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e had been reconfirmed for his partner。
Hoke cracked open the door。 〃I'm going down for coffee； Bill。 I'll be right back。〃
〃I already got you coffee。〃 Henderson pointed to the capped Styrofoam cup on Hoke's side of the double desk。 〃I want you to meet Mr。 Waggoner。 We've been having an interesting little chat here； and I know you'll want to hear what he's got to say。〃
Hoke shook hands and sat in his chair。 〃Sergeant Moseley。 I'm Sergeant Henderson's partner。〃
〃Clyde Waggoner。 I'm Martin's father。〃 The man from Okeechobee was wearing a white rayon tie with a blue chambray work shirt； and khaki trousers。 There was a thin nylon Sears windbreaker folded over his left arm。 He had short brown hair with shaved temples； the kind of haircut they call white sidewalls in the armed forces。 His skin was sallow； but it was blotchy in places from long exposure to the Florida sun； and there were scars on his nose and cheeks from debrided skin cancers。
〃I suppose you came for your son's effects；〃 Hoke said； unlocking his desk drawer。 〃Sorry I'm a little late this morning； but I had to drop off some dry cleaning。〃
Mr。 Waggoner looked down at his scuffed engineer boots； made a goatlike sound in his throat； and began to cry。 The sound was softly muffled； but the tears that came down his blotchy cheeks were genuine。 Hoke directed a puzzled look at Henderson； and his partner broadened his brutal smile。
〃Just tell Sergeant Moseley the same story you told me； Mr。 Waggoner。 I could summarize it； but I might leave something out。〃
Mr。 Waggoner blew his nose on a blue bandanna and stuffed the handkerchief into his left hip pocket。 He wiped his cheeks with his fingers。
〃I can't prove nothing； sergeant； as I told Sergeant Henderson here。 All I can tell you is what I think happened。 I hope I'm wrong； I surely do hope so。 My business is bad enough already； and a scandal like this could make it worse。 Okeechobee's a small town； and our moral standards are a lot different up there than they are down here in Miami。 You know what they call Miami up in Okeechobee？〃
〃No； but I don't suppose it's plimentary。〃
〃It ain't。 They call it Sin City； Sergeant Moseley。〃
〃Are you； perhaps； a man of the cloth？〃
〃No； sir。 Software。 I got me a software store in Okeechobee。 I sell video games； puters； and rent out TV sets and movies。〃
〃My father owns a hardware store in Riviera Beach；〃 Hoke said。
〃He's smarter than me； then。 What I had in mind when I opened the store was a puter business for the mercial fishing on the lake。 The government sets quotas； you see； and I figured if the fish houses had puters they could always prove exactly how much fish they caught and all that。 Plus they'd know when they was falling behind； and so on。 Then last year； when the lake went down to nine feet； the government stopped mercial fishing almost altogether。 No nets allowed； you see； so all the fish houses're just about out of business now。 Besides； nobody's buying puters up there because there ain't no programs written up for lake fishing anyway。〃
〃So you're just about out of business； right？〃
〃Oh； no…I'm doing all right。 But I borrowed money to expand； and the interest is hurting me。 My movie rental club alone pays my rent each month； but I'm in pretty heavy to the bank； you see。 But I ain't here to talk business。 What I was telling Sergeant Henderson here is that I suspect foul play。〃
〃What kind of foul play？〃
〃That was no accident that killed Martin。 That was murder。〃
〃If so； it's the first of a kind。〃
〃Let him finish；〃 Henderson said。 〃There's more。〃
〃That's the best kind；〃 Mr。 Waggoner continued； 〃the kind that looks like an accident but really ain't。 I've seen it on 'The Rockford Files' more 'n once； and if it wasn't for Jim Rockford； a lot of people'd get away with it； too。〃
〃What makes you think your son's death wasn't an accident？〃
〃I'd really rather not talk about it because it's so painful to me； as a father； you see。 But I'm also a good citizen； and justice； no matter how harsh； must be done。 Even to kith and kin 。 。 。 〃 He started to cry again； softer this time； and reached for his handkerchief。
Hoke took the plastic lid off his coffee and sipped it。 It was cold。 〃When did you get this coffee？〃
〃I got in a little early today；〃 Henderson said。 〃But I didn't know you'd be a half…hour late。〃
Hoke replaced the plastic lid and dropped the cup of coffee into the wastebasket。 He lit a cigarette； took a long drag； and butted the cigarette in the ashtray as he allowed the smoke to trickle out through his nose。
〃So you think； Mr。 Waggoner；〃 Hoke said； 〃that this unidentified assailant who broke your son's middle finger killed him on purpose？ Is that right？〃
〃That's about the size of it。〃 Mr。 Waggoner blew his nose； examined his handkerchief； and then put it back into his pocket。 〃I think the man； whosoever he was； was hired to do it。 That's what I think。〃
〃The chances of killing a man that way are pretty remote； Mr。 Waggoner。 I doubt if more than one man in a thousand… I don't know the actual statistics…would die from a trauma to his finger。 It would be pretty stupid to hire someone to kill anybody in that manner。〃
〃You might be right about that。 But if a man was hired to injure somebody on purpose； and then that person died because of the injury； wouldn't that be a murder for hire？〃
〃A case could be made for that； I suppose。 Except for a thousand unidentified passengers a day who don't like Hare Krishnas； who hated your son enough to hire someone to break his middle finger？〃
〃That's what's so painful to me。〃 Mr。 Waggoner sighed。 〃I think my daughter hired him。〃
Hoke took the morgue identification form out of his notebook； unfolded it； and placed it on the desk。 〃Susan； the daughter who identified the body？ Or do you have another daughter in mind？〃
〃No。 Susan's the only daughter I got。 And Martin was my only son。 None of us got along too good； I'll admit that； and I sent her packing when she got pregnant。 But Martin； even though he's the one that done it to her； was my only son； and she shouldn't've had him killed。 Susan's just like her mother； who was no good either； so I know she talked Martin into doing it to her in the first place。〃 Mr。 Waggoner lowered his voice and his head。 〃Men are weak。 I know that because I'm weak when it es to women myself。 We all are； even you two gentlemen； if you don't mind my saying so。 A woman can make you do anything she wants you to do with that there little hair…pie they've got between their legs。 I know it； and you know it； too。〃
〃Let me get this straight；〃 Hoke said。 〃Your own son impregnated his sister； your daughter； Susan； and then Susan hired someone to kill him for revenge。 Is that right？〃
〃That's right。 Yes； sir。〃
〃And where's the baby？〃
〃Susan had her an abortion here in Miami。 I gave her eight hundred dollars when I sent her down here to get it。 You can check that out easy enough； and Martin went with her； telling me he'd e back。 He never did； though。〃
〃Are you positive Martin was the father？〃
〃No doubt about that。 They was alone in the house all the