good or bad.”
“Turns out, it’s bad, and it gets worse.”
“How?”
“I thought it was suspicious that they’d go to the trouble to slug a cop, then do nothing, so I had a more extensive look around the house. I ended up in the crawl space underneath, and I found another bug, just like the first one.”
“Swell.”
“Yeah. What do you want me to do?”
Holly thought about that. She hated the loss of privacy. “Leave it intact,” she said. “Let them think I think I’m not being overheard. They can’t see into the house, can they?”
Phil shook his head. “Nothing like that. These aren’t Peeping Toms; they’re looking for information.”
Holly nodded. “Go ahead and check out Ham’s place.”
“Shouldn’t take long. If they’ve bugged it, they’d use the same equipment they’re using at your place.”
Holly left him to his work and went back inside. “Ham, from now on, when you call me or when you come to the house, be careful what you say. I’m bugged again, and I’m going to leave it that way.”
“I wouldn’t know what not to say,” Ham replied.
“Me either,” Holly admitted. They finished their coffee and made small talk.
Half an hour later, Phil Sweat came out to the back porch. “Same deal here,” he said quietly. “You want me to leave it in place?”
“Is it just a phone tap?” Ham asked.
“It’s more than that; it turns every phone in your house into a microphone.”
Ginny Heller spoke up. “Let me get this straight. You mean that somebody could listen to every sound in this house?”
“That’s about the size of it,” Phil said.
“Oh, shit,” she said. “Ham, you’re going to have to start coming to my place.”
“Ham,” Holly said, “I’d like to leave the bug in place; that all right with you? And Ginny?”
Ham and Ginny exchanged a long look. “I guess I’d better start coming to your place,” he said to her.
“This is very embarrassing,” Ginny muttered.
“Yeah, we’re probably all over some Internet porn site by now,” Ham said, deadpan.
“Ham!” Ginny cried, blushing.
Holly tried not to laugh. “Don’t worry, there are no cameras. Are there, Phil?”
“Nope,” Phil replied, trying to keep a straight face.
“Thank God for that,” Ginny said under her breath.
Ham, looking amused, started to say something, but Holly cut him off. “Well, I guess I’d better get back to work,” she said.
Phil spoke up. “I think we’d better go back in the house so I can give a negative report on finding bugs, for the benefit of whoever’s listening.”
“Good idea,” Ham said.
Ginny looked at her watch. “I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a student coming at one o’clock, and I’ve still got to…” She left that unsaid.
They went back into the house, Phil gave his report in an audible voice, and he, Holly, and Ginny went to their cars.
“I’ll see you Saturday morning at nine,” Holly said, waving to Ginny. “Do I need to bring anything?”
“Nope,” Ginny called back. “I’ll supply everything.”
“Good to meet you.”
“And you.” Ginny drove away.
Holly drove back to her office. When she arrived, there was a note on her desk to call Ed Shine.
12
H olly returned Ed Shine’s call, and a secretary answered.
“Mr. Shine’s office.”
“This is Holly Barker, returning Ed’s call.”
“Oh, yes; please hold.”
“Holly? How are you?”
“Very well, Ed. What have you been up to?”
“Working hard; we’ve sold two houses already.”
“That’s great.”
“You and Ham free for dinner on Saturday?”
“I am, and Ham probably is, although he has a girlfriend these days.”
“Invite them both.”
“I’ll do that and get back to you.”
“I’ll be here.”
Holly called Ham, made the date, and called Shine back.
“Good. My car will pick you up at seven o’clock. Where do you live?”
Holly gave him directions.
“Then you can direct the driver to Ham’s place. Then you’ll
“Turns out, it’s bad, and it gets worse.”
“How?”
“I thought it was suspicious that they’d go to the trouble to slug a cop, then do nothing, so I had a more extensive look around the house. I ended up in the crawl space underneath, and I found another bug, just like the first one.”
“Swell.”
“Yeah. What do you want me to do?”
Holly thought about that. She hated the loss of privacy. “Leave it intact,” she said. “Let them think I think I’m not being overheard. They can’t see into the house, can they?”
Phil shook his head. “Nothing like that. These aren’t Peeping Toms; they’re looking for information.”
Holly nodded. “Go ahead and check out Ham’s place.”
“Shouldn’t take long. If they’ve bugged it, they’d use the same equipment they’re using at your place.”
Holly left him to his work and went back inside. “Ham, from now on, when you call me or when you come to the house, be careful what you say. I’m bugged again, and I’m going to leave it that way.”
“I wouldn’t know what not to say,” Ham replied.
“Me either,” Holly admitted. They finished their coffee and made small talk.
Half an hour later, Phil Sweat came out to the back porch. “Same deal here,” he said quietly. “You want me to leave it in place?”
“Is it just a phone tap?” Ham asked.
“It’s more than that; it turns every phone in your house into a microphone.”
Ginny Heller spoke up. “Let me get this straight. You mean that somebody could listen to every sound in this house?”
“That’s about the size of it,” Phil said.
“Oh, shit,” she said. “Ham, you’re going to have to start coming to my place.”
“Ham,” Holly said, “I’d like to leave the bug in place; that all right with you? And Ginny?”
Ham and Ginny exchanged a long look. “I guess I’d better start coming to your place,” he said to her.
“This is very embarrassing,” Ginny muttered.
“Yeah, we’re probably all over some Internet porn site by now,” Ham said, deadpan.
“Ham!” Ginny cried, blushing.
Holly tried not to laugh. “Don’t worry, there are no cameras. Are there, Phil?”
“Nope,” Phil replied, trying to keep a straight face.
“Thank God for that,” Ginny said under her breath.
Ham, looking amused, started to say something, but Holly cut him off. “Well, I guess I’d better get back to work,” she said.
Phil spoke up. “I think we’d better go back in the house so I can give a negative report on finding bugs, for the benefit of whoever’s listening.”
“Good idea,” Ham said.
Ginny looked at her watch. “I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a student coming at one o’clock, and I’ve still got to…” She left that unsaid.
They went back into the house, Phil gave his report in an audible voice, and he, Holly, and Ginny went to their cars.
“I’ll see you Saturday morning at nine,” Holly said, waving to Ginny. “Do I need to bring anything?”
“Nope,” Ginny called back. “I’ll supply everything.”
“Good to meet you.”
“And you.” Ginny drove away.
Holly drove back to her office. When she arrived, there was a note on her desk to call Ed Shine.
12
H olly returned Ed Shine’s call, and a secretary answered.
“Mr. Shine’s office.”
“This is Holly Barker, returning Ed’s call.”
“Oh, yes; please hold.”
“Holly? How are you?”
“Very well, Ed. What have you been up to?”
“Working hard; we’ve sold two houses already.”
“That’s great.”
“You and Ham free for dinner on Saturday?”
“I am, and Ham probably is, although he has a girlfriend these days.”
“Invite them both.”
“I’ll do that and get back to you.”
“I’ll be here.”
Holly called Ham, made the date, and called Shine back.
“Good. My car will pick you up at seven o’clock. Where do you live?”
Holly gave him directions.
“Then you can direct the driver to Ham’s place. Then you’ll
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