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With a sigh； Hoke left the bathroom。
There was a single window air conditioner in the bedroom； but very little cold air filtered into the sitting room。 If he couldn't wangle another room air conditioner from Mr。 Bennett； he would have to buy an overhead fan。 On the wall above the desk； there was a large painting of three white horses pulling a fire truck。 The horses' nostrils flared； and their eyes rolled wildly。 That was one hell of a painting； Hoke decided； and probably worth a lot of money。 He was surprised that Mr。 Bennett had left it in the room instead of selling it…
There was a rapping on the door…three sharp peremptory knocks。
Hoke panicked。 He pulled open drawers in the desk； ripping a fingernail in the process； forgetting for a frenzied moment or so that his gun had been stolen。 What could he use as a weapon？ There was a heavy glass paperweight on the desk； with a butterfly preserved in its interior。 Hoke snatched it up and stood with his back against the wall beside the door。
〃Who is it？〃 Hoke said。
〃Sergeant Wilson；〃 a deep voice rumbled。 〃Miami Police Department。〃
〃Slide your ID under the door。〃
〃Are you kidding？〃
〃Try me。 The next thing you hear； if you hear anything； will be a bullet through the door！〃
〃Je…sus Christ！〃 The deep voice was disgusted。
A moment later； the ID card with Wilson's photograph on it was slipped beneath the door。 Hoke picked it up。 It showed that Wilson was black； six feet； two inches tall； 230 pounds； and a sergeant in the MPD； Vice Division。 He was also ugly。 His nose was almost as wide as his lips； and he had a boxer's cauliflower ears。
Hoke took off the chain lock and opened the door。 The man reached for his ID card。 He held his badge in his other hand。 He took the ID card from Hoke's fingers and put it back in his card case； then he put his badge away。
〃What's up； sergeant？〃 Wilson said。 〃You got a guilty conscience？〃
〃I just came home from the hospital。〃
〃I know。 I checked。 You also got something that belongs to me。 Let's have it。〃
〃I don't know what you're talking about。 I've never seen you before。〃
〃I've seen you。 I'm in Vice； and you've been moving into my territory。 Let me have the envelopes； please。〃 He held out a huge hand。
Hoke was puzzled。 If Hoke had been paid off by mistake； how could anybody take him for Sergeant Wilson？ Whoever it was who mixed them up had to be colorblind or badly misinformed。
〃The envelopes addressed to me？〃
〃The ones addressed to you。〃
Hoke handed over the two brown envelopes。 Sergeant Wilson counted the money。 〃It's a hundred dollars short。〃
Hoke cleared his throat。 〃I spent a little。〃
〃Give me your wallet。〃
〃Fuck you。〃
With the flat of his palm； Wilson pushed Hoke into the swivel chair by the desk and held him there with very little effort。 Hoke struggled； realized how weak he was； and slumped back in the chair。 Wilson took the wallet out of Hoke's hip pocket； counted out 100； and tossed the wallet on the desk。 He put the bills into the brown envelope and then put both envelopes into the breast pocket of his beige silk sports jacket。
〃Pablo wants the girl back； too； old timer。 Make sure she's back at the International Hotel by ten A。M。 tomorrow； and all will be forgotten。 Not forgiven； but forgotten。 Otherwise 。 。 。 〃 He looked around the room and shook his head。 〃I guess you're desperate for dough； livin' in a dump like this； but you must've been crazy to fuck with me。〃
Wilson checked the bedroom and then took a quick look into the bathroom。 He noticed Hoke's false teeth in the plastic glass。 He dumped the water into the sink； opened the window in the sitting room； pushed out the screen； and tossed the teeth out the window。
Hoke almost asked； what girl？ But he knew that the girl was Susan Waggoner。 And he knew now who had put him in the hospital。 He didn't know why； and he didn't know why he'd been sent money； but he intended to find out。
Wilson closed the door softly behind him as he left the room。
It took Hoke twenty minutes to find his teeth； but they had landed in a cluster of screw…leaved crotons and weren't damaged。 He put them into a fresh glass of water with another helping of Polident and wondered what in the hell he was going to do next。
17
After the cab tour of Collins Avenue in Miami Beach； Mrs。 Freeman made a brief stop so that Freddy could take a closer look at Lincoln Road； the once famous and now deteriorated shopping mall。 Freddy suggested a late breakfast。
〃You ever eat at Manny's？〃 Mrs。 Freeman said。 〃You can get a crabmeat omelet； and they give you a basket of hot rolls with butter and honey。 And it's the only place left on the Beach with free coffee refills。〃
〃Sounds good。〃 Freddy nodded。 〃I used to eat crabmeat omelets a long time ago on Fisherman's Wharf； when I lived in San Francisco。〃
Manny's was tucked away between a four…story kosher spa and a boarded…up two…story warehouse。 Mrs。 Freeman parked her cab in the weedy warehouse lot and they went into Manny's。 The fish odor inside was strong。 Mrs。 Freeman ordered the crabmeat omelet； but Freddy shook his head。
〃I've changed my mind。 Give me a Denver omelet。〃
〃What's that？〃 The Pakistani waiter asked。
〃It's eggs scrambled up with chopped ham； green peppers； and onions。〃
〃What he wants；〃 Mrs。 Freeman said； 〃is a western omelet。〃
〃That we got；〃 the waiter said； and went off to the kitchen。
〃In California； we call it a Denver omelet。〃
〃So you're from California？〃
〃What makes you say that？〃
〃You just said； 'In California…'〃
〃Just because I said that I'd been in California doesn't have to mean that I'm from California。 People are too quick to imply bad things about people before they've thought them out。〃
〃So you live in Miami； then？〃 Mrs。 Freeman shook her gray curls。 Her gray dentures had a translucent quality。 Her pale blue eyes were clear。
〃Yeah。 What I'm looking for is a nice little house； but what I've seen of Miami Beach so far doesn't appeal to me。 What's up a little farther north？〃
〃Well； after we pass Bal Harbour； WASP territory； we start to hit Motel Row。 The Thunderbird； The Aztec； theme places like that。 They cater mostly to Canadian and British blue…collar vacationers in the summer； and American families down here on the cheap during the season。 Mostly families from New York； Jersey； and Pennsylvania。 But if you're looking for a little house to rent； we can go on past the row and over to Dania。 There're some nice little houses there； and it's a quiet town； too； except for the jai alai fronton。〃
〃We'll take a look。〃
〃What they do in Dania； they sell antiques。 There're dozens of little antique shops along US One。 Fakes mostly； but the furniture's a lot better made nowadays than the real thing used to be。〃
〃I like new furniture。〃
〃Well； that's what you buy in Dania。 New antiques。〃
Freddy liked the looks of Dania。 The small stucco homes reminded him of southwest Los Angeles； down around Slauson and Figueroa。 The main street was also US 1； which would give him a straight shot into Miami； where US 1 bec