“Here’s how we’re going to do this, Ham: you’re sleeping here, and I’m going to Jackson’s house.”
Ham’s eyes narrowed, and he looked back and forth at the two of them.
“Now, don’t start, Ham,” Holly said. “I’ve been a big girl for a long time, and I’ll decide where I sleep.”
Jackson looked at Ham and shrugged.
Ham rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, darlin’.”
Holly looked down at his bag. “I see you’ve got your stuff. You get some sleep, and tomorrow morning, you come down to Jackson’s place, and we’ll all have breakfast, and I’ll fill you in.”
“Okay, what time?”
She looked at Jackson. “Ten o’clock?”
Jackson nodded.
“Hell, that’s practically afternoon,” Ham said.
“If you get hungry earlier, just root around in my galley.” She gave him directions to Jackson’s.
“Okay, ten o’clock.”
Holly got a small duffel and stuffed some clean clothes and underwear into it. When Ham wasn’t looking she dug her diaphragm out of a drawer and stuck it under the clothes. “All right,” she said, “let’s go. The sheets are pretty clean, Ham; don’t get them any dirtier. If the phone rings, let the answering machine get it. The station knows to call my cell phone first if they need me.”
“Okay, then,” Ham said. “See you in the morning.” He glared at Jackson. “You be nice to her.”
“Ham, shut up!” Holly said.
“Don’t worry,” Jackson replied, “I’ll take good care of her. See you at breakfast.”
They left the trailer and got into Jackson’s car.
“Jesus, what a shock!” Holly said.
“Aren’t you glad to see him?”
“Sure, I am, but I would have liked a little notice. What am I going to do with him? We can’t both sleep in the trailer. I’d kill him the first day.”
“Listen, you can go right on bunking with me until we can find him a place.”
She reached over and patted his thigh. “What a sweet offer,” she said.
“He seems like a nice guy,” Jackson said. “But he talks about killing a lot.”
“He’s done a lot of that in his time. You’re lucky he didn’t kill you with a single blow,” Holly replied. “He’s been trained to do that, you know.”
“I’ll make it a point to be real nice to him.”
“And me, too.”
“Especially you.”
CHAPTER
28
Holly woke up at nine forty-five and reached for Jackson, who wasn’t there. She struggled out of bed, threw on some clothes, brushed her teeth and her hair and went downstairs. Jackson and Ham were drinking coffee over the remains of a large breakfast. Daisy was leaning against Ham, looking up at him with adoring eyes.
“What time did you get here?” she asked Ham.
Ham shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Eight forty-five,” Jackson said. “I tried not to wake you.”
“I got hungry,” Ham said, “and I didn’t want any of that health food crap you eat, so I came on down here and made Jackson scramble me some eggs.”
“You want something?” Jackson asked.
“I’ll toast myself a bagel,” she replied.
“I’ve brought Ham up to date on what’s happened,” Jackson said while Holly made her breakfast.
“Jesus, what a mess!” Ham chimed in. “Now I see why you haven’t found the bastards.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Holly said. “Now, Ham, it’s important that you don’t go sticking your nose into this.”
“Why the hell not? Sounds like you could use the help.”
“Ham, I’m running a police department, here, and the city council is watching me like a hawk. I can’t have some gung-ho military type, bent on revenge, messing with my investigation.”
“What investigation? From what Jackson tells me, you’re about investigated out. You don’t have a damn thing to go on.”
“Ham, how would you like to spend your first few weeks in Orchid Beach in a cell?”
“What?”
“You ever hear of interfering with a police investigation? Obstruction of justice?”
“You wouldn’t do that to your old man.”
“Try me. I’m not having you under my feet, and I mean it.” She took a bite of her bagel.
“All right,” Ham said sullenly, “I’ll stay out of your way.”
“I’m talking about work, now, not personal.”
“Well, I certainly don’t seem to be standing in your way personally,” he said, glancing sharply at Jackson. “I didn’t slow you down last night, did I?”
“Ham, I am a woman in my prime, and you are a crusty, interfering old fart, and I don’t want to hear another word about sex.”
Ham turned crimson. “Jesus, who said anything about sex?”
“You did.”
“I did not.”
Jackson broke in. “Is it always like this?”
“Only when he starts bitching about my private life,” Holly said. “He’s never approved of a single man I’ve known.”
Ham pointed at Jackson. “I approve of him,” he said.
Holly blinked. “You do?”
“We’ve been talking for a while, and I reckon I know a lot about him by now.”
Jackson spoke up. “Where I was born, education, hobbies, past sexual experience, time as a cop, my legal practice, how much money I make. Considerably more than you know about me.”
“Ham, you can really be a pain in the ass sometimes,” she said.
Ham held up a finger. “It’s a father’s right to know something about the man who’s screwing his daughter.”
“HAM!” she screamed.
Jackson broke up and started clearing the table. “I’m out of this,” he said. “You two can fight it out.”
“All right, all right,” Ham said placatingly. “I guess I know enough for now. I’ll ask him the rest when he comes to me and asks for your hand.”
“Arrrrrrghhhhh!!!” she yelled, throwing up her hands in exasperation.
“Oh,” Ham said, “on a different subject, you had a phone call at the crack of dawn this morning.” He dug a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Guy named Paul Green.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” Holly said, looking at the number. “Oh, it’s the hospital. Dr. Green. Maybe he’s got some news about Chet.” She went to the sofa, dialed the number and asked for Dr. Green.
“I’ll put you through to his home,” the operator said.
He answered on the first ring. “Green.”
“Dr. Green, it’s Holly Barker. You left a message for me.”
“Oh, Chief Barker, I’m sorry to have called so early. I seem to have woken up the gentleman who answered.”
“That’s all right, he’s my father.”
“I called with bad news, I’m afraid.”
Holly’s stomach tensed. “What’s happened?”
“Chief Marley arrested at six-twenty this morning. The team worked on him for nearly half an hour, and I came in, too, but we weren’t able to revive him. Official time of death was six forty-five. I’m very sorry.”
“Oh, God,” Holly said. “Did he ever regain consciousness at all?”
“I’m afraid not. Is there anything I can do?”
“No, Doctor. Thank you for calling me immediately. I’ll make the announcement through the department, and someone will be in touch with the hospital about the arrangements.” She hung up. Jackson and Ham were standing there, looking at her.
“Is is Chet?” Ham asked.
Holly nodded. “He died at six forty-five this morning.”