Born In Death

“I don’t think ants pick,” Peabody said. “They more dig, probably.”

“Whatever. You are what you are, and they’re nothing. Tried to buy the nosy accountant off, but she’s a

She forked up a tiny new potato. “What?” she demanded as the table sat in silence, staring at her. “What?”

“Creepshow.” Mavis picked up her water glass, drank deep. “Squared.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“How do you know he thought those things, felt those things?” Leonardo stroked Mavis’s arm as he goggled at Eve.

“Well, he sure as hell wasn’t thinking about the weather.” Then she narrowed her eyes. “Randall Sloan kept a car garaged. He didn’t use it that night. Both he and his alibis stated they used cabs. Let’s see if there’s any sort of log in and out of the garage. The killer may have borrowed it for the job. If not, we start checking rental companies. Or car services. The Bullock Foundation may keep a car in the city, or use a specific service when they’re here.”

When Peabody dug out her memo book to note it down, Eve shook her head. “No, you’ve already got enough going. I’m going to tag Baxter. He wanted in on this. He can take that assignment.” She pushed back from the table. “I’ll contact him now, then I want to look at the lists of those agencies you got on Tandy.”

Across the table, Mavis closed her eyes, took a long breath. “Thanks. Thanks, Dallas.”

Eve waited until she’d talked to Baxter, then asked Mavis to come with her to a sitting room. Closed the door.

“You’re going to tell me you think Tandy’s dead.”

“No, I’m not. Sit down.” When she did, Eve sat across from her, leaned in so their eyes were level. “But I am going to tell you that you need to prepare yourself for that possibility. She was taken for a reason, and everything’s pointing to the baby being that reason.”

“And once she has it… It’s been since Thursday. She could – ”

“A lot of things could,” Eve interrupted. “We’re going to deal with what is. Look, I know it might seem like I’m not paying much attention to this, not looking hard enough. But I promise you, it’s in my head. And Peabody’s working it when I’m not.”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re not paying attention.” Mavis reached out now, took Eve’s hands. “I don’t think that. And I know Peabody’s doing everything she can, and – and that she’s good. But Dallas? She’s not you. That’s a bitch-weight of pressure, I know, but – ”

“Don’t water up. Come on, give me a break on the tears.”

“I’m so scared for her. And I keep thinking, what if it was me? What if I was locked up somewhere, couldn’t protect my baby. It’s going to sound Princess of Drama, but I’d rather die than have anyone take my baby, or hurt it. I know Tandy feels the same. She said once that’s why she decided to have it, to keep it, even though she’d be on her own. That even though there were good people who wanted babies, who’d give hers a good life, it was hers. And she’d never be absolutely sure they’d love it as much as she did.”

“What kind of good people? Did she ever give any details, anything specific?”

“No, it was just… wait.” Eyes closed again, hands rubbing light circles over her belly, Mavis breathed slowly in and out.

“Oh, shit.Shit! Are you – ”

“No, no, don’t go wig. I’m just trying to focus. We were talking once, me and Tandy, about raising a kid in the city. Pros, cons, la-la. She said how she hoped she was doing the right thing, choosing the urban deal when she could’ve given her baby a plush life as a country squire. She talked like that sometimes,” Mavis added and opened her eyes. “You know, squire. What is a squire?”

“How would I know, I’m a New Yorker. Okay, let’s you and me go over Peabody’s list. Maybe something else will ring for you.”

18

EVE SET MAVIS DOWN WITH THE LIST, THEN gestured Leonardo to sit down beside her. “Why don’t you be another pair of eyes, another brain on memory mode? You were in on some of the baby talk?”

“Sure. Tandy’s having a boy.” He laid his big hand gently on Mavis’s belly. “Tandy wanted to find out, and I talked to her about the baby, and herself, and her plans. I wanted to get a sense of it, not just because I’m her birthing coach, but because I’m designing a few basic – and a couple of special – outfits as a gift for her.”

“Is he the sweetest huggie-bear in the universe and beyond?” Mavis cooed.

“You bet. Look at the list. Remind yourself of conversations you had with her, about her. Individually and together. One of you may prompt something out of the other’s memory. I’ll be back in a minute.”

She moved into Roarke’s office where he sat at his desk ru

“Problem?” he asked her.

“Our house is full of people, one of whom could go off like a bomb of emotionally charged hormones at any moment. You’re doing drone work for me on two cases, one of which started with a huge personal insult to you. I dragged you to Brooklyn on a Sunday, then dumped you into another crime scene, and left you in charge of a hysterical witness. There’s probably more in there, but those are the high points.”

“Just another day in paradise.”

“I love you. I just wanted to give you a heads-up on that.”

It came into his eyes, that charge of pleasure and love, and blew right through her. “It’s nice to be reminded. You’re so tired, Eve.”

“You’re looking a little worn yourself.”

“Am I now?” He rose. “Maybe you should hold onto me a minute then.”

“Maybe I should.”

She came around the desk, and they held onto each other. She could stand on her own – God knows she’d proven it. But it was an amazing gift to have a man you could lean on without either of you thinking you were weak.

“I postponed that winter holiday deal we were pla

“Hmm.” With his eyes closed, he swayed a little with her, drawing in the scent of her hair, her skin. “Things came up.”

“They’ll always come up. As soon as Mavis pops that kid out, and we’ve done our duty, we’re going.”

“Are we?”

“You got my word.” She drew back to look him in the eye. “I need you, the just you and me time. I don’t know why I let myself forget that. Besides, I’m thinking after the doing-our-duty deal in the fun house that is the birthing room, we’re really going to need to go somewhere where we can stay zoned on alcohol and sex for a few days.”

“You just had to bring that up.”

“What? Sex?” She lifted her hands, patted both of his cheeks. “It’s wormed its way into my brain like a tumor. If I have to think about it, so do you.”

“I always think about sex.”

“Fu

“So ends a charming interlude.”

Ignoring him, she sca

“I take it we’re about to pay another Sunday call.”

“I can handle it on my own if you want to hang here.”

“With the ticking bomb of explosive hormones? No, thank you.”