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me down to Miami nine or ten months ago； joined the Krishnas； and they both reside in the new Krishna ashram out on Krome Avenue in the East 'Glades。 These two have been working the airport for about six months； their regular assignment。 The airport security people know them； and they've been warned a couple of times about bothering the passengers。 The dead man had more than two hundred dollars in his wallet； and the other Krishna's got about one…fifty。 That's how much they've begged out here since seven A。M。〃 Hoke looked at his wristwatch。 〃It's only twelve…forty…five now； and the Krishna over there said they usually take in about five hundred a day between them。〃
〃Pretty good money。〃 Violet Nygren raised her pale eyebrows。 〃I wouldn't have guessed they collected so much。〃
〃The security people said there're two more Krishna teams working the airport besides this one。 We haven't notified the mune； and we haven't called the Krishna's parents up in Okeechobee； yet。〃
〃You haven't told us a hell of a lot； either；〃 Doc Evans said。
〃Our problem； Doc； is witnesses。 There were maybe thirty witnesses； all in line at Aeroméxico； but they took the flight to Mérida。 We managed to snag these two boys over there〃… Hoke pointed to the Georgians； who looked to be in their forties…〃but only because the uglier one on the right stole the victim's wig。 The airline employees behind the counter said they didn't see anything。 They were too busy； they said； and at check…in time I suppose they were。 I got their names； and we can talk to them again later。〃
〃Too bad；〃 Henderson said； 〃that we couldn't find the lady with the Krishna Kricket。〃
〃What's a Krishna Kricket？〃 Violet Nygren asked。
〃They sell 'em out here in the bookshops and drugstores。 It's just a metal cricket with a piece of spring steel inside。 You crick it at the Krishnas when they start bugging you。 The noise usually drives them away。 There used to be a Krishna…hater out here who gave them away free； but he ran out of crickets or money or ardor…I don't know。 Anyway； the two brothers over there said she was closest to the action； and she kept cricking her Kricket at the Krishna until he stopped screaming。〃
〃How was he killed？〃 Doc Evans said。 〃Or do you want me to look at him now and tell you？ I've got to get back to the morgue。〃
〃That's the point；〃 Hoke said。 〃He wasn't actually killed。 He bothered some guy wearing a leather coat。 The guy bent his finger back and broke it。 Then the guy walked away and disappeared。 The Krishna went down on his knees； started screaming； and then； maybe five or six minutes later； he's dead。 The security men brought his body in here； and the PR man over there called Homicide。 So there it is…the Krishna died from a broken finger。 How about it； Miss Nygren？ Is that a homicide or not？〃
〃I never heard of anybody dying from a broken finger；〃 she said。
〃He must have died from shock；〃 Doc Evans said。 〃I'll tell you for sure after I've had a look at him。 How old is he； Hoke？〃
〃Twenty…one…acording to his driver's license。〃
〃That's what I mean；〃 Doc Evans said； pressing his lips。 〃Young people today just can't stand up to pain the way we could when we were younger。 This one was probably malnourished and in lousy shape。 The pain was unexpected and just too much for him。 It hurts like hell to have your finger bent back。〃
〃You're telling me；〃 Violet Nygren said。 〃My brother used to do it to me when I was a kid。〃
〃And if you bend it back all the way；〃 Doc Evans said； 〃until it breaks； it hurts like a son of a bitch。 So he probably went into shock。 Nobody gave him hot tea or covered him up with a blanket； and that was it。 It doesn't take very long to die from shock。〃
〃About five or six minutes； the Peeples brothers say。〃
〃That's pretty fast。〃 Doc Evans shook his head。 〃Shock usually takes fifteen or twenty minutes。 But I'm not making any guesses。 For all I know； without examining the body； there could be a bullet hole in him。〃
〃I don't think so；〃 Bill Henderson said。 〃All I saw was the broken finger； and it's broken clean off…just hanging there。〃
〃If it was an accident；〃 Violet Nygren said； 〃it could still be simple assault。 On the other hand； if the man in the leather jacket intended to kill him this way； knowing that there was a history of people dying from shock in the Krishna's background； this could very well be Murder One。〃
〃That's really reaching for it；〃 Hoke said。 〃You'll have to settle for manslaughter I think。〃
〃I'm not so sure；〃 she continued。 〃If you shoot a man and he dies later on from plications caused by the bullet； even though he was barely wounded when shot； we change the charge to either Murder One or Murder Two。 I'll have to research this case； that's all。 We can't do anything about it anyway until you catch the man in the leather jacket。〃
〃That's all we've got to go on；〃 Hoke said。 〃Leather jacket。 We don't even know the color of the jacket。 One guy said he had heard it was tan； another guy said he'd heard gray。 Unless the man es forward by himself； we haven't got a chance in hell of finding him。 He could be on a plane for England or someplace at this minute。〃 Hoke took a Kool out of a crumpled package； lit it； took one drag； and then butted it out in a standing ashtray。 〃The body's all yours； Doc。 We've got all of the stuff out of his pockets。〃
Violet Nygren opened her purse and turned off her tape recorder。 〃I should tell my mom about this case；〃 she said。 〃When my brother used to bend my fingers back； she never did anything to him。〃 She laughed nervously。 〃Now I can tell her that he was just trying to kill me。〃
3
Frederick J。 Frenger； Jr。； who preferred to be called Junior instead of Freddy； was twenty…eight years old。 He looked older because his life had been a hard one； the lines at the corners of his mouth seemed too deep for a man in his late twenties。 His eyes were a dark shade of blue； and his untrimmed blond eyebrows were almost white。 His nose had been broken and reset poorly； but some women considered him attractive。 His skin was unblemished and deeply tanned from long afternoons spent at the yeard at San Quentin。 At five…nine； he should have had a slighter build； but prolonged sessions with weights； pumping iron in the yard； as well as playing handball； had built up his chest； shoulders； and arms to almost grotesque proportions。 He had developed his stomach muscles to the point that he could stand； arms akimbo； and roll them in waves。
Freddy had been given a sentence of five…to…life for armed robbery。 The California Adult Authority had reduced the sentence to four years； fixing an earlier parole date for two years。 After serving the two years； Freddy had been offered a parole； but he turned it down； preferring to do two more years and then get out of prison without any strings attached。 He accepted the label in his jacket…the file folder that held his records in the warden's office…which had him down as a career criminal。 He knew that he would mit another crime as soon as he was released； and if he was on parole when he was caught； he would be returned to prison as a parole violator。 Violating a