Reunion in Death (In Death 14)

"I don't have time for chatter, Peabody. If I'm going to clean things up so I can take this travel time, I've got to move."

"She won't get to him. She won't even get close." She touched Eve's arm, then took hold of it to stop Eve's forward progress. "Maybe if it was just one of you she could get lucky and do some damage. But she's going up against both of you. There's no way. Just no way in the known universe."

The frustration and fear bottled up in Eve's throat spewed out in a low, harsh tone. "All she has to do is tip something in a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, a fucking glass of water."

"No, that's not all." More than shook, Peabody thought. Scared to the bone. "You know it's not. She has to get through his radar and yours. Look, I don't know the facts about where he came from, how he got here, but I can deduce. It's not just that he knows how to handle himself, which he does. It's that he's dangerous. It's one of the things that makes him so goddamn sexy."

Eve turned, stared blindly at a vending machine. "He's not even worried, particularly."

"That doesn't mean he won't be careful, that he won't be smart."

"No, it doesn't. I know it doesn't." To give her hands something to do, she dug out a credit, plugged it in, and ordered a candy bar.

I'm sorry, that item is currently out of stock. would you care to make another selection?

"Don't kick it!" Peabody said hurriedly even as Eve reared back. "You'll lose your vending privileges again. Try this one. It's really good." Before her lieutenant could do any damage, Peabody chose another item.

YOU HAVE SELECTED A GOOEY-CRUNCH BAR, THE YUMMY-TUMMY TREAT WITH THREE LAYERS OF CHOCOLATE SUBSTITUTE, A COOKIE CRUNCH, AND A CREAMY NONDAIRY FILLING.

Eve snatched it out, moving away while the machine detailed the ingredients along with fat grams and caloric contents.

"Can I ask you something about the Stibbs's case?" Peabody asked, jogging to keep up.

"Walk and talk."

"I've been studying the file and I'm about ready to bring her in for an interview, but I thought maybe I should surveil her when I can manage it, for a day or two. Get her rhythm, you know. And I wondered if I should let her make me or not."

With some effort, Eve adjusted her line of thought. "Stay in uniform, let her make you. It'll keep her off-balance."

"And I'm going to try to talk to a couple of the people who gave statements about the homicide, people who knew all three subjects. It won't hurt if she hears about it?"

"Goes to keeping her shaky, wondering what's up. She'll be primed when you bring her in."

"I want to wait until you're back from Texas before I bring her in. In case I screw up."

"Wait until I'm back, but you're not going to screw up. I don't work with screwups," she added, and made Peabody smile as they parted ways in the bullpen.

In her office, Eve took a moment to steady herself, bit off a chunk of the candy bar and decided it was pretty much a yummy-tummy treat. With Roarke's schedule in her head, she put in a call to his midtown offices.

"I know you've got a meeting in five," she began when he came on. "Christ knows how you stand meeting all those people every day of your life."

"I'm just a people person, Lieutenant. An amiable soul."

"Yeah, right. How much hassle is it going to be for you to ditch all those meetings tomorrow?"

"What's the point of being master of all you survey if you can't ditch meetings when it suits you? What do you need?"

"I want to leave for Dallas in the morning. First thing."

"All right, I'll take care of it."

"I don't know how long it'll take, but we should be able to get it done and get back all in the same day. An overnight at the most."

"Whatever it takes. Eve, you're not alone anymore."

She nodded, and though it felt foolish, touched her fingers to his face on the screen. "Neither are you."

CHAPTER TEN