Born in Death (In Death 23)

“Lieutenant, this is simply unacceptable. I won’t have my client spoken to in this way.”

“Write a complaint.” She rose, circled around, leaned over the back of Chase’s shoulder. He was breathing hard, and she could feel the heat pumping off of him. “You didn’t rape Natalie either. Another filthy slut? Not like your mother, who’s important and understands you, your needs. You and your mother have so many secrets. Isn’t that what she told you when she touched you when you were a boy? A secret, just between the two of you. As long as you’re a good boy, do what your mother says, everything’s fine.

“Then that bitch Copperfield started poking around where she had no business, and she was going to try to take you down. She had the nerve to question your business. Did your mother tell you to do it, Win? I think so. You do what your mother tells you, or there’s no sack time with her. Did she tell you to use Randall Sloan’s car? Found your hair in it.”

“My client and Mr. Randall Sloan were acquainted. He might have ridden in that car at any time.”

“Driven it,” Eve corrected. “Hair was on the driver’s seat. Your hair. Your DNA, just like your DNA was on Bick Byson’s knuckles. Popped you before you could use your stunner—you coward. Don’t know how to fight like a man, but then you’re not a man. Just a boy who sleeps with his mother. Still, it was easy to slap around some woman half your size, bind her up. Break her fingers, beat her face, burn her skin. You enjoyed it, just like you enjoyed watching her eyes when you strangled her. I bet it’s the only way you get it up when you’re not with your mother.”

“This interview is terminated,” the brunette began.

“I’d enjoy watching yours,” Chase said softly.

“You going to let the girl lawyer say what you do? Just like Mommy. Do this, Win, do that. Good dog.”

“Nobody tells me what to do. Shut up!” he shouted at his lawyer. “Stupid git. I’ve had enough of this. Enough of being questioned by this person, of being placated by you. I’ve done no more than what needed to be done. It was Randall Sloan who hired some thug to kill those people. He confessed before he hanged himself.”

“How do you know? Were you there?”

“You told us yourself.”

“No, I didn’t. I said Randall Sloan was found hanging, period. He didn’t self-terminate. You killed him, and staged it. Because you’re a spineless coward. You killed Sophia Belego, Rome, and Emily Jones, Middlesex, England. Pregnant women must be an offense to your eye.”

“’Cause he can’t get it up except with Mommy Dearest,” Baxter said.

“It has nothing to do with sex! They signed a contract!” He slammed his fist on the table. “They signed a legal document, and we gave our word to properly screened parents. They had no right!”

“Yeah, carting a fetus around for nine months doesn’t give you any rights to it. You snatched Sophia Belego, didn’t you? Took that kid, got rid of the incubator. Didn’t work so well with Emily Jones. Lost the product on that one. How many others, Chase?”

“We provide a service!” he shouted over his lawyers’ warnings. “We give our time, our expertise, our name to help these women in trouble, through their own doing, their own weaknesses, and give a gift to worthy couples.”

“For a nice, fat fee.”

“They’re paid, aren’t they? Given a chance to better themselves while the child is properly raised. How dare you question me?”

He literally shook off the lawyer to his left, and backhanded the one on his right. “I don’t need to justify my actions.” He surged to his feet.

The brunette wiped at her bloody lip and tried to stand. “This interview is—”

“Shut up! Didn’t I tell you to shut the hell up?”

“Natalie Copperfield,” Eve said flatly. “Bick Byson, Randall Sloan.”

“Sneaking around, sticking their noses into our business. Sloan’s fault for being sloppy. Lazy, incompetent.”

“So you had to kill them. All of them. It was a matter of pride,” Eve continued calmly. “Of business.”

“The Bullock Foundation needed to be protected. It’s bigger than any of those pathetic people. My mother is the heart of the foundation and has taken it beyond what it was. It was blackmail against us, all of them. What I did was self-defense, to preserve an important charitable institution.”

With a handkerchief still pressed to her bleeding lip, the brunette lifted a hand. “We need to consult with our client.”

“You’re fired.” Chase bared his teeth as he swung around violently enough to have both lawyers scrambling back. “Do you think I need you? Idiots. Panderers. Get out. I’ve had enough of both of you. Out of my sight.”

“Mr. Chase—”

“Now! I can and will speak for myself,” he said as the lawyers emptied out of the room.

Now, Eve thought, we’ll do this thing. She kept her face blank, her voice even. “Mr. Chase, for the record, you have dismissed your representatives?”