“It seems so. I’ll call the lieutenant, let her know.”
“Tell her we’ll bring everything in. She can start wrapping him up.” He started toward the office. “When we close this down, I’ll buy you a beer.”
“I’ll hold you to it.” Roarke took out his ’link, waited for Eve to come on screen.
“Give me something good.”
“Would a small, secret lab with the ingredients contained in the substance, the formula for said substance, Menzini’s journal, and a computer that likely holds pertinent data be something good?”
“Jesus. Jesus, you’re going to get so much sex.”
“Jenkinson says: ‘Hoo-haw!’”
“For Christ’s—”
“I’m winding you up, darling. I’m quite alone at the moment, and will happily take you up on so much sex. Do you have him in the house?”
“In restraints. He slipped up enough I’ve charged him, and I’m about to head in to work a confession out of him, with details. You just nailed it shut.”
“Feeney said we’ll bring everything in.”
“Give me some details so I can use them to cook him some.”
“The lab’s behind a false wall, lined with shelves, in his office. The journal with the formula has a leather binding—it’s faded brown leather and cracked with age, and there are notes that appear more recent and in another handwriting with the formula. There’s a storage box holding more journals, an old Bible, and a manifesto hand-written by Menzini. It’s titled End of Days.”
“That’ll do it. Mira’s messing with him now. I’ll fill in Teasdale and Peabody, and we’ll tie it up.”
“I’ll see you soon then.”
“Yeah. What’s wrong? There’s a thing.”
“Nothing, really. This place. It’s depressing. It’s a good building, has character. It’s a nice space, really, but it’s lifeless and cold. The only place I think he’s ever felt happy, perhaps ever felt normal—that is, felt himself—was that office, and that lab.”
“He had every chance, every choice. Don’t feel sorry for him.”
“Not at all. But I can see him here, finding himself at last in the blood and death. It’s depressing.”
“Get the goods, get out. We can get a little drunk before the so much sex.”
“Well now, that sounds promising. Soon, Lieutenant.” He clicked off, grinned at Reineke as the detective cleared his throat.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to catch that.”
“No problem. Now you know I’m not a sick fuck.”
Reineke snorted out a laugh. “Never figured it. So, Feeney thought you’d want to take a look at the comp. Says the data’s encrypted.”
“Excellent. That should liven things up.”
“Ah, maybe you don’t have to mention to the LT I happened to hear her say that business. The sex business.”
“I think we’ll all b
e happier that way.”
19
Moving fast, Eve headed for Observation, contacting Whitney on the fly. “Put me through to the commander,” she snapped when she reached his admin. “Priority.”