New York to Dallas (In Death 33)

. . . security cams tested . . . count on you sweetheart.

You can . . . stalled last week. Tech tested all three . . .

Good girl. You’ve got your eyes on the prize?

Check her every day. Miss you, baby.

Miss you right back.

Can you send some money? Rent’s . . . on our place in a couple days.

. . . run through your spending money already? . . . buy yourself something pretty?

Gotta look pretty for you, baby.

I’ll take care of it. We don’t want Maxwell’s credit getting any black marks. My time’s up. Just a couple more weeks and . . . with you.

It’s killing me to wait . . . so close.

Soon doll.

She noted down the date and time of the transmission, and on the text copy highlighted key words and phrases.

“Copy and send file to Detectives Jones and Walker, to Agents Nikos and Laurence, marked urgent. Orders to narrow search using highlighted text.”

Acknowledged. Working . . . File copied and sent.

“Begin search for apartments within a twenty-mile radius of listed address. Search for rentals with payment due on the fifteenth of the month. Further narrow to leases under the name of Maxwell—first or last name. Unit will be two or three bedrooms. Building will have direct access to parking garage.”

Acknowledged. Working . . .

She e-mailed Roarke the names, the dates. Easier than actually speaking to him right now, she decided.

The minute she’d done so, her ’link signaled.

“Dallas.”

“She’s loose.”

“What?”

“She killed Malvie—Officer Malvie,” Bree said quickly. “Forced the nurse on duty to give her scrubs. Took the ID and walked out. They’ve locked down the hospital, have an alert out for her, but—”

“She’s headed straight to McQueen.” Fury and frustration would have to wait. “She won’t be on foot. She’ll boost a vehicle, hail a cab.”

“You don’t hail cabs here.”

“What do you—never mind. Have security check for a missing vehicle out of hospital parking, nearest her exit point. How long does she have?”

“An hour, maybe a little more.”

Too long, Eve thought. Too long.

“I’m on my way in.”

She broke transmission, shoved up to bang on Roarke’s office door.

“It’s not locked for Christ’s sake.”