accessory.”

“I know that,” Jackie said, “that’s why I want ATF to make the case. I’m their witness, I’ve been helping them. They wouldn’t have a case without me. If it’s his word against mine, who’re they going to believe?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“It never was, so I’m not going to start worrying about it now. Look, Ray’s dying to be a hero. He’ll do anything.”

Max took one of her cigarettes and lit it, Jackie watching him, waiting.

“Okay, you want Nicolet to make the collar. How?”

“Get Ordell to come to your office.”

“Set him up,” Max said. “I tell him you want to see him?”

He saw that gleam in her eyes.

“I want to give him his money.”

“Why?”

“I’ve chickened out. I’m afraid of him. He’ll like that.”

Max thought about it, smoking his cigarette.

“What do you tell Nicolet, why you’re meeting Ordell?”

“I don’t know—something to do with the bond refund.” Jackie was quiet for several moments. She picked up her drink and took a sip. “That’s why Ordell’s there, for the refund. I’ll say he called me and said I have to sign something.”

“You don’t.”

“But I don’t know that. It’s why I call an ATF agent. I’m suspicious—what does he want? And I’m scared.”

“You think Ordell’s gonna come out of hiding? Every cop in South Florida looking for him?”

“Max, he has to if he wants his money. If he didn’t, he’d be gone by now.”

“If he wants it that bad he’s desperate.”

“Of course he is.”

“What if he wants to meet someplace else?”

“The money’s in your office, in the safe. It’s the only place I’ll see him.”

“What if you can’t get hold of Nicolet?”

“I’ll get him.”

“What if he’s out of town?”

“If you don’t want to do it, Max, just tell me.”

He let that go, looking at her without saying anything, thinking he could make sure Winston was there. “Let’s say Ordell goes for it,” Max said. “He’ll decide when you meet, you know that.”

“It’ll be tonight,” Jackie said, “he’s not going to sit around wasting time. He’ll have to let you call me. He’ll probably want to talk. I can handle that. I’ll tell him I wasn’t holding out on him, I didn’t trust Melanie. So I gave her towels. We have to have our stories straight if he asks me. And I didn’t know how to get in touch with him till you helped me out.”

“Why weren’t you home, where he could find you?”

“I was afraid. I wasn’t sure he’d give me a chance to explain.”

Max watched her thinking about it, her face moving into the light as she reached over to roll the tip of her cigarette in the ashtray, staring at it, saying, “I should be there before he arrives.”

Max said, “Why?”

She didn’t look up. “That’s where I’ve been hiding, in your office.”

“Nicolet—is he already there, or does he come busting in while we’re chatting?”

“He’s already there.”

“What if he hears something he’s not supposed to?”

“We won’t let that happen.”

“You still have a gun?”

Jackie looked up now. “Yeah, why?”

“Don’t bring it.”

26

Ordell believed looking out the window would be a waste of time. If they knew he was here they’d come busting in with their sledgehammer, or that big crowbar from hell he’d seen SWAT teams use on TV, pry a door right off its hinges. They come in yelling down, down, down, screaming it at you, and the next thing you had was a shotgun against your head as you’re saying what is this, man, what’s going on here. Wasting your breath.

It was because he was pacing the room, Raynelle nodding on the sofa for what company she was, and happened to look outside as he came to the window, he saw Max Cherry on the sidewalk. Ordell looked out that front window good then, both ways up and down the street expecting to see one of those big vans with FDLE on the side, or some other initials. There was nothing suspicious going on out there, almost dark, some people down the street, but just people. Ordell quick went to the sofa and had to move Raynelle’s skinny ass to get his pistol from under the cushion. Max Cherry knocking on the door now. Ordell stuck the Beretta in his waist, under his shirt hanging out, pulled the woman up by her arms, walked her into the bedroom, and dumped her on the bed. He had another pistol there under the pillow and one in the kitchen. Max Cherry knocking some more as Ordell tried to think how Max could’ve found him, Ordell telling himself it was okay, the man was a bail bondsman, so be cool, you hear? Be cool. You want to know, ask him.

Ordell let him in and closed the door.

He watched Max Cherry turn, his hand going inside his seersucker jacket as he glanced around the room, and Ordell pulled his Beretta and put it on him. Like that. Max said to him, “You want your money? Your bond refund?” His hand came out of the jacket holding a wad of bills in a rubber band, tossed it up, and Ordell swiped it out of the air with his free hand.

“This’s all?”

“I have a receipt for you to sign.”

“I said, ‘This’s all?’ You know what I want. Did you speak to her?” Ordell moved to a front window saying it and looked out again.

“I didn’t bring anybody,” Max said. “She wants to give you the money. If she didn’t, there’d be cops coming through the fucking door

while you’re asking me questions.”

“Where’s it at, in your car?”

“She wants to give it to you herself and collect her cut, her ten percent. She wants to explain why she held on to it.”

“I like to hear that too.”

“Why she didn’t give it to Melanie.”

“Turn around,” Ordell said. He started patting Max down. “You tell me why.”

“Jackie didn’t trust her. Melanie’d already tried to get Jackie to go in with her, the two of them work it and split the half million. What she did was take quite a risk to see you get your money.”

“Lift up your pant legs,” Ordell said. “You helped her?”

“All I did was walk out with it.”

“Put the bail-bondsman twist on it, huh? Smelling all that cash? And you telling me you want me to have it?”

“The only reason I’m here, I don’t want to see Jackie get shot or busted.”

“Protecting her,” Ordell said. “I think you’re pimping me is what you’re doing.”

“Then let’s forget the whole thing,” Max said. “Stay here with your junkie friend and your VW.” He started for the door.

“Hey, man.” Ordell waved the pistol at him and Max stopped. “Go on sit over there on the couch.” He watched Max looking at the stained cushions. “Do like I say, man, sit down. It’s dry, my friend hasn’t thrown up on herself in two days. That’s it. Now tell me where my money’s at.”

“My office,” Max said.

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