Vendetta in Death (In Death 49)

“She needed rest, so I gave her rest. Sleep heals. She was very ill. I never left her alone, never! I built a medical droid to look after her when I couldn’t be there. She’s safe and sleeping now, but I have to get back before she wakes. She needs me.”

“Let’s move on to Kagen,” Eve instructed.

“Disgusting man.” Darla waved a hand in front of her face as if she smelled something foul. “Nothing could have been easier, but being in his presence? A chore.”

Eve listened, didn’t interrupt, found no need for questions even when Darla, on her own, slid right into the details of Brinkman.

“Really, I’d barely started with him. I did begin a bit earlier than with the others but, to tell you the truth, I wanted to finish with him and get some sleep. I haven’t had much in the last several days, and using stimulants tends to make me jumpy after a long period.”

“I bet. And you had other men to deal with.”

“Of course, but that’s for tomorrow. I’m an interior designer meeting a man with a wife, and a mistress, who also found it necessary to exploit yet another woman, take her misplaced love before destroying her career. He has a property he wants redone. I’ll be Roweena Carson, and I have a marvelous costume for th

e scene.”

“You do realize this isn’t a vid?” Peabody asked.

With all the masks stripped away, her eyes were crazed.

Direct, Eve noted, but crazed.

“Of course, but I play the parts, dress the part these men expect before I reveal who I really am.”

“Lady Justice.”

Darla beamed at Eve. “Yes, exactly. Now that we’ve cleared this up, and you understand, I really have to get home and check on Grand.”

“Donnalou’s with her.”

“Oh.” Darla frowned. “That’s all right then. But—”

“We’re going to need you to stay. You can get some sleep, and tomorrow Dr. Mira will talk to you.”

“Oh, I’d love to meet her. I just adored her in the vid. But Grand—”

“Donnalou’s going to stay with her,” Peabody said and rose. “She’ll take care of her.”

“She’s a wonderful nurse. Still—”

“Grand’s sleeping now.” Peabody walked around the table to release the chain, help Darla to her feet. “She’s safe, and sleeping. We could all use some sleep.”

“You’re right. I’m just exhausted. I’m glad we straightened this all out. I was angry with you at first,” she said as Peabody led her out of the room. “But then I realized, we women have to stick together. Women for women.”

Eve let out a long breath as the door closed behind them. “Peabody, Detective Delia, exiting with Pettigrew, Darla.

“Interview end.”

She sat where she was, continued to sit when Mira and Reo came in, when they sat with her at the table.

Mira spoke first. “I’ll interview and evaluate her formally tomorrow, but from my observations she doesn’t meet the threshold of legal sanity, and is unfit mentally and emotionally for trial.”

“I’m forced to agree,” Reo said. “If that wasn’t an act—”

“It’s all an act,” Eve interrupted, “but that was as real as she gets. She thinks we’ll let her go, seeing as we’re all in this big sisterhood, so she can go out and keep doing what these silly rules prevent us from doing. I guess you could say she found the role of her lifetime in Lady Justice.”

“You stopped her, very likely saved more lives, including her own. She couldn’t have maintained this facade for much longer. You can leave her to me, and to Reo now.”

Reaching across the table, Mira touched Eve’s hand. “You and Peabody should take some time off. Get some rest, soak up a little spring.”