“I believe you can tell Roarke to expect a little federal pressure.”
“Understood.” She strode to the elevator, resisted kicking the wall. “She’s nothing but a tool to him. Darlene French to Jacoby,” she muttered. “No more human to him than she was to Yost. The son of a bitch.”
“She’s got you, Dallas.”
“That’s right. And she’s going to keep me.” Eve started to step into the elevator, then spotted Stowe inside. “Stay out of my face.”
Stowe raised a hand in a gesture of truce. “Jacoby’s gone back to the field office. I just want a minute. I’ll ride down with you.”
“Your partner’s an asshole.”
“Only about half the time.” Stowe tried a smile. She was a trim woman in her middle thirties who did her best to spruce up the federal dress code with a pretty swing of honey brown hair. Her eyes were shades darker, and direct. “Listen, I want to apologize for Jacoby’s remarks, and his attitude.” She let out a sigh. “And my apology doesn’t mean squat, however sincere.”
“Maybe it means squat, even if it doesn’t mean diddly.”
“Fair enough. Look, when you cut out the red tape, we’re all cops and all after the same thing.”
“Are we?”
“Yost. You want him, we want him. Does it matter to you who turns the key in his cage?”
“I don’t know. You guys have had a lot of years to turn that key. About as many years as Darlene French got to live.”
“True enough. Personally, however, I’ve had three months, and of the three probably one in pure man hours to assimilate data on Sylvester Yost. If it gets us closer to stopping him, I’ll hand you the key.”
When the doors opened on the garage level, Stowe glanced out. She’d have to ride back up to the main lobby level. “I’m just asking you not to let Jacoby’s temperament get in the way of the goal. I think we can help each other.”
Eve stepped out, but turned and laid her hand on the door to keep it open. “Keep your partner on a leash, and I’ll consider it.”
She let the doors close and walked to her parking slot. Her pea-green unit sat, dented, scarred, and with a bright yellow smiley face some joker in Maintenance had painted beaming out from the rear window.
It was probably a very good thing Eve didn’t have that riot laser.
chapter seven
Eve hit the salon first and was pleasantly surprised when her vehicle made the trip without embarrassing her.
She’d walked through the doors of Paradise before, tracking another murderer, another sexual homicide. Another case that had involved Roarke. The first one, she thought, that had connected us.
It had been more than a year, but the opulent decor of the salon hadn’t changed. Soft, soothing music played, harmonizing with the splashing waterfalls and drifting through the air delicately scented by the long sweeps and tall spires of fresh flowers.
Patrons sat or lounged amid the splendor of the waiting area, sipping tiny cups of genuine coffee or spring-hued glasses of fruit juice or fizzy water. The receptionist was the same bountifully breasted woman in snug, short red who had greeted Eve before.
The hair was different, Eve noted. This time around it was Easter egg pink and styled in a streaming fountain of curls that burst out of a high cone on the crown of her head.
Recognition didn’t register in her eyes, but dismay and annoyance did the moment she spotted Eve’s worn jacket, scarred boots, and shaggily styled hair.
“I’m sorry, we serve by previous appointment only in Paradise. I’m afraid all our consultants are fully booked for the next eight months. May I suggest an alternate salon?”
Eve leaned on the high counter, crossed her boots at the ankles. “You don’t remember me, Denise? Gee, I’m really hurt. Wait a minute! I bet you’ll remember this.” Smiling cheerfully, Eve pulled out her badge and pushed it under the receptionist’s expensively sculpted nose.
“Oh. Oh. Not again.” Even as the words tripped out of her mouth, Denise remembered just who the cop had married since last they’d met. “I mean, I do beg your pardon, miss, I—”
“That’s Lieutenant Miss.”
“Of course.” Denise tried out a lilting laugh. “I’m afraid I was distracted. We’re so busy today. But never too busy to make room for you. What can we do for you?”
“Where’s your retail section?”