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〃All I've got in the Grove right now is a week at Grove Isle。 A two…hundred…and…fifty…thousand…dollar condo； plete with sauna。〃
〃A week isn't enough。 I need a place for at least a month or two。〃
〃I'll call you。 But you should've told me you didn't like dogs。 It would've saved a trip out to Mr。 Ferguson's house。〃
〃Until I met Rex； I didn't know I didn't like dogs。 But please call me soon； because I need a place before the end of the week。〃
〃I'll see what I can do。〃
But from the cool tone of her voice； Hoke had a hunch； as he headed downtown on Dixie Highway； that it would be a damned cold day in Miami before she called him again。
3
Hoke shared a small office at the Homicide Division with Ellita Sanchez。 The upper half of the wall that faced the squad room was glass； and there were several wanted posters affixed to the glass with Scotch tape。 Most of the space in the little office was taken up by a large double desk； the kind favored by small real…estate firms。 There was a D…ring bolted to the desk so that suspects could be handcuffed to it。 A glass top covered the desk； and lists of telephone numbers and various business cards were scattered beneath the glass for easy reference。 As a consequence； even when the desk was cleared； it looked messy。 The desk was rarely cleared； however。 There was a two…drawer filing cabinet； two metal swivel chairs； and one customer's straight chair that was usually piled high with copies of the two daily Miami newspapers。 The IBM Selectric typewriter was； of course； on Ellita's side of the desk。
On the wall facing Hoke's side was an unframed poster of a masked man pointing a pistol。 Beneath the picture； in large boldface； was the current Greater Miami Chamber of merce slogan： MIAMI'S FOR ME！ Technically； this small office； the only enclosed office in the division other than Major Willie Brownley's much larger glass…walled office； belonged to Lieutenant Fred Slater； the executive officer and number…two man for Major Brownley。 But Lieutenant Slater； who preferred a desk in one corner of the bull pen； where it was easier to keep an eye on everybody； had given the small office to Hoke Moseley and Bill Henderson to use。 A few weeks earlier； when Major Brownley had broken up their partnership； Hoke had been assigned Ellita Sanchez as his new partner； and Sergeant Bill Henderson had been moved to the bull pen。 Sergeant Henderson's new partner； Teodoro 〃Teddy〃 Gonzalez； was the newest investigator in the division； and Henderson was supposed to break him in to homicide work； as Hoke was supposed to break in Ellita Sanchez。 Bill and Hoke had worked together as partners； even after Henderson had been promoted to sergeant； for more than three years。 They had worked well together； but because neither of them spoke Spanish； and both refused to learn the language； Major Brownley had broken them up and assigned them bilingual partners。 Hoke； being senior to Henderson； had kept the little office； and Henderson and Gonzalez now occupied two beat…up metal desks next to the men's room。 There was no women's room； Ellita had to take the elevator down to the second floor。
With more than half of Miami's population a mixture of various Latins； but mostly Cubans； and with more Salvadoran and Nicaraguan refugees ing in daily； the change in partners had been inevitable。 Bill and Hoke hadn't been happy about the switch； but they had accepted it without plaint because there was nothing they could do about it。 Altogether； there were forty…seven detectives in Homicide； and； thanks to Affirmative Action； the balance was about even between Anglo and Latin officers。 Not counting Major Brownley； who was black； there were three black detectives； and one of these was a Haitian。 The Haitian detective； a Sorbonne graduate； spoke French fluently； as well as Creole and English； but he had less work to do than any of the others。 The Miami Haitian population； about 25；000； was the most peaceful ethnic group in town。 The occasional homicides in Little Haiti usually involved somebody from outside their district shooting one of them for fun from a passing car。
When Hoke came into the office； Ellita Sanchez； with the help of a small hand mirror； was applying a coat of American Dream to her lips。 Except for this vividly red and wet…looking lipstick； Ellita used no other makeup。 Because the corners of her mouth turned down slightly； unless she was smiling the two tiny red lines that tugged at the corners of her lips sometimes made it seem； at first glance； as though her mouth were dribbling blood。 Hoke wondered if anyone had ever told her about this effect。
〃How'd it go？〃 Hoke said。
〃We'll know more later。 The assistant M。E。 said he thought it was an OD； not a suicide； but not for the record。 I sent for Hickey's file。 According to the puter； he's got a record； so I asked for a printout。〃
Hoke handed her the Baggie with the items he had picked up in Hickey's room。 〃Send the tinfoil balls and the bags of powder to the lab to be checked out。 Send the roach； too； if you want…or take it home and smoke it。〃
〃I don't smoke pot； Sergeant。〃 Ellita put the roach into her purse。
Hoke went through Hickey's wallet； a well…worn cowhide fold…over type； and removed a driver's license； expired； a slip of paper with a telephone number； written in pencil； a cracked black…and…white snapshot of a mongrel with a ball in its mouth； a folded gift coupon for a McDonald's quarter…pounder； expired； a Visa credit card in Gerald Hickey's name； expired； and a tightly folded twenty…dollar bill that had been hidden behind the lining of the wallet。
〃Not much here。〃 Hoke passed the twenty across the desk。 〃Put this bill with the others。〃
〃I've already sealed the money in an envelope。〃
〃In that case； you'll have to unseal it； won't you？〃
Ellita cut the flap of the brown envelope with the small blade of her Swiss army knife； took out the money； flattened the twenty； and added it to the other bills。 She placed the money in a new brown envelope； threw the mutilated envelope into the wastepaper basket； and then sealed the money inside。 She wrote 〃Gerald Hickey〃 and 〃1；070〃 on the outside of the envelope before passing it to Hoke across the desk。 Hoke put the envelope in the side pocket of his leisure jacket； and shook his head。
〃I didn't mean to snap at you。 But I had a weird experience this afternoon； and I still haven't found a new place to live。 Why do you think； Sanchez； that Hickey would carry a picture of a mongrel dog in his wallet？〃
Ellita stood up； leaned over the desk； and frowned at the items on the desk。 〃Everything else is expired； so I'd say the dog is probably dead； too。 Maybe it was once his dog； and it died； so he wanted to keep the picture as a memento mori。〃
〃A memento mori is a human skull； not a picture of a dog。 But you may be right。 There was no indication of a dog living at the Hickey house。 Pass me the phone。〃
Hoke dialed the number on the slip of paper。
〃Hello。〃
〃I'd like to speak to Jerry Hickey；〃 Hoke said。
〃Who？〃
〃Jerry Hickey。〃
〃He don't live here no mo'。〃 It was a black woman's voice。
〃Who is this； please？〃
〃Who is you？〃
〃I want to buy Jerry's dog。 When