by J. D. Robb
‘I don’t need criticisms on procedure from a guy who pops locks like you, pal.’
He took out a handkerchief, dabbed at her chin. ‘The next time you start to say you have no family,’ he began quietly, ‘think again. Mavis is yours.’
She started to speak, reevaluated. ‘I’m doing my job,’ she decided. ‘If I get some personal pleasure out of it, what’s wrong with that?’
‘Not a thing.’ He kissed her lightly, then turned left.
‘I want to go around the back of the building. Take a right at the next corner, then—’
‘I know how to get around the back of that building.’
‘Don’t tell me you own that one, too.’
‘All right, I won’t tell you. And by the way, if you had asked me about the security setup at Young’s place, I could have saved you - or I should say Feeney - a little time and trouble.’ When she huffed, he smiled. ‘If I get some personal pleasure out of owning large chunks of Manhattan, what’s wrong with that?’
She turned to stare out of the window so he couldn’t see her smirk.
For Roarke, it seemed, there would always be a table at the most exclusive restaurant, front row seats at the current hit play, and a convenient parking place on the street. He glided in and killed the engine.
‘You don’t, I trust, expect me to wait here.’
‘What I expect doesn’t usually hold water with you. Come on, but try to remember you’re a civilian. I’m not.’
‘That’s something I never forget.’ He code locked the car. It was a good neighborhood, but the car was worth an easy six months’ rent in even the most exclusive of units in the building. ‘Darling, before we shift into the official mode, what do you have on under that dress?’
‘A device designed to drive men wild.’
‘It’s working. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen your butt move quite that way.’
‘It’s a cop’s butt now, ace, so watch it.’
‘I am.’ He smiled, gave it a nice solid smack. ‘Believe me. Good evening, Peabody.’
‘Roarke.’ Her face bland, as if she hadn’t heard a word, Peabody stepped out from the shrubbery. ‘Dallas.’
‘Any sign of—’ Eve went into a defensive crouch as the shrubbery rustled, then swore as Casto came out grinning. ‘Goddamn it, Peabody.’
‘Now, don’t blame DeeDee. I was with her when your call came in. She wouldn’t have been able to shake me. Interdepartmental cooperation, Eve?’ Still smiling, he extended a hand. ‘Roarke, a pleasure to meet you. Jake Casto, Illegals.’
‘So I gathered.’ Roarke’s brow cocked as he noted Casto take in the black satin that slithered over Eve’s body. In the manner of men or unfriendly male dogs, Roarke showed his teeth.
‘Nice dress, Eve. You mentioned something about taking a sample to the lab.’
‘Do you always listen in on another cop’s transmissions?’
‘Well . . .’ He stroked his chin. ‘The call came through at a particular moment, you see. I’d have had to be deaf not to catch it.’ He sobered. ‘You figure you got Jerry Fitzgerald with a dose of Immortality?’
‘We’ll have to wait for the analysis.’ She shifted her attention to Peabody. ‘Is Young in there?’
‘That’s confirmed. A check with security shows him coming in about nineteen hundred. He hasn’t been out since.’
‘Unless he took the back way.’
‘No, sir.’ Peabody allowed herself a small smile. ‘I called his ’link when I arrived, and he answered. I apologized for the wrong contact.’
‘He’s seen you.’
Peabody shook her head. ‘Men like that don’t remember underlings. He didn’t make me, and there’s been no movement in this area since my arrival at twenty-three thirty-eight.’ She gestured over, up. ‘His lights are on.’
‘So we wait. Casto, you could make yourself useful and stake out the front entrance.’
He flashed a grin. ‘Trying to get rid of me?’
Her eyes lit in response. ‘Yep. We could get technical. As primary on the Moppett, Johannsen, Pandora, and Ro homicides, I have full authority on coordinating investigations. Therefore—’
‘You’re a tough woman, Eve.’ He sighed, shrugged, sent Peabody a wink. ‘Keep a light burning for me, DeeDee.’
‘I’m sorry, Lieutenant,’ Peabody began formally when Casto moved off. ‘He overheard the transmission. As there was no way to prevent him from coming to the scene on his own, it seemed more productive to enlist his aid.’
‘It doesn’t seem to be a problem.’ When her communicator beeped, she shifted aside. ‘Dallas.’ She listened a moment, lips curving, then nodded. ‘Thanks.’ She started to slip the unit into her pocket, then remembered she didn’t have a pocket, and dropped it into her bag. ‘Fitzgerald’s sprung, own recognizance. Not surprising she’d get OR over a little tussle at a fashion party.’
‘If the lab results fall,’ Peabody said.
‘If. We wait on that.’ She glanced at Roarke. ‘This could be a long night. You don’t have to hang. Peabody and Casto can drop me when we’re done.’
‘I like long nights. A moment of your time, Lieutenant.’ With a firm hand on her arm, Roarke led her a few paces away. ‘You didn’t mention you had an admirer in Illegals.’
She ran a hand through her hair. ‘Didn’t I?’
‘The kind of admirer who’d like to nibble his way up your extremities.’
‘That’s an interesting way of putting it. Look, he and Peabody are an item at the moment.’
‘That doesn’t stop him from licking his chops over you.’
She gave a quick snorting laugh, then catching the look in Roarke’s eye, she sobered and cleared her throat. ‘He’s harmless. ’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Come on, Roarke, it’s just one of those little testosterone games you guys play.’ His eyes were still gleaming and caused something to jitter, not unpleasantly, in her stomach. ‘You’re not, like, jealous?’
‘Yes.’ It was demeaning to admit it, but he was a man who did what had to be done.
‘Really?’ The jittery feeling turned into a nice warm spread of pleasure. ‘Well, thanks.’
There was no point in sighing. Certainly no point in giving her a quick shake. Instead, he dipped his hands in his pockets and inclined his head. ‘You’re welcome. Eve, we’re going to be married in a few days.’
The jittering started again, big time. ‘Yeah.’
‘If he keeps looking at you like that, I’m going to have to hurt him.’
She smiled, patted his cheek. ‘Down, boy.’
Before she could do more than chuckle, he’d snagged her wrist, leaned in close. ‘You belong to me.’ Her eyes fired, her teeth bared. The show of temper had him relaxing immediately. ‘It goes both ways, darling, but in case you haven’t noticed, it seems only fair to tell you, I’m very territorial over what’s mine.’ He kissed her snarling mouth. ‘I do love you, Eve. Ridiculously.’
‘It’s ridiculous all right.’ To settle her temper, she tried a long, slow breath. ‘Look, not that I figure you deserve any explanation, but I’m not interested in Casto, or anybody else. And, as it happens, Peabody’s gone over him. So just shut down your thrusters.’
‘Done. Now, would you like me to go back to the car and get some coffee?’
She angled her head. ‘Is that a cheap bribe to smooth this over?’
‘I’ll remind you that my blend of coffee isn’t cheap.’
‘Peabody takes hers light. Hold it.’ She grabbed his arm, tugged him back toward the bushes. ‘Wait for it,’ Eve murmured as a car shot down the street. It squealed to a halt, did a fast vertical to squeeze into a top-level parking spot. Impatient maneuvering knocked bumpers. A woman in shimmering silver strode down the ramp to the sidewalk.
‘There’s our girl,’ Eve said quietly. ‘She didn’t waste any time.’
‘You called it, Lieutenant,’ Peabody commented.
‘Looks like.
Now why would a woman who has recently gone through an uncomfortable, inconvenient, and potentially embarrassing situation, run straight to a man she’s just broken up with, accused of cheating, and who popped her in the face? All in public.’
‘Sadomasochistic tendencies?’ Roarke suggested.
‘I don’t think so,’ Eve said, appreciating him. ‘It’s S and M all right, but it stands for sex and money. And lookie here, Peabody, our heroine knows the back way in.’
With one careless glance over her shoulder, Jerry headed straight for the maintenance entrance, keyed in a code, and disappeared inside.
‘I’d say she’s done that before.’ Roarke laid a hand on Eve’s shoulder. ‘Is that enough to break their alibi?’
‘It’s a damn good start.’ Reaching in her bag, she took out surveillance goggles. She strapped them on, adjusting the power as she focused on Justin Young’s windows. ‘Can’t see him,’ she murmured. ‘No one’s in the living area.’ She shifted her head. ‘Bedroom’s empty, but there’s a flight bag open on the bed. A lot of doors closed. No way to get a view of the kitchen and rear entrance from here, damn it.’
She put her hands on her hips and kept scanning. ‘There’s a glass of something on the table by the bed, and a light playing. I’d say his bedroom screen’s on. There she is now.’
Eve’s lips stayed curved as she watched Jerry storm into the bedroom. The goggles were powerful enough to give her a clear close-up of undiluted fury. Jerry’s mouth was moving. She reached down, plucked off her shoes, heaved them.
‘Temper, temper,’ Eve murmured. ‘She’s calling for him, throwing things. Enter the young hero, stage left. Well, I’ve got to say, he’s built.’
With her own goggles in place, Peabody let out a low hum of agreement.
Justin was buck naked, his skin beaded with water, his gilded hair sleeked with it. Apparently Jerry was unimpressed. She raged at him, shoved while he held up his hands, shook his head. The argument grew heated, dramatic, Eve mused, with lots of arm gestures, tossing heads. Then it changed tones abruptly. Justin was tearing off Jerry’s ten-thousand-dollar silver gown as they fell on the bed.
‘Aw, isn’t that sweet, Peabody? They’re making up.’
Roarke tapped Eve’s shoulder. ‘I don’t suppose you have another pair of them.’
‘Pervert.’ But since it seemed only fair, she tugged the goggles off, handed them to him. ‘You may be called as a witness.’
‘How? I’m not even here.’ He slipped the goggles on, adjusted them. After a moment, he shook his head. ‘They’re not terribly imaginative, are they? Tell me, Lieutenant, do you spend much time watching fornication during surveillance?’
‘There’s nothing much a human being can do to another I haven’t watched.’
Recognizing the tone, he slipped the goggles off, handed them back. ‘It’s a miserable job. I’d have to agree that murder suspects aren’t entitled to privacy.’
She jerked a shoulder and readjusted the goggles. It was imperative to find the humor again. She knew some cops got off peeking into bedroom windows, and misuse of the goggles was rampant on all levels. She considered them a tool, an important one, no matter how often their use was challenged in the courts.
‘Looks like the finale,’ she said blandly. ‘I have to appreciate their speed.’
Justin, levered on his elbows, plunged into her. With her feet planted firmly on the mattress, Jerry pumped her hips to meet him. Their faces shone with sweat, and tightly closed eyes added twin expressions of agony and delight. When he collapsed on her, Eve started to speak.
She held her tongue as Jerry’s arms came up, cuddled. Justin nuzzled Jerry’s neck. They held each other, stroking, cheek brushing cheek.
‘I’ll be damned,’ Eve muttered. ‘It’s not just sex. They care.’
More than the animal lust, the very human affection was difficult to watch. They separated briefly, sat up together with legs companionably tangled. He smoothed her tangled hair. She turned her face into the palm of his hand. They began to talk. From the expressions on their faces, the tone was serious, intense. At one point, Jerry lowered her head, weeping.
Justin kissed her hair, her brow, then got up and crossed the room. From a minifriggie, he took a slim glass bottle and poured a glass of dark blue liquid.
His face was grim as she snatched it from his hand, downed it in one quick gulp.
‘Health drink, my ass. She’s using.’
‘Just her,’ Peabody put in. ‘He’s not having any.’
Justin drew Jerry from the bed and with an arm around her waist, led her out of the bedroom, out of vision.
‘Keep scanning, Peabody,’ Eve ordered. She tugged down the goggles so that they hung around her neck. ‘She’s on the edge about something. And I don’t think it’s over our little shoving match. The pressure’s gotten to her. Some people aren’t natural-born killers.’
‘If they’re trying to distance themselves from each other, add more strength to their alibi, it was risky for her to come here tonight.’
Eve nodded as she looked at Roarke. ‘She needed him. Addictions come in all forms.’ As her communicator signaled, Eve reached into her bag. ‘Dallas.’
‘Rush, rush, rush.’
‘Dickie, give me good news.’
‘An interesting mix, Lieutenant. Other than a few additions to take it to liquid, add pretty color, and a mildly fruity taste, you’ve got yourself a match. All the elements from the powder previously analyzed are in there, including nectar from the Immortal Blossom. It is, however, a less potent mix, and when ingested by mouth—’
‘That’s all I need. Transmit full report to my office unit, stat, copy Whitney, Casto, and the prosecutor.’
‘Want me to tie a nice red bow around it, too?’ he said sourly.
‘Don’t be such a shit, Dickie. You’ll get your fifty-yard-line seats for arena ball.’ She broke transmission, grinned. ‘Call for a search and confiscate warrant, Peabody. Let’s go take them down.’
‘Yes, sir. Ah, Casto?’
‘Tell him we’re coming around front. Illegals will get its share.’
It was five A.M. by the time they’d waded through the official paperwork and finished the first round of interviews. Fitzgerald’s lawyers had insisted on a six-hour break, minimum. With no choice but to comply, Eve ordered Peabody off duty until eight and swung by her own office.
‘Didn’t I tell you to go get some sleep?’ she asked when she saw Roarke kicked back at her desk.
‘I had some work.’
Frowning, she glanced at the monitor on her desk unit. The intricate blueprints had her hissing. ‘This is police property. Tampering with police property can get you eighteen months under home security.’
‘Would you hold off on the arrest? I’m nearly finished. East wing view, all levels.’
‘I’m not kidding, Roarke. You can’t use my ’link for personal business.’
‘Hmm. Note to adjust recreational center C. Square footage insufficient. Transmit all memos and amended dimensions, CFD Architectural and Design, FreeStar One office. Save to disc, and disengage.’ He slipped the disc out, tucked it into his pocket. ‘You were saying?’
‘This unit is programmed for my voice print. Just how did you get it operational?’
He only smiled. ‘Really, Eve!’
‘All right, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know, anyway. Couldn’t you have done this at home?’
‘Certainly. But then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of taking you home and making you get a few hours’ sleep.’ He rose. ‘Which is what I’m about to do now.’
‘I’m going to catch a nap in the lounge.’
‘No, you were going to sit here combing through evidence and doing probability scans until your eyes fell out.’
She could have denied it. It wasn’t very hard to lie under most circumstances. ‘I just have a couple of things I want to put into order.’
He tilted his head. ‘Where’s Peabody?�
�
‘I sent her home.’
‘And the inestimable Casto?’
Recognizing the trap, but not the escape route, Eve shrugged. ‘I think he went with her.’
‘Your suspects?’
‘They’ve got a minimum break coming.’
‘And so,’ he said, taking her arm, ‘do you.’ She started to tug away, but he continued to march her out into the hall. ‘I’m sure everyone appreciates your new interview look, but I imagine you’d do a better job of it after a nap, a shower, and a change of clothes.’
She looked down at the black satin gown. She’d completely forgotten she had it on. ‘I’ve probably got a pair of jeans in my locker.’ When he was able to bundle her into the elevator with little effort, she realized she was flagging. ‘Okay, okay. I’ll go home and catch a shower, maybe some breakfast.’
And, Roarke thought, at least five hours’ sleep.
‘How’d it go in there?’
‘Hmm?’ She blinked, shook herself alert. ‘Not too much progress. Didn’t expect it on the first round. They’re sticking tight to their original story and claiming the drug was planted. We’ve got enough for an enforced drug test on Fitzgerald. Her lawyers are making a lot of noise over it, but we’ll get it.’
She yawned hugely. ‘We’ll use that to finesse data out of her, if not an outright confession. We’ll triple team them on the next round.’
Roarke led her out the breezeway to the visitors’ lot where he’d parked. She was walking, he noted, with the intense care of a woman deeply drunk. ‘They won’t stand a chance,’ he said as they approached his car. ‘Roarke, disengage locks.’
He opened the door, all but folded her into the passenger seat.
‘We’ll shift off. Casto’s a good interviewer.’ Her head lolled back on the seat. ‘Gotta give him that. Peabody’s got potential. She’s tenacious. We’ll keep the three of them in separate rooms, keep changing interviewers on them. I’m betting on Young to fall first.’
Roarke eased out of the lot, headed for home. ‘Why?’
‘The bastard loves her. Love messes you up. You make mistakes ’cause you’re worried, protective. Stupid.’
He smiled a little, brushed her hair back from her face, and she dropped steeply into sleep. ‘Tell me about it.’