“Sure,” Healy said. “He only bites kids.”
“Can’t blame him for that, can we?”
“Hell no,” Healy said. “Bite them myself if I wasn’t wor -
ried about my pension.”
2 1 9
46
K elly Cruz sat courtside at the Tennis Club with Mrs. Plum while Mr. Plum played
men’s doubles. Kelly Cruz had an iced tea.
Mrs. Plum was drinking gin and tonic.
“Your husband plays very well,” Kelly Cruz said.
“Yes,” she said. “Doubles.”
“Not a good singles player?” Kelly Cruz said.
“No. I don’t think he could take the stress of one-to-one confrontation. Inferior players used to beat him regularly.
He rarely plays singles anymore.”
“He’s more of a team player,” Kelly Cruz said, to be saying something.
S E A C H A N G E
Mrs. Plum didn’t comment.
“I’m sorry to bother you again,” Kelly Cruz said.
Mrs. Plum drank some gin and tonic. She shrugged.
“It’s not like my days are filled with important matters,”
she said.
Kelly Cruz smiled. She felt very bad for Mrs. Plum.
“Do you know anyone named Kimmy Young?”
“Kimmy Young,” Mrs. Plum said, and took another drink. “Kimmy Young. Yes, of course, she was in school with my twins. She used to come over sometimes. Pajama parties. CDs. Brownies. You know how teenagers are. Her mother was Miss Oklahoma when she was a girl. Married Randy Young, Young Financial Services. He’s done really wonderfully well.”
“Do you know where I might find her?”
“The Youngs moved to Sarasota, I think. They found life in Miami a little fast, I suspect.”
Kelly Cruz glanced around at the sea of tennis whites.
Mrs. Plum noticed.
“They’re somewhat younger than we are,” she said. “I suppose we’ve slowed our pace a bit.”
“Did the girls go to private school?”
“Oh yes.”
“Which one.”
“Vandersea,” Mrs. Plum said. “The Vandersea School.”
“Here in Miami?”
“Yes.”
2 2 1
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
Kelly Cruz wrote briefly in her notebook. Mrs. Plum flagged down a waiter and got another drink.
“Why are you asking about Kimmy?”
“Her name came up in that same case up north,” Kelly Cruz said.
“Kimmy was a nice girl,” Mrs. Plum said, watching her husband serve. “Smart.”
He had a nice hard serve, but Kelly Cruz noticed Mr.
Plum didn’t follow it in. She didn’t know much about tennis; maybe it was strategy.
“Know anyone named Carlos Coca?” Kelly Cruz said as she wrote.
“Heavens, no,” Mrs. Plum said.
Kelly Cruz nodded, and kept writing. The Plums probably wouldn’t know the Cocas.
“It must be exciting being a, ah, policewoman,” Mrs.
Plum said.
“Not too much excitement,” Kelly Cruz said. “Lots of asking questions and taking notes.”
“But it must give you some satisfaction. Solving crimes.
