Strangers in Death (In Death 26) - Page 99
“Not that I do any grunt work.”
“Out.” Eve reached for her ’link, contacted Leopold. “Who does Ava use as an aide or PA?” she asked. “I don’t have a name.”
“Because there isn’t one, officially. If she had a PA, his or her salary and benefits would come out of her pocket.”
Not the Ava Eve knew. “Are you telling me she did all the drone and grunt work personally, made all the contacts, read all the files and so on?”
“No, I’m going to tell you she tapped volunteers, other staff routinely. For just quick, little favors. She used several of the mothers over the life of the program, claiming it gave them pride and training for job opportunities. She never paid any of them. Gifts, now and then.” He offered a sour smile. “She likes giving gifts.”
“Do you have names, specific names for people she tapped?”
“There’s no list. It’s unofficial, as I said. But I can probably put something together for you. I’ll need to ask around, as I wasn’t privy to all of who did what for her.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Lieutenant, I know Ben came to see you. I apologize. I shouldn’t have said anything to him, even though you said—”
“It’s no problem.”
“It got in my craw, that’s all I can say. It got in, and it stuck, the way she’s slathering it on. Grunt and drone work? That would be his job now. She—” He cut himself off. “Obviously, it’s still in my craw. I’ll start putting a list together for you.”
“Thanks.”
She bet Petrelli was on the list. She just bet—“What!” she demanded when her in-office ’link signaled.
“Dallas, guess who’s here?”
“Guess how long it’s going to take me to tie your tongue into a square knot?”
“Jeez.” Peabody folded said tongue safely inside her mouth. “Bebe Petrelli. And she is pissed!”
“Excellent, book an interview room, put her there.”
Eve kicked back in her chair—the better to let the pissed Bebe stew a bit—and looked at the murder board. “It’s starting to break, Ava. Can you feel it? Do you feel it cracking under your stylish and tasteful shoes? I’m looking forward to watching you drop through the hole. I can’t quite figure out why I’m looking forward to it quite so much. But hey, I’ve got to get my kicks somewhere.”
Eve gave it another ten minutes, then strolled out to take on Bebe in Interview.
This is crap. This is harassment.”
Eve shrugged, dropped into the chair across the little table from the very pissed-off Bebe. “Call a lawyer, file a complaint. But you don’t want to do that, Bebe, so let’s not waste time pretending you do. You have the right to remain silent,” Eve began, and recited the Revised Miranda while Bebe gaped at her.
“You’re charging me?”
“I didn’t say anything about charges—yet. I asked if you understood your rights and obligations in this matter. Do you understand them?”
“Yes, I understand them, goddamn it. I don’t understand why I have any obligations. I didn’t do anything.”
“Did Ava Anders ask you to?”
“No.” Bebe folded her arms tight at her waist.
“Really? She never asked you to make ’link calls for her, or maybe whip up some cannolis for a party? Run errands, take care of a little office work?”
“I thought you meant about…” Her arms relaxed. “Sure I helped out some. Volunteered. Anders was giving my boys a lot, and giving me a lot. So I was happy to pay Mrs. Anders back. It made it feel less like charity.”
“Gave you some pride. So first, let’s say, she asks you to do some little thing, then next time it’s a little bit bigger thing, then bigger yet. Would you say that’s the way it was, Bebe?”
“I said I helped out. I was happy to.”
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