按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
But Hoke still wasn't satisfied。
〃Take a look in the bathroom；〃 Hoke said to Sanchez。 〃I'll call the forensic crew。〃
Hoke called Homicide from a white wall phone in the kitchen。 The OIC of the forensic crew would inform the medical examiner； who would either e out or wait at the morgue。 In either case； there would be an autopsy。
Hoke lit a Kool； being careful not to inhale； and went outside。 The two girls with the bicycles had disappeared。 Hannigan； wearing her cap； sat in the front seat of the police car with the door open。 Hoke wondered what was holding up Garcia and Mrs。 Hickey。 He cut across the lawn。 As he stepped through a break in the Barbados cherry hedge between the two yards； the front door opened and Garcia came out； hanging on to a struggling； giggling woman。 The woman's face was reddened and blotchy and streaked with tears。 She had a fine slim figure and was taller than Garcia。 Her wide…set cornflower…blue eyes were rolling wildly。 She was； Hoke estimated； in her late thirties。 She wore a pair of green cotton hip…huggers； a yellow terrycloth halter…exposing a white midriff and a deepset belly button…and a pair of tennis shoes without socks。 Her long； honey…colored hair was tangled。 She stopped giggling suddenly； raised her arms above her head； and slid through Garcia's encircling arms to the grass。 With her legs spread； she sat there stubbornly； sobbing with determination。
〃Where's your hat； Garcia？〃 Hoke said。
〃I left it in the house。 It fell off。〃
〃Get it and put it on。 When you wear a sidearm with a uniform； you're supposed to be covered at all times。〃
A short； matronly…looking woman with steel…gray hair edged shyly out of the doorway； making room for Garcia to reenter the house。 She was wringing her hands； smiling； and her face was slightly flushed。 She wore red shorts and a T…shirt。 She was at least forty…five pounds overweight。
〃It's all my fault； Lieutenant；〃 she said。 〃But I didn't mean it。〃
〃Sergeant； not lieutenant。 Sergeant Moseley。 Homicide。 What's all your fault？ Mrs。 Koontz； isn't it？〃
She nodded。 〃Mrs。 Robert Koontz。 Ellen。〃
〃What's all your fault； Mrs。 Koontz？〃
〃Lorrie…Mrs。 Hickey…was very upset when she found Jerry dead。 She came over here； so I thought it would be a good idea to give her a drink。 To calm her down a little； you know。 So before I called nine…eleven； I poured her a glass of Wild Turkey。〃
〃How big a glass？〃
〃A water glass； I'm afraid。〃
〃Did you put any water in it？〃
〃No。 I didn't think she'd drink all of it； and she didn't。 But she drank most of it； and then it hit her pretty hard。 I don't think I've ever seen anyone ever get so smashed so quick。〃 Mrs。 Koontz giggled； and then put her fingers to her mouth。 〃I'm sorry； Sergeant； I really am。〃
〃You should've put some water in with it。〃
Sanchez knelt on the grass beside Mrs。 Hickey； and handed her a wadded tissue to wipe her face。
〃Perhaps you and Officer Sanchez can get Mrs。 Hickey back into your house？〃 Hoke said。 〃I can't talk to her that way。 Put her to bed； and tell her I'll be back this evening。 It'll be best to have her out of the way when the lab group gets here anyway。〃
〃I'm really sorry about her condition…〃
〃Don't be。 The world would look better if everybody drank a glassful of Wild Turkey in the morning。〃
Hoke signaled to Garcia； who had retrieved his hat from the house。 They walked to the police car； and Mrs。 Koontz and Sanchez helped the sobbing Loretta Hickey into Mrs。 Koontz's house。
There were a dozen area residents standing across the street on the sidewalk。 The neighbors； muttering to one another； stared at the two houses。
〃Keep those people over there； Garcia；〃 Hoke said。 〃I'll lock the back door； and you； Hannigan； can stay in the back yard to keep people from ing around to peep in the windows。 You stay out front； Garcia； and don't answer any questions。〃
Hoke returned to the Hickey house and opened the refrigerator。 There was no beer； but he settled for a glass of Gatorade； which he topped off with a generous shot of vodka from an opened bottle he found in the cabinet above the sink。 He sat at the Eames table in the dining area； put his feet on another chair； and drank the Gatorade…andvodka like medicine。
Sanchez returned to the house； sat across from Hoke； and made some notations in her notebook。 〃Except for some Dexedrine； and it was in a prescription bottle for Mrs。 Hickey； there's nothing of interest in the bathroom。 Hickey obviously hasn't taken a bath in some time； and Mrs。 Hickey hasn't had time； I suppose； to take a shower this morning。〃
〃We'll see how the P。M。 goes； but it's probably a routine OD。 I'll talk to Mrs。 Hickey tonight； and we can work on the report tomorrow。〃
〃You didn't have the right to make Hannigan dump her purse； Sergeant。〃
〃That's right。 I didn't。〃
〃How'd you know she and Garcia took the money from the dresser？〃
〃I didn't。 How could I know？〃
〃The way you acted。 You seemed so positive。〃
〃I just had a hunch； that's all。〃
〃If she reports you； you'll be in trouble。 I'm your partner； but I'm also a witness。 It puts me…〃
〃Do you think she will？〃
〃No。 It's just that 。 。 。〃
〃Just that what？〃
〃If you hadn't found the money； you could've been in a jam。 Or if they'd stuck to their phony story that they'd won the money at Jai alai； you…〃
〃In that case； I'd've turned it over to Internal Affairs。 Then； when Mrs。 Hickey reported the money missing； Garcia and Hannigan would've been suspended for an investigation。 Sometimes a hunch pays off； and sometimes it doesn't。 Pour yourself a Gatorade…and…vodka and relax。〃
〃I don't drink；〃 Sanchez said。 〃On duty。〃
〃Neither do I。 I'm taking the rest of the day off to look for a place to live。 I'll take my car； and you can wait for forensic。 Garcia can give you a ride back to the station in their car。〃
〃We've got a meeting with Major Brownley at fourthirty。〃
Hoke finished his drink and grinned。 〃I know。〃 He washed his glass at the kitchen sink and put the wet glass on the wooden dryer rack。 〃I'll see you then。 But until then； I'm on p time。〃
2
Although Miami is the largest of the twenty…seven municipalities that make up the Greater Miami area； it does not have the desirable； middle…class residential areas or the affordable neighborhoods that the smaller municipalities have。 There are several expensive； up…scale neighborhoods； but very few policemen； even those with working wives； can afford these affluent enclaves。 There are slum areas and black neighborhoods with affordable housing； but WASP policemen with families avoid them； as they avoid the housing in Little Havana。
When a neighborhood bees black or Latin； Anglo policemen move out with their families。 Latin cops prefer Little Havana and have no problem in finding decent housing for their extended families； but the middle…ine housing where married WASP cops prefer to live is in short supply； now that Miami's population is more than 55 percent Latin。 As a consequence； the Anglo family men in the department had moved out of the city to the burgeoning Kendall area； to suburban South Miami； to the giant condo plexes in North Miami； and to the new and affordable subdivision