Times Change

by Nora Roberts

  “We’re out of the one-three-six.”

  “And your CO?”

  “Sergeant Gonzales, sir.”

  “If you want in on the canvass, I’ll clear it with your CO. Be here at oh-seven-thirty.”

  “Yes, sir!” She all but snapped a salute.

  Mildly amused, Eve walked down the stairs, cleared the locks and codes, and entered the lower unit.

  “Lights on full,” she ordered, pleased when they flashed on.

  The living area—she assumed as it wasn’t yet furnished—provided a generous space. The walls—what was painted—glowed like freshly toasted bread, and the floors—what wasn’t covered with tarps—gleamed in a rich dark finish. Materials, supplies, all stacked neatly in corners, provided evidence of ongoing work.

  Tidy, and efficient, probably down to the final details.

  So why was one tarp bunched, unlike the others, exposing a wide area of that gleaming floor?

  “Like someone slipped on it, or wrestled on it,” she said as she walked over, let her recorder scan the width, the length before she bent to straighten it.

  “Lots of paint splatters, but . . .”

  She crouched, took out her flashlight and shined it over the tarp. “That sure looks like blood to me. Just a few drops.”

  She opened her kit, took a small sample before marking the spot for the sweepers.

  She moved away, into a wide galley-style kitchen, more gleaming and glowing under protective tarps and seals.

  By the time she’d done the first pass-through—master bedroom and bath, second bedroom or office and bath—Peabody came in.

  “I started runs on the wits,” Peabody began. “The woman’s loaded. Not Roarke loaded, but she can afford that coat and those really mag boots.”

  “Yeah, it showed.”

  “He’s doing just fine, too. Second-generation money, but he’s earning his own. He’s got a D&D, but it’s ten years back. Her deal is speeding. She’s got a shitload of speeding tickets, mostly to and from her place in the Hamptons.”

  “You know how it is when you want to get to the Hamptons. What do you see, Peabody?”

  “Really good work, attention to detail, money well spent, and deep enough pockets to be able to spend it on really good work and attention to detail. And . . .” Unwinding a couple feet of her mile of scarf, Peabody stepped over to Eve’s marker. “What might be blood on this tarp.”

  “The tarp was bunched up, like a rug when you take a skid on it. All the others are laid out fairly smoothly.”

  “Accidents happen in construction. Blood gets spilled. But.”

  “Yeah, but. Blood on a tarp and a body outside the door. Her lip’s split, and there’s dried blood on it. Not a lot of blood, so somebody might not even notice any dripped on the tarp, especially when the tarp bunched up.”

  “They brought her in here?” Forehead furrowed, Peabody looked back at the door. “I didn’t see any signs of forced entry, but I’ll check again.”

  “They didn’t force it. Maybe picked it, but that takes time. More likely they had the code, or a damn good reader.”

  “Putting all that into the mix, it’s not a simple mugging gone bad.”

  “No. He’s not smart. The killer. If he’s strong enough to break her neck, why smack her? She’s got a bruise on the right cheek and that split lip.”

  “Punched her. Left jab.”

  “I don’t think a punch, that’s really stupid. Backhand. A guy only slaps a woman if he wants to humiliate her. He punches if he’s pissed, drunk or doesn’t give a shit about blood and damage. He backhands when he wants to hurt, and intimidate. Plus it looked like a backhand—knuckles on bone.”

  She’d been hit in the face enough to recognize the signs.

  “Smart and controlled enough not to punch, not to beat on her,” Eve said, “but not smart enough to leave the area clean. Not smart enough just to take the tarp with him. She’s got what looks like a rug burn on the heel of her right hand, and blue fibers on her pants, maybe carpet from a vehicle.”

  “You think somebody grabbed her, forced her into a vehicle.”

  “Possible. You have to get her here, to this empty unit, do what you do. He’s smart enough to take her valuables, including the coat to play the bad mugging card. But he left her boots. Good boots, looked fairly new. If you’re a mugger who’d take the time to drag off the coat, why leave her boots?”

  “If he brought her in here, he wanted privacy,” Peabody pointed out. “And time. It doesn’t look like rape. Why get her dressed again?”

  “She was going to or coming from work.”

  “From,” Peabody confirmed. “When I ran her I got an alert. Her husband contacted the police. She didn’t come home. Working late, but didn’t come home. She spoke to him via ’link as she was leaving the office—according to the alert—and that was shortly after twenty-two hundred.”

  “That’s a lot of data for an alert, especially one on a woman who’s a few hours late getting home.”

  “I thought so, too, so I ran him. Denzel Dickenson, Esquire. He’s Judge Gennifer Yung’s baby brother.”

  “That would do it.” Eve blew out a breath. “This just got sticky.”

  “Yeah, I got that.”

  “Call in the sweepers, Peabody, and flag it priority. No point in not covering all asses when dealing with the judge’s dead sister-in-law.”

  She pushed a hand through her hair, recalculated. She’d intended to go by the victim’s office building, retracing the likely route, getting a feel for the area. Then backtracking before continuing to the victim’s residence, gauging the ground, figuring the timing, the direction. But now—

  “The husband’s been pacing the floor for hours by now. Let’s go give him the bad news.”

  “I hate this part,” Peabody murmured.

  “When you don’t, it’s time to find another line of work.”

  ***

  The Dickensons rated one of the four penthouse condos with roof garden atop one of the Upper East Side’s dignified buildings. All elegant gray stone and glass, it rose and rounded above a neighborhood where nannies and dog walkers ruled the sidewalks and parks.

  Night security required clearance, which equaled, to Eve, a pain in the ass.

  “Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, and Peabody, Detective Delia.” She held her badge up to the security screen. “We need to speak with Denzel Dickenson. Penthouse B.”

  Please state the nature of your business, the butter-smooth computerized voice intoned.

  “That would come under the heading of none of yours. Scan the badges and authorize access.”

  I’m sorry, Penthouse B is secured for the night. Access to the building and any unit therein requires clearance from the manager, an authorized tenant or notification of emergency status.

  “Listen to me, you half-ass, chip-brained dipshit, this is official police business. Scan the badges and clear access. Otherwise I’ll have warrants issued immediately for the arrest of the building manager, the head of security, and the owners on the charge of obstruction of justice. And you’ll be in a junk pile by dawn.”

  Inappropriate language is in violation of—

  “Inappropriate language? Oh, I’ve got plenty more inappropriate language for you. Peabody, contact APA Cher Reo and begin processing warrants for all appropriate parties. Let’s see how they like getting dragged out of bed at this hour, cuffed, and transported to Central because this computerized tin god refuses access to police officers.”

  “All over that, Lieutenant.”

  Please submit your badges for scan, and place your palm on the palm plate for verification.

  Eve held up her badge with one hand, slapped her other on the palm plate. “Clear the locks. Now.”

  Identification is verified. Access granted.

  Eve shoved through the door, strode across the black marble lobby floor to the glossy white elevator doors flanked by two man-sized urns exploding with red spiky flowers.

  Pl
ease wait here until Mr. and/or Mrs. Dickenson is notified of your arrival.

  “Can it, compu-jerk.” She walked straight into the elevator, Peabody scurrying after her. “Penthouse B,” she ordered. “Give me any shit, I swear to God I’ll stun your motherboard.”

  As the elevator began its smooth climb, Peabody let out a sigh of pleasure. “That was fun.”

  “I hate getting dicked around by electronics.”

  “Well, actually you’re getting dicked around by the programmer.”

  “You’re right.” Eve’s eyes narrowed. “You’re fucking-A right. Make a note to do a search and scan. I want to find out who programmed that officious bastard.”

  “That could be even more fun.” Peabody’s cheerful smile faded when the elevator stopped. “This won’t be.”

  They walked to Penthouse B. More security, Eve noted, and damn good at that. Palm plate, peep, camera. She pressed the buzzer to alert the system.

  Hi!

  A kid, Eve thought, momentarily confused.

  We’re the Dickensons. Voices changed—male, female, young girl, young boy as they sounded off roll call. Denzel, Marta, Annabelle, Zack. Then a dog barked.

  And that’s Cody, the boy’s voice continued. Who are you?

  “Ah . . .” At a loss, Eve held up her badge to the camera.

  She watched the red line scan. A beat later a more traditional computerized voice answered.

  Identification scanned and verified. One moment please.

  It took hardly more than that before Eve saw the security light blink from red to green.

  The man who wrenched open the door wore navy sweat pants with a gray sweatshirt and well-worn running shoes. His close cropped hair showed a hint of curl above a dark, exhausted face. His eyes, the color of bitter chocolate, widened for one heartbeat, then filled with fear. Before Eve could speak, grief buried even the fear.

  “No. No. No.” He went straight down to his knees, clutching at his belly as if she’d kicked it.

  Peabody immediately lowered to him. “Mr. Dickenson.”

  “No,” he repeated as a dog the size of a Shetland pony trotted in. The dog looked at Eve. Eve considered her stunner. But the dog only whined and bellied over to Dickenson.

  “Mr. Dickenson,” Peabody all but crooned. “Let me help you up. Let me help you to a chair.”

  “Marta. No. I know who you are. I know you. Dallas. Murder cop. No.”

  Because pity outweighed her distrust of a giant dog, Eve crouched down. “Mr. Dickenson, we need to talk.”

  “Don’t say it. Don’t.” He lifted his head, looked desperately into Eve’s eyes. “Please don’t say it.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He wept. Wrapping his arms around the dog, swaying and rocking on his knees, he wept.

  It had to be said. Even when it was known, it had to be said, for the record, and Eve knew, for the man.

  “Mr. Dickenson, I regret to inform you your wife was killed. We’ve very sorry for your loss.”

  “Marta. Marta. Marta.” He said it like a chant, like a prayer.

  “Can we call someone for you?” Peabody asked gently. “Your sister? A neighbor?”

  “How? How?”

  “Let’s go sit down,” Eve told him, and offered her hand.

  He stared at it, then put his, trembling, into it. He was a tall man, well-built. It took both of them to pull him to his feet where he swayed like a drunk.

  “I can’t . . . What?”

  “We’re going to go sit down.” As she spoke, Peabody guided him into a spacious living area full of color, of comfort and the clutter of family with kids and a monster dog. “I’m going to get you some water, all right?” Peabody continued. “Do you want me to contact your sister?”

  “Genny? Yes. Genny.”

  “All right. Sit right here.”

  He eased down, and the dog immediately planted its massive paws on his legs, laid its enormous head in his lap. As Peabody went off to find the kitchen, Dickenson turned to Eve. Tears continued to stream out of his eyes but they’d cleared of the initial shock.

  “Marta. Where’s Marta?”

  “She’s with the medical examiner.” She saw Dickenson jerk, but pushed on. “He’ll take care of her. We’ll take care of her. I know this is difficult, Mr. Dickenson, but I have to ask you some questions.”

  “Tell me how. You have to tell me what happened. She didn’t come home. Why didn’t she come home?”

  “That’s what we need to find out. When was your last contact with your wife?”

  “We spoke at about ten. She was working late, and she called as she was leaving the office. I said, get a car, Marta, get the car service, and she called me a worrywart, but I didn’t want her walking to the subway or trying to hail a cab. It’s so cold tonight.”

  “Did she arrange for a car service?”

  “No. She just laughed. She said the walk to the subway would do her good. She’d been chained to her computer most of the day, and she—she—she wanted to lose five pounds. Oh my God. Oh God. What happened? Was there an accident? No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Murder cop. You’re Homicide. Somebody killed Marta. Somebody killed my wife, my Marta. Why? Why?”

  “Do you know of anyone who’d want to harm her?”

  “No. Absolutely not. No one. No. She doesn’t have an enemy in the world.”

  Peabody came back in with a glass of water. “Your sister and her husband are on their way.”

  “Thank you. Was it a mugging? I don’t understand. If someone had wanted her bag, her jewelry, she’d have given it to them. We made a promise to each other when we decided to stay in the city. We wouldn’t take stupid chances. We have children.” The hand holding the water began to shake again. “The children. What am I going to tell our kids? How can I tell our kids?”

  “Are your children home?” Eve asked him.

  “Yes, of course. They’re sleeping. They’ll expect her to be here when they get up for school. She’s always here when they get up for school.”

  “Mr. Dickenson, I have to ask. Were there any problems in your marriage?”

  “No. I’m a lawyer. My sister’s a criminal court judge. I know you have to look at me. So look,” he said with eyes welling again. “Look. Get it done. But tell me what happened to my wife. You tell me what happened to Marta.”

  Fast, Eve knew. Fast and brief. “Her body was found shortly after two this morning at the base of an exterior stairway of a building approximately eight blocks from her office. Her neck was broken.”

  His breath came out, tore, sucked back again. “She wouldn’t have walked that far, not at night, not alone. And she didn’t fall or you wouldn’t be here. Was she—was she raped?”

  “There was no indication of sexual assault from the initial examination. Mr. Dickenson, did you attempt to contact your wife between your last call and our arrival here?”

  “I’ve been calling her ’link every few minutes. I started around ten-thirty, I think, but she didn’t answer. She’d never have let me worry like this, all this time. I knew . . . I need a minute.” He got shakily to his feet. “I need a minute,” he repeated and rushed out of the room.

  The dog looked after him, then walked cautiously to Peabody, lifted a paw to her knee.

  “Sometimes it’s worse than others,” Peabody murmured, and gave the dog what comfort she could.

  ***

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  Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels. She is also the author of the bestselling futuristic suspense series written under the pen name J. D. Robb. There are more than 400 million copies of her books in print. Visit her online at www.noraroberts.com and facebook.com/noraroberts.

 

 

  chive.