The In Death Collection, Books 1-5

by J. D. Robb

  “Lieutenant.”

  “Roarke.” She glanced at the glass of wine in his hand. “I’m on duty.”

  “So I see. This wasn’t for you.”

  Eve followed his gaze to the blonde sitting in the corner. “Right.” She could all but feel the marrow of her bones turn green. “You move fast.”

  Before she could step aside, he put a hand on her arm. His voice, like his eyes, was carefully neutral. “Suzanna is a mutual friend of mine and Cicely’s. The widow of a cop, killed in the line of duty. Cicely put his murderer away.”

  “Suzanna Kimball,” Eve said, battling back shame. “Her husband was a good cop.”

  “So I’m told.” With the faintest trace of amusement shadowing his mouth, he skimmed a glance down her suit. “I’d hoped you’d burned that thing. Gray’s not your color, Lieutenant.”

  “I’m not making a fashion statement. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

  The fingers on her arm tightened. “You might look into Randall Slade’s gambling problem. He owes considerable sums to several people. As does David Angelini.”

  “Is that right?”

  “That’s quite right. I’m one of the several.”

  Her eyes hardened. “And you’ve just decided I might be interested.”

  “I’ve just discovered my own interest. He’s worked up a rather impressive debt at one of my casinos on Vegas II. Then there’s a matter of a little scandal some years back involving roulette, a redhead, and a fatality on an obscure gaming satellite in Sector 38.”

  “What scandal?”

  “You’re the cop,” he said and smiled. “Find out.”

  He left Eve to go to the cop’s widow and hold her hand.

  “I have Mirina in my office,” Whitney murmured at Eve’s ear. “I promised you wouldn’t keep her long.”

  “I won’t.” Struggling to smooth the feathers Roarke had ruffled, she followed the commander’s broad back down the hall.

  Though his home office wasn’t quite as spartan as the one at Cop Central, it was obvious that Whitney kept his wife’s lush feminine taste at bay here. The walls were a plain beige, the carpet a deeper tone, and the chairs were wide and a practical brown.

  His work counter and console were in the center of the room. In the corner by the window, Mirina Angelini waited in her long sweep of mourning black. Whitney went to her first, spoke quietly, and squeezed her hand. With one warning glance at Eve, he left them alone.

  “Ms. Angelini,” Eve began. “I knew your mother, worked with her, admired her. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  “Everyone is,” Mirina responded in a voice as fragile and pale as her white cheeks. Her eyes were dark, nearly black, and glassy. “Except the person who killed her, I suppose. I’ll apologize ahead of time if I’m of little help to you, Lieutenant Dallas. I bowed to pressure and let myself be tranq’ed. I am, as anyone will tell you, taking this rather hard.”

  “You and your mother were close.”

  “She was the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known. Why should I have to be calm and composed when I’ve lost her like this?”

  Eve came closer, sat in one of the wide brown chairs. “I can’t think of any reason why you should be.”

  “My father wants a public show of strength.” Mirina turned her face to the window. “I’m letting him down. Appearances are important to my father.”

  “Was your mother important to him?”

  “Yes. Their personal and professional lives were twined together. The divorce didn’t change that. He’s hurting.” She drew in a shaky breath. “He won’t show it because he’s too proud, but he’s hurting. He loved her. We all loved her.”

  “Ms. Angelini, tell me about your mother’s mood, what you spoke of, who you spoke of, the last time you had contact.”

  “The day before she died we were on the ’link for an hour, maybe more. Wedding plans.” Tears dripped out and spilled over the pale cheeks. “We were both so full of wedding plans. I’d send her transmissions of dresses: wedding dresses, mother-of-the-bride ensembles. Randall was designing them. We talked about clothes. Doesn’t that seem shallow, Lieutenant, that the last time I’ll ever speak with my mother, I spoke of fashion?”

  “No, it doesn’t seem shallow. It seems friendly. Loving.”

  Mirina pressed a hand to her lips. “Do you think?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “What do you talk to your mother about?”

  “I don’t have a mother. I never did.”

  Mirina blinked, focused again. “How odd. What does it feel like?”

  “I . . .” There was no way to describe what simply was. “It wouldn’t be the same for you, Ms. Angelini,” Eve said gently. “When you were speaking to your mother, did she mention anything, anyone who was concerning her?”

  “No. If you’re thinking about her work, we rarely talked of it. I wasn’t very interested in the law. She was happy, excited that I was coming over for a few days. We laughed a lot. I know she had this image, her professional image, but with me, with the family she was . . . softer, looser. I teased her about George, saying that Randy could design her wedding dress while he was doing mine.”

  “Her reaction?”

  “We just laughed. Mama liked to laugh,” she said, a little dreamy now as the tranq began to work. “She said she was having too much fun being mother of the bride to spoil it with the headaches of being a bride herself. She was very fond of George, and I think they were good together. But I don’t suppose she loved him.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Why, no.” There was a faint smile on her lips, a glassy gleam to her eyes. “When you love someone, you have to be with them, don’t you? To be part of their life, to have them be part of yours. She wasn’t looking for that with George. With anyone.”

  “Was Mr. Hammett looking for that with her?”

  “I don’t know. If he was, he was happy enough to let their relationship drift. I’m drifting now,” she murmured. “I don’t feel as though I’m here at all.”

  Because she needed Mirina to hold off on the float a bit longer, Eve rose to request water from the console. Carrying the glass back, she pushed it into Mirina’s hands.

  “Did that relationship cause problems between him and your father? Between your mother and father?”

  “It . . . was awkward, but not uncomfortable.” Mirina smiled again. She was sleepy now, so relaxed she could have folded her arms on the window ledge and slipped away. “That sounds contradictory. You’d have to know my father. He would refuse to let it bother him, or at least to let it affect him. He’s still friendly with George.”

  She blinked down at the glass in her hand as if she’d just realized it was there, and took a delicate sip. “I don’t know how he might have felt if they had decided to marry, but well, that isn’t an issue now.”

  “Are you involved in your father’s business, Ms. Angelini?”

  “In the fashion arm. I do all the buying for the shops in Rome and Milan, have the final say as to what’s exported to our shops in Paris and New York and so forth. Travel a bit to attend shows, though I don’t care much for traveling. I hate going off planet, don’t you?”

  Eve realized she was losing her. “I haven’t done it.”

  “Oh, it’s horrid. Randy likes it. Says it’s an adventure. What was I saying?” She pushed a hand through her lovely golden hair, and Eve rescued the glass before it could tumble to the floor. “About the buying. I like to buy clothes. Other aspects of the business never interested me.”

  “Your parents and Mr. Hammett were all stockholders in a company called Mercury.”

  “Of course. We use Mercury exclusively for our shipping needs.” Her eyelids drooped. “It’s fast, dependable.”

  “There were no problems that you know of, in that or any other of your family holdings?”

  “No, none at all.”

  It was time to try a different tack. “Was your mother aware of Randall Slade’s gambling debts?”


  For the first time Mirina showed a spark of life, and the life was anger, flashing in the pale eyes. She seemed to snap awake. “Randall’s debts were not my mother’s concern, but his, and mine. We’re dealing with them.”

  “You didn’t tell her?”

  “There was no reason to worry her about something that was being handled. Randall has a problem with gambling, but he’s gotten help. He doesn’t wager anymore.”

  “The debts are considerable?”

  “They’re being paid,” Mirina said hollowly. “Arrangements have been made.”

  “Your mother was a wealthy woman in her own right. You’ll inherit a large portion of her estate.”

  Either the tranqs or grief dulled Mirina’s wits. She seemed oblivious to the implication. “Yes, but I won’t have my mother, will I? I won’t have Mama. When I marry Randall, she won’t be there. She won’t be there,” she repeated, and began to weep quietly.

  David Angelini wasn’t fragile. His emotions showed themselves in stiff impatience with undercurrents of chained rage. For all appearances, this was a man insulted at the very idea that he would be expected to speak to a cop.

  When Eve sat across from him in Whitney’s office, he answered her questions briefly in a clipped, cultured voice.

  “Obviously it was some maniac she’d prosecuted who did this to her,” he stated. “Her work brought her entirely too close to violence.”

  “Did you object to her work?”

  “I didn’t understand why she loved it. Why she needed it.” He lifted the glass he’d brought with him and drank. “But she did, and in the end, it killed her.”

  “When did you see her last?”

  “On March eighteenth. My birthday.”

  “Did you have contact with her since then?”

  “I spoke with her about a week before she died. Just a family call. We never went more than a week without speaking.”

  “How would you describe her mood?”

  “Obsessed—with Mirina’s wedding. My mother never did things by halves. She was planning the wedding as meticulously as she did any of her criminal cases. She was hoping it would rub off on me.”

  “What would?”

  “The wedding fever. My mother was a romantic woman under the prosecutor’s armor. She hoped I would find the right mate and make a family. I told her I’d leave that to Mirina and Randy and stay married to business awhile.”

  “You’re actively involved in Angelini Exports. You’d be aware of the financial difficulties.”

  His face tightened. “They’re blips, Lieutenant. Bumps. Nothing more.”

  “My information indicates there are more serious difficulties than blips and bumps.”

  “Angelini is solid. There’s simply a need for some reorganization, some diversification, which is being done.” He flicked a hand, elegant fingers, a sparkle of gold. “A few key people have made unfortunate mistakes that can and will be rectified. And that has nothing to do with my mother’s case.”

  “It’s my job to explore all angles, Mr. Angelini. Your mother’s estate is substantial. Your father will come into a number of holdings, as will you.”

  David got to his feet. “You’re speaking of my mother. If you suspect that anyone in the family would cause her harm, then Commander Whitney has made a monstrous error in judgment putting you in charge of the investigation.”

  “You’re entitled to your opinion. Do you gamble, Mr. Angelini?”

  “What business is that of yours?”

  Since he was going to stand, Eve rose to face him. “It’s a simple question.”

  “Yes, I gamble on occasion, as do countless others. I find it relaxing.”

  “How much do you owe?”

  His fingers tightened on the glass. “I believe at this point, my mother would have advised me to consult counsel.”

  “That’s certainly your right. I’m not accusing you of anything, Mr. Angelini. I’m fully aware that you were in Paris on the night of your mother’s death.” Just as she was fully aware that shuttles skimmed across the Atlantic hourly. “It’s my job to get a clear picture, a full and clear picture. You’re under no obligation to answer my question. But I can, with very little trouble, access that information.”

  The muscles in his jaw worked a moment. “Eight hundred thousand, give or take a few dollars.”

  “Are you unable to settle the debt?”

  “I am neither a welsher nor a pauper, Lieutenant Dallas,” he said stiffly. “It can and will be settled shortly.”

  “Was your mother aware of it?”

  “Neither am I a child, Lieutenant, who needs to run to his mother for help whenever he skins a knuckle.”

  “You and Randall Slade gambled together?”

  “We did. My sister disapproves, so Randy has given up the hobby.”

  “Not before he incurred debts of his own.”

  His eyes, very like his father’s, chilled. “I wouldn’t know about that, nor would I discuss his business with you.”

  Oh yes, you would, Eve thought, but let it slide for the moment. “And the trouble in Sector 38 a few years ago? You were there?”

  “Sector 38?” He looked convincingly blank.

  “A gambling satellite.”

  “I often go to Vegas II for a quick weekend, but I don’t recall patronizing a casino in that sector. I don’t know what trouble you’re referring to.”

  “Do you play roulette?”

  “No, it’s a fool’s game. Randy’s fond of it. I prefer blackjack.”

  Randall Slade didn’t look like a fool. He looked to Eve like a man who could knock anything out of his path without breaking stride. Nor was he her image of a fashion designer. He dressed simply, his black suit unadorned by any of the studs or braids currently in fashion. And his wide hands had the look of a laborer rather than an artist.

  “I hope you’ll be brief,” he said in the tone of a man used to giving orders. “Mirina is upstairs lying down. I don’t want to leave her for long.”

  “Then I’ll be brief.” Eve didn’t object when he took out a gold case containing ten slim black cigarettes. Technically, she could have, but she waited until he’d lighted one. “What was your relationship with Prosecutor Towers?”

  “We were friendly. She was soon to become my mother-in-law. We shared a deep love for Mirina.”

  “She approved of you.”

  “I have no reason to believe otherwise.”

  “Your career has benefited quite a lot through your association with Angelini Exports.”

  “True.” He blew out smoke that smelled lightly of lemon mint. “I like to think Angelini has also benefited quite a lot through their association with me.” He surveyed Eve’s gray suit. “That cut and color are both incredibly unflattering. You might want to take a look at my on-the-rack line here in New York.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind, thanks.”

  “I dislike seeing attractive women in unattractive clothes.” He smiled and surprised Eve with a flare of charm. “You should wear bolder colors, sleeker lines. A woman with your build would carry them well.”

  “So I’m told,” she muttered, thinking of Roarke. “You’re about to marry a very wealthy woman.”

  “I’m about to marry the woman I love.”

  “It’s a happy coincidence that she’s wealthy.”

  “It is.”

  “And money is something you have a need for.”

  “Don’t we all?” Smooth, unoffended, again amused.

  “You have debts, Mr. Slade. Large, outstanding debts in an area that can cause considerable pain in the collecting process.”

  “That’s accurate.” He drew smoke in again. “I’m a gambling addict, Lieutenant. Recovering. With Mirina’s help and support, I’ve undergone treatment. I haven’t made a wager in two months, five days.”

  “Roulette, wasn’t it?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “And the amount you owe, in round figures?”

  �
��Five hundred thousand.”

  “And the amount of your fiancée’s inheritance?”

  “Probably triple that, in round figures. More, considering the stocks and holdings that wouldn’t be converted into credit or cash. Killing my fiancée’s mother would certainly have been one way to solve my financial difficulties.” He stubbed his cigarette out thoughtfully. “Then again, so would the contract I’ve just signed for my fall line. Money isn’t important enough to me to kill for it.”

  “But gambling was important enough?”

  “Gambling was like a beautiful woman. Desirable, exciting, capricious. I had a choice between her and Mirina. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep Mirina.”

  “Nothing?”

  He understood, and inclined his head. “Nothing at all.”

  “Does she know about the scandal in Sector 38?”

  His amused, faintly smug expression froze, and he paled. “That was nearly ten years ago. That has nothing to do with Mirina. Nothing to do with anything.”

  “You haven’t told her.”

  “I didn’t know her. I was young, foolish, and I paid for my mistake.”

  “Why don’t you explain to me, Mr. Slade, how you came to make that mistake?”

  “It has nothing to do with this.”

  “Indulge me.”

  “Damn it, it was one night out of my life. One night. I’d had too much to drink, was stupid enough to mix the liquor with chemicals. The woman killed herself. It was proven the overdose was self-inflicted.”

  Interesting, Eve thought. “But you were there,” she hazarded.

  “I was zoned. I’d lost more heavily than I could afford at roulette, and between us we made a scene. I told you I was young. I blamed my bad luck on her. Maybe I did threaten her. I just don’t remember. Yes, we argued publicly, she struck me, and I struck her back. I’m not proud of it. Then I just don’t remember.”

  “Don’t remember, Mr. Slade?”

  “As I testified, the next thing I remember is waking up in some filthy little room. We were in bed, naked. And she was dead. I was still groggy. Security came in. I must have called them. They took pictures. I was assured the pictures were destroyed after the case was closed and I was exonerated. I barely knew the woman,” he continued, heating up. “I’d picked her up in the bar—or thought I had. My attorney discovered she was a professional companion, unlicensed, working the casinos.”