Connections in Death (In Death 48)

“I’ll leave you to it. And I’m taking one of these.” He walked to the table, picked up a sticky bun. “Good call on the pastries because what you’ve done is a big fucking deal. Carry on,” he said and walked out.

“All right,” Eve began. “That said it all, and I’ll just say ditto from me. I’ll summarize—briefly—both prongs of the op before assigning two-man teams to individuals for Interview. We’ll be rotating to cover them all, with APA Reo available throughout.”

Reo lifted a hand. “The PA and another APA will also be in house. As the commander said, this is a BFD, and we fully intend to charge and prosecute as many as we have in custody as possible. We’re shooting for a hundred percent on that. We are reviewing, and will continue to review, the records of all those arrested in the raids, and will work with the interview teams as needed.”

“We’ll start having them brought up when we’re done here. Okay, summary. Two prongs, no waiting,” Eve began, and ran through the salient points before giving out assignments.

“Officer Carmichael, if you’d arrange for the first wave of interviewees to be brought up to their designated boxes, we’ll get this party started. Everyone, review the sheets as well as the charges from last night as they come up. And nail them down. Dismissed.”

She moved to the coffeepots, wasn’t surprised to find them all drained. Oh well.

“McNab, don’t you have work to do?”

“I was just going to help Peabody to the bullpen.”

“Are you unable to walk on your own, Detective?”

“No, sir. I’m good.” When Peabody started to rise, Eve gestured her back down, gave McNab a cool stare. “Dismissed,” she repeated.

“Right. Later. Don’t forget to—” Now Peabody shot him a look, with a little plea in it. “Okay, later.”

When he left, with a last glance back, Eve took a seat. “How bad is it? And don’t bullshit me. I’m asking as your boss, and I fully intend to contact Louise, so don’t bullshit me.”

“He’s just being sweet,” Peabody began, then shifted under the cool stare. “The knee’s the worst. I’ve got to wear the brace for a couple days. Or a few maybe. And do a little PT. I didn’t break anything, but there’s a little tearing. Not bad,” she insisted. “Not like they have to go in and do anything. Just the brace, icing, the PT, and elevation when I can.”

“The shoulder?”

“Better—honest. Louise said it’ll be sore, and I won’t have full range of motion for a couple days. She gave me some exercises to do to help that. I banged my hip pretty good, but that’s better, too, and bright side, I figure I banged it pretty good because I don’t have as much padding as I did. Loose pants.”

“The rest?”

“Just some bumps and bruises, I swear. She’ll tell you the same. And if I can just say, boss, you look worse than I do.”

“Concrete biceps on Zeus to the face. It might not look pretty, but it doesn’t require desk duty.”

“Oh, but—”

“You’ve got the interview assignments,” Eve interrupted. “You can do those sitting down. When we nail them, Peabody, and we will nail them, you’re riding the desk for the rest of the week, or until your doctor clears you for active.”

“I knew you were going to say that,” Peabody muttered.

“Then you should have already had your pouting time. And I want your word—don’t fuck with me—that if you need a break, you tell me. This is the long haul. You need a break during the haul, you take one.”

“I’m not sitting in Interview with my leg up on a chair like some invalid.”

“No, you’re not. So you take breaks as needed.”

“Okay, deal. No bullshit, and no fucking with you.”

“Then let’s go. We take Washington first.”

“Snapper. I reviewed the report, his sheet.”

“I need you to start out good cop. Once we get a sense of him, get a rhythm, you adjust as you go, as you think, but start out sympathetic.”

“Lull him, got it.”

Eve stopped outside of Interview when she saw Mira.