Delroy looked at me suspiciously. Was I kidding him?
'I'd appreciate it if you'd check in with me when you're in the area.'
'Sure. When did you come aboard?'
'Me?'
'Yeah, when did you start guarding the horses?'
'After Heroic Hope was shot.'
'The second horse shot.'
'That's right.'
'So where were your guys when someone was pointing a gun at Hugger Mugger?'
'If somebody did,' Delroy said.
'You figure the groom made it up?'
'Nobody could get to him through our security.'
'How about the other horse, Saddle Shoes?'
'He was shot at long range,' Delroy said. 'We can't be everywhere.'
''Course not,' I said. 'Why would the groom lie?'
'Most of them lie,' Delroy said.
'Grooms?'
Delroy snorted. 'They wouldn't tell a white man the truth if it would make them rich.'
'What's the SS for on your collar?'
'Security South.'
'Oh, it's not Schutzstaffel? 'I said.
'Excuse me?'
'A little Nazi humor,' I said.
'What do you mean?'
'The SS was Hitler's bodyguard,' I said. 'It's an abbreviation of Schutzstaffel.'
'This pin stands for Security South,' Delroy said.
'Yes.'
Delroy looked at me for a moment. Martin was silent beside me, his eyes on the horses moving around the track.
'You're a big guy,' Delroy said.
'I try,' I said.
'Well, to be honest with you, size doesn't impress me.'
'How disappointing,' I said.
'We're professionals, every one of us, and quite frankly, we don't think we need some wizard brought in here from Boston to tell us how to do our job.'
'Well, it's certainly a nice professional-looking earpiece,' I said. 'Can you listen to Dr. Laura on it?'
'I command a twelve-man detail here,' Delroy said. 'I need in-touch capability.'
'Military Police?' I said.
'I joined SS five years ago. Before that I was with the Bureau and before that I was an officer in the Marine Corps.'
'The Corps and the Bureau,' I said. 'Jeepers.'
'What are your credentials?'
'I got fired from the cops,' I said.
Delroy snorted. Martin kept watching the horses.
'How the hell did you weasel onto Walt Clive's payroll?' Delroy said.
'Maybe size impresses him,' I said.
'Well, let's put it on the table where we can all look at it,' Delroy said. 'We'll complete our mission here with you or without you. You do whatever you want to, or whatever Walt Clive wants you to do. But if you get in our way we'll roll right over you. You understand?'
'Most of it,' I said. 'Martin here can help me with the hard parts.'
'Anything has to do with that horse,' Delroy said, 'you go through me.'
He about-faced smartly and marched away.
