Vendetta in Death (In Death 49)

“Then let’s not keep her waiting.”

Eve stepped in.

“Finally.” Darla rattled her restraints as she lifted her hands. She looked calm, composed as she sat at the table in her orange jumpsuit.

“Record on,” Eve began. “Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, and Peabody, Detective Delia, entering Interview with Pettigrew, Darla, on the matters of case files H-33491, H-33495, H-33498, and H-33500.” Eve set down a file as she and Peabody took their seats. “Ms. Pettigrew—”

“Oh now, it’s Darla.”

“Fine. Darla, you’ve been read your rights. Do you understand those rights and obligations?”

“Of course I do. I understand we have to go through these formalities, deal with these fussy little rules, but I’m here to talk with you, both of you.”

“Great.”

Oh yeah, Eve thought, studying Darla’s animated face. About to get chapter and verse.

“You’re charged with the abduction, administration of barbiturates without consent, enforced imprisonment, torture, and murder of Niles McEnroy, Thaddeus Pettigrew, Arlo Kagen. You’re additionally changed with the abduction, administration of barbiturates without consent, enforced imprisonment, and assault on Linus Brinkman.”

Darla rolled her eyes with the same attitude as a teenager caught breaking curfew. “That’s all nonsense.”

“How can it be nonsense?” Peabody asked, all quiet reason. “We apprehended you in the act of assaulting Linus Brinkman, we found articles belonging to McEnroy, Pettigrew, and Kagen in your workshop. Denying the charges isn’t going to fly, Darla.”

“The charges are nonsense,” she insisted.

“You’re actually denying you tortured and killed three men,” Eve put in, “and were in the process of taking another man’s life?”

“Absolutely not. I’m not denying the acts and actions, for goodness’ sake. It’s the charges that are foolish. I executed justice, justice no one else had been able to execute. The city should throw me a damn parade, and every woman who’s ever been harassed, raped, beaten, cheated on would cheer.”

She leaned forward. “You of all people should understand. You’re constrained by those formalities, those rules, but you’re women, women who must see nearly every day the pain, the humiliation, the degradation men cause women. I did what you’re unable to do—what I realize you must be afraid to do. I stopped them from causing more harm, from benefitting from the pain they’d inflicted. None of them deserved to live.”

“And you figure that’s your call?” Eve demanded. “To determine who lives, who dies?”

“Someone has to decide.” Darla slammed a fist on the table. “Someone has to act! Do you understand what the women in my group have suffered while those men paid no price? No price! I did what needed to be done. I made them pay. Every one of them chose to turn to me, accept me, ruled by their dicks, every one.”

Her eyes went bright. Bright, bright. “Do you really believe the men you give yourselves to are faithful? Are you so blind to see them as loyal? They’re built to cheat, steal, take, strike. It’s their nature.”

“Did you plan to kill all men?” Peabody wondered. “Any age restriction on that?”

Darla sent Peabody an amused look. “We’d be better off smothering males at birth, but until we find a way to propagate without them?” She shrugged. “Young boys grow into men, and men have a fatal flaw in their programming. The solution may be in droids, or a human/droid hybrid. I hope to begin work on that solution when this initial phase is complete.”

The business plan Roarke spoke of, Eve realized.

“Sure.” Bat-shit crazy, Eve thought. “But let’s stick with the initial phase for now. Start with McEnroy, walk us through your work there.”

“All right. I’m really quite proud of it. Justifiably.”

She told them everything, every step, and her only emotion was that pride.

Licks of anger came through as she spoke of her ex-husband. “I shouldn’t be so upset with him.” She held up a hand, took some breaths, then let out a quick, brittle laugh. “He actually opened my eyes, gave me my purpose, so I should be grateful. Until his betrayal I was content to be under his thumb, to focus my life, even my work, to suit his needs and pleasures. If he hadn’t betrayed me, stolen from me, crushed my heart, my pride, I would still be his wife, still be used by him.”

“That’s when you moved in with Eloise,” Eve prompted.

“Yes. My darling Grand opened her home to me, gave me comfort. She’s the kindest, most loving creature ever born. But naive. She believes, always has, that the man she loved was faithful, that he never strayed, never harmed another.”

Once again, she slammed a fist on the table. “He was a man, wasn’t he? But I let her hold that illusion, as accepting the truth would only hurt her. I’d never hurt Grand.”

“You drugged her,” Peabody said. “Again and again.”