Echoes in Death

by J. D. Robb

  “He was stronger than the others.”

  “He wasn’t a pussy, I’ll say that. A man who knows what a woman’s for, and how to make her show respect. She said what he told her to say, wore what he told her to wear, fucked the way he told her to fuck.”

  “Like a droid?” Peabody put in.

  “Hey, he paid for her, didn’t he? He put the roof over her head, the food in her mouth, the clothes on her back. If she needed reminding, he reminded her.”

  “I bet you got off watching him remind her.”

  He answered Peabody with a cocky grin.

  Homeland had watched her father beat her, Eve thought. Had watched him rape her, a child of eight. Had done nothing. The thought of it made her insides want to shake, so she pushed that new echo away, blocked it out, focused on the moment.

  “You respected him,” Eve repeated. “It even sounds like you admired him. But you killed him.”

  “Hey, he brought it on himself. Absolutely self-defense. He came at me.”

  “You know, I did read the scene like that.” She looked at Peabody, who gave a grudging nod. “Walk us through that, Kyle. To me, it looked like he broke out of the chair you had him restrained in while you were out of the room.”

  “That’s just what happened.” Kyle shoved the empty tube aside so he could lean in closer. “Let me set it up for you. I’ve got Daphne in bed. She’s half out of it—that’s what some serious sex will do to a woman, right? I choked her a few times to give her a better orgasm. Might’ve held it a little long on the last because we were both into it, but she was breathing, and going in and out. He’s out, all the way, so I leave them to pick up a few things I’d earmarked, get a drink. He kept some exceptional unblended scotch in his room upstairs. When I come back, holy hell.”

  “He’d busted out, and charged at you.”

  “He’d busted out and was screaming at Daphne, smacking her, choking her. Said how he’d kill her. ‘I’ll kill you, you whore’—he’s screaming that. She’s still tied up, not much she can do about it. I’ve gotta say, made me hard. Then he spots me, then he charges. He was crazy, out of his fucking mind. Moved damn fast, too, knocked me back some, and that’s when I grabbed that big vase. I had to defend myself, so I smashed it over his head, put him down. Lots of blood,” he said, reminiscing. “He’s flat out, she’s barely conscious, all glassy-eyed. I figured she was dead at first, but she was breathing. I did her again, real quick because the whole thing stirred me up. Then I let her go, like I do. She just lay there, out of it. She ought to thank me for bashing that vase over his head. If I hadn’t, she’d be as dead as he is. Anyway, I broke down the set, got my things, and left. Yeah, she ought to thank me. She’ll be a rich widow now instead of a dead whore.”

  He flicked his fingers on the empty tube. “I could use another.”

  “Go ahead, Peabody. Kyle’s doing thirsty work.”

  As Peabody exited, Eve took him back over the Strazza assault to refine details. When Peabody came back in, she shifted to the last murders.

  “Why did you kill Miko and Xavier Carver?”

  “I was getting into a rut. Before I bashed the crazy doctor, I was already getting into a rut. If you don’t change and grow, that’s what happens. I wanted the experience. I wanted to know how it felt. The whole thing with—what’s his name?”

  “Anthony Strazza.”

  “Yeah, Strazza, it was fast, so in the moment. Whack and done. I like to plan and anticipate. It’s why I’m good at what I do. And I wanted to experience it while I was still revved from before.”

  “You went in planning on killing them?”

  “It was time to change things up. Take it to a new level.”

  “You knew she was pregnant. You had the cameras.”

  “Didn’t apply.” He waved that off. “Anyway, they pissed me off with their perfect little lives, their perfect little plans. I gave them a big, important death.”

  “They should thank you.”

  He laughed, sucked on the tube. “None of this is going to matter.”

  “Why is that, Kyle?”

  “Because your scowling friend there is right. I can hire a platoon of lawyers. Hell, an army of them. The kind who’ll keep this in the courts for years while I’m out on bail. The kind who’ll piss all over your evidence and make this go away. The kind who’ll have every woman I banged admitting they wanted just what I gave them. We can put together a deal now, save us all time and trouble. Putting together deals is one of my specialties.”

  “What sort of deal do you have in mind?”

  “I’ll cop to going into the houses, setting the stage. Hell, let’s face it, I can eat out on that story for years. I did it for research, for firsthand experience for upcoming projects. I pay a fine, even do some community service, no problem.”

  “You killed people, Kyle.”

  “Strappo—”

  “Strazza,” Eve corrected.

  “Whatever, that was self-defense. You said so yourself. I gave him a whack in self-defense. The others, I got caught up in the moment. I lost it. Temporary insanity as a result of taking a life, right? I’ll agree to therapy, even make some financial restitution. Which would include a generous donation to the NYPSD. Say, a million.”

  “You’re offering to give a million dollars to the NYPSD.”

  “I can afford it. With, say, another ten percent of that to each of you. Petty cash considering who you married, but this one?” He jerked his head toward Peabody. “I bet she can use it. A nice little bonus for clearing this all up without wasting my time.”

  “He’s offering you a hundred thousand to smooth this all over, Peabody.”

  “I heard. That’s a lot of money against a detective’s salary.”

  “There you go. You ditch this recording, or I’ll help you edit it so we can all cover our asses. I pay some fines, do some good works, talk to a shrink, and donate a nice chunk to the police. Win-win.”

  “That sounds really interesting, Kyle, except for the fact three people are dead, four women were raped, beaten, and terrorized, four men were brutalized.”

  He actually rolled his eyes as she spoke.

  “Lives were violated, lives were taken, and everything you’ve said here, on record, in this room, demonstrates unequivocally that you knew exactly what you were doing, planned what you would do, and feel no remorse whatsoever.”

  He turned to Peabody. “Better talk to the rich bitch, sweetie, or you’re going to be out a hundred K.”

  “You can take your hundred K and stick it up your ass.” Peabody pushed up, slapped her hands on the table as she leaned into his face. “You’d better hire those lawyers, you fuck, because no matter how many, no matter how much they cost, you’re going down. All the way down. You’ll be whining in a concrete box for the rest of your life. You can live another hundred years, and I hope to Christ you do, and every morning you’ll wake up to the same view. A box and bars. And I hope to God there are some big, sweaty guys with dicks the size of jumbo kielbasas serving with you who’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, he wanted it,’ after they’re done with you.”

  “Get out of my face, you stupid cunt, or I’ll make you sorry.”

  “Try.”

  Eve rose, nudged Peabody back, put herself in Kyle’s face. “In case my partner hasn’t explained it clearly enough, you’re now further charged with attempting to bribe police officers. It’s just a nice little cherry on top. No deals, you son of a bitch. Peabody, arrange for this revolting piece of garbage to be taken back to his cell.”

  “I’m not going into a cell. I want to talk to your superior, right now!”

  “That’s not included in your rights.” Eve gathered her files. “Got you cold, Kyle. My only regret? As bad as Omega is, we don’t have worse. You deserve worse.”

  “I’ll be out on bail in an hour!” he shouted.

  Knowing it ranked as the biggest insult, Eve just laughed as she all but shoved Peabody out of the room.

  “I w
ant to punch something.”

  Eve eyed her. “If you punch me, I’ll punch you back, which would be a shame as I’ve never wanted you more than at this moment.”

  Peabody choked out a laugh, scrubbed her face.

  “‘Dicks the size of jumbo kielbasas’?”

  “I couldn’t think of a better metaphor in the heat of the moment.”

  “Gave me an image. Shake it off. Go hit the gym later if you need to, take it out on a sparring droid, but shake it off, get a couple of big, sweaty uniforms—no measurement on dick size—to haul that miserable bastard back to a cell.”

  “You were good cop.” Peabody took a breath, then another. “You reeled him in acting interested, even fascinated. It worked. I got to be pissed-off cop. Sort of bad cop.”

  “You were badass cop. Badass cop,” Eve said more sharply as Peabody’s eyes filled. “Don’t fuck it up now.”

  “It made me sick. You’d think after all this time, seeing what we see, dealing with the excuses for humans we deal with, it wouldn’t. But he made me sick.”

  “We got him, Peabody. We did the job, did it right, and we got him. See that he’s put back in a cage. Then write it up, okay? Write it up, and go home. Beat up a droid, bang McNab, make some soup, whatever it takes to shake it off.”

  “You said ‘bang McNab.’”

  “Don’t make me regret it.”

  She walked toward Observation as Reo came out.

  “You make my job easy.”

  Eve glanced back toward the Interview room. “I figure it’ll take a full year on Omega before he starts to actually consider he may be fucked.”

  “I really hope to make him realize that sooner, but I’d take it. Do you want me to contact the victims, tell them we have him?”

  “Anyone we spoke to on the potential target list. That would help. Olsen and Tredway should tell the Patricks in person, and the Brinkmans. I’ll take Daphne Strazza.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Reo squeezed Eve’s arm, then walked away to do her part of the job.

  Eve waited while Mira came out with Roarke, held up a finger and moved to speak to Olsen and Tredway.

  “Fried him up like a kielbasa,” Tredway said.

  “I’m never going to be able to eat one of those again, but, yeah, he’s fried. His ego and entitlement made it pretty damn easy. It’s not going to be easy on the Patricks.”

  “No.” Olsen shook her head. “It’s going to gut them.”

  “It should come from you. They have a closer connection with you. The Brinkmans, too.”

  “We’ll take them,” Tredway agreed. “We’ll handle it. Damn good working with you again, Dallas. Feeney’s got a hell of an eye.”

  “Let’s get this done before it leaks. Then you and me, partner?” Olsen tapped a fist to Tredway’s arm. “We’re going for a couple of brews.”

  “I hear you.”

  Eve stepped away, up to Mira and Roarke.

  “I guess you caught some of the interview,” she said to Roarke.

  “Most, I think. You played him perfectly.”

  “He wanted validation, wanted his dick stroked—so to speak. It was easy to see that, and to give it to him. We had him without it, but it’s tied in a bow. He’s not insane,” she added, turning to Mira.

  “Sick, delusional, sociopathic, psychopathic, but no, he’s legally sane. It wasn’t easy to give it to him, but by doing so, you tied that bow.”

  “That part’s done. I could use you—or Daphne could use you. I need to tell her face-to-face.”

  “I cleared time. When can you leave?” Mira asked.

  “Pretty much now if that works. We found her,” she said to Roarke. “I think—unless Mira says otherwise—it would be good for you to be there, too.”

  “I’ll take you both.”

  “I’m going to let her know we’re coming. She might want her family there. The Patricks and Brinkmans have each other. Give me five minutes. I’ll meet you in the garage.”

  When Eve strode away, Mira laid a hand on Roarke’s arm. “She has you. This has been brutally hard for her in many ways, but she has you.”

  “And you.”

  “Yes. And the next victim.”

  * * *

  Eve thought of the next victim as she rang the buzzer on the door of Daphne’s suite.

  Tish answered, eyed all three. “Daphne’s in her room. Has there been another? You said there hadn’t, but—”

  “No, there’s not going to be another.”

  “You caught him.” Tears sprang to Tish’s eyes. “Why didn’t you say so when you tagged us? God, God, what a relief. Our parents are out. We talked them into going out, taking a walk in the park, but—”

  “I really need to speak to Daphne.”

  “Sure, sorry. God, thank God. Are you Dr. Mira?” She asked as she gestured them into the parlor area. “Daphne described you.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m glad you came. She feels—says she feels—calmer with you. You’re Roarke. I recognize you. I know you found her, helped get her to the hospital. I’m her sister. Please, everybody sit down. I’ll get her. This is going to help her so much.”

  She started toward a bedroom, stopped. “Shit, sorry. I should offer you something. We’ve got a nice little kitchen area.”

  “Why don’t I make some tea?” Mira took off her coat as she spoke. “Daphne may like some.”

  “I’m for popping some champagne, but, yeah, tea. Thanks. We’ll be right back.”

  Eve went to the window, looked out. “I love New York. Despite the fact that people like Knightly inhabit it, I love it. It’s helped make me what I am. It gave me my place.”

  “You’re still sad.”

  “In Dallas, those last days in that awful room, I could see out the window. But there was nothing real, nothing I knew or understood. My world was that room, and my world was a nightmare. Even after I got out, after I killed him and got out, it wasn’t my world. It was like something on screen. Sometimes he let me watch screen. It was like that, and sometimes there were monsters on screen, just like in my world. We’ve got monsters here, but I know them. I’m not afraid of them.”

  She closed her eyes a moment. “When this is done, can we—I know it’s cold—but can we go home and take a walk? Just walk in the cold and snow for a little while?”

  “I’d love to take a walk with you.”

  “If it’s dark—”

  “We’ll turn on all the lights.” He walked to her, laid his hands on her shoulders, kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be our world.”

  She reached back, laid a hand over his. Let it drop when she heard the bedroom door open.

  She turned her back on the city she loved.

  Epilogue

  Daphne’s lips trembled, tears gleamed in her eyes, but she moved straight to Eve, gripped her hands.

  “Tish said you caught the devil—the man. You caught him. Did you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh God.” Now she threw her arms around Eve, clung tight. “Thank God. Thank you. He can’t come back? He can’t ever come back?”

  “No, he won’t come back. Let’s sit down.”

  Mira came out with a tray.

  “Oh, Dr. Mira.” Daphne rushed over to take the tray. “I’m so glad you’re here. I feel…” Daphne carried the tray back, set it on the table in front of the sofa. “I don’t know, exactly. I feel like something’s ready to break inside me, and I don’t know what’ll be left when it does. Is it all right if I tell Dr. Nobel?”

  “He said to call him Del,” Tish reminded her, and began pouring tea.

  “It’s just he’s been so kind and concerned. My parents! Tish, we should tag them.”

  “They’ll be back soon anyway. Have some tea, Daph. Take a breath.”

  “Daphne.” Eve waited until Daphne took the cup, shifted toward her. “The man who attacked you is named Kyle Knightly. Do you know him?”

  “I … No, I don’t think so. Do you think my h
usband knew him?”

  “I doubt it. This person put cameras in your house, hid them. He watched you and your husband for several weeks.”

  “He…” The cup rattled before she set it down. “He watched. He … recorded us?”

  “Christ, sick bastard,” Tish exploded, passing Mira tea.

  “Daphne, I’d already concluded that Anthony Strazza abused you, battered you, raped you.”

  “He was my husband. He gave me everything. I owed him—”

  “That’s bullshit, Daphne.” Tish snapped out the words. “You know it’s bullshit.”

  Daphne shook her head. “Please, Tish. He’s dead. He was my husband. I can’t say bad things about him. You shouldn’t expect me to.”

  “I can expect you to tell me the truth.” Eve said it sharply enough to have Daphne’s head snapping up, to put just a hint of fear in her eyes. “He abused you. He struck you, and then treated your wounds so no one would see. He threatened to do worse if you told anyone, if you tried to leave. He raped you if you objected. He threatened your family in order to make you sever ties with them.”

  “It doesn’t matter now,” Daphne began.

  “It does. Record on. I’m going to read you your rights.”

  “What!” Tish leaped to her feet. “What the fuck?”

  “Quiet. Daphne Strazza, you have the right to remain silent.”

  Eve read out the Revised Miranda, took a breath.

  “I’m putting this on record, I’ve read you your rights because this is going to protect you. Do you understand your rights and obligations?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Don’t lie. This will be harder for you, and for your family, if you lie. Remember, too, we have Knightly’s recordings. Did Anthony Strazza ever strike you?”

  “Please don’t—”

  “Did Anthony Strazza ever strike you?”

  “Yes, yes, yes.” When she lowered her head, her long dark hair fell around her face like a curtain. “I would do stupid things or say the wrong things or—”