. What can I do for you, Chief?”
“I’ve just learned about a double homicide in your city.” Holly gave him the address.
“How did you hear about it?”
“The person who found the bodies called me.”
“Why didn’t he call us?”
“There are very good reasons, Lieutenant,” she said. “The FBI are on this, too. The person who found the bodies didn’t witness anything. I’ll get back to you so you can talk to the witness later. In the meantime, I’m responsible for that person’s safety, and I’m taking steps.” Holly gave him her cellphone number. “You can reach me on that number later tonight or tomorrow morning at my office.”
“All right, Chief.”
“Now, listen. The shooter is very likely a man named Trini Rodriguez.” She gave him a complete description. “He may be hanging out in the neighborhood, waiting for my witness to come home. He drives a red Ford Explorer sometimes.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for him.”
“He’s wanted for murder in Fort Lauderdale, and the FBI want him, too. He’ll be armed and extremely dangerous.”
“What is your witness’s name?”
“I’ll let you know about that when the witness is secure. Good-bye.” She hung up. “Step on it, Grant,” she said. “Don’t worry about getting a ticket.”
Grant stepped on it.
At the airport, Ginny was waiting beside a larger airplane than the one Holly had flown. “We’ll take the Saratoga,” she said, “since we’ve got so many people.”
Holly introduced Grant to Ginny and Ham.
Ham looked Grant up and down, then turned to Holly. “Are you two . . . ?”
“Shut up, Ham, and get in the airplane.”