by J. D. Robb
She managed to pull off a boot, toss it. “I don’t know. I could fuel up if you put one on.”
“Aren’t you the funny one when you’re asleep on your feet?”
She tossed the second boot. “I’m not on my feet.” She dragged off her shirt, wriggled out of her pants. Then crawled up the bed. “Screw nightgowns,” she muttered, then snuggled down in her underwear.
When Roarke slipped in beside her, she was already asleep again.
In the dream, Coltraine circled Eve’s murder board. She wore a pale blue sweater and trimly tailored pants, and her weapon at her hip.
“I worked murder cases a couple of times,” she said. “Not as primary, but part of a team. A break-in or mugging gone bad, that kind of thing. It always depressed me. I can’t say I ever thought someone would be working my murder.”
“Who does?”
Coltraine smiled over at Eve. “Good point. You know more about me now than you did when you started.”
“That’s usually the way it works.”
“Some of it you’re getting through Li’s eyes. You can’t trust that a hundred percent.”
“No, but he won’t lie.”
“No, he won’t.” Coltraine moved over to where Eve sat at her desk, then leaned a hip on it. “I used to think you had to be cold to be a murder cop. Cold enough to walk in death every day, or nearly every day. To pick through lives, uncover all the secrets of people who couldn’t hide them anymore. But I was wrong. You have to be able to control the heat, but there has to be heat. Otherwise, you wouldn’t give a damn, not really. You wouldn’t care enough to do what you have to do to chase murder.”
“Sometimes it takes the cold.”
“Maybe. I know more about you now, too, seeing as you’ve got me stuck in your head. You struggle with the law, because you have such intense and marrow-deep respect for it. Such strong belief. But it’s the victim who pulls you, the victim who might have you question that line of law. More even than justice, and justice is your faith.”
“This isn’t about me.”
“You know it is. We’re as intimate as lovers now. Cop/victim. I’m one of the faces in your head now, in your dreams. You never forget them, no matter how many there are. That’s your burden, and your gift. You let Li in, when the rules and regs come down against that. He’s too close. But you’ve blurred the rules and regs because he’s a victim, too. And he needed it. It’s the cold part of you that’s questioning that now, in the back of your mind. And it’s the heat that knows it’s right.”
“Which part of you walked away from Alex Ricker?”
“That’s a question, isn’t it?” Coltraine rose, bent down to stroke Galahad as he bumped against her leg. “Nice cat.”
“How about an answer?”
“You’re wondering if I walked because he didn’t love me enough to pull back from that line. To show me how much I mattered. Or if I walked because I remembered I was a cop, and I had a duty to that line of the law.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Eve shrugged. “You walked, and that’s what plays here.”
“It matters to you, because of Li. It matters because of the badge. And it matters because you wonder what you would’ve done, if Roarke hadn’t shown you how much you mattered.”
“Not altogether. One and two, that’s true. But the last? He shows me every day. I think I get how much you hurt when Alex didn’t, because I don’t have to wonder. I know. And I don’t think it was the cop who walked. I think the cop came after. I think, maybe, you were a better cop once you came here.”
“That’s nice. Thanks. Still, I wasn’t a good enough cop to keep myself from being taken out with my own damn weapon.”
“Yeah, that’s a bitch. But I’m looking at you, Detective. I’m looking at the way I think this set you up. And I’m thinking you didn’t have a chance in hell.”
“Well.” Coltraine set her hands on her hips. “That’s a real comfort to me now.”
“Best I got.”
A soft spring drizzle greeted Eve when she strode outside to meet Baxter. She watched him whip his snazzy two-seater down the drive and jerked a thumb at the unsnazzy body of her own vehicle.
“Aw, come on, Dallas, why take your latest hunk of junk when I’ve got my primo?”
“Official business, and I’m driving.”
“A man’s gotta haul his ass out of bed on a rainy Saturday, and he can’t even set it down in a decent ride.” He grumbled all the way, but transferred his ass from one car to the other. “Well, nice seats, I gotta say.”
“Is your ass all comfy now?”
“Actually it is. Surprising how . . . what, whoa.” He leaned forward to goggle at the dash. “Look at this! Sizzling Jesus, this heap is loaded. It’s—”
He broke off, flung back against the seat as she poured it on down the drive. “And she fucking moves, baby! This is not departmental issue. I am not a fool.”
“Depends on who you’re asking. And I have the option, per regs, of using my personal ride if it meets code. Just like you use that toy back there.”
“Dallas, you have depths I’ve never plumbed.”
“You never plumbed any of my depths.”
“That’s your loss, sister. And Peabody never said a word about this ride.”
Eve actually winced as she remembered. “She hasn’t seen it yet. So you’ll keep it zipped about it. Otherwise, she’ll get all whiny about not seeing it first, or some such shit. Partners can be ass pains.”
“Not mine. Boy’s a jewel. So, you figure Ricker Junior’s PA and bestest pal fucked him over and killed Coltraine.”
“Killed her or helped set her up for it. And set up Alex Ricker for good measure.”
“Bestest pals can be ass pains.”
She had to laugh. “You can’t begin to know. We’ll work them separate. Start out straight interview. Just going over details. Then I’m going to peel Sandy off, leave you on Ricker. I want to heat him up, and I don’t want his bestest pal getting in the way.”
“Works for me. You really don’t figure Junior’s in it? Motive’s there, opportunity, even with the alibi. All he had to do was snap his fingers.”
“If he was going to snap them, he’d have snapped them long-distance. His old man set him up, it’s just like him. Once we pin Sandy, he’s going to flip. He’s a turncoat, so he’ll turn again. And we’ll skewer whoever Ricker has in the Eighteenth Squad.”
“I hate it’s a cop. But yeah, I went through the files, your notes. It’s gotta be.”
Eve’s in-dash beeped. “Dallas.”
“Callendar reporting from Omega.” Callendar’s face, tired eyes, major grin, filled the screen. “There was some delay at docking, but Sisto and I are in. We’re cleared and logged, and about to be escorted straight to Communications. The warden’s authorized us access to . . . well, pretty much everything.”
“Get me something, Callendar.”
“If it’s here, we’ll get it. Man-o, this place is grim. You ever been here?”
“No.”
“Good choice. Even the staff and admin areas are grim. I bet if you gave kids a mandatory tour of this place, they’d never so much as think about boosting somebody’s airboard.” She glanced away, signaled. “They’re ready for us.”
“I want to hear the minute you have anything. Even half of anything.”
“Cha. Back when. Callendar out.”
“Cha?” Eve repeated.
“As in ‘gotcha.’ ” Baxter rolled his eyes. “E-geeks.”
Eve shook her head, in perfect accord. “E-geeks.”
She swung to the curb at Ricker’s building. “On duty,” she said and preened a little when her light flashed on.
“Solid.”
“If we wrap this, I’ll show you how she verticals as we head back.”
She badged her way in, moved straight to the elevator when the doorman said they were already cleared and expected by Mr. Ricker.
He met them in the foyer. “Lieutena
nt.”
“Mr. Ricker. Detective Baxter. We appreciate you making time to answer a few more questions.”
His tone was as polite and neutral as Eve’s. “I want to cooperate in any way I can.”
“As discussed, we’d also like to speak to Mr. Sandy.”
“Yes. He’s probably in the kitchen, getting coffee. Please sit down. I’ll get him.”
“Prime digs,” Baxter commented as he looked around. “And they say crime doesn’t pay.”
“Only idiots say that.”
“The world’s full of idiots.”
Alex came back alone. “Sorry, he’s generally an early riser, so I assumed . . . He must be upstairs. Excuse me.”
As Alex started up, Eve and Baxter exchanged glances.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Baxter murmured.
“Somebody’s gone rabbit. Goddamn it. Routine follow-up, what spooked him? There’s nothing here to make him bolt, risk his position, turn our suspicions. It’s stupid.”
“Lieutenant.” Alex came to the top of the stairs, and she saw it in the pale set of his face. “Rod isn’t here. His bed hasn’t been slept in. I won’t object if you want to look for yourself.”
Damn right they would. Eve started up. “When did you last see him?”
“Last night, about eight. He had a date. But he knew you were expected this morning. It’s not like him to miss an appointment. And he’s not answering his ’link. I just tried it.”
Eve walked to the doorway of Sandy’s room. “Who’s the date?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
She moved past Alex to check the closet, then frowned. “His things are still here. Anything missing, that you can tell?”
“Whatever he wore last night—ah, let me think. He had on a brown leather jacket, black pants, I think. I can’t recall what color shirt. Casual. A casual date. His clothes are here, as far as I can tell. But why wouldn’t they be? He had no reason to leave, and wouldn’t leave without telling me.”
“Maybe it was a sudden decision,” Baxter suggested with just enough sarcasm to have Alex turn frigid eyes on him.
“He doesn’t make sudden decisions, and he works for me. He’s my oldest friend, and he works for me. Obviously, the date turned into something more than casual, and he stayed the night. He’s overslept and doesn’t hear his ’link. I’m perfectly willing to answer any questions you have for me now, and I’ll see to it that Rod makes himself available to you as soon as he gets back.”
He turned to Eve then. “I didn’t contact my lawyers. They don’t even know you’re here. I’m not playing you. Rod just—”
“Got lucky?” Eve suggested. “Baxter, wait for me downstairs.”
“Sure.”
“Rod’s done nothing but be careless about an appointment,” Alex began.
“Stow it. Who was your driver yesterday?”
Biting and cold replaced polite and neutral. “And that’s relevant because?”
“Because I want to know, Mr. Cooperation. Who drove you to your meet with Roarke?”
“Carmine. Carmine Luca,” he added when Eve simply stared. “He’s downstairs, in an apartment I keep as staff quarters.”
“Bring him up.”
“I don’t understand why you want to interview my driver.”
“You’ll understand after I do. Bring him up, or call your lawyers and tell them to meet you downtown.”
Eyes, already cool, went to ice. “Maybe I misjudged the situation. I’ll bring him up, and we’ll see if you make me understand. Otherwise, unless you’ve got a warrant, you’re gone.”
Alex pulled out a ’link as he pointed Eve toward the door. “Carmine, I need you up here.”
Within minutes, the big, burly Carmine lumbered in. He had, Eve thought, a face like stone that had been battered for decades by wind and water. Tough, pitted, and blank.
“These officers would like to ask you some questions, Carmine. Answer them, is that clear?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Ricker.”
“When did Rod Sandy ask you about Mr. Ricker’s meeting with Roarke?”
“I don’t know about any meeting.”
Eve looked at Alex. “Would you like to make it clearer, or should I?”
“Carmine, I want you to answer the lieutenant’s questions. I had a meeting with Roarke yesterday morning, on Coney Island. You drove me.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Ricker, but I thought—”
“Don’t think,” Alex said, with a kindness in his tone Eve hadn’t expected. “I appreciate it, Carmine, but we’re just trying to clear something up. So you can answer the questions. Unless I say otherwise. All right?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Ricker.”
“When did Rod Sandy ask you about Mr. Ricker’s meeting with Roarke.”
“Which time?”
“All the times.”
“Okay, well, he asked me about it before. Making sure and all that everything was set up. Mr. Sandy makes sure things are set up for Mr. Ricker. So I told him how it was all go, and we had the car ready, and the scanners—” He stopped, looked at Alex.
“It’s all right.”
“And the coffee in the mini-AC. And all like that.”
“He asked you about it afterward, too?”
“He asked, after, how Mr. Ricker was feeling. You know, his state of mind and stuff. And I said how it went okay, and maybe Mr. Ricker seemed a little down on the drive back. But it went okay, and there wasn’t no trouble or nothing. I said how it seemed like Mr. Ricker and Roarke got along pretty good, and how they talked awhile. He worries about you, Mr. Ricker. It’s Mr. Sandy, so I didn’t figure it was talking out of turn or nothing.”
“It’s all right, Carmine.”
“What else did you tell him?” Eve asked.
Carmine’s gaze slid to Alex again, and again Alex gave the assent. “Not much to tell. We had a beer, and we were talking about the game some, and he was saying, sort of thinking out loud, like, that Mr. Ricker and Roarke would do this business deal after all. So I said, I did-n’t think it was any kind of business deal. How I didn’t catch much, ’cause you’re not supposed to listen, but the breeze carried the voices sometimes. How it seemed they were mostly talking about Miss Coltraine and Mr. Ricker’s father, and how maybe—”
“Maybe?”
“Mr. Ricker.”
“Keep going,” Alex demanded, not so kindly now.
“Well, it sounded like maybe Mr. Ricker thought his father might’ve done something. I was just talking to Mr. Sandy, Mr. Ricker.”
“Yes, you were,” Eve said before Alex could speak. “Did you talk to him about anything else?”
“Not really. I didn’t hear that much. I wasn’t trying to hear, I swear. I guess, now that I think about it, Mr. Sandy asked a lot of questions, and he wasn’t exactly happy I didn’t know more than I knew. I just said how at the end you and Roarke shook hands, and that was that.”
“That’s fine, Carmine, thank you,” Alex said. “You can go back to your quarters now.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Ricker. If I did anything—”
“You didn’t. We’re fine.”
“One more thing,” Eve said. “Did you drive Mr. Sandy anywhere yesterday?”
“No. I drive Mr. Ricker, unless Mr. Ricker says different.”
“Did you or anyone drive Mr. Sandy anywhere this week?”
“No. We only got the one car here, and I drive it. Right, Mr. Ricker?”
“That’s right, Carmine. You can go.”
Alex turned, walked into the living area, sat. “You think Rod’s working for my father.”
“And you don’t?” Eve countered.
“We’ve known each other more than a dozen years. We’re friends. Friends. He knows nearly everything there is to know about me. He knew what Ammy meant to me. You can’t expect me to believe he’s part of this.”
“Why didn’t you tell him the details of your meeting with Roarke?”
“It was priv
ate. Even friends don’t share everything.”
“I’d say, from the way Sandy pumped Carmine, he doesn’t agree with that.”
Alex pressed his fingers to his eyes. “So he was never really my friend. Just another tool. All these years.”
“Maybe, or maybe one picked up and turned more recently.”
“If he killed Ammy—”
“Could he have left the apartment that night, without security picking it up?”
“There are always ways,” Alex said. “Yes. The son of a bitch. The son of a bitch said to me, that night, he said I should go out, take a long walk, hit Times Square, get some energy from the crowds. So I did.”
“He indicated he thought you were in the apartment all night.”
“We lie, Lieutenant.” Alex clipped out the words. “You know that. I assumed he was covering me, so I did the same and told you I’d gone out when he was upstairs. That he didn’t know I’d gone out. Just a couple of convenient lies. I hadn’t hurt her. I would never have hurt her. So we covered each other. He set me up, my longtime friend, so I’m out walking New York, having a beer, just one more face in the crowd, while he’s killing her. For what? For what?”
“Where would he go?”
“A thousand places. If I knew, I swear I’d tell you. He convinced me to come to New York,” Alex explained. “To come now—for business, for her. Convinced me I needed to see her, talk with her. He knew how I felt, was feeling. I confided in him, like I would a brother. And he used it against me.”
“I want all the data on his financials. All his financials. You understand me?”
“Yes. You’ll have it.”
“He takes trips, vacations, and so on without you. Time off where you wouldn’t keep tabs on him.”
“Of course.”
Times he could’ve visited Omega, Eve thought. “Do you know who your father has in Coltraine’s squad?”
“No. I don’t know that he has anyone, not that I can confirm. He was always proprietary about that kind of thing.”
“What did you and your father talk about when you visited him on Omega?”