“Sir.”
“You get a look at him?”
“Yes, sir.” She drew a breath, shakily. “Jesus, Dallas, he messed me up. Came at me like a hell-god. I kept feeling stuff breaking and tearing inside me. Hell of a thing.”
Her fingers moved restlessly on the sheet, then dug in as she struggled with the pain. Eve covered it with hers, stilled it.
“I got to my weapon, though. I hit him. I know I did. Arm, shoulder maybe, but I nailed one in him.”
“You see his vehicle?”
“I didn’t. Sorry. I just—”
“Forget it. He say anything to you?”
“Called me a whore. Whore cop.”
“You make the voice if you hear it again?”
“Bet your ass. Sir. I think I heard him. . . . It sounds weird, but I think he called for his mother. Or called me Mother. Maybe it was me, calling for mine, because I can tell you, I wanted her.”
“Okay.”
“I can give you a full description.”
“I’m going to show you a picture. Tell me if it’s him.”
She held it up, adjusting the position so Peabody could study it without moving.
“That’s him. He had a lot of sealant on his face, but that’s him. You got him?”
“Not yet. We will. Can’t take you on the bust because you’ll be having your drug party, but we’ll take him, and you’re part of it.”
“Will you tell me when you’ve got him?”
“You’ll be the first.”
She stepped back, nodded to Louise. “You want to get sprung from here, you can recoup at our place if you need to.”
“Appreciate it. I . . . whee!” She laughed as the drugs bumped up. “That’s more like it.”
“We’ll be back,” Eve promised. McNab was on her heels as she went out.
“Dallas? We’re crapping out on the Transit discs. Since you got your ID, you won’t need me on that anyway. Anything else you need me to do?”
“Get some sleep.”
“Not until.”
She nodded. “Stick with her. I’ll let you know if anything comes up. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She strode away, headed straight for the woman’s bathroom. Inside, she just sat on the floor, pressed her hands to her face, and cried.
Her chest hurt with it, heaved with it as the pressure finally broke free. Her throat was raw, her head thumping as the emotions she’d stifled took over, poured out in a hot, violent flood.
And sucked her dry.
She started to spring up when she heard the door open, then stayed where she was when she saw Mavis.