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〃What flag？〃
〃The red flag I attached to the Mary Rollins file。 I put the Rollins file on the top of the stack so you'd get to it first。〃
〃I didn't see it。 What I did； you see； was to divide the piles into three batches。 So either Bill or Ellita must've got that one。 Hold on a minute。〃 Hoke put his hand over the mouthpiece。 〃Did you look at the Mary Rollins file？ Do you remember？〃
Ellita nodded。 〃I had it； and then put it into my reject pile。 It isn't even a definite homicide； it's a missing person。〃
〃Ellita saw it； Major Brownley；〃 Hoke said into the phone； 〃but I didn't。 I told them we'd read all the cases first before we decided which case to work on。〃
〃Consider that number one； then；〃 Brownley said。 〃I just had another irate call from Mrs。 Rollins； Mary's mother。 I've had one or two calls a month from this woman for the last three years。 I want this woman off my back。 Anyway； I told Mrs。 Rollins that you were working on this case personally； so from now on you'll get all her angry phone calls。 Then you'll see what I mean。〃
〃I'll look at it first thing Monday； Willie。〃
〃That's all I had to tell you； Hoke。 That； and that it was an unpleasant surprise to have Sanchez answer the phone in your hotel room on a Saturday evening。 You know how I feel about things like that。〃
〃I explained that。 We were just…〃
But Brownley had hung up。
Hoke hung up； turned； and grinned at Ellita。 〃Willie suspects a little hanky…panky。 When you get up enough nerve to tell him you're pregnant； he'll put two and two together； e up with five； and tell you that Bruce； your detail man； is another Coconut Grove myth。〃
〃I didn't plan to tell him about Bruce。 The major's entitled to know I'm pregnant； but there's no hurry about telling him。 But you're right； Hoke； I shouldn't have answered your phone。〃
〃Fuck him。〃 Hoke shrugged。 〃Let Willie think what he likes。 He will anyway。 Tell me something about this Rollins case。〃
〃It goes back about three years。 Mary Rollins disappeared； but they found her car。 They also found her shorts…they called 'em hot pants then…in a pole…bean field off Kendall Drive。 Her bloody T…shirt was with the hot pants。 They both had Type…O bloodstains； and Mary had Type…O blood。 That's about it。 There was no body。 Her friends at work were interviewed； but no one saw her after she left work to go home on a Friday afternoon。 She didn't have any boyfriends； apparently。 Because of the bloody clothing； it was listed at first as a possible homicide； but was changed later to a missing person case。 I remember it from yesterday because I had to look up a word in MacGellicot's notebook。 He talked to a woman in Boca Raton； and then he wrote in his notes； 'Hostile to males。 Nugatory results。 Maybe female investigator should talk to her。〃
〃You mean 'negatory。〃
〃No。 'Nugatory。' I looked it up。 It means having no worth or meaning。 It's about the same as negatory； but what MacGellicot meant； I think； was that the woman was stalling him because he was a man； and she didn't like men。〃
〃Why didn't he say 'lying' then？ Why use a dumb word like 'nugatory'？〃
〃We could ask him。〃
〃He left the department two years ago。 Mac had a degree in sociology from the University of Chicago； and he got a police chief's job in some small town in Ohio。 We lose a lot of good detectives that way。 These little towns that advertise for a chief in the journal always flip when a Miami homicide cop applies for the job。 But they usually want a new chief to have a degree besides。 It's not a bad life pared with the things we have to do。 Six cops； one patrol car； and a sign hidden behind a tree to make a little speed…trap money。 The only crime you have to worry about is teenage drinkers pissing on the gravel in front of the town's only gas station。〃
〃We can call MacGellicot on Monday； can't we？〃
〃No； we'll just look at the file。 See what else it says。 Maybe you can drive up to Boca and talk to the woman； if she's still there。 We'll have to do something； now that Willie called。 Funny you didn't notice the red flag。〃
〃A bunch of the files are flagged； Hoke。 You haven't got to yours yet； maybe。〃
〃That's what pisses me off。 I don't mind doing the job； but I hate to be told how to do it。 I don't like being called at home either； just to get some woman off Brownley's back。〃
Hoke finished his beer。
〃Tomorrow I'm going to see Ms。 Westphal at the housesitting service again。 She's got an efficiency available for three weeks in the black Grove； starting next Friday。 She also pays the sitter five bucks a day for living in it。 If you don't mind living in the ghetto； Ellita； I can talk her into letting you have it。 Three weeks'll give you a base； and you can then look around for a decent place to live。 Or maybe； after three weeks； you can move back home。〃
〃I'm not going back home again； Hoke。 If I did； I'd get the silent treatment from my father。 It's time I left anyway。 I would like to get a place in the same neighborhood though。 That way； my mother could e over and help me with the baby。〃
〃You've got months to go before you have to worry about a baby…sitter。〃
〃I know； but I've thought about it。〃
〃How do you feel？ Physically？〃
〃I feel fine。 I like your girls； Hoke。 Not only are they well…behaved； they adore you。〃
〃How could they？ They don't even know me； for Christ's sake。 And I don't know what to do with them either。 You've helped me a lot。〃
〃Did you call their mother yet？ To let her know that they're all right？〃
〃Except for a few letters； I haven't talked to Patsy in ten years。 If she wants to know how they are； she can call me。〃
〃Maybe she's tried； Hoke？ It's hard to get you at the hotel。〃
〃I'll tell you what。 Get her phone number from Sue Ellen； and you can call her。 Reverse the charges； and if she won't accept the call； the hell with it。〃
〃Sure you don't want to talk to her？〃
〃Positive。〃
〃I'll call her then。 If I were their mother； I'd want to know that they got here okay。〃 Ellita cracked the door to the bedroom； then closed it softly。 〃Aileen's sleeping like a baby。 That was awfully kind of you； Hoke； taking her braces off。〃
〃What the hell。〃 Hoke shrugged。 〃She was in pain。 I'm her father； for Christ's sake。〃
Ellita started to cry。 Hoke looked at her for a moment； then picked up his leisure jacket； left the suite； and took the elevator down to the lobby。 He didn't know why he felt so lousy； so useless。
He got into his car； switched on the engine； and tried to think of somewhere to go。 He didn't have anywhere to go； so he drove to the police station in Miami。 He looked for the Mary Rollins file； and read through it。 He leafed through two more cases…hopeless； hopeless； both of them…and then locked his office。 He went down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and sat down alone at a table to drink it。
Lieutenant Fred Slater came in； and Hoke watched him as he got a carton of milk and a glass； and paid the cashier。 Slater was grinning。 He looked around the room； spotted Hoke； and came over to the table。 Slater's thin lips split his pockmarked face into two ugly parts。 He opened the milk carton and filled his glass。
〃I just heard a good one； Hoke；〃 he said。 〃How do you know w