〃Who is it？〃 Hoke said。
〃Sergeant Wilson；〃 a deep voice rumbled。 〃Miami Police Department。〃
〃Slide your ID under the door。〃
〃Are you kidding？〃
〃Try me。 The next thing you hear； if you hear anything； will be a bullet through the door！〃
〃Je…sus Christ！〃 The deep voice was disgusted。
A moment later； the ID card with Wilson's photograph on it was slipped beneath the door。 Hoke picked it up。 It showed that Wilson was black； six feet； two inches tall； 230 pounds； and a sergeant in the MPD； Vice Division。 He was also ugly。 His nose was almost as wide as his lips； and he had a boxer's cauliflower ears。
Hoke took off the chain lock and opened the door。 The man reached for his ID card。 He held his badge in his other hand。 He took the ID card from Hoke's fingers and put it back in his card case； then he put his badge away。
〃What's up； sergeant？〃 Wilson said。 〃You got a guilty conscience？〃
〃I just came home from the hospital。〃
〃I know。 I checked。 You also got something that belongs to me。 Let's have it。〃
〃I don't know what you're talking about。 I've never seen you before。〃
〃I've seen you。 I'm in Vice； and you've been moving into my territory。 Let me have the envelopes； please。〃 He held out a huge hand。
Hoke was puzzled。 If Hoke had been paid off by mistake； how could anybody take him for Sergeant Wilson？ Whoever it was who mixed them up had to be colorblind or badly misinformed。
〃The envelopes addressed to me？〃
〃The ones addressed to you。〃
Hoke handed over the two brown envelopes。 Sergeant Wilson counted the money。 〃It's a hundred dollars short。〃
Hoke cleared his throat。 〃I spent a little。〃
〃Give me your wallet。〃
〃Fuck you。〃
With the flat of his palm； Wilson pushed Hoke into the swivel chair by the desk and held him there with very little effort。 Hoke struggled； realized how weak he was； and slumped back in the chair。 Wilson took the wallet out of Hoke's hip pocket； counted out 100； and tossed the wallet on the desk。 He put the bills into the brown envelope and then put both envelopes into the breast pocket of his beige silk sports jacket。
〃Pablo wants the girl back； too； old timer。 Make sure she's back at the International Hotel by ten A。M。 tomorrow； and all will be forgotten。 Not forgiven； but forgotten。 Otherwise 。 。 。 〃 He looked around the room and shook his head。 〃I guess you're desperate for dough； livin' in a dump like this； but you must've been crazy to fuck with me。〃
Wilson checked the bedroom and then took a quick look into the bathroom。 He noticed Hoke's false teeth in the plastic glass。 He dumped the water into the sink； opened the window in the sitting room； pushed out the screen； and tossed the teeth out the window。
Hoke almost asked； what girl？ But he knew that the girl was Susan Waggoner。 And he knew now who had put him in the hospital。 He didn't know why； and he didn't know why he'd been sent money； but he intended to find out。
Wilson closed the door softly behind him as he left the room。
It took Hoke twenty minutes to find his teeth； but they had landed in a cluster of screw…leaved crotons and weren't damaged。 He put them into a fresh glass of water with another helping of Polident and wondered what in the hell he was going to do next。
17
After the cab tour of Collins Avenue in Miami Beach； Mrs。 Freeman made a brief stop so that Freddy could take a closer look at Lincoln Road； the once famous and now deteriorated shopping mall。 Freddy suggested a late breakfast。
〃You ever eat at Manny's？〃 Mrs。 Freeman said。 〃You can get a crabmeat omelet； and they give you a basket of hot rolls with butter and honey。 And it's the only place left on the Beach with free coffee refills。〃
〃Sounds good。〃 Freddy nodded。 〃I used to eat crabmeat omelets a long time ago on Fisherman's Wharf； when I lived in San Francisco。〃
Manny's was tucked away between a four…story kosher spa and a boarded…up two…story warehouse。 Mrs。 Freeman parked her cab in the weedy warehouse lot and they went into Manny's。 The fish odor inside was strong。 Mrs。 Freeman ordered the crabmeat omelet； but Freddy shook his head。
〃I've changed my mind。 Give me a Denver omelet。〃
〃What's that？〃 The Pakistani waiter asked。
〃It's eggs scrambled up with chopped ham； green peppers； and onions。〃
〃What he wants；〃 Mrs。 Freeman said； 〃is a western omelet。〃
〃That we got；〃 the waiter said； and went off to the kitchen。
〃In California； we call it a Denver omelet。〃
〃So you're from California？〃
〃What makes you say that？〃
〃You just said； 'In California…'〃
〃Just because I said that I'd been in California doesn't have to mean that I'm from California。 People are too quick to imply bad things about people before they've thought them out。〃
〃So you live in Miami； then？〃 Mrs。 Freeman shook her gray curls。 Her gray dentures had a translucent quality。 Her pale blue eyes were clear。
〃Yeah。 What I'm looking for is a nice little house； but what I've seen of Miami Beach so far doesn't appeal to me。 What's up a little farther north？〃
〃Well； after we pass Bal Harbour； WASP territory； we start to hit Motel Row。 The Thunderbird； The Aztec； theme places like that。 They cater mostly to Canadian and British blue…collar vacationers in the summer； and American families down here on the cheap during the season。 Mostly families from New York； Jersey； and Pennsylvania。 But if you're looking for a little house to rent； we can go on past the row and over to Dania。 There're some nice little houses there； and it's a quiet town； too； except for the jai alai fronton。〃
〃We'll take a look。〃
〃What they do in Dania； they sell antiques。 There're dozens of little antique shops along US One。 Fakes mostly； but the furniture's a lot better made nowadays than the real thing used to be。〃
〃I like new furniture。〃
〃Well； that's what you buy in Dania。 New antiques。〃
Freddy liked the looks of Dania。 The small stucco homes reminded him of southwest Los Angeles； down around Slauson and Figueroa。 The main street was also US 1； which would give him a straight shot into Miami； where US 1 became Biscayne Boulevard。 He told Mrs。 Freeman to cruise slowly up and down the tree…shaded streets so he could look for For Rent and For Sale signs。 There were several； but Freddy told her to stop at a small white house surrounded by a white picket fence。 There were two towering mango trees in the front yard； and the owner had planted a border of geraniums alongside the house on both sides of the front door。 There was an attached garage as well。
Freddy knocked on the door and negotiated with the owner。 She was a widow whose husband had died recently； and she wanted to sell the house and move back to Cincinnati to live with her daughter and son…in…law。 Until she sold the house； she wouldn't have enough money to leave。
〃I don't know whether I want to buy or not；〃 Freddy said； 〃but I'll tell you what I'll do。 I'll rent it for a couple of months； and then if I like it you can give me an option to buy it。 If I don't buy； you'll still have two months' rent money to spend； and you can leave for Cincinnati right away。 How much are you willing to rent it for？〃
〃I don't really know；〃 the widow said。 〃Would two hundred and fifty be too much？〃
〃That's not nearly enough。 I'll give you five hundred a month； in advance； and you can leave the furniture； pack up； and go on up to Cincinnati tonight。〃
〃I don't know that I can get ready that soon…〃
Freddy counted out 1；000 on the fake cobbler's bench。
〃But I guess I can make it all right；〃 she said quickly； scooping up the money。 Freddy got a receipt； and after two phone calls the widow said she could be out of the house by ten that night； and that she would leave the keys next door when she left。 Freddy returned to the cab and told Mrs。 Freeman he had rented the little house。
〃Furnished or unfurnished？〃
〃Furnished。〃
〃How many bedrooms？〃
〃One； I think； but I didn't look。 There's a big screened porch out back； too。〃
〃I'm not trying to pry into your business； mister； it's just that you're so innocent…like。 How much is she charging you？〃
〃What's it to you？ You're a nosy old bat； Mrs。 Freeman。 Did anybody ever tell you that？〃
〃Lots of times。 You should've let me negotiate for you。 They call this town Dania because it was settled by Danes； and it takes a Jew to outsmart a Dane。 That's all I'm saying。〃
〃I never question prices。 Money's too easy to get in Miami。 That's why the prices are so high down here。〃
〃In that case；〃 she said； shaking her curls； 〃you can give me a ten…dollar tip when I drop you off at the Omni。〃
When they reached the Omni； Freddy gave the old lady a 10 tip。 〃You're not as sharp as you think you are； Mrs。 Freeman。 I was going to give you a twenty。〃
Her high； cackling laughter followed him into the lobby。
Susan； wearing white cut…offs and a KISS T…shirt； was eating a tuna salad sandwich and drinking a Tab when Freddy unlocked the door and came into the room。 The bed had been made； the curtains were drawn back； and the room was delightfully cool。
〃Why aren't you w