Devoted in Death (In Death 41)

She turned to her board, pointed at Parsens and James. “These people will pay for the two victims you gave your time and skill to today. And for Noah Paston. They’ll pay for all of them.

“They have a kid.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Stunned, Mira lowered her tea. “The killers have a child?”

“A baby. She had it while he was doing time for getting caught trying to steal her a ring. True love.”

“This changes things.” Shifting, Mira studied the board. “Having a child, taking a child on a killing spree across country —”

“No, she dumped it on her mother before they started. From the timing, she got pregnant on a conjugal while he was inside, had the kid before he got out. She went home with it, lied about how she got knocked up, played the I’m-turning-over-a-new-leaf card, then stole what she wanted, left the kid behind. The mother hasn’t heard from her since. That was back in June. James got out about six weeks later.”

“Is he aware she had his child?”

“She listed him as father on the birth certificate, which is how we knew about it. She named the girl Darra, and I figure Darryl, Darra.”

“Yes, I see.” Slowly, processing, Mira nodded. “She had the child – the physical proof of their love – but didn’t want it with them, didn’t feel what a mother would feel and didn’t want the child close. This is a kind of honeymoon for them.”

“Yeah, that occurred to me. I know her now. Having the kid served a purpose. It binds him to her even more, ties them together tight. It was – is – a vehicle, that’s all. If she felt it would be useful, she’d go back for it, but she doesn’t give the kid a single thought.”

Saying nothing, Mira nodded, sipped more tea.

Eve understood

the silence perfectly.

“Stella had me because I served a purpose.” She said it flatly – it meant nothing now. “She had to tolerate having me around because I wasn’t old enough to serve the purpose she and Troy had in mind for me. She had something with Troy, then with McQueen, that this one has with James. Only Troy and McQueen were the dominants. I think Parsens runs the show here. She might not make it obvious, she might let James think he’s the big, strong man, but she’s calling the shots.”

“There are variables that may play in to the dominant/submissive dynamic between them.”

Eve shook her head. “I know her. She had the kid, dumped the kid. I’m betting she visited James in prison like clockwork. She waited for him, three and a half years. That’s not a small thing.”

“They see it as love. For them it is love. Once in a lifetime.”

“Yeah, and she’ll do whatever she thinks will keep him with her. He’s a romantic, so when we close in, he might sacrifice himself for her. He calls her his Juliet. He’s into Shakespeare.”

“And doesn’t understand that story was a tragedy, not a romance. He might, yes, die trying to protect her, but with this new information I think it’s unlikely they’d choose suicide. Or that she would. It’s not glory they’re after, or even the thrill of death. It’s love, a sexual bond heightened through sadism. To love, they need to live.”

“Factoring in what we know, and what we’re learning, do you think Campbell’s still alive?”

Now Mira’s gaze shifted to Campbell’s board image. “I think the probability of that is higher now than I would have estimated it this morning. How long that remains true… In any of their more urban murders, the bodies have been carelessly dumped, no attempt to conceal. I don’t see why they’d change that pattern now, here in New York, so until her body is found, she’s alive.”

“I figure another twenty-four, thirty-six tops. They’ll get bored, want somebody fresh.”

“I won’t disagree.”

Eve paced to her skinny window and back. “If I release their names and faces to the media, odds are somebody will recognize them. But if they see their faces on screen, they’ll kill and run. It’s not the glory,” Eve repeated.

“Again, I won’t disagree. It’s a difficult call to make.”

And one she’d been wrestling with.

“I’m not releasing, unless ordered. I’ve held back from bringing in the feds because they may take that path. Would you throw your weight on my pile, if necessary? It’s a tough call for you, too.”

“I believe they’d cut their losses, try to get out of New York, so it’s not such a tough call.”

“We’re narrowing the area, if that helps. Banner and Baxter got two hits already less than a block apart. It’s going to zero down.”

“I’ll put it in writing.” Mira finished her tea, rose. “And I know a few people in the FBI. I’ll speak to one or two with influence.”