Stuart Woods: Blood Orchid

“The papers said the price was sixty million dollars, but they didn’t mention your name.”

“The price was correct, and I consider it a steal,” Ed replied. “I like to keep a fairly low profile; I formed a company for the purchase, Blood Orchid Properties.”

“Those are pretty hefty prices you’re advertising,” Ham said.

“Right,” Holly added. “I’ve never heard of prices like that in Orchid Beach.”

“A sign like that keeps out the riffraff,” Shine replied. “Anyway, when I’m done with this place, people will be lining up to pay those prices,” Ed said. “You wait and see. Come on, let’s get our clubs.”

They retrieved their clubs from their cars and walked out onto the first tee.

“Wow,” Holly said, “the course is in beautiful shape.”

“The Feds kept on the grounds crew when they confiscated the property,” Ed replied. “They knew they’d get more money if the courses were kept in shape, and they maintained the rest of the property, too. Ham, you tee off first, then me, then we’ll take Holly down to the ladies’ tees.”

“Holly drives from the men’s tees,” Ham said.

“Then Holly, you go first, by all means.”

Holly teed up, did some stretching, then drove the ball two hundred and thirty yards down the right side of the fairway.

Ham drove next, outdriving her by ten yards.

Ed drove next. Holly thought he was amazingly flexible for his age; she’d expected a short backswing and a bent left arm, but Ed drove like a pro, even with Holly’s drive, but in the center of the fairway.

“I don’t drive it as far as I used to,” Ed said as he climbed into a cart with Holly. Ham followed them in a second cart. “I used to be a scratch golfer in my youth. Now I play to an eleven handicap. What’s yours?”

“Probably around a fourteen; I used to have a twelve, but I’ve been too busy to play.” She turned and looked at him. “I’ve got some news for you,” she said. “Maybe a reason why somebody took a shot at you.”

Ed stopped the cart and looked at her. “Tell me about it.”

“This is only a theory,” she said, “and I won’t know more about it for a few days, but on the day of the evening you were shot at, two Miami property developers were murdered.”

“I read about that in the papers,” Ed said. “Why does that have anything to do with me?”

“The FBI tells me both those guys were going to bid on Palmetto Gardens.”

“Blood Orchid, please,” Ed said, holding up a hand.

“Okay, Blood Orchid. Tell me, Ed, who knew you were going to bid on the property?”

“Wait a minute.” Ed shook his head. “When you bid on a property the General Services Administration is selling, nobody knows who’s bidding or how much they’re bidding; that’s all very secret. You make your judgment of the value of the property, enter your bid, and hope for the best. Property development is a pretty cutthroat business,” he said. “I could tell you some stories. But two murders?”

“Three,” Holly said, “but for the grace of God.”

Ed laughed and shook his head again. “Nah, couldn’t happen. No piece of property is worth that, especially this piece.”

“This piece of property looks pretty good to me,” Holly said.

“Not from a developer’s point of view. Orchid Beach is out of the way, not like Boca or Palm Beach -not even like Vero. This land in Boca or Palm Beach, with three golf courses already constructed and fifty houses built, would cost, what, two hundred million? Maybe more.”

“If it’s not so hot, why are you so hot on it?”

Ed held up some fingers: “One, because I live here; two, because the price was right; and three, because I had the money from the sale of my business. With me, it’s almost a hobby; I don’t have any overhead to speak of, though I’ve opened an office and am hiring a couple of salesmen. Also, since the place already has the important elements in place, it won’t take me twenty years to develop it.” He smiled. “At my age, twenty years would be too long. Nope, in five years, I’ll have this place roaring, and I’ll have my own little kingdom to rule. That’s how I’ll spend the rest of my life.”

“Hey!” Ham called from his cart across the course. “Golf, anyone?”

Back at her office, Holly couldn’t stand it anymore. She called the Miami detective.

“Hi, this is Chief Holly Barker, in Orchid Beach.”

“Afternoon, Chief.”

“Did you get my cartridge casing?”

“Yep.”

“Was it a match for yours?”

“Yep.”

Her theory suddenly held a lot of water. “What’s your next step?”

“I don’t have one,” Connor said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m off the case, as of half an hour ago.”

“Why?”

“Because the FBI went to the chief of detectives and took it away from me. You want any more, call Harry Crisp, over at their Miami office.”

“I’ll do that, Jim,” Holly said, and hung up. She immediately called Harry.

“Hello, Holly,” Harry Crisp said. “I was expecting to hear from you.”

“I guess Connor told you about my matching cartridge case, before you snatched the file from him.”

“Yes, he did, and I had every right to do that. The case now has federal ramifications, since it was the federal government that was selling Palmetto Gardens.”

“Blood Orchid,” Holly said.

“What?”

“That’s what it’s called now. I just played golf out there with the new owner, Ed Shine.”

“Oh, yeah. We ran a check on him, came up with no arrests, no convictions. He’s clean.”

“I’m glad to hear it because he’s a nice guy.”

“He’s alucky guy, is what he is. Clearly, whoever was behind this meant to take him out as well as Jimenez and Steinberg.”

“I guess you’re checking on the other bidders.”

“We are.”

“Will you let me know what you find out?”

“Holly, this is a federal investigation now. I can’t share information with you.”

“Harry, after all we’ve meant to each other?”

“Holly, I consider you my friend, but I just can’t do it.”

“Remember where Blood Orchid is located, Harry? It’s on my turf. You’re going to need me before this is over, so you’d better keep me sweet.”

“Holly, Holly,” Crisp said, “how could you be any sweeter?” Then he hung up.

“Shit,” Holly said.

Holly arrived at work the following morning to find all the phones dead.

“They’re working on it,” Hurd Wallace told her. “We’ve been down for about half an hour, and they were here in about two minutes; I didn’t even have to call them, they were already in the neighborhood.”

“That’s good service,” Holly said. She worked on personnel efficiency reports for a while, deciding how her small budget increase could be distributed in pay raises. It was tough, and she hated doing it. Then she saw a light flash on her phone. She picked it up, got a dial tone, and called Harry Crisp at the FBI office in Miami.

“Good morning, Holly,” Harry said cheerfully.

“Morning, Harry. I have a little more for you on Blood Orchid Estates.”

“Shoot.”

“I confirmed that he paid sixty million for the place.”

“Did you find out why?”

“He says it will be a hobby for his old age. He can live there, run it, and maybe even make a buck.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Harry, were there any other bids besides Ed’s and the two dead guys’ actually received?”

“Two, both inadequate.”

“Wouldn’t those two companies be a good place to look, since they were obviously trying to buy the property on the cheap?”