Bobby answered. “You’ve got news.”
“We’ve had some progress. Nothing much I can tell you at this point. All right if I come in?”
“Sure, sure. Sorry. Zana’s in the shower. We slept in. Not much else to do.”
“I want to talk to you about that,” Eve began. “Why don’t you go in and tell Zana I’m here.”
“Oh. Okay. Be right back.”
“No rush.”
The minute he went into the bedroom, Eve hurried to the closet by the door. The tidy state of the suite told her these were people who put things in their place. She found their coats where she expected.
She took out the two homers, slid one under the collar of each coat, secured them, then engaged. There were two jackets as well, and she considered.
It was cold, she thought. They were from Texas. They’d wear the coats.
She glanced toward the bedroom doorway. “Feeney, if you read, beep my communicator.”
When the beep sounded, she closed the closet door, stepped away. Moments later, Bobby came out.
“She’ll be done in a minute.”
“I guess the two of you are getting antsy, stuck in here.”
“Maybe.” He smiled a little. “I can do some work from here. And I’ve been making arrangements. For my mother. Zana’s been a big help. I don’t know what I’d do without her, don’t know how I managed before she came along. Lousy Christmas for her. I thought maybe I could order a little tree. Or something.”
“I’m going to clear you to go out.”
“Out?” He looked toward the windows as if they were prison bars. “Really? You think it’s safe, after what happened?”
“I think the chances of you being approached or accosted, especially while you’re together, are pretty low. Basically, Bobby, I can’t keep the two of you holed up like this as material witnesses when you didn’t see anything in the first place. If you’ve thought of anything else, remembered anything, that might help.”
“I’ve gone over it and over it. Not doing a lot of sleeping since… since it happened. I don’t understand why my mother would’ve gone to you for money. She’s—she was—pretty well set. And I’m doing good. Good enough, and better now that we closed that big deal. Somebody must’ve pushed her to do it. But I don’t know who’d do that. I don’t know why.”
“Get out, clear your head a little bit. Maybe something will come to you.” If not, Eve thought, she was going to bring them both in, formal interview. Hit them with the facts, she decided, straight out. See what shakes.
“We could—” He broke off when Zana stepped out.
She was dressed in a white sweater and trim pants with tiny brown and white checks. Eve not
ed she’d taken the time to put on some lip dye, a little cheek color.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting. We’re getting a late start today.”
“It’s okay. How’re you feeling?”
“All right. It’s all starting to seem like some long, strange dream.”
“Eve said we can go out for a while,” Bobby told her.
“Really. But…” As he had, Zana glanced toward the window, bit her lip. “But what if… He could be watching.”
“I’ll be with you.” Bobby walked over, put an arm around her. “We’ll go out, buy a little tree. We might get some real snow.”
“I’d really like that, if you’re sure.” She looked back at Eve. “I guess we’re both going a little stir-crazy.”
“Take your ‘link,” Eve advised. “I’ll check in with you now and then.” She headed for the door, stopped. “It’s pretty cold. You’ll want to dress warm if you’re going to be walking around.”