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what it means.”
    “It means he’s liking it more and more. No telling what he’ll do to the next one.”
    “Was the hand cut off before or after the girl died?”
    “I don’t know, but the ME will. God, I hope it was after.”
    They heard a car pull up, and a moment later, Ginny’s voice. “I could use some help with these groceries!” she called.
    Ham and Holly got up, emptied her car and put everything in the kitchen.
    “Tuna casserole in ten minutes,” Ginny said.
    They had a leisurely lunch with a bottle of white wine. Holly helped Ginny clear the dishes, then they sat on the back porch for a while and talked.
    Holly’s cell phone rang, and she answered it. “Hello?”
    “Hey, it’s Hurd. Thanks for helping Lauren this morning,” he said.
    “She’s smart; she would have covered it without my help. Has the ME had a look at that hand yet?”
    “Yep. You were right: she’s taller and slimmer than the last one; older, too—probably late thirties.”
    “Did he offer an opinion on whether the hand was severed before or after death?”
    “After, he says. He agrees with you about the bolt cutters, too.”
    “Hurd, I remembered something about the night this guy went after me.” She told him about seeing the car parked near Ham’s turnoff. “Ham saw it there once, too.” She told him about the cigarette butts.
    “You preserved them?”
    “Yes, they’re in my glove compartment.”
    “Where are you now?”
    “At Ham’s, but I’m going home in a minute.”
    “I’ll stop by your place later this afternoon and pick up the evidence, if that’s all right.”
    “Sure. If I don’t answer the bell, I’m on the beach. You can get the bag from my glove compartment.”
    “See you later.” He hung up.
    “Is Hurd excited about your cigarette butts?” Ham asked.
    “What’s this about cigarette butts?” Ginny asked.
    Holly got to her feet. “Ham will explain it to you. I’m going to head home; drinking wine at lunch always makes me want a nap.”
    “We still going flying?” Ginny asked.
    “How about tomorrow afternoon, say four o’clock?”
    “I’m good then. See ya.”
    Holly kissed them both and drove toward home. Once, she looked into the glove compartment just to be sure the bag was still there.

15
    A s Holly approached her front gate she saw a car parked on the side of the road a few yards from the gate—a blue Chevrolet, she thought. As she pulled up to the gate, Jimmy Weathers stuck his head outside the window and waved. She beckoned him to follow.
    They both got out of their cars at the front door, and Daisy ran to greet Jimmy. “Hey, Jimmy,” Holly said.
    “Hey, Holly, can I come in a minute?”
    “Sure.” Holly unlocked the front door, and they entered. “That your car?” she asked.
    “No, it’s an unmarked police car. Bruno promoted me to detective, so I’m working in a plain car and civvies now.”
    “Congratulations, Jimmy. You want something to drink?”
    “Something soft would be good; I’m working.”
    Holly got a Diet Coke out of the fridge and handed it to him. “How’s your investigation going?”
    “Well, Hurd and Lauren have kind of started to get in my way. I just spent a couple of hours with Lauren at the marina.”
    “I guess that’s partly my fault,” Holly said. “I called Hurd when Daisy found the body on the beach. I don’t think you’re going to be able to do much about Hurd and his new unit, except develop your own leads, and even then you’ll have to keep him updated on what you turn up.”
    “I talked to him a few minutes ago,” Jimmy said. “He told me about the cigarette butts. Do you think you could give them to me?”
    “Hurd’s coming by to pick them up later,” Holly said. “Anyway, you’d just have to send them to the state lab for testing, which is what Hurd will do, too.”
    “I guess I just wanted to impress Bruno with them,” Jimmy said.
    “Catch the perp,” Holly said. “That’ll impress him. Tell me, does