Echoes in Death (In Death 44)

“Can I go where they are and see them? After? Miko’s mom, especially, Miko’s mom, she’ll need me with her.”

“Yes. We’ll let you know when you can do that.”

“Okay. Okay.” She squeezed her eyes shut, then rose. “I can go up with you and look.”

They started up the back stairs.

“I want you to do what I tell you. I want you to look down, keep looking down when we go in. I don’t want you to look at the room. There’s no need for that.”

“I’ll see it in my head until the day I die.”

“Just look down,” Eve repeated, taking Nina’s arm to steer her inside and into the closet. “Okay, now take your time, take a good look through.”

“I don’t have to. Her new red cocktail dress is gone. She hasn’t even worn it yet. She bought it special for a Valentine’s Day party, and it was right here—you see? She said I should take this other red one for my girl. They’re near the same size. And the one that was on the other side of it, the dark pink one? It’s crooked on the hanger, like somebody hit it, knocked it some when they pulled the new one out.”

“Red cocktail dress. Short?”

“Short—she has beautiful legs. With a sweetheart neckline.” Nina drew the top of a heart in the air. “Three layers of flounces on the skirt, and a little silver bow in the back at the waist. Shoes are missing, too. Silver evening shoes with tiny red metallic bows on the backs.”

She moved deeper into the closet, a woman on a mission now. “He took her jewelry, from the safe back here. That evil bastard took their things from the safe. She had her great-grandmother’s ruby pendant in there. She was going to wear it with the dress, and the earrings Xavier gave her for Christmas, just this past Christmas. Diamond drops with ruby hearts. Xavier’s grandfather’s watch. Xavier’s grandfather gave it to Xavier’s father when he turned twenty-one, and he passed it to Xavier. Xavier prized that watch.”

It was pure rage flooding Nina’s face now. “That evil bastard can’t have it, you hear?”

“I hear.”

Nina swiped at tears that fell despite her anger. “Miko’s favorite evening bag’s gone. It’s silver with a red bird flying over it. She likes red.”

“Okay. Nina, when we go back out, I’d like if you can look through the other rooms, see if you find anything else missing. Then we can sit down and you can try to describe them for me, in detail.”

“He might try to sell them or pawn them, and that’ll help you find them.” She turned to Eve, face ravaged, eyes hard. “I can look in their bedroom. I’d know if anything was gone. I can do it. Let me do it.”

“Okay. If it’s too much, we stop. You’re going to see people out there, in white protective suits. They’re looking for evidence.”

“I watch screen. I know about sweepers and such. I can do this.”

She could, and did, though her color was gray by the time they left the room. Still, she went with Eve through the rest of the house, sat and gave descriptive details on every missing item.

“Nina, I want you to know that you’re about the best witness I’ve ever dealt with.”

“You’re going to find him, stop him.”

“We’re going after him with everything we’ve got. What you did gives us more. I’m going to have an officer stay with you until your brother gets here.”

Eve ste

pped out, and Peabody stepped up.

“Feeney and McNab are loading up the electronics. They’ll go through all the ’links, the comps, and tablets. The killer took the hard drives, the discs, smashed the hell out of everything he left, but they’ll take what’s left, try to piece something together.”

“We need to work this. Contact Baxter and Olsen, pass the rest of the names to them.”

“Already did. I let them know the situation.”

“Good.” Eve rubbed the center of her forehead.

“You okay?”

“Headache. Sometimes it’s harder to go through this with somebody who’s holding on instead of someone who falls apart.”