‘Unless he took the back way.’
‘No, sir.’ Peabody allowed herself a small smile. ‘I called his ’link when I arrived, and he answered. I apologized for the wrong contact.’
‘He’s seen you.’
Peabody shook her head. ‘Men like that don’t remember underlings. He didn’t make me, and there’s been no movement in this area since my arrival at twenty-three thirty-eight.’ She gestured over, up. ‘His lights are on.’
‘So we wait. Casto, you could make yourself useful and stake out the front entrance.’
He flashed a grin. ‘Trying to get rid of me?’
Her eyes lit in response. ‘Yep. We could get technical. As primary on the Moppett, Johannsen, Pandora, and Ro homicides, I have full authority on coordinating investigations. Therefore—’
‘You’re a tough woman, Eve.’ He sighed, shrugged, sent Peabody a wink. ‘Keep a light burning for me, DeeDee.’
‘I’m sorry, Lieutenant,’ Peabody began formally when Casto moved off. ‘He overheard the transmission. As there was no way to prevent him from coming to the scene on his own, it seemed more productive to enlist his aid.’
‘It doesn’t seem to be a problem.’ When her communicator beeped, she shifted aside. ‘Dallas.’ She listened a moment, lips curving, then nodded. ‘Thanks.’ She started to slip the unit into her pocket, then remembered she didn’t have a pocket, and dropped it into her bag. ‘Fitzgerald’s sprung, own recognizance. Not surprising she’d get OR over a little tussle at a fashion party.’
‘If the lab results fall,’ Peabody said.
‘If. We wait on that.’ She glanced at Roarke. ‘This could be a long night. You don’t have to hang. Peabody and Casto can drop me when we’re done.’
‘I like long nights. A moment of your time, Lieutenant.’ With a firm hand on her arm, Roarke led her a few paces away. ‘You didn’t mention you had an admirer in Illegals.’
She ran a hand through her hair. ‘Didn’t I?’
‘The kind of admirer who’d like to nibble his way up your extremities.’
‘That’s an interesting way of putting it. Look, he and Peabody are an item at the moment.’
‘That doesn’t stop him from licking his chops over you.’
She gave a quick snorting laugh, then catching the look in Roarke’s eye, she sobered and cleared her throat. ‘He’s harmless. ’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Come on, Roarke, it’s just one of those little testosterone games you guys play.’ His eyes were still gleaming and caused something to jitter, not unpleasantly, in her stomach. ‘You’re not, like, jealous?’
‘Yes.’ It was demeaning to admit it, but he was a man who did what had to be done.
‘Really?’ The jittery feeling turned into a nice warm spread of pleasure. ‘Well, thanks.’
There was no point in sighing. Certainly no point in giving her a quick shake. Instead, he dipped his hands in his pockets and inclined his head. ‘You’re welcome. Eve, we’re going to be married in a few days.’
The jittering started again, big time. ‘Yeah.’
‘If he keeps looking at you like that, I’m going to have to hurt him.’
She smiled, patted his cheek. ‘Down, boy.’
Before she could do more than chuckle, he’d snagged her wrist, leaned in close. ‘You belong to me.’ Her eyes fired, her teeth bared. The show of temper had him relaxing immediately. ‘It goes both ways, darling, but in case you haven’t noticed, it seems only fair to tell you, I’m very territorial over what’s mine.’ He kissed her snarling mouth. ‘I do love you, Eve. Ridiculously.’
‘It’s ridiculous all right.’ To settle her temper, she tried a long, slow breath. ‘Look, not that I figure you deserve any explanation, but I’m not interested in Casto, or anybody else. And, as it happens, Peabody’s gone over him. So just shut down your thrusters.’
‘Done. Now, would you like me to go back to the car and get some coffee?’
She angled her head. ‘Is that a cheap bribe to smooth this over?’