“I didn’t know Pio had a sister,” Holly said, trying to find out if the girl could speak.
“Yeah,” Allegra replied, snapping shut her compact.
They went back to the table, where waiters were removing the plates from the first course. Holly sat down.
“You know,” Pio said conspiratorially, “you’re a good-looking girl. Maybe we could get together sometime?”
“Why, Pio,” Holly said, “whatever would your wife say?”
“She’d enjoy it,” Pio replied with a smile. “She likes to watch.”
Holly gulped at the thought.
“Now, our main course,” Ed announced.“Boeuf Wellington.”
A waiter appeared carrying a large platter and presented the mound of pastry to the diners. Everyone clapped lightly.
The waiter sliced the beef into thick slabs and served it.
Holly felt as though this were a last supper of sorts, but at least it was a good supper. She began trying to think of a way to get out of here. Grant was annoying her now, blithely chatting up Barbara Pellegrino, who looked as though she would like Grant for her main course, instead of the beef. He knew who these people were; he could at least have the grace to look worried, she thought.
Holly directed her attention to Ed, pointedly ignoring Pio. “So, Ed, is this a business dinner, or just pleasure?”
“A bit of both, sweetheart,” Ed said in his affable way. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”
“The food is wonderful,” Holly replied. “What sort of business are you in together?”
“Real estate, of course. This is really sort of a celebration of a new property we’ve just bought in South Beach, Miami. In less than a year, we’re going to have the hottest hotel on the beach.”
“Another deal like Blood Orchid?” Holly asked.
“Very much the same,” Ed replied. “Smitty, over there, is the new head of the Miami office of the General Services Administration, and this is the second property we’ve bought from them. There will be more, you may be sure.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Holly said.
“Oh, it is, believe me. Within five years we’re going to be the second largest holder of resort property in Florida, right after Disney. And by that time, gambling will be legal in Florida, and we’ll be the largest operators of casinos.”
“Gambling legal in Florida?” Holly asked. “I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“You will,” Ed replied.
Holly glanced at Grant to see if he was hearing any of this.
“We’re out shopping for state legislators right now,” Ed said.
“Ed,” Holly said, “I thought Blood Orchid was your swan song in real estate; I thought you were going to retire here.”
“I hope you’ll forgive that little fib, Holly. I didn’t want anyone to know what my plans were. Did I mention that we bought a bank in the next county?”
“No, you didn’t.”
“You can’t imagine what a convenience it is to own a bank,” Ed said, grinning.
Dessert was served-baked Alaska-and Holly declined, instead continuing to toy with her beef. Her head was spinning with the scale of what Ed Shine and the Pellegrinos were planning. Certainly, funding it all was no problem, not with all the cash piling up in the vaults across the golf course from where they sat.
“Well, Holly,” Ed said, “have you digested all that?” He wasn’t referring to dinner.
“Not quite, Ed, I’m still working on it.” It worried her that he was telling her all this, as if he didn’t expect her to be able to pass it on.
“Well, while you do, let me tell you a little story about myself.” He put down his napkin and turned toward Holly. “I’ve been coming to Florida for more than forty years, you know.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“No reason why you should. You may recall that I told you I didn’t have any children?”
“Yes.”
“Well, none to speak of, as they say. A little over thirty years ago, I spent a few weeks in Miami, and I had a rather passionate liaison with a young lady of Latino extraction. That union produced a child, and while I wasn’t on hand for all the usual occasions-birthdays, Christmas, and so on, I certainly kept a fatherly eye on his rearing, and the boy has turned out to be very useful to me in my business.”
A figure had appeared in the shadows of the bar, and Ed waved him over. “Enrico, come over here; there’s someone I want you to meet.” Ed turned to Holly. “He’s been dying to meet you.”
Holly turned and watched the man approach.
“Holly,” Ed said, “this is my son, Enrico.”
Trini Rodriguez, dressed in a severely cut black suit, smiled a broad smile.
61
This was bad. Holly saw Grant getting to his feet and offering Trini his hand. “How do you do?” he asked. Trini ignored him and continued to stare at Holly.
“Grant!” Holly said. “Have you got a weapon on you?” It was a stupid thing to say, but it caused everyone to look at Grant, while Holly dropped her napkin onto her steak knife and gathered it into her lap.
“What?” Grant replied, incredulously. “A weapon, did you say?”
“Only joking,” Holly replied.
“Why would I have a weapon?” Grant asked, as if he thought she were insane.
“Yes, Holly,” Ed said, “why would he? You seem to be very nervous, sweetheart.”
Holly turned to Ed. “I take it you’re fully informed of your son’s activities over recent days?”
“Why, of course,” Ed replied. “Enrico does only what I ask him to.” He turned to Trini. “And, Enrico, right now I’d like you to take Miss Barker back to her cottage.”
“Why?” Holly asked. She slipped the steak knife into her waistband under her jacket.
“Yes, why?” Grant echoed.
“Because my son has expressed an interest in having some time alone with Miss Barker,” Ed said.
Holly felt a wave of nausea.
“Enrico,” Ed said, “you may as well deal with Mr. Early, too,” Ed said.
Grant was on his feet, looking wary. He turned to face Trini.
Trini raised a hand containing a semiautomatic pistol and shot Grant in the chest. Grant flew backward onto the floor, knocking over his chair.
Barbara Pellegrino began screaming, and Holly got up and rushed around the table to Grant and bent over him. “Grant, Grant,” she was yelling.
Grant opened his eyes and winked at her, then closed them again. Then she realized there was no blood, just a neat hole in his shirt. She put her hand on his chest and felt the vest underneath his shirt.
Holly stood up and faced Trini, who was walking toward her, holding the weapon at his side. “You miserable son of a bitch!” she yelled at him. “You’ve killed him!”
Trini smiled and drew back his empty hand to hit her. Holly ducked, and Trini’s knees suddenly buckled as Grant reached up, grabbed his coattails, and pulled him off balance. She got ahold of his gun hand with both hands and held on for dear life. Then Grant got ahold of Trini’s belt and pulled him over on top of himself. Holly followed, falling on Trini. His gun went off.
There was a scream from behind her; the bullet had found its way to somebody, but Holly couldn’t see who. Grant was twisting Trini’s arm now, and Holly could let go with one hand. She felt for the heavy steak knife at her waist, got ahold of it and plunged it into Trini’s neck, twisting it and yanking it out the way she had been trained in the army. Blood began to spurt rhythmically from Trini’s jugular.
Grant got the gun free from him and was getting to his feet when a man with a shotgun stepped up and hit him across the back of his head with the butt of the weapon.
Where the hell had he come from? Holly wondered. He was pointing the shotgun at her now, motioning for her to drop the knife. She dropped it.