Dark in Death (In Death 46)

She noted, too, Nadine had brought along her new intern.

Quilla perched on the corner of Peabody’s desk, chattering away and eating a brownie. She’d whacked her hair short, with sharp points over both ears, a trio of them at the neck, a grouping of narrower ones over the forehead.

Some of them were the blue you might get if you lit gas on fire, then tossed in some napalm.

Eve had stopped wondering why people insisted on adding colors not seen in nature to various parts of their bodies.

The kid spotted her, grinned.

She’d added that blue to her lash tips, too, Eve observed. She wore ear hoops and a red sweater with black baggies and chunky, lace-up-to-the-knee boots.

Quilla said, “Hey.”

“Hey. Aren’t you supposed to be in school or something?”

“I got a waiver for the day. Educational career training. Thanks for the recommend.”

“Yeah. Don’t blow it.”

“I’m gonna rock it so solid.” Quilla looked around as she spoke. “Been in the cops, but never in Homicide before. I figured it would look more chill and spill.”

“We mop up the blood and gore every morning.”

Quilla snickered, and spoke again before Eve could turn to Nadine.

“They took us on a field trip last month.”

“Great. Peabody, find someplace to plant the kid while we—”

“They took us to An Didean. It’s a whack name, but frosty whack. So, they let us go through and look at the plans, and a couple of people who’re going to work there talked to us about what’s the what and all that.”

“Okay.”

“It’s going to be sweet, you know? It’s going to be solid sweet. We even went up to the roof, and they talked about the memorial for the girls who got killed, and how we’re going to have a garden up there. I hung back when everybody went down. We weren’t supposed to, but—”

“You don’t always do what you’re supposed to.”

Quilla mated a grin with an exaggerated shrug. “What’s the fun in that? Anyway, I did it because I wanted a minute up there by myself to think what I’ve been thinking since it all went down. One of those girls could’ve been me. I mean, the crazy guy was gone and all, but that’s just timing, right? It could’ve been any of the girls who’re going to live in the new digs. They said maybe it’ll be ready in May, and that’s not long to wait.”

“Are things okay where you are?”

“They don’t all the way suck.” Quilla shrugged it off, then glanced at Nadine with a gleam in her eyes. “They’re going to get better.”

Eve moved closer. “She’s no pushover, kid.”

“Why would I want, like, career training from a pushover? If I’m gonna rock it solid, I need a solid to show me the ropes, right?”

“Good thinking. Nadine, my office. Just you right now.”

Nadine signaled to her camera to wait, turned to Quilla. “Observe,” she instructed. “I want a thirty-second report on the Homicide bullpen, any aspect thereof, when I’m done.”

“Can’t I observe the one-on-one? You know, observe you work?”

“Observe here,” Nadine ordered and followed Eve. “I’ve either made a brilliant stroke or a terrible mistake.”

“You’re taking her on?”

“God, she’s smart. I figured that out in one quick minute. Sly, too, and I admire sly. She’s also going to be a pain in my ass, I know it. Just like I know the sensible thing would be to go to Columbia or NYU and interview solid journalism students. I’m not altogether sure whether I took her on or she took me, but I’ve got myself a teenage intern. And now I have to file weekly reports on her with Child Services, with copies to my own boss and to the head of the shelter.”