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r； and then if she refused to tell him where Mendez was； could threaten to book her on a solicitation charge。 He could threaten her； but he couldn't pick her up。 Dania was in Broward County； and Hoke had no jurisdiction in Broward County。
At Sixth Street； Hoke turned right and found a parking space in front of a cigar store。 He went inside； showed the man behind the counter his badge； and asked for the phone。 The phone was on the wall behind the dealer's back； but the receiver was on a long cord。 The dealer； a white…haired Latin with a hoarse voice； handed the receiver to Hoke。
〃You tell me number。 I dial。 No one can e behind counter。 I dial。〃
Hoke gave the man his office number。 Ellita Sanchez answered the phone。
〃This is Sergeant Moseley； Sanchez。 Is Bill Henderson around？〃
〃He was in earlier； but he's not here now。 I think he went downstairs for coffee。〃
〃You don't happen to know any cops in Dania； do you？
〃No。 I've never even been to Dania。〃
〃That's okay。 I want you to get a message to Sergeant Henderson。 Tell him that I need a cop from Broward County to meet me at two…four…six Poinciana； in Dania。 You remember… the address of Susan Waggoner in Dania you got for me yesterday。〃
〃I've got a cousin on the force in Hollywood。 I could call him； if you want。〃
〃He'll do； but I'd rather have a Dania cop。 Talk to Henderson first。 He'll know what to do。 But if you can't find Henderson； call your cousin in Hollywood。 Tell Henderson that I've got a good chance to pick up Mendez。〃
〃You can't arrest anybody in Broward County。〃
〃I know it； Sanchez。 That's why I want a cop from Dania； and I don't know anyone there and it would all be too plicated to explain to anyone there over the phone。 So just tell Henderson what I've told you。 D'you understand？〃
〃I'll go down to the cafeteria right now and look for him。〃
〃Good girl。〃 Hoke handed the receiver back to the whitehaired man。 The man smiled and held up two fingers as he took the receiver。 〃Last month at Dania I hit two trifectas。〃
〃Wonderful；〃 Hoke said。 〃Thanks for the phone。〃
There was a tiny cafeteria next to the cigar store。 Hoke ordered a double espresso； drank it； and then bought two Jamaican hot meat patties to eat in the car on his way to Dania。
22
As the taillights of the Metrobus disappeared into the rain； Freddy walked through an A…l Park…and…Lock lot and into an Eckerd's drugstore。 He bought a roll of gauze and a roll of adhesive tape and left the store。 He kept his injured hand in his trousers pocket； and flexed his thumb and forefinger。 They responded in time with the shooting pains to his elbow。 The hand was no longer numb； but the pain wasn't steady。 It flashed and flickered off and on like a broken neon sign。
A bearded man in his early thirties wearing a dirty yellow T…shirt stood under a ragged awning in front of a boarded…up storefront。 He was drinking from a bottle in a brown paper bag。
〃Are you drunk？〃 Freddy asked him。
The man shook his bearded chin。 〃Not yet。〃
〃I'll give you five bucks to do something for me。〃
〃Okay。〃
〃Bind up my hand。〃
Freddy handed the bearded man the sack from Eckerd's； moved back into the recessed doorway； and took his wounded hand out of his pocket。 He unwrapped the sticky handkerchief。
The derelict put down his bottle carefully by the wall and took the gauze and adhesive tape out of the sack。 Freddy held out his hand and the man shook his head and clucked。
〃Nasty；〃 he said。
He wrapped Freddy's hand tightly with the gauze； including the unimpaired forefinger； but left the thumb free。 The man's fingers were shaky but functional。
〃You can't do nothin' without your thumb；〃 he explained。
He used all the gauze and all the tape because he didn't have a knife to cut off the excess； but the wrapping was so tight it looked like a professional job。
〃That'll do her till you get to a doctor。〃
Freddy gave the man 10。
〃This is a ten；〃 the man said。
Freddy shrugged。 〃Five's for the bandage job； and the other five's for getting me a cab。〃
〃I'll be right back。〃 The man hesitated。 〃Don't let nobody touch my bottle。〃 Limping slightly in his huaraches； the man hurried toward Flagler in the rain。 The rain had a steady beat to it now； as though it would last forever。
Freddy picked up the bottle and took a long swig from it。 Muscatel wine。 Sweet and fruity； and devoid of subtlety。 Freddy drank the rest of it anyway and put the bottle down by the wall again。 The sweet wine didn't lessen the pain in his hand。 He needed whiskey for that； but the Darvon he had back at the house in Dania would help more than whiskey。 He regretted his hasty retreat from the coin exchange。 He should have scooped up the stubs of his fingers he left behind。 The cops would get his fingerprints from them。 Shit。 Murder One。 The time had e to get the hell out of Miami。 He would tell Susie to drive him to Okeechobee。 She undoubtedly knew a doctor up there； and after he got his hand fixed up they could head north。 They could hole up along the way in one of those Days Inns that dotted I…95 in every small Florida town。 Then； when his hand had healed； he would decide what to do next。 Maybe they could fly out to Vegas。 There was a lot going on in Vegas。
A Veteran's Cab pulled up to the curb。 The derelict got out； and Freddy handed him another 5。 〃I finished off your bottle；〃 Freddy said。 〃Buy yourself another。〃
〃That's all right。 Thanks a lot。 I didn't mean you； anyway。 I meant if somebody else came along。 Thanks！〃
Freddy got into the cab。 He began to sweat； and a wave of nausea swept over him as his stomach cramped。 He leaned forward and vomited on the floor。 It all came up； filling the cab with the aromas of chipped beef； milk gravy； and muscatel wine。
〃That's gonna cost you； mister！〃 the driver said bitterly。
〃Don't worry about it。〃 Freddy passed a twenty…dollar bill across the back of the seat； and the driver's fingers snatched it。 〃Just drive north on Dixie until I tell you to stop。〃
〃Okay；〃 the driver said； 〃but this twenty's for the cleanup； not for the fare on the meter。〃
When they reached Dania； Freddy told the driver to stop at a closed Union service station on the highway。 Freddy doubled the tab on the meter； but he got no thanks from the grim…faced driver。 The cabbie made a U…turn and started back toward Miami without a word。
Freddy's house was twelve blocks away from the gas station； a long walk in the rain； but now that he had a Murder One rap hanging over him he sure as hell didn't want the driver to know his address。 Jesus； it had all happened so fast。 He had gone by the place three or four times when he had cased out the coin dealer； but the man had always been alone in his shop。 Who would have suspected that Wulgemuth had a dumb sonofabitch in the storeroom with a shotgun？ Well； that was tough shit for Pedro； and tough shit for Wulgemuth…and tough shit for his fingers； too。 Susan would be home now； unless she had misunderstood everything he had told her and had driven over to Watson Island and parked in the Japanese Garden parking lot。 But she wasn't that dimwitted。 Some traffic cop or meter maid had made her move； and she had either circled the block while he was still in the coin shop； or made a second tour of the block and perhaps a third。 She might still be downtown； circling the block again and again； but she would give up eventually and drive home to Dania。
Wet all the way through his jacket and shirt； Freddy slogged through the rain with soggy trousers and wet feet。 When he got home he would take a Darvon and drink some chocolate milk to settle his stomach。 It might be a good idea to get Edna Damrosch to take a look at his injured hand。 No； that would mean explanations； and this time she would call a doctor。 He would just take some Darvon； some penicillin tablets； and wait till they got to Okeechobee。 The pain wasn't all that bad。 He could stand a little pain； but those missing fingers would certainly make him a marked man…and for life； too。
The TransAm wasn't parked in the driveway。 The stupid little bitch。 She was still downtown； circling the block and looking for him。 He should have given her a time limit。 He needed her right now； and she wasn't home。
He let himself into the house； surprised to see that the lights were still on in the kitchen。 He thought he had turned them off when they left。 He went into the bathroom； swallowed two Darvons； and sipped some water from the cup on the sink。 The door to the closet was standing open。 Susan's two suitcases were missing。 Her black dress wasn't on the hanger in the closet。 He ran into the kitchen； took down the Ritz Cracker box from the back shelf where the provisions were kept； and ripped open the top。
The money was gone。 All of it； including the 10；000 Mexican pesos they hadn't been able to exchange。 Freddy laughed。 So Susan had skipped out on him； taken some of her clothes； the money； and gone home。 He had known she was nervous…she told him so…but he hadn't taken into account how truly scared she must have been。 Maybe she thought he was going to shoot the coin dealer。 Well； as it turned