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rs now； and nothing was ever done。 Because of the building moratorium on South Beach the owners weren't repairing anything they didn't positively have to take care of； except for meeting the most minimal requirements for fire and safety。 By acting as an unpaid hotel security officer when he was off duty； Hoke got a free room； but he had been considering moving out for several months。
His problem was money。 Every other paycheck went to his ex…wife in Vero Beach； and he had to live on the other half。 After term life insurance payments； car insurance； retirement payments； and union dues； he had to live on less than 12；000 a year。 With a free room and with his battered Le Mans paid for； that should have been enough…or more than enough…but there had been his own hospital bills； plus a new and enormous bill for his two daughters' orthodontist。 He had ripped up the bill from the orthodontist； but then Patsy； his ex…wife； had threatened to take him to court。 Part of the divorce settlement was that he would pay for the girls' medical expenses。 Straightening teeth； in Hoke's opinion； came under beautification； and was not a necessary medical expense。 But to avoid going to court； he had finally sent the orthodontist a check for 50 and told him he would try to make some regular payments on the 1；800 bill。
The shabby lobby was depressing。 Eight old ladies； all members of the Eldorado Hotel TV Club； sat in a silent half…circle； watching a television set that was bolted and locked to the wall。 When Hoke looked across the roam； four Marielitos； playing dominoes at a corner table； got respectfully to their feet； nodded shyly at him； and sat down again when he acknowledged their greeting with a wave of his right arm。 On his way to the desk Hoke took a look at the TV screen and saw a green snake eat a red frog。 Education Night。 He checked his mailbox （Eddie Cohen wasn't at the desk） and decided that tonight he would only make perfunctory rounds。
On the way to his room on the eighth floor； he stopped the elevator at each floor； looked up and dawn the halls without getting out； and then went on。 On the fifth floor； however； he saw Mrs。 Friedman wandering around in her nightgown。 He locked the elevator and led the old lady back to her room before going up to six。 She often got confused； and when she happened to leave her room she could never remember her room number。 Rumor had it that the meals…on…wheels program was either going to be reduced or cut out altogether； and when that happened； he didn't know what Mrs。 Friedman would do for sustenance。 Even when her social security check came in； she wouldn't be able to find her way dawn to Gold's Deli and back。
It was depressing to think about Mrs。 Friedman； but it had been even more depressing to find out that Susan Waggoner was a whore。 Even Hoke wouldn't have figured that in a hundred years。 Bill Henderson； who had worked Vice for three years； probably could have taken one look at Susan and known； but Hoke hadn't suspected it。 Hell； Hoke's fourteen…year…old daughter was built better and was sexier looking than Susan。
And then there had been that dead baby…and the maid。 The kid probably couldn't talk in sentences yet； and the maid couldn't have been more than nineteen or twenty。 He didn't mourn the two Colombians。 They were men in their early thirties； and whatever it was that they had done to be killed for； they had done it in their maturity。 The maid； if she had been hired locally； might be a lead； but he suspected that she had been brought along from Colombia to take care of the baby。
Any way he looked at it； it was a rotten business。
Instead of going to his room； Hoke took the stairs from the eighth floor to the roof。 The only good thing about the Eldorado Hotel was the view from the roof。 He lit a cigarette and looked across Biscayne Bay at Miami。 The white uneven buildings looked like teeth； but at this distance it was a white smile。 There was even a gum…colored sunset above the skyline； and in the northwest above the Everglades there was a stack…up of black clouds that looked like thousand…dollar poker chips。 It was raining in the 'Glades； and perhaps enough rain would be left to reach the city and cool it off a little during the night。 Hoke finished his cigarette and tossed it off the parapet into the swimming pool behind the hotel。 The pool； a small one； had been filled with sand。 Without water； no one could use it； but Mr。 Bennett saved money on maintenance costs with a pool full of sand。 There was a lot of trash scattered over the surface。 Hoke decided to put in his report that the trash was a fire hazard so that Mr。 Bennett would have to have it cleaned up。
Hoke unlocked the door to his room and switched on the light by the door。 The small room was stifling and smelled of dirty sheets； unwashed socks and underwear； bay rum； and stale tobacco smoke。 Howard Bennett； the cheapskate ownermanager； had invaded Hoke's room during his absence and pulled the plug on Hoke's window air conditioner to save energy costs。 Hoke plugged in the air conditioner and turned it up to High。
He took off his leisure suit jacket； his gun； his handcuffs； and sap； and tossed the equipment on the top of his cluttered dresser。 He switched on his small black…and…white Sony and poured twa inches of El Presidente brandy into his tooth glass。 〃Family Feud〃 was on the tube； and for the hundredth time Hoke wondered about the definition of 〃family〃 in America。 There were five family members on both teams； but no mothers or fathers。 Instead； there were various uncles and cousins and spouses of the cousins； plus one teenage kid who bore no resemblance to either family and had probably been borrowed from neighbors for the program。
There was a knack on the door。 Hoke sighed and hid the glass of brandy behind a photograph of his two daughters on the dresser。 The last time he had had a visitor knocking on his door it had been Mrs。 Goldberg； from 409。 Her ex…husband； she told him； had sneaked into her room while she was watching television in the lobby and had stolen her pearl…handled hairbrush； the hairbrush that had belonged to her mother。 Hoke had gone dawn to 409 with her and found the hairbrush in the bottom drawer of Mrs。 Goldberg's dresser。
〃He must've hidden it there；〃 she said。
Later on； when Hoke had mentioned the incident to Mr。 Bennett； the manager had laughed and told Hoke that Mrs。 Goldberg had been a widow for fifteen years。
Hoke reached for the doorknob。
13
Susan drove。 The traffic was all ing their way； so she made good time as she drove east an Killian to Old Cutler； then turned north to drive through Coconut Grave。 The tropical foliage was thick and green an Old Cutler； and after they passed Fairchild Gardens； the air roots from the overhanging tree branches frequently whipped the roof of the car。
Susan rejoined South Dixie beyond Vizcaya； then took Brickeli Avenue to Biscayne Boulevard。 She took the tall…free MacArthur Causeway to South Beach。 The Eldorado Hotel was near Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant； and because Susan knew where the restaurant was she had no trouble finding the old hotel on the bay。
〃Wait in the