Leverage in Death (In Death 47)

She blew out a breath, tagged Roarke, got Caro.

“Hello, Lieutenant.”

“Caro, I’m sorry.”

The stylish, ever-efficient Caro only smiled. “It’s no problem at all. He’s in a meeting. He should be out in a few minutes, but he said to put you through at any time if you needed to speak with him immediately.”

“Not immediately. If you could tell him, when he’s free, Peabody’s schedule moved up. She had to leave. I’m at the apartment building. Banks. Things are moving. He can reach me when he has a chance.”

“I’ll take care of it. We’re all pulling for Nadine.”

“She’s lucky they’re not pulling her out of the East River. Thanks.”

Taking a breath, rubbing her temples, she started outlining a takedown plan, grabbed her ’link again when it signaled incoming.

The colonel had come through with her requested list of military personnel on base at the time of the attack.

A lot of military personnel, she thought. But she could eliminate females, the dead, anyone on active duty. He’d be retired, she thought. Or discharged—honorably or not.

Could be older than Iler, she considered, as the dominant partner. Or . . . Baby brother. The dominant still, she thought, but also a kind of surrogate.

She looked at the little screen on her ’link, then with envy at the generously sized wall screen. And went out, once again, to Rhoda.

By the time Baxter and Trueheart joined her, she had a pot of coffee, and a good chunk of her elimination done and displayed on the wall screen.

“That’s real coffee,” Baxter said. “I can smell the real.”

“Rhoda had a stash.”

“You should marry her,” he told Trueheart as he poured out mugs.

“I have a girl.”

“Keep the girl, marry Rhoda. She has amazing powers.”

“If we have that settled.” Eve kept working as she spoke. “We have the art and finance half of our suspects nailed down in Lucius Iler, apartment 5005.”

“You got him. Hot damn!” Baxter lifted his mug in salute. “Is Peabody hauling him in?”

“No, he’s in 5005. I’ve got uniforms in soft clothes watching the building, and Rhoda—of the amazing powers—in the lobby, should he decide to leave. Peabody’s on her fricking way to fricking Hollywood.”

“She is?” Trueheart’s earnest face broke into smiles. “I thought it was tomorrow.”

“It was. Now it’s not. Sit. Listen.”

She caught them up quickly.

“He’ll have contacted his partner,” Eve concluded. “No way to prevent that. The partner may rabbit, but I don’t think so. He’s a soldier.”

“Leave no man behind.” Baxter nodded.

“They’re brothers—as least in Iler’s mind. They go, they go together. The probability’s high the partner’s on the list on-screen—all of them were on base at the time of the terrorist attack. I’ve eliminated females, deceased, active duty. They’ve been at this for months, so it’s extremely unlikely the partner’s active duty. Trueheart, pick this up. Cross-check these names with the list of residents. If they both live here—”

“We can wrap this up,” Baxter finished, “and go out for burgers and brew.”

“If we have that kind of luck, I’ll buy both. I’ve got a consult with Mira in a few. Rhoda—and I concede her amazing powers—has it set up so we can do it on-screen here. That way I don’t have to relay to you afterward.”

“Maybe I’ll marry her,” Baxter considered.