hings he had wanted to do during his three years in San Quentin。
So far； he liked the clean white look of Miami； but he was astonished to learn that the city was not on the ocean。
2
The VIP Room…or Golden Lounge； as it was sometimes called； after the gold plastic cards issued to first…class passengers by the three airlines that maintained it…was unusually crowded。 The dead man lying on the blue carpet was not the only one who was there without a gold card。
Sergeant Hoke Moseley； Homicide； Miami Police Department； filled a Styrofoam cup with free coffee…his third… picked up a glazed doughnut from the assortment on the clear plastic tray and put it back； then doctored his coffee with Sweet 'n' Low and N…Rich Coffee Creamer。 Sergeant Bill Henderson； Hoke's hefty partner； sat on a royal blue couch and read John Keasler's humor column in The Miami News。 Two middle…aged airport security men in electric blue sports jackets stood by the door； looking as if they were ready to take orders from anybody。
A black airport public relations man； wearing a hundreddollar brown silk sports shirt and yellow linen golf slacks； was making notes with a gold pencil in a leather notebook。 He put the notebook into his hip pocket and crossed the blue…carpeted room to talk to two men who said they were from Waycross； Georgia； John and Irwin Peeples。 They glowered at him。
〃Don't worry；〃 the PR man said。 〃As soon as the state attorney gets here； and I've had a chance to talk to him； you'll be on the next flight out for Atlanta。 And a plane of some kind leaves for Atlanta every half…hour。〃
〃We don't want no plane of some kind；〃 John Peeples said。 〃Me and Irwin fly Delta or nothing。〃
〃No problem。 If we have to； we'll bump a couple and get you on Delta inside of an hour。〃
〃If I was you；〃 Bill Henderson butted in； taking off his black…rimmed reading glasses； 〃I wouldn't promise these crackers anything。 What we may be dealing with here is a Murder Two。 For all I know； this whole thing might be a religious plot to murder that Krishna； with the two crackers in on it from the beginning。 Ain't that right； Hoke？〃
〃I don't know yet；〃 Hoke said。 〃Let's wait and see what the medical examiner and the state attorney have to say。 At the least； Mr。 and Mr。 Peeples； you've got a long session ahead of you。 We'll be wanting to talk to you downtown； and there'll be depositions to make out。 As material witnesses to the〃…he pointed to the body on the floor…〃demise of this Krishna here； the state attorney might decide to keep you in Miami under protective custody for several months。〃
The brothers groaned。 Hoke winked at Bill Henderson as he joined him on the couch。
The other Hare Krishna； the partner of the dead man； started to cry again。 Someone had given him back his wig and he had stuffed it into his jacket pocket。 He was at least twenty…five； but he looked much younger as he stifled his sobs and wiped his eyes with his fingertips。 His freshly shaven head glistened with perspiration。 He had never seen a dead person before； and here was his 〃brother；〃 a man he had prayed with and eaten brown rice with； as dead as anyone could ever be； stretched out on the blue carpet of the VIP Room； and covered…except for feet in white cotton socks and scuffed Hush Puppies…with a cream…colored Aeroméxico blanket。
Dr。 Merle Evans； the medical examiner； arrived with Violet Nygren； a blond and rather plain young assistant prosecutor from the state attorney's office。 Hoke nodded to the security men at the door； and the two were let through。 Hoke and Bill Henderson shook hands with Doc Evans； and the four of them moved to the back of the lounge； out of earshot of the Peeples； the PR man； and the weepy Krishna。
〃I'm new on the beat；〃 Violet Nygren said； as she introduced herself。 〃I've only been in the state attorney's office since I finished up at the UM Law School last June。 But I'm willing to learn； Sergeant Moseley。〃
Hoke grinned。 〃Fair enough。 This is my partner； Sergeant Henderson。 If you're an attorney； Miss Nygren； where's your briefcase？〃
〃I've got a tape recorder in my purse；〃 she said； holding up her leather drawstring bag。
〃I was kidding。 I've got a lot of respect for lady lawyers。 My ex…wife had one； and I've been paying half my salary for alimony and child support for the last ten years。〃
〃I haven't been on a homicide up to now；〃 she said。 〃My caseloads so far have been mostly muggings and holdups。 But； as I said； I'm here to learn； Sergeant。〃
〃This may not be a homicide。 That's why we wanted someone from the state attorney's office to e down with Doc Evans。 We hope it isn't。 We've had enough this year as it is。 But that'll be up to you and Doc Evans to decide。〃
〃That's awfully deferential； for you； Hoke；〃 Doc Evans said。 〃What's bothering you？〃
〃Here's what happened。 The body under the blanket's a Hare Krishna。〃 Hoke looked at his opened notebook。 〃His name's Martin Waggoner； and his parents； according to that other Krishna over there； live in Okeechobee。 He came down to Miami nine or ten months ago； joined the Krishnas； and they both reside in the new Krishna ashram out on Krome Avenue in the East 'Glades。 These two have been working the airport for about six months； their regular assignment。 The airport security people know them； and they've been warned a couple of times about bothering the passengers。 The dead man had more than two hundred dollars in his wallet； and the other Krishna's got about one…fifty。 That's how much they've begged out here since seven A。M。〃 Hoke looked at his wristwatch。 〃It's only twelve…forty…five now； and the Krishna over there said they usually take in about five hundred a day between them。〃
〃Pretty good money。〃 Violet Nygren raised her pale eyebrows。 〃I wouldn't have guessed they collected so much。〃
〃The security people said there're two more Krishna teams working the airport besides this one。 We haven't notified the mune； and we haven't called the Krishna's parents up in Okeechobee； yet。〃
〃You haven't told us a hell of a lot； either；〃 Doc Evans said。
〃Our problem； Doc； is witnesses。 There were maybe thirty witnesses； all in line at Aeroméxico； but they took the flight to Mérida。 We managed to snag these two boys over there〃… Hoke pointed to the Georgians； who looked to be in their forties…〃but only because the uglier one on the right stole the victim's wig。 The airline employees behind the counter said they didn't see anything。 They were too busy； they said； and at check…in time I suppose they were。 I got their names； and we can talk to them again later。〃
〃Too bad；〃 Henderson said； 〃that we couldn't find the lady with the Krishna Kricket。〃
〃What's a Krishna Kricket？〃 Violet Nygren asked。
〃They sell 'em out here in the bookshops and drugstores。 It's just a metal cricket with a piece of spring steel inside。 You crick it at the Krishnas when they start bugging you。 The noise usually drives them away。 There used to be a Krishna…hater out here who gave them away free； but he ran out of crickets or money or ardor…I don't know。 Anyway； the two brothers over there said she was closest to the action； and she kept cricking her Kricket at the Krishna until he stopped screaming。〃
〃How was he killed？〃 Doc Evans said。 〃Or do you want me to look at him now and tell you？ I've got to get back to the morgue。〃
〃That's the point；〃 Hoke said。 〃He wasn't actually killed。 He bothered some guy wearing a leather coat。 The guy bent his finger back and broke it。 Then the guy walked away and disappeared。 The Krishna went down on his knees； started screaming； and then； maybe five or six minutes later； he's dead。 The security men brought his body in here； and the PR man over there called Homicide。 So there it is…the Krishna died from a broken finger。 How about it； Miss Nygren？ Is that a homicide or not？〃
〃I never heard of anybody dying from a broken finger；〃 she said。
〃He must have died from shock；〃 Doc Evans said。 〃I'll tell you for sure after I've had a look at him。 How old is he； Hoke？〃
〃Twenty…one…acording to his driver's license。〃
〃That's what I mean；〃 Doc Evans said； pressing his lips。 〃Young people today just can't stand up to pain the way we could when we were younger。 This one was probably malnourished and in lousy shape。 The pain was unexpected and just too much for him。 It hurts like hell to have your finger bent back。〃
〃You're telling me；〃 Violet Nygren said。 〃My brother used to do it to me when I was a kid。〃
〃And if you bend it back all the way；〃 Doc Evans said； 〃until it breaks； it hurts like a son of a bitch。 So he probably went into shock。 Nobody gave him hot tea or covered him up with a blanket； and that was it。 It doesn't take very long to die from shock。〃
〃About five or six minutes； the Peeples brothers say。〃
〃That's pretty fast。〃 Doc Evans shook his head。 〃Shock usually takes fifteen or twenty minutes。 But I'm not making any guesses。 For all I know； without examining the body； there could be a bullet hole in him。〃
〃I don't think so；〃 Bill Henderson said。 〃All I saw was the broken finger； and it's broken clean off…just hanging there。〃
〃If it was an accident；〃