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It was after 11 P。M。 when Hoke got back to his suite at the Eldorado。 He was exhausted from the long day； and he was hungry。 He heated a can of chunky turkey…noodle soup on his hot plate and sat at his small Victorian desk to eat it out of the pot。
Above the desk there was a painting of three charging white horses pulling a fire wagon。 There was a brass chimney on the back of the wagon； spewing white smoke。 The nostrils of the horses flared wildly； and the crazed eyes of the horses showed whites all around。 Hoke liked the picture and never tired of looking at it when he sat at the small desk。 The little sitting room was busy。 The previous tenant； an old lady who had lived in the suite for twelve years before her death； had furnished the room with small items she had picked up over the years at garage sales。 There was a mid…Victorian armchair stuffed with horsehair； and a Mexican tile…topped table holding Hoke's black…andwhite Sony TV。 There were several small tables on long spindly legs （tables that are called either wine or cigarette tables）； and each table held a potted cluster of African violets。 There was a patterned； rose…colored oriental rug on the floor （a Bokhara； and quite a good one）； but it had faded over the years and was spotted here and there with coffee and soup stains。 On flat surfaces； including the builtin bookcases； there were abalone ashtrays； stuffed and clothed baby alligators； seashells； and a black； lacquered shadow box on the wall contained several intricately intaglioed mezzusahs； including one that had been made from a cartridge used in Israel's Six…Day War with Egypt。 There was more than enough room on the bookshelves for Hoke's books： Except for a copy of Heidi （overlooked by Patsy when she left him）； Harold Robbins's A Stone for Danny Fisher； and a Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary； Hoke didn't keep any more books in his collection。 When he bought and read an occasional paperback novel； he dropped it off in the lobby so that one of the guests could read it。
There were purple velvet draperies for the single window； but they were pulled back and secured by a golden cord so they wouldn't interfere with the efforts of the laboring window air conditioner。 The walls were crowded with pictures； watercolors of palms and seaside scenes for the most part； but Hoke's second…favorite picture was a copy of Blue Boy； with the boy's costume fashioned of real parrot feathers。 Each fluffy blue feather had been painstakingly glued in place by someone； and when a breeze from the air conditioner reached the picture and ruffled the feathers； the figure shivered。 The face； however； was not the boy in the original picture； but a photograph of Modest Moussorgsky's head； scissored from an encyclopedia； plete with the poser's magnificent mustache。 The walls were papered with pink wallpaper； and dotted with tiny white fleurs de lis。
The bathroom was also small； but the sitz…bath tub had a shower as well。 There was also the little windowless bedroom。 Most of the bedroom was taken up by a threequarter…sized brass bed； but there was still room enough for an eight…drawer walnut dresser。 The closet was roomy enough for Hoke's old uniforms and blue serge suit； and he kept a cardboard box of his papers in the closet as well。
This small suite was Hoke's sanctuary； and he was reluctant to leave it。 Not only was it rent…free； it was home。 He wondered if Mr。 Bennett would let him take the Blue Boy and the fire horses when he left； and decided that he would not。 If the pictures were removed； they would leave lightercolored square spaces on the wallpaper； and would have to be replaced with others。
After washing the small boiler pan and the spoon in the bathroom basin； and putting the utensils back in the highboy drawer； Hoke bundled up his laundry； wrapping it all in his yellow leisure suit jacket。 The Peruvian girl； a maid with no English； would pick up his laundry in the morning； including his gray sheets； and have it all back to him by Saturday night。 She would wash and iron his two poplin leisure suits； put them on hangers； and by Monday morning he would be all set for another week's work。
Hoke took a long shower； put on his last clean pair of boxer shorts； and decided to watch The Cowboys； an old John Wayne movie he had seen before and enjoyed。 He poured the last two ounces of his Early Times into a glass； added water from the basin tap； and put the empty liter bottle into the wicker wastebasket under the desk。 He drank half the drink and turned on his Sony before sitting in the Victorian armchair。 The telephone on the desk buzzed。
It was Eddie Cohen。 〃I hope I didn't wake you 。 。 。〃
〃I wasn't asleep。 Who's calling？〃
〃No one's calling。 It's these two girls。 There're two girls down here； and they say you're their father。〃
〃What？〃
〃I thought they was kidding me at first； and I told them you wasn't married。 Then one showed me your picture； and it's you all right； wearing a police uniform。〃
〃Two girls？〃
〃Teenage girls。 They don't look nothin' like you； Sergeant。 But they say they're your daughters。 You want me to bring 'em up； or do you want to e down？〃
〃I'll be right down。〃
Hoke put on a pair of khaki Bermudas； a gray gym Tshirt； and slipped into his shoes without putting on any socks。 There were no clean black socks left in the drawer。 He put his wallet and ID case and badge into his pockets； and slipped the holstered 。38 into the belt at his back。 His keys were on the desk； and he dropped them into his right front pocket。 He went into the bathroom； put his dentures in； and quickly bed back his thinning hair。
In the elevator down； he recalled the 3 A。M。 phone call from the woman Eddie had told him about。 That must have been Patsy； he thought； but she had claimed it wasn't an emergency。 If sending his daughters down to Miami in the middle of the night wasn't an emergency； what would Patsy consider an emergency？ But then； maybe the caller hadn't been Patsy。 Something was up。
The desk was well…lighted by overhead fluorescent tubes； but most of the lamps in the lobby had been switched off。 The TV set was dark； and there were no Cubans playing dominoes。 On Friday nights； the resident Cubans went out to nearby bars to spend their weekly paychecks。 Sometimes； when they got drunk and brought women back； Eddie Cohen had to call Hoke to quiet them down； since the resident pensioners were usually in bed by nine or ninethirty。
The two girls； both wearing shorts； T…shirts； and tennis shoes； were standing by the desk。 Hoke wouldn't have recognized either of the girls on the street； but he figured that the taller girl was Sue Ellen； and the smaller was Aileen。 Despite Cohen's observations； the girls bore a greater resemblance to Hoke than they did to their mother； now that Hoke had a look at them。 They both had Hoke's sandy hair…an abundance of it…and Sue Ellen had an overbite。 With her mouth closed； her two upper teeth rested on her lower lip； where the teeth had left permanent tiny dents。 Both girls were slim； but Sue Ellen was well…rounded at the hips； and she needed the brassiere she was wearing under her 〃Ft。 'Luderdale〃 T…shirt。 Aileen was more gangly； with a boyish figure； and the