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n the door。〃 Freddy took his badge out of the drawer。
The face disappeared。 A buzzer on the door lock sounded； and Freddy turned the knob as the door lock was released。 The buzzing stopped as he stepped inside。
〃Shut the door！〃 Wulgemuth called from the back of the shop。
Freddy closed the door with his hip。 Wulgemuth had the coin case open on the counter at the end of the narrow shop。
〃These coins were stolen； you say？〃
〃Yeah。 I brought them down from the property room。 We picked them up on a fencing bust； and we figured if we could get a line on the owner we could find out something more on the burglars。 Is this a valuable collection； or not？〃
Wulgemuth shrugged。 〃What you're talking about here； sergeant； is intrinsic value。 That's what I deal in。 It's worth what someone wants to pay for it； and that's probably a lot more than its face value。 This is by no means a rare collection； even though a cursory look shows that all the coins are in pretty fair condition。〃
〃Did you ever see it before？〃
〃As a collection； no； but I've seen a lot like it。 What happened to your eye； anyway？〃
〃Car accident。〃
〃You oughta sue the doctor who sewed you up。 You could make a bundle。〃
〃He said it would look okay once it scarred over。〃
〃He lied。 Anyway； this isn't my coin case； either。〃
Freddy closed the lid on the case； and snapped the two hasp locks closed。 〃I'll try another dealer。 Can you show me one of your coin cases？ I'd like to see how different yours are from this one。〃
〃I don't have any on hand； not right now。〃
〃Not even in your safe？〃
〃None for silver dollars。〃
〃Who else sells cowhide cases like this one； then？〃
〃You're on the wrong track； sergeant。 All the trade magazines advertise cases like this。 You can order coin cases by mail； from cheap canvas jobs to custom…made ostrich with your initials in gold。〃
〃I see。〃
〃How e a Homicide detective's so interested in tracing stolen property？ Is there a murder involved in this collection？〃
〃That's confidential； Mr。 Wulgemuth。 I'm also checking out your place here for security。 We've had a tip； you see； and we're thinking about putting a stakeout in here。 Someone…we don't know who…has been hitting coin dealers。〃
〃You're telling me！ D'you know how many times I've been robbed？ Before I put in that window； I was hit three times in one month！ But I don't need any stakeouts now。〃
〃Why not？〃 Freddy smiled； and reached into his jacket pocket for his pistol。 His fingers closed over the crosshatched grip。
〃Because of Pedro。〃 Wulgemuth turned his head。 〃Pedro！〃 The door in the back opened with a bang。 A short； wideshouldered； dark…haired man came through the doorway。 His double…barreled shotgun was pointed at Freddy's chest。 His dark； serious face was expressionless。
〃He's been watching you all the time through the peephole in the door。〃 Wulgemuth laughed。 〃It's okay； Pedro。 This is Detective Sergeant Moseley。 He's with the police department。〃
Pedro lowered his shotgun and turned toward the back door。 As he turned； Freddy pulled out his 。38 and shot him in the back。 Pedro fell； face down； through the open door to the back storeroom。 The shotgun clattered on the terrazzo floor but did not go off。 Freddy was still looking down at Pedro； deciding whether to fire another shot； when Wulgemuth with a sweeping motion brought up a machete from beneath the counter。 In a wide arc； he brought it down on Freddy's left hand； which was resting on the coin case。 Freddy's little finger； the ring finger； and the middle finger were lopped off cleanly at their second joints。 The force of the downward swing drove the blade into the leather of the case。 Freddy shot Wulgemuth in the face。 The bullet made a round hole just below his nose。 He fell back with a gurgling sound； dead before his bald head hit the terrazzo floor。
For a long moment； Freddy looked without prehension at the exposed and bloody bones of his left hand。 The hand was numb at first； and then he felt a jolt that raced back and forth from his hand to his elbow。 The stumps of his fingers were bleeding； but not as much as he would have expected them to bleed。 He wrapped his handkerchief around his wounded hand； lifted the hinged Formica lid； and went behind the counter。 He tried to open the six…foot wall safe； but the bination safe was closed and locked。 He opened the cash drawer behind the counter。 There were several bills in various denominations； as well as change in separate partments。 Freddy dropped his pistol back into his jacket pocket and scooped up the stack of tens and twenties。 He turned over Wulgemuth's body with his good hand and took the coin dealer's wallet out of his hip pocket。 Freddy stuffed the wallet and the bills into his inside jacket pocket and went to the front door。
He couldn't open it。 He returned to the counter and stuck a paper clip into the door's buzzer release so he could get out。 He shut the heavy door behind him as he left； and the door lock continued to buzz。 Anyone could walk in now； and the first one to do so would discover the bodies。 But he still had plenty of time。 Freddy put his wounded hand into his trousers pocket and walked through the rain to the corner； fighting an urge to run。
There was a white Toyota half…ton truck in the yellow loading zone； but Susan and the white TransAm were gone。
Freddy made an abrupt about…face and started back toward Flagler。 Perhaps it had been a mistake to tell Susie that he had broken Martin's finger。 Anyone else might have questioned him about it； it was so unlikely to meet a brother and a sister in two different places on the same day in a strange town。 But she had believed him because he had never lied to her before。 He hadn't told her much of anything about himself； so there had been no need to lie。 But her whining had pissed him off。 Of course； she might have been forced to move by a meter maid。 In that case she would be ing up Flagler by now and he could wave her down from the curb。 In the pelting rain； he stared down the street at the crawling cars on Flagler。 A battered Pontiac Le Mans stopped suddenly in the middle of the street。
Freddy and Hoke recognized each other at the same time。 Hoke stuck his left arm through the open window and pointed his pistol at Freddy。
〃Freeze！ Police！〃 Hoke shouted。
There were three women with umbrellas on the sidewalk。 Freddy stepped in among them； gave Hoke the finger； and ran。 He knew that the cop wouldn't fire into the pedestrians。 For a cop to use deadly force； his life had to be threatened。 Freddy crossed the street against the red light； dodging the slowly moving cars； ignoring their horns； and trotted up Flagler toward Burdine's Department Store。 He looked back once as he entered the store； but no one was following him。 He walked briskly through the store； past the men's clothing section； and then took the back exit to First Street。 There were more than a dozen people in a ragged half…formed line as the Hialeah Metro bus pulled up to the bus stop。 Freddy pushed through the umbrellas to the head of the line； and as the door opened； entered the bus and flashed his badge in the driver's face。
〃Police；〃 he said。 〃I'm looking for a nigger with a radio。〃
The bus driver jerked his thumb。 〃There's three of 'em back there。〃
The bus was crowded。 Every seat was filled； and Freddy had to elbow his way through the standing passengers。 There were three black men with radios in the long back seat； and they had spread out so no one else could sit down。 But only one man； with a khaki knitted watch cap pulled low over his forehead； had his radio turned on。 He was bobbing his head to a reggae beat。 Freddy showed the man his badge and told him to turn off his radio。 Sullenly； the man turned down the volume a fraction of an inch。
〃I said； 'Off！'
The man apparently saw something in Freddy's eyes。 The radio was clicked off； and several nearby passengers clapped their hands。 After three blocks； Freddy pulled the cord； and the driver stopped at the corner。 As Freddy pushed through the back doors； the radio started again。
Hoke got out of the car and watched Mendez dodge nimbly between the cars as he ran across the intersection and up the crowded sidewalk。 Hoke lost sight of him when he slipped in front of two elderly women with shielding umbrellas。 Hoke looked around for a uniformed policeman。 There was usually a traffic officer on this corner； but there was no cop here today。 He was probably inside somewhere； drinking coffee and staying out of the rain。 The stalled traffic behind Hoke's car honked ominously。 He couldn't leave the car in the middle of the intersection and run after his quarry。 Hoke got back into his car； scanning the sidewalk as he picked up some speed； but he didn't have much hope。 The man could have zipped into any one of thirty stores； including Woolworth's and Burdine's。
Susan； Hoke figured； was taking the I…95 Expressway back to Dania； which would get her home twice as fast as a trip back to Dania on South Dixie。 Hoke would have to go back to Dania； question her； and then if she refused to tell him where Mendez was； could threaten to book her on a solicitatio