Born in Death (In Death 23)

“We’d just finished loading up the gifts,” Peabody explained. “No sign of Tandy?”

“Not yet. You go ahead, give Leonardo a hand. I’m just going to make a few inquiries.”

“Dallas is going to find her,” Mavis said.

“Of course she is.” Leonardo’s voice was easy and confident as he draped his arm around Mavis, but his eyes, meeting Eve’s, were full of concern. “I’m just going to get you home, baby doll. You’ve had a long day.”

“Dallas?” McNab held up a hand. “How about if I go along, give Leonardo a hand with the loot. I can tag you when we’re done, and swing on back if you need more hands on this.”

“That’ll work.” As long as they got Mavis home and horizontal. The rosy glow she’d had all day had changed into a strained pallor.

“Find her quick, okay?”

“Sure,” Eve said to Mavis. “Don’t worry.”

“It’ll be all right now.” She stepped over, wrapped her arms around Eve, sighed. “It’ll be all right since you’re taking care of it.”

“You’re tired, sweetie-pie.” Leonardo drew her away. “Let Dallas get started. You and the belly need a nice nap.”

The minute the door was closed behind them, Eve dragged her hands through her hair. “Shit.”

“Want me to do the knock-on-doors or take the ’link?” Peabody asked her.

“Take the ’link, thanks. All health and birthing centers. Contact her boss, find out what went down Thursday, anything out of routine.”

“You think something happened to her,” Roarke said.

“Yeah, I do. Maybe Mavis’s nerves are contagious, but something’s wrong here. Look at this place.” She spread her arms. “Neat and tidy, everything in its place.”

“Nesting,” Peabody put in. “Making everything nice for the baby.”

“Whatever. She’s organized, and I’d say habitual.” She told them about the kitchen calendar. “Going by that, the plants, bath towel—all dry—I don’t think she’s been back here since she left for work Thursday morning.”

She took a breath. “I don’t know much about it, but if she went and had the baby unexpectedly, why didn’t she contact someone—Mavis or her boss—and have them come get her hospital bag?”

“Something could’ve gone wrong with the baby.”

Eve nodded at Peabody. “Let’s find out.”

“What can I do?” Roarke asked, and Eve blew out a breath.

“Well, since we’re already stomping all over Tandy’s civil rights by just being in here, you could take a look at her ’links, her comp unit. See if you find anything unusual.”

“Do you want me to contact Missing Persons?” Peabody asked.

“Not yet. I have to figure out—if we don’t find her in the next few hours—how to convince them to let me handle it. Otherwise, Mavis is going to wig out on me again.”

Eve started with Ms. Pason across the hall, but got nothing more there than had already been told.

She worked her way, floor by floor. Most of the tenants who answered knew Tandy by name—which was a small surprise—the rest knew her by sight. None of them recalled seeing her in the last couple of days.

She was on the ground floor about to knock on the last door when a woman gripping the hand of a kid—so bundled in outdoor gear Eve could only see the huge dark eyes—came up behind her.

“You looking for someone?” As she spoke, the woman shifted just a little so the kid was behind her.

“As a matter of fact. You live here?”

“That’s my door you’re standing in front of. What do you want?”