red she must have been。 Maybe she thought he was going to shoot the coin dealer。 Well； as it turned out； she was right。
She must have bolted as soon as he had rounded the corner to Flagler。 It was understandable； but unexpected。 Now he would have to find his own way up to Okeechobee； track her down； get his money back； and find a way to dispose of her body。 He couldn't let her live； not now； not after finding out what he had already known from the beginning…that he couldn't trust Susan； that； in the final analysis； a man couldn't trust anyone。 But especially a whore。
Freddy took Wulgemuth's wallet and the wad of bills from the till out of his jacket pocket。 With his good hand； he counted out five twenties and eight tens on the kitchen table。 He had another six or seven hundred in his own wallet； and there were seventy…five dollars in Wulgemuth's wallet。 Even though he had left the coin case in the shop； he was still ahead in the operation。 He wasn't broke； and he still had a shitload of credit cards…
Hoke Moseley stepped through the door to the kitchen from the screened back porch。 He pointed his 。38 at Freddy。
Freddy turned and stared at Moseley for a long moment； taking in the gray haggard face； the steady pistol； the wet； ill…fitting leisure jacket。
〃Raise your hands；〃 Hoke said； 〃level with your shoulders。〃
〃What'll you do if I don't； old man； shoot me？ And what are you doing in my house？ Where's your warrant？〃
〃I said to raise your hands。〃
Freddy grinned and raised his hands slowly。
〃Where's Susan？〃 Hoke said。
〃You tell me； man。〃 Freddy lifted his chin。 〃I had all my money in that Ritz cracker box； and she cleaned me out and took off。〃
〃Why'd she take off that way； after she dropped you off downtown on Miami Avenue？〃
〃Look； my hand hurts； and I've got to get to a doctor。 Can I drop my left hand？ It hurts like a sonofabitch。 You got some crazy people in this town； d'you know that？ I go into Wulgemuth's to sell some coins； and the crazy bastard and his bodyguard try to kill me with a damned sugarcane knife。 Is that why you're here？ I was ing down to tell you about it as soon as I saw a doctor。〃
Hoke was genuinely puzzled。 〃What happened in Wulgemuth's？〃
〃I just told you。〃 Freddy rested his bandaged hand on his chest。 〃I took some silver dollars down to Wulgemuth's Coin Exchange to get them appraised。 If the price was right； I was going to sell 'em。 Then him and his bodyguard； a crazy Cuban with a shotgun； tried to rob me。 Old man Wulgemuth tried to hack off my hand with a damned machete； and he got most of it； too。 I'm hurting； man； and you've got to get me to a doctor！〃
〃Then what happened？〃
〃When？〃
〃After this respectable businessman's unprovoked attack。〃
〃I took a cab home； because Susie wasn't waiting for me any longer； that's all。〃
〃Before that； before you left the store？〃
〃I got lucky。 Before these two crazy people could kill me； I was able to get the gun out of Wulgemuth's drawer and defend myself with it。〃
〃And you shot them？〃
〃I have no idea。 I just started shooting； and when they ducked for cover I ran out。 I don't think I hit either one of them。 I was just concerned with getting out and finding a doctor； that's all。〃 Freddy moved his feet； inching toward Moseley。 Hoke stepped back and extended his arm。
〃Back up！ Turn around slowly； lean against the wall； and spread your legs。〃
Freddy shook his head。 〃I can't do it。 I'd pass out。 Most of my fingers are gone； and I'm liable to go into shock any minute 。 。 。 〃 Freddy's voice dropped to a theatrical whisper。 〃Things are going black； all purple and black 。 。 。 〃 His knees buckled； and as he dropped to the floor； he managed to break his fall with his right hand。 He fell over on his left side； groaned piteously； and fished in his jacket pocket for his pistol。 As the 。38 cleared the pocket； Hoke shot him in the stomach。 Freddy screamed and rolled over； trying to get to his feet and get the pistol out of his pocket at the same time。 Hoke shot him in the spine； and Freddy stopped moving。 Hoke bent down and fired another round into the back of Freddy's head。
Hoke slumped into a kitchen chair and put his pistol on the table。 When Bill Henderson； Ellita Sanchez； and Sanchez's uniformed cop cousin from Hollywood came through the unlocked front door； Hoke was still sitting in the kitchen chair； smoking his third cigarette。
23
〃You okay； Hoke？〃 Henderson asked。
〃I'm not hurt； if that's what you mean。〃 Hoke dropped the cigarette on the floor and stepped on it as he got to his feet。
〃Stay there；〃 Henderson said。 〃Sit down。〃 Henderson told the uniformed officer to go out to the front porch； and to prevent anyone else from ing into the house。 〃You don't have to stay out in the rain； Mendez。 Just turn on the porch light； and stand inside the front door。〃
〃Mendez？〃 Hoke said； starting to get up again。
The officer left the kitchen。 〃Yeah；〃 Henderson said； 〃Mendez is Sanchez's cousin； a traffic officer from Hollywood。 Why in the hell didn't you wait for us； for Christ's sake？〃
Sanchez was on her knees beside Freddy's body。 She took a Swiss army knife out of her handbag； opened the small scissors； and started to cut away the bandage on Freddy's left hand。 Hoke watched her with keen interest。
〃I was afraid he'd get away； Bill。 It looked as if he was preparing to leave； and I didn't think I'd have any trouble。 I didn't intend to shoot him； but when he went for his gun 。 。 。 well 。 。 。 〃
〃Did you know he killed Wulgemuth and his bodyguard at the coin exchange store？〃
〃He said he shot his pistol； but denied hitting anyone。 According to him； he was attacked by the two men and he shot back in order to get away。〃
〃Bullshit。 It was on the radio。 Didn't you have the radio on when you drove after him to Dania？〃
〃I haven't got a radio。 Remember？ Somebody stole it when I was in the hospital。〃
〃But you did see him ing out of Wulgemuth's Coin Exchange； right？〃
〃With a gun in his hand；〃 Sanchez said； looking up with a smile。 She raised Freddy's unbandaged left hand。 〃See？ Three fingers missing。 When the ME matches them up； Sergeant Moseley'll be credited with a quick solution to a double murder。〃
Hoke shook his head。 〃I didn't see him e out of any coin exchange。 I was tailing him； hoping to get some probable cause to shake him down。 As an ex…felon； if he had a pistol on him； I was going to pick him up。 I lost him； and then picked him up again on the corner of Flagler and Miami Avenue。〃
〃Listen carefully； Hoke。〃 Bill took a chair from the table and sat in front of Hoke； looking directly into his eyes。 〃You're in some jurisdictional trouble if you don't get your story straight。 And here's the way you tell it； and this is the way we'll write it up。 You were tailing him； yes； and you lost him for a while； right？ Then you saw him ing out of Wulgemuth's store and putting a gun into his pocket as he came out。 Suspecting him of a robbery； you called Sanchez for backup from Broward County； and then drove here to his house after losing him downtown when he ran away。 Isn't that what happened？〃
〃Something like that。〃
〃No； exactly like that。〃
〃All right。 Exactly like that。〃
〃After you called Sanchez and she got a hold of me； we found out about the killing of the two men。 Sanchez called her cousin； and he came here in his own car。 We knew you were in danger； so we didn't have time to contact the Broward County sheriff's office； you see。 You knew he had a gun because you saw it when he came out of the store。 As an off…duty police officer； you went after him and contacted higher authority； through Sanchez。〃
〃I also suspected him of a California assault； and I had reasonable cause to pick him up on that。〃
〃Okay。 That's your story。 Don't change it。 I'll call Captain Brownley and Doc Evans。 Brownley'll call the Broward sheriff； and I imagine Doc Evans will contact the Broward County ME。 The report's going to be a jurisdictional mess。〃
〃What about the girl？〃 Sanchez said； joining them at the table。 〃What's her name？〃
〃Susan Waggoner；〃 Henderson said。 〃We'll put out an APB on her。 In this rain； she can't get too far away。 I'll get out the all…points as soon as I call Brownley。〃
〃D'you want me to call？〃 Sanchez said。
〃No； I'll call。 Why don't you make some coffee？ This is going to be a helluva long evening。〃
〃I'll make the coffee；〃 Hoke said； getting up。
Sanchez went to the sink； and turned on the tap。 〃Find the pot；〃 she said。 〃We'll make it together。〃
Captain Brownley and the Broward County sheriff both made some promises； and so did the Broward County medical examiner。 It was more important to clear up the murders of the coin exchange proprietor and his bodyguard than it was to hold hearings in Broward County。 A young lieutenant from the Dania Police Departthent； who was temporarily in charge while the Dania chief of police was hunting wolves in Canada； was awed by all of the brass from Dade and Broward counties and was willing to do almost anything to get Freddy's body out of town as quickly as possible。 In a small town like Dania； shootin