Memory in Death (In Death 22)

She hesitated a moment, then decided to finish it out, to close it off with what had just gone through her mind. “I wish I’d had the chance to say what I went there to say to her. To face her like that. More, I wish she were alive so I could help put her away for dogging those women all these years, exploiting them, taking their money and their peace of mind.”

“And you can’t.”

“No. Life’s full of disappointments.”

“Cheery thought,” Mira added.

“Here’s a cheerier one, then: She can’t take from me what I’ve got. I know that. She didn’t. She thought she could get under me, use me. She wouldn’t have. It helps knowing that. Part of what she couldn’t take was what I am. What I am is the cop who’s going to close this case. That’s it.”

“All right. What do you need from me?”

Eve told her of the plans to try for a warrant.

Mira sipped at her tea, and from the expression on her face, Eve knew she was far from convinced. “That’s a shaky line, Eve.”

“I’m freezing the accounts. Money’s cut off. Nobody can get to them in the hotel. Sooner or later I’ve got to spring them. So maybe he waits until I do, until they’re back in Texas. Maybe he goes after one of them there, when they’re not being protected. There’s no motive, at this point, to attack them. Approach, yes, but not attack. Not if money’s the root.”

“What else?”

“Payback, maybe. But I’m hitting dead ends there. The fact is, she could’ve—and probably did—piss off a lot of people we don’t know about. But Zana’s abduction points to money. So that’s our first stop.”

“I’ll back you on this since I agree the physical jeopardy is low. It could be argued that their emotional state is exacerbated by being kept in the hotel, under guard. Some return of normalcy could benefit them, while aiding your investigation.”

“That’s good enough. I’ll get on it.” She rose. “Peabody and McNab are heading for Scotland tomorrow.”

“Scotland? Oh, his family, of course. They must be excited.”

“Peabody’s running on nerves over it. His family and all that. If nothing breaks today, this is going to cool on me over the holiday. Right now, this is my best chance to keep it hot.”

“Then I wish you luck. And if I don’t see you, have a lovely Christmas. Both you and Roarke.”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ve got to take care of a couple things regarding that yet.”

“Ah, another last-minute shopper.”

“Not exactly.”

She started toward the door, then turned back and took another study. Mira wore a suit in a kind of rusty red today, and the shoes matched. Her necklace was short, thick gold with a lot of little stones sparkling in it. Multicolored, triangular shape. Her earrings were thick gold triangles.

“Something else?”

“Just a passing thought,” Eve began. “How much time and thought did it take for you to deck yourself out this morning?”

“Deck myself?” Mira looked down at herself.

“You know, to pick the outfit and the stuff, to fiddle with your hair and face. All that. So you’re all put together just so.”

“I’m not entirely sure th

at’s a compliment. Probably the best part of an hour. Why?”

“Just wondering.”

“Wait.” Mira held up a hand before Eve opened the door. “How long did it take you?”

“Me? I don’t know. Ten minutes?”

“Get out of my office,” Mira said with a laugh.