Orchid Blues Read Free

if something were happening, I wouldn’t tell you,” Helen said. “It’s your wedding day, so I want you to hang up and do whatever you’re supposed to do on your wedding day.”
    “How many are coming?” Holly asked. She had posted an invitation on the squad room bulletin board.
    “Let me put it this way,” Helen said, “if there’s a murder in the middle of Beach Boulevard this morning, the body will have to lie there until you’re married and on your way to the airport.”
    “Oh, God,” Holly said. “That many?”
    “That many.”
    “Tell me their names, and I’ll put them to work.”
    “I’ll do no such thing,” Helen said. “Now you go get beautiful, and don’t bother me again.” She hung up.
    Holly hung up the phone, laughing, then went to feed Daisy and let her out into the dunes for her morning ablutions. She felt completely, insanely happy.

Three
    THE MEN ASSEMBLED AFTER BREAKFAST, AND THE leader set up a drawing pad on an easel and ran them through their individual roles once more.
    “Any questions?” he asked.
    A hand went up. “Under what circumstances are we authorized to fire?”
    “Danger to your own life or another of us,” the leader replied. “The two guards will already be disarmed, so, unless a civilian is packing, we’re not going to have to deal with being shot at. Of course, there’s always the chance that some cop will wander in to cash a check and come over all brave, but the sight of our shotguns is going to put the fear of God into anybody who understands what a shotgun can do.”
    “Are we authorized to kill, if necessary?” the man asked.
    “Only if absolutely necessary,” the leader replied. “But if it becomes necessary, don’t hesitate. But remember, the police will work a lot harder on a murder than a robbery.”
    The man nodded.
    “Anybody else?”
    Nobody said anything.
    “Just remember: nobody moves until the armored car leaves. The guards will be locked in and safe, and they’ve got a radio.” He looked around. “All right, we drive separately to the shopping center, and each of you waits beside your car. Enter and leave the van one at a time through the front passenger door. Let’s go.”
    The group broke up and went to the four cars parked outside. The leader gave them a ten-minute head start, then he pulled on his gloves, got into his coveralls, hung the dust mask and goggles around his neck and put on his hard hat. He got into the van and drove out of the building, closing the garage door behind him with a remote control. He left the town and drove east, toward Orchid Beach. Half an hour later, he pulled into the parking lot. It was a big shopping center for a small town, anchored by a huge supermarket, with other stores strung out along both sides. The lot was three-quarters full. He drove up and down the lanes, stopping whenever he came to one of his men. Each was wearing a baseball cap, dark glasses and latex gloves. Each entered by the front passenger door, then moved to the rear and took a seat on one of the facing benches. After twenty minutes, all the men were in the van, cos tumed in their jumpsuits, masks, goggles and hard hats. They began loading their weapons from the ammunition on the bench beside them.
    Each had four clips of 9mm ammunition and a box of double-aught shotgun shells. Each loaded four shells into a shotgun, racked one into the chamber, then loaded one more shell. Each put the spare ammo into the side pockets of his jumpsuit.
    The leader glanced at his watch. “Right on schedule,” he said. Each weapon had had its serial number removed. None would ever be traced, except to the factory where it had been manufactured years before.
    As he turned the van into the parking lot, the armored car entered the other end of the lot, exactly on time. He parked the van and switched off the engine. “It’s going to get hot in here,” he said, “but I don’t want anyone to notice a van with the motor running.”
    He watched