Picking their way hell. Neither of them had the patience to walk daintily. Some things were bound to get crushed underfoot.
She couldn't afford to worry about it.
She rapped briskly, pushed open the door. "Sorry, just letting you know I'm turning in. Briefing's at nine."
"Mmm-hmm." He continued to study the data on his monitor. "Counteroffer, four point six million, USD. Firm. Terms, ten percent escrowed on verbal agreement, forty on signing, remainder at settlement. Acceptance by..." He glanced at his wrist unit. "... noon tomorrow, Eastern, or negotiations are ended. Transmit."
He swiveled away, smiled at her. "I'll be along shortly."
"What are you buying?"
"Oh, just a little villa in Tuscany with a rather nice vineyard that's been mismanaged."
"Sounds like a lot of dough for a little villa and a mismanaged vineyard."
"Don't worry, darling. We can still afford those new curtains for the kitchen."
"You know, I don't have to pretend an interest in the stuff you do if you're going to crack wise when I do."
His smile only widened. "You're absolutely right. How rude of me. Would you like to see the cost projections for the rehab? Then there's the vintner's report and the financials from the-"
"Bite me."
"Can I take a raincheck on that? I'd really like to finish this up. If things go well, I think we might be able to squeeze out the coin for a new parlor sofa as well."
"I'm going to bed before I spring a rib laughing at all your funny jokes. Nine, ace. Sharp."
She swung away, then cursed viciously as her desk 'link beeped. "What now?"
She stormed across the room, snarled into the 'link. "Dallas. What?"
"Always such a pleasure to see your cheerful face, Dallas." Nadine Furst, on-air reporter for Channel 75 fluttered her lashes.
"No comment, Nadine. No fucking comment. Go away."
"Hold it, hold it! Don't cut me off. First, just let me say my feelings are crushed that you didn't notice I wasn't around for the excitement today. I just got back in town twenty minutes ago."
"And you called me at two in the morning to let me know you're home safe and sound?"
"Second," Nadine said coolly. "When going through my mail, messages, deliveries that accumulated during my absence, I came across this." She held up a disc. "The contents are very, very hot, and, I think, of professional interest to you."
"Somebody sends you a sex vid, call Vice."
"It's from a group calling themselves The Purity Seekers."
"Don't use your computer," Eve snapped. "Shut it down now. Don't touch it. Don't run that disc again. I'm on my way."
"Listen-"
But she broke transmission and raced for the door.
"I'll drive." Roarke ran down the steps beside her. "Don't argue. I might be able to find something on her machine or on the disc."
"I wasn't going to argue. I was going to tell you to pick one of your faster toys."
***
They made it to Nadine's apartment in under eight minutes. "Give the disc to Roarke," Eve demanded the instant Nadine opened the door. "I'm taking you to the nearest health center."
"Just a minute, just a damn minute." She shoved at Eve when Eve grabbed her arm. "The disc isn't infected. They made that clear. Stop dragging me! They want media exposure. They want the public to know their purpose."
Eve pulled back, shut down the image of seeing a friend die screaming. "They want you to air the disc?"
"It's text only. They want me to report. That's what I do." Nadine huffed out a breath, rubbed her arm where Eve's fingers had dug in. "I guess I should appreciate you worrying about my health, but this is going to bruise."
"You'll live." And that was the point. "I need the disc."
Nadine arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. Her attractive, foxy face was every bit as determined as Eve's. She was shorter than Eve, curvy, and no doubt softer. But when it came to a story she could do plenty of ass-kicking herself.
"You're not getting it."
"This is a homicide investigation."
"And it's a story. Freedom of the press, Dallas, you might have heard of it. The disc was mailed to me."
"I'll get a warrant to confiscate, and to dump your pretty ass in a cage if you withhold evidence and obstruct justice."
Nadine had to rise onto her toes to compensate for the difference in height, but she managed to push her face into Eve's.
"I'm not obstructing anything and you know it. I didn't have to contact you. I could have gone straight to air with this, so just shut down your thrusters, sister."
"Ladies. Ladies." Taking the risk all men fear, Roarke stepped between two snarling women. "Let's just take a deep breath. You both have valid points. It might settle things a bit if we took a look at the disc."
"There's no guarantee it's not infected. I can take it into quarantine."
"You know that's bull." Nadine shook back her streaky blonde mane of hair. "They've got no beef with me. They want what I can give them. Exposure to the public. If you'd read the text, you'll see exactly what I mean. Dallas, they've just gotten started."
"All right, let's take a look. And if we all start bleeding from the ears, hey, the joke's on us."
Nadine led the way through the living area into a large office space done in classy pastels and clean lines. She plopped down at a desk. "Run disc."
"I told you to shut the unit down."
"Just read the damn screen."
Dear Ms. Furst,
We are The Purity Seekers, and are contacting you due to our belief of your respect for the public welfare. We want to assure you that we admire your dedication to your work, and wish you no harm. This disc is clean. You have our word that no harm will come to you through us.
We seek only the purity of justice. A justice that is not, cannot always be served through the confines of law that too often is forced to ignore the victim and serve the criminal. Our police force, our courts, even our government often find their hands tied by the slippery rope of tangled laws designed to protect those who prey on the innocent.
We were formed, and are sworn to serve the innocent.
Some will find our means distressing. Some will find them frightening. No war can, or should be fought without distress or fear.
But most will find our means just and our ends a victory for all who have been lost in a system that no longer serves the common good.
By the time this message reaches you, the first execution will have taken place. Louis K. Cogburn was a blight on society, a man who corrupted and addicted our children. He hunted them on the playgrounds and the schoolyards and the parks of our city, luring those young and innocent bodies and minds with illegals.
He has been charged, he has been tried, he has been sentenced.
He has been executed.
Absolute Purity in the matter of Louis K. Cogburn has been achieved.
He was infected through a technology we have designed and developed. As his soul was blighted, so did we blight his brain, until death.
There is no danger to you, to the innocent, tothe public from this infection. We are not terrorists, but guardians who have vowed to serve our neighbors, whatever the cost.
Others have been tried, convicted, and sentenced. We will not stop seeking those who profit by and pleasure themselves on the grief and harm of others until Absolute Purity has been achieved in New York.
We ask you to inform the public of our message, of our goals, and to assure them that we work to protect and preserve the victim who the law cannot serve.
We hope to consider you our media liaison in this matter.
-The Purity Seekers.
"That's tidy, isn't it?" Eve commented. "Real tidy. They don't bother to mention Ralph Wooster, who got his brains bashed in, or Suzanne Cohen, who was beaten unconscious. No talk about a dead cop or one who may be paralyzed. Just how pure and true their goals are to serve the public. What are you going to do?"
"My job," Nadine told her.
"You're going to air this garbage."
"Yes, I'm going to air it. It's news, and it's my job to report the news."
"Nice bump to your ratings."
"I'm going to let that pass," Nadine said after a moment. "Because you've got a dead cop, and another-one I consider a friend-who's hurt. And I'm letting it pass because, yeah, this is going to be a nice bump to the ratings. You're here right now, reading this before I go on the air because I respect you, because you're someone else I consider a friend, and because I happen to believe justice doesn't have shortcuts. If you don't respect me and my purpose, then I've made a mistake."
Eve turned away, kicked a small sofa with enough force to make Nadine wince. "You're the only reporter I've been able to stand, on a professional level, for more than ten minutes."
"Oh my. I'm so very touched."
"Friendship's a separate issue. Let's just stick with the program for now. You're good at your job, and you play it straight."
"Thank you. And right back at you."
"That doesn't mean I'm going to do a happy dance knowing you're going to be broadcasting this crap. Guardians, my ass. You can't put a damn halo on murder."
"Good one. Can I quote you?"
Fury leaped into Eve's eyes. "This is off the record."
"This is all off the record," Nadine agreed calmly. "But you're going to want to go on the record very fast. I need a one-on-one with you, interviews with Whitney, with Tibble, with Feeney, McNab. I need to talk to Halloway's people. Family, friends, associates. I need a statement from the mayor."
"Would you like me to tie a bow around all that for you, Nadine?"
Nadine fisted her hands on her hips. "This is my area, and I know how to play it. If you want this story balanced, if you hope to spin it your way, I need airtime with all the key players."
"Eve." Roarke laid a hand on Eve's rigid shoulder. "She's right. She couldn't be more right. The majority of viewers will be fascinated by this group. They'll look at Cogburn and Fitzhugh-"
"Who's Fitzhugh?" Nadine demanded. "Are you talking about Chadwick Fitzhugh? Is he dead?"
"Shut up," Eve snapped. "Let me think."
"Let me finish," Roarke corrected. "They'll look at the people this group has executed and think: Well, it's no more than they deserved. They were parasites preying on our children."
"Like you," she said before she could stop herself.
Face expressionless, he inclined his head. "If you're hoping yet I'll work my way around to indignation over the death of a swine like Fitzhugh, you're doomed to disappointment. The difference is I saw what happened to a young cop today. What happened to Ian, what might have happened to Feeney. To you. That changes the complexion of this pompous, egocentric, and self-serving statement. But some who hear it will consider this purity group heroes."
"Heroism isn't achieved by remote control," Eve snapped.
"If you keep spouting sound bites like that off the record," Nadine said, "I'm going to break down and cry."
"Then show them up for cowards," Roarke told her. "Let the public see the grief Halloway's family is feeling because their son was an innocent victim. A cop who died in the line of duty because of something this group started. You let them see McNab, young, eager, wounded. You need to use the media as thoroughly, as skillfully as they will."
"I need to find them, I need to stop them, not play Who's Spinning the Media Wheel now."
"Lieutenant." Roarke squeezed her shoulder. "You need to do both."
"I need that disc."
Nadine ejected it, held it out. "This is the original. I've already made a copy for myself." She smiled as Eve snatched it out of her hand. "It's going to be such fun working with you."
"I don't give you anything on record until I've cleared this with Whitney."
"Go ahead, give him a call. I'd say we could all use some coffee."
"I'll give you a hand with that." Roarke strolled out of the room with her.
Eve took a moment to calm down. She hated knowing Nadine was right. She would have to fight part of this battle on the airwaves.
She used Nadine's 'link to wake up her commander.
"She's been in there a long time." Nadine poured a second cup of coffee.
"You wouldn't break the story at this time of morning." Because Nadine was puffing on one of her herbals, Roarke indulged himself with a cigarette. He preferred real tobacco. "You'll wait until six to maximize the viewing audience and ratings, catch your competitors unprepared, and thoroughly screw up their first-of-the-day broadcasts."
"You're good at this."
"I've some experience with manipulation."
"I'm giving her ten more minutes, then I have to call into the station, block the time, do the prep, call in an electronics expert. I don't suppose you'd-"
"I think not. That would be skirting right over the line Eve's already drawn in her mind over this. But I can recommend a couple of names if you don't have anyone particular in mind."
"I was thinking Mya Dubber."
"She's excellent. A solid handle on electronics and a pleasant way of communicating technical jargon in simple terms."
"She works for you, doesn't she?"
"In a freelance capacity, yes."
Unable to sit any longer, Nadine stood up to pace. "She's cutting me close on this. I've got research to do, copy to write, interviews to set up. This story's going to blow everything else off the air. Who's next? That'll be one of the questions. And they'll keep tuning in until there's an answer."
"And my cop will work herself into the ground to try to beat that answer, so there is no next."
"That's why you have to respect her. And that's why she always makes a damn good story. Are you two butting heads over this one?"
He blew out a lazy stream of smoke. "Not heads so much as philosophies. It's more difficult for her to accept mine than it is for me to accept hers. We'll work through it."
"I appreciate you backing me up on this."
"I didn't do it for you," he stated calmly. "I did it for her."
"I know. I appreciate it anyway." Nadine spun around as she heard Eve come in. "Well?"
"You'll get your one-on-ones with me and Whitney asap. The mayor will draft a statement that may be read by the deputy mayor. That's not decided yet. He or she will do some questions, pending approval. We're not going to contact Halloway's family at this hour and add to their distress. If, in the morning, they're willing to speak with you, we'll arrange it. The same goes for Feeney. He had a rough one today," she said before Nadine could speak. "I'm not waking him up for this. You can interview McNab at our place, pending medical clearance. I'll let you know as soon as I can. Chief Tibble will also draft a statement, and consider an interview after he's reviewed all the data. Take it, Nadine, because that's the best you're going to get."
"Have some coffee. I need to make a call and change into wardrobe. We'll do the one-on-ones with you and Whitney in studio. One hour."
***
She got through it, toeing the departmental line throughout the interview. If Nadine wasn't thrilled with the content of the interview, she knew it wasn't the words that would make the segment. It was Lieutenant Eve Dallas herself, looking pale and exhausted and absolutely steady.
To Eve's surprise, Mayor Steven Peachtree arrived just as she was going off-camera. At forty-three, he projected both a youthful and steady image. He was dignified and handsome in a conservative gray suit with a broadcast-ready blue shirt and a tie, perfectly knotted, in tones of both gray and blue.
He came in looking alert and grim with a small entourage of smartly dressed aides he ignored the way you ignore your own shadow.
"Commander." He nodded to Whitney, and was close enough now that Eve noted the faint smudges of lost sleep under his eyes. "I felt this needed to be addressed personally, and swiftly. I'm told you've also been consulting with Chang re official statements."
"That's correct. W
e need unification on this. A solid line."
"I absolutely agree. The media liaison will have updated statements for all parties by eight hundred. Lieutenant."
"Mayor."
"We need swift and decisive action on this matter. My office is to be kept updated on every action taken." He glanced toward the studio. "We're going to keep this goddamn mess under control. We'll feed Ms. Furst and the others no more than what we determine is good for public consumption."
J D Robb - Dallas 15 - Purity in Death Page 11