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〃Me； too； and it's my fault。 It's just that I've been so damned busy lately。 Why don't you call me some time？ I still have to eat； and we can have lunch anywhere you want except the cafeteria。〃
〃Okay。 I'll call you。 Not this week； but maybe next week。〃
〃Good。 And another thing； Hoke。 A lot of my old records have been sent into storage at the warehouse on Miami Avenue。 So if you're going to need any old lab reports from four or five years back； you'd better send me a memo on it soon and give me a little lead time。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean if you need any old lab reports for those cold cases you're working on。〃
〃Sure； Dan； I'll let you know。 But there's nothing I need right now。〃
Hoke left the lab and returned to the interrogation room。 If Dan Jessup knows about the cold cases； he thought； everybody in the damned building must know about it by now。 How； Hoke wondered； did the word get out so fast！ The Morrow case； that was it。 The detectives in the division had talked among themselves about that old case and put two and two together。
At eleven…thirty； Bill Henderson was called away from the interrogation room to answer a phone call。 Sue Ellen came into the room a few minutes later with her thin lips pressed。 She clutched her banana…shaped purse so hard her knuckles whitened。
〃What's the matter； honey？〃 Hoke said； getting up from his chair。 Ellita rose； then sat down again。
〃I couldn't do it； Daddy。〃 Sue Ellen shook her head。 〃I just couldn't do it。 It was hard to go into any stores； and when I did they were always speaking Spanish and all； and I couldn't ask for a job。 I knew I wouldn't get one anyway； and I was too scared to ask。 All I did was fill in an application at the Burger King across from the downtown campus of Miami…Dade； but the manager there said he usually just employed college students part…time。 He let me fill in the application； but I know he won't hire me。〃
〃Did you eat lunch yet？〃
〃I'm not hungry。 Are you mad at me； Daddy？〃
〃Of course not。〃 Hoke patted her shoulder。 〃Now； didn't you take Spanish in school？〃
Sue Ellen shook her head and bit her lower lip。 〃You couldn't take a language at my high school unless you passed an aptitude test； and I didn't pass it。 Instead of a language； they gave me civics。〃
〃It doesn't matter。 Maybe it'll be better if you just help your sister wash dogs this week。 We'll get you a job later； after we move next Friday。〃
〃I'll drive Sue Ellen back to the hotel； Hoke；〃 Ellita offered。 〃She can help me unload the stuff from my car。 Then I'll see that the girls both have lunch before I e back。〃
〃If you don't mind。〃
Bill Henderson came back to the room； and Hoke introduced him to Sue Ellen。 Bill bent over and shook hands with the girl。 〃You've certainly got your father's eyes； but you're a lot prettier。〃
〃Thank you；〃 Sue Ellen said。 She looked down at the floor； still on the verge of tears； and edged away。
Ellita got her purse and opened the door。
〃When you get back； Ellita；〃 Hoke said； 〃type up the overtime and mileage voucher and leave it on my desk。 It'll take five working days to get your money； so we'd better send it in today。〃
Sue Ellen kissed Hoke good…bye。 Hoke hugged her。 〃Cheer up； baby。 Don't worry about it。〃 She and Ellita left together。
〃She's not a bad…looking girl； Hoke； but she shouldn't be running around downtown by herself。〃
〃She's been looking for a job。 But she's a little shy。〃
〃School's been out for a while； Hoke。 Most of the part…time jobs've been grabbed off already。 That's what Marie told me。〃
〃It won't hurt her to look。 I'll find her a job later； after we move back to the city。〃
〃I just had a call from the Dade County Stockade。 Louis Dyer。 He's a corrections officer now； but he used to be a Metro policeman when I knew him。 Have you run across the Buford homicide in your pile？ A black guy； a drifter and can collector； killed under the Overtown bypass。〃
Hoke shook his head as he glanced at his list。 He looked at Ellita's pad。 She had crossed out a Tyrone Buford； the accordion file on Buford was in her reject pile。
〃Here it is。〃 Hoke read the summary sheet on top； frowning。 〃I would've rejected this one myself。 Buford was a wino； and he was found on a strip of cardboard under the overpass。 A dozen or more bums sleep in that area every night； and he could've been killed by anybody。 Those guys fight each other every night just to have something to do。 I don't see why Brownley picked this one in the first place。 It isn't even a possibility。〃
〃Probably because he was black； Hoke。 He couldn't very well pick all white cases。〃 Bill read the summary sheet； then leafed through the notes in the file。 〃I remember this Buford。 He was an obnoxious sonofabitch。 There were several plaints about him； but no arrests。 He collected aluminum cans； and I remember seeing him in the old Jordan Marsh lot； before they built the parking garage at Omni。 He usually worked parking lots； and he would stomp on the cans before he put them in his Hefty bag。 He would tell people； when they walked trough the lot； that stomping the cans gave him a headache。 The。n he would hit 'em up for three dollars and forty…nine cents to buy a bottle of Excedrin。 When he was turned down； he cursed them out。 Some people plained； but there was no point picking him up for panhandling； and no one ever swore out a plaint。〃
Hoke grinned。 〃Brownley probably liked the man's style； asking for three dollars and forty…nine cents。 Some people； especially young women； would dig a rap like that and give him a dollar or so。 Some of these secretaries downtown'll believe anything。〃
〃But somebody killed him； Hoke。 And Dyer said on the phone he's got a prisoner over in the stockade who wants to see a Homicide detective about Buford。〃
〃Okay； let's go over and talk to him。 We can't solve any cases sitting around here on our ass。〃
〃I already told Dyer we'd be ing over；〃 Henderson said； slipping into his seersucker jacket。 〃If Dyer didn't think it was an important lead； he wouldn't have called me。〃
Henderson drove his car； and they decided to stop for lunch before driving to the stockade。 They ate at the Tres Cubanos Café on Seventh Street； both ordering the 3。95 Especial； which included café con leche and flan with the arroz con pollo main dish。
At the Dade County Stockade they identified themselves； asked for Louis Dyer； and put their pistols and handcuffs into a metal…bound wooden box。 The jailer locked the box with a padlock and took them down the hallway to a small； pastel…green interrogation room with a door of heavy wire mesh。 There was a folding table； a pair of straight chairs and a coffee…can lid on the table。 The brown linoleum floor was freshly waxed。
Louis Dyer； a stocky； serious man in his late forties； joined them a few minutes later。 He shook hands with Henderson； who introduced him to Hoke。 Dyer then handed Henderson the stockade file on an inmate named Ray Vince。
〃I don't know if there's anything to this or not；〃 Dyer said。 〃The guys in here are always looking for an angle； trying to make some kind of deal。 Vince is pulling a single for assault； with six months suspended。 But the chances ar