Vendetta in Death (In Death 49)

“What would be the point? It happens that Mavis and I actually are tight. What happens next there is up to you.”

Now tears shimmered, but didn’t roll. She stared at Eve with incredulity, and with just the faintest light of hope.

“Why? Why would you do this?”

“Because we’re not the enemy. Now, whether or not you opt, at any time, to file charges against Ryder Cooke, we will investigate him. You wouldn’t have been the only one. I’m going to do whatever I can to keep him out of this folder, and whatever I can to put him in a cage. That’s it.”

“I—I need to think about it.”

“All right. My number’s on the other side of the card. Thanks for coming in.”

After Jacie, visibly dazed, left, Peabody blinked damp eyes. “That was a totally frigid thing to do, Dallas. Mega frigid.”

“Didn’t cost me anything. Run Sherri Brinkman before you contact her, ask her to come in.”

“Sure.” Peabody got up, started for the door. “Mostly what we do is go after bad guys. It’s nice when we can do something positive.”

“Going after bad guys is plenty positive in my book.”

“You know what I’m saying.”

Yeah, Eve thought when Peabody went out. I do.

She contacted Mavis, got a perky message:

Hey! Abso-truly wish I could chat, but I’m in the studio. Lay a message on me. Cha!

“It’s Dallas. Expect a tag from a Jacie Pepperdine. Do me a solid, okay, and arrange to listen to her audition recording. If it doesn’t blow, pass it to Roarke. Appreciate it.”

She toggled to tag Nadine.

“Ready for that one-on-one?”

“You got it with Peabody. This is semi-connected, and I’m tossing you a big, stinking fish.”

“Mmm, my favorite kind. Does the fish have a name?”

“Ryder Cooke.”

Nadine angled her head, narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’ve got him on a slab.”

“No, and I hope to avoid that. You’re going to want to start digging, Nadine. I’ve got a woman who won’t, as yet, file a formal complaint, but she’s very credible on my scale. She says he raped her, and the way it went down tells me she’s not the first or the last.”

“Give me her name.”

“Can’t do it. Same as you wouldn’t do it, Nadine. When and if she wants to go public, you’ll have it.”

“Can you give me a timeline?”

“Last August. Dig.”

“You can count on it. Thanks for the tip.”

“Just use it.”

Next, she contacted SVU, laid it out.

“We’ll get you, you son of a bitch,” she grumbled. “One way or the other.”