Echoes in Death (In Death 44)

“Yes. About ten minutes before. And, again from a visual exam, there were gaps in time between several of the injuries, on both victims. It appears—I stress appears for now—the male victim suffered a blow to the right temple, the initial attack. The rug burns on the heels appear to have been incurred around the same time. And this?” Morris laid a sealed finger, gently, on the bruising beside Miko’s left eye. “Again, in that same time frame. This isn’t as violent, this blow, but would have disoriented, debilitated.”

And hurt like hell, Eve thought.

“His hands next?”

“If you want opinion rather than confirmation, yes.”

“Okay.” It all jibed with what she’d seen, felt, observed on scene.

Give pain, create terror—the terror was every bit as important as the pain. Control, perform, humiliate.

“We’ll get out of your way. Anything that jumps out—whether you can confirm or not—let me know. Anything.”

As she walked out, she heard Morris order the volume up. And the angel sang.

She thought about detouring to the lab, but accepted it was far too soon, a waste of time. Instead she checked addresses, then drove to do the notifications of the next of kin, and shatter more lives.

When they finished, Peabody put her head back, shut her eyes. “It’s always harder than you tell yourself it will be. It’s always harder.”

“You helped Miko’s mother.”

“I hope. Some. It’ll help more when Nina goes to her. And maybe, when the shock wears off some for her, for Xavier’s parents, they’ll remember something. Some details that adds to this.”

“Have the bartender brought in,” Eve ordered as she pulled into Central’s garage. “I want a look at him, and I want him to have a look at me. In the box.”

“How about I send Uniform Carmichael and whoever he picks? He can be smooth and persuasive.”

“Do that. Then check with Baxter and Olsen, see how far they’ve gotten on the list. Anything buzzes, we need to know.”

They started up in an elevator that quickly grew crowded. “I’ve got to make a stop. Get this started.” Eve shoved off, switched to glide, and aimed for Mira’s office.

Mira’s admin, her personal dragon, sat in the outer office busily keyboarding.

“I need to see her.”

“Dr. Mira is in a session.”

“Don’t fuck with me on this.” Eve felt all the anger and frustration she’d shoved down through the day rising fast, like hot vomit in the throat. “This directly concerns her.”

“Is Mr. Mira—”

“No, it’s not that.” Reading the genuine fear in the admin’s eyes, Eve fought to throttle back. “But it concerns both of them, and it’s important.”

“She is in a session, and specifically asked not to be interrupted barring emergency. She’ll be done in forty minutes. I can get you in directly after and shift her next appointment.”

“I’ll get back if I can. She doesn’t leave here today without seeing or speaking to me. Clear?”

“Absolutely.”

With a curt nod, Eve strode out. She chose glides again to give herself time to settle down, then pulled out her ’link.

Another admin answered, but Roarke’s sort of magnificent Caro usually proved more flexible.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant. What can I do for you?”

“Hey, sorry, but is there any way I can speak to him, or that he can tag me back as soon as possible?”

“Give me a minute.” So saying, the screen went to a waiting blue.