Memory in Death (In Death 22)

“Hold on.” She put the ‘link on wait mode. “You saw the digs they were in. You got anything comparable to that, something that has a vacancy for a few days?”

“There’s always something.”

“Thanks.” She changed modes. “Listen, Bobby, I can have a place for you tomorrow. I need you to hang on there tonight, and I’ll have a new location for you in the morning.”

“That’s nice of you. It’s a lot of bother. I’m not thinking so clear right now.”

“You can hang on for tonight, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He passed his hand over his eyes. “I don’t know what exactly we should do.”

“Just stay there. My partner and I will come by in the morning. About eight. We need to do a follow-up, and afterward you can relocate.”

“Okay. That’s good. Okay. Can you tell me if you know anything about… if you know anything more?”

“We’ll talk in the morning, Bobby.”

“Yeah.” His breath came out in a sigh. “In the morning. Thanks. Sorry.”

“No problem.”

When she disconnected, Roarke moved over behind her chair, laid his hands on her shoulders. “You have pity enough,” he said quietly.

* * *

She thought she would dream, thought the nightmares would chase her in sleep, hunt her down. But they stayed shadows, never took form. Twice she woke, her body tight and tensed for the fight that didn’t come. In the morning, tired and edgy, she tried to combat the fatigue with a blistering shower, with strong coffee.

In the end, she picked up her shield, shouldered on her weapon.

She’d do the job, she told herself. If there was an empty place inside her, she’d just fill it with work.

Roarke walked in, already suited up for the day. Those staggering blue eyes alert, aware. Once all she’d had was the work, and those empty places.

Now she had him.

“I thought hell had frozen over during the night.” She took a slug out of her second mug of coffee. “Since you weren’t sitting here scanning the financials when I got up.”

“Did that in my office, so hell’s still a fiery pit, if that’s a comfort.” He tossed her a memo cube. “Took care of this from there as well. Mid-level, Big Apple Hotel. It should suit them.”

“Thanks.” She pushed it into her pocket as he cocked his head and studied her.

“You don’t look rested.”

“If I were a girl, a comment like that would piss me off. I think.”

Now he smiled, moved in to touch his lips to hers. “Lucky for both of us, then.” And he laid his cheek to hers, rubbed. “Nearly Christmas.”

“I know, seeing as the room smells like a forest from the big-ass tree you had hauled in here.”

He smiled at it over her shoulder. “You had a fine time hanging the baubles on the boughs, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, that was good. I had a better time banging your brains out under them.”

“That did put a nice finish on things.” He eased back, smoothed his thumbs under her eyes. “I don’t like seeing shadows there.”

“You bought the territory, Ace. They go with it.”

“I want a date with you, Lieutenant, seeing as our Sunday plans were aborted.”