“That’s asking a lot of an FBI man,” Jackson said.
“I’ll do my best,” Crisp said. “Okay, I give up. What could be under there?”
“Ham is ex-army. He says maybe antiaircraft guns or even ground-to-air missiles.”
“Whoa,” Crisp said. “Let’s try to keep both feet on the ground, here.”
“Harry,” Jackson said, “everything about this place defies the imagination.”
“Yeah,” Holly said. “State licensing records show that a hundred and two employees, including a security force of fifteen, have licenses to carry weapons.”
“That’s a lot,” Crisp said.
“Jackson recognized five of the names on the security force as having criminal records, but when we checked the state computer, they were all showing as clean.”
“Everybody makes mistakes,” Crisp said.
“There’s more,” Holly said. “Today, I ran all one hundred and two gun-toters through the state computer, and they all came up clean. Then I ran the same names through your national computer, and seventy-one of them turned up with convictions ranging over most of the spectrum of criminal activity.” She placed the files on the table.
Crisp looked at a few of them, then looked up at Holly. “That’s unbelievable,” he said. “You’ve got a very serious problem at the state level. Have you reported this to Tallahassee?”
“No, only the three of us know about what we’ve told you.”
“Thank God for that,” Crisp said. “For Christ’s sake, don’t tell anybody else.”
“Don’t worry,” Holly replied.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
“Ham knew the Palmetto Gardens head of security in the army. His name is Barney Noble.”
“I know that name. Doesn’t he have a security company in Miami?”
“Right,” Jackson replied, “Craig and Noble. I think all the security guards have come out of there.”
“And they’re armed to the teeth,” Holly said. “I’ve seen assault rifles, and a lot of the regular support staff—waiters, groundskeepers and the like—are packing.”
“I’m going to have to talk to some of my people about this,” Crisp said. “Can I call you at your office, Holly?”
“Not on the regular departmental line,” Holly replied. She wrote down her private number. “On this line.”
“Are you worried about somebody in your department?”
“Yes. My predecessor, Chet Marley, thought somebody was dealing with somebody outside, but I never found out who or what. He was shot the night I arrived in town, along with a friend of his that he might have told about this. They’re both dead.”
“And you think this is connected to Palmetto Gardens?”
“I can’t prove it. What do you think is going on here, Harry?”
“Well, it’s highly suspicious, of course, to have what amounts to a private army to protect two hundred houses and a golf course, but that’s probably not criminal.”
“Altering the state’s criminal records is,” Jackson said.
“It’s certainly probable cause for me to get involved,” Harry replied. “It was a very smart move, Holly, to run those records and compare them with the national computer. If you hadn’t done that, I’d probably have to tell you to call me when somebody at Palmetto Gardens commits a crime.”
“What can you do with what we’ve got, Harry?”
“If I bring half a dozen people up here, is there somewhere we can all meet without attracting attention?”
“My house,” Jackson said, “but bring somebody who can sweep it for bugs.” He drew Crisp a map.
Crisp looked at his watch. “I’m going to drive back to Miami tonight and try to set up a meeting with my agent in charge tomorrow morning. Is there an airport here?”
“Yeah,” Jackson said, “but I don’t think you want a lot of suits getting off a big airplane out there. Be inconspicuous.”
“Thanks, Jackson,” Crisp said sarcastically. “I’ll try to keep that in mind. Holly, can I have these photographs and records?”
“Sure, but I’ll want them back.”
“I’ll have copies made and return the originals,” he said. He stood up. “I’ve got a long drive, and I’ve got to pick up my stuff from a motel in Fort Pierce. I’d better get going.”
“Thanks for coming,” Holly said. “I feel like I’m in over my head, here, and I could sure use some help figuring this thing out.”
“I think I can get you what you need, Holly,” Crisp said.
“And try not to get her killed while you’re doing it,” Jackson said.
“Jackson, your overwhelming confidence in your government never ceases to amaze me,” Crisp replied, gathering up the photographs and records.
Jackson laughed aloud.
“Be seeing you,” Harry Crisp said, then left.
CHAPTER
41
Holly had begun going through the departmental personnel files, something she had been putting off. She wanted to read up on the backgrounds of all her people to get a mental picture of who everybody was. She started with Hurd Wallace’s file.
Hurd had been born in Orlando, had attended Florida State, majoring in business, had served a hitch in the Marine Corps and had joined the Orlando force after his discharge. Three years before, Chet Marley had hired him as a sergeant, then promoted him to lieutenant two years after that. She was wondering why Chet had hired him, promoted him, then came to distrust him. He had expressed annoyance about Hurd’s having political connections, and she assumed that meant John Westover. Her intercom line rang.
“Yes?”
“Chief, there’s a Mr. Barney Noble to see you.”
Holly looked through her glass wall and across the squad room to the front desk. Noble was standing there, in civilian clothes, gazing at her. “Send him in,” Holly said, wondering what the hell this was about.
Barney ambled in, shook her hand and took a seat. “So, Holly, how’s the new job going?”
“It’s going okay, Barney,” she said, smiling. “Right now, I’m pretty much just plowing through paperwork. I expect you know about that.”
“Part of the job, I guess.”
“How are things out at Palmetto Gardens?” she asked.
“Humming along,” he replied. “I had kind of a surprise this morning, though.”
“What was that?”
“Friend of mine up in Tallahassee called and said that the Orchid Beach PD had requested a criminal records check on over a hundred of our employees. What was that all about?” He was looking serious now.
“Just a routine thing,” Holly replied. She was glad he didn’t know she had run his people through the national computer as well.
“C’mon, Holly, don’t hand me that. What the hell are you looking for?” His face had turned pink.
“Take it easy, Barney, and I’ll explain.” She was thinking fast now—this had to be good.
“Please do that.”
“One of the things I think helps keep the peace is to keep a close watch on firearms in the community. Last week, with that in mind, I requested from the state licensing authority a list of every citizen of Orchid Beach who held a license to carry weapons. I have to tell you, I was very surprised to find that of the three hundred or so licensed individuals, a hundred and two of them had addresses at Palmetto Gardens.”
“I can explain that,” Barney said. He started to, but Holly held up a hand.
“Let me finish. I assumed that there were so many gun-toters out there because of what you had told me about your members liking overkill when it comes to security.”
“That’s right.”