Ceremony In Death

"There's history of aberrant behavior in his family. He has an expert knowledge of chemicals, including hallucinogens and herbals. He has no alibi for any of the incidents. He was associated with Alice, closely enough that she may have stumbled across the secret he's been hiding for years, and that exposed, could destroy his cult."

She paused, tapping her fingers against the rail as she ticked off her mental list. "He has good reason to hate Selina Cross and her membership, to want to punish them as he couldn't punish his father. He was on hand when Wineburg started to break, and could have easily circled around and killed him. That gives him motive and opportunity, and with his background, the potential for violent behavior."

"He's made himself a decent life after a nightmare childhood," Peabody protested. "You can't condemn him for what his father did."

Eve stared out at the street and fought her own demons. "I'm not condemning him, Peabody, I'm investigating every possibility. Consider this." She turned. "If Alice knew, and told Frank, his reaction might very well have been to demand she break off the co

"Yes, but – "

"And Alice moved into her own place. She continued to work part time for Isis, but she no longer lived here. Why did she move out, away from here, when she was afraid?''

"I don't know," Peabody admitted.

"And we can't ask her." Eve turned back, started down the stairs again, then swore when she saw the boy leaning on her vehicle. "Well, hell."

She strode down, straight over to Jamie. "Get your butt off my hood. This is an official vehicle."

"An official piece of shit," he corrected with a quick, sassy grin. "The city puts you cops into recycled garbage heaps. A high-profile detective like you ought to have better."

"I'll tell the chief you said so next time I'm in the Tower. What are you doing here?"

"Just hanging." His grin flashed again. "And I ditched the shadow you put on me. He's good." Jamie tucked his thumbs in his pockets. "I'm better."

"Why aren't you in school?"

"Don't bother to call the Truant Brigade, Lieutenant, it's Saturday."

How the hell was she supposed to keep track? "Then why aren't you terrorizing one of the sky malls like a normal delinquent?"

His grin spread. "I hate sky malls. They're so yesterday. Caught you on Cha

"Did you drop by for my autograph?"

"You scrawl it on a credit slip, I could outfit this heap of yours and make it rock." He looked past her toward the shop. "I got a load of the witch through the glass. She's doing some heavy retail today."

Eve glanced back, noted the customers browsing inside. "You've seen her before."

"Yeah, couple times when I tailed Alice."

"Ever see anything interesting?"

"Nope. Everybody's always wearing clothes in there." He wiggled his brows. "A guy has to hope. I studied up on Wicca. They liked to be naked a lot. Did see the head witch kick a guy out of the shop once."

"Really." It was Eve's turn to lean on the hood. "Why?"

"Couldn't say, but she was maximum pissed. I could see they were having words, and I thought she was going to belt him. Especially when he shoved her."

"He shoved her."

"Yeah. I thought about going in then, though she was a hell of a lot bigger than he was. Still, guys got no business pushing women around. But whatever she said had him backing off. Backing way off until he was backing right out of the door. And he went off in a big hurry."

"What did he look like?"

"Ski

He shot her a smile, grim around the edges. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Last time I saw him, he wasn't looking so jazzy."

Lobar, Eve thought, exchanging a glance with Peabody. The kid had given a solid and nearly professional description. "And when was this? When did you see the incident?"

"The day – " His voice cracked a little, so he cleared his throat. "The day before Alice died."

"And what did Isis do after Lobar?"

"She made a call. Couple minutes later the dude she lives with came on the run. They talked for a couple minutes, real intense, then she put up the Closed sign and they went into the back room. Ticked me off," he added. "I could have followed the leather guy."

"You want to stop tailing people, Jamie. They make you, they tend to get a

"People I tail don't make me. I'm too good."

"You thought you were good at B and E too," she reminded him dryly and watched as his color rose.

"That was different. Look, the guy that was stabbed, he was right there, at Alice's viewing. It has to be co

She straightened. "Are you requesting the status of my investigation?''

"Yeah, yeah, right." He rolled his eyes skyward. "What's the status of your investigation?"

"Ongoing," she said shortly, then jerked a thumb. "Now, scram."

"I got a right to know," he insisted. "Survivors of victims, and all that."

"You're the grandson of a cop," she reminded him. "You know I'm not going to tell you anything. And you're a minor. I don't have to tell you anything. Now, go play somewhere else, kid, before I have Peabody here roust you for loitering."

The muscles of his jaw tightened and jumped. "I'm not a kid. And if you don't deal with Alice's killer, I will."

Eve snagged his arm by the jacket before he could storm away. "Don't cross the line," she said very quietly. She kept her face close to his, forcing him to look directly into her eyes. "You want justice, you'll get it. I'll by God get it for you. You want revenge, I'll slap you in a cage. You remember what Frank stood for, and what your sister was, and then you think it all through again. Now, get out of here."

"I loved them." He jerked his arm free, but not before she saw tears rush into his eyes. "Fuck your justice. And fuck you."

She let him walk because, though the language had been an adult's, the tears had been a child's.

"The kid's hurting," Peabody murmured.

"I know." So was she now. "Tail him, will you, just to be sure he doesn't get in any trouble. Give it thirty minutes, until he calms down, then beep your location. I'll pick you up."

"You going to talk to Isis?"

"Yeah, let's see what she and Lobar had to say to each other. Oh, and Peabody, watch your step. Jamie's a clever kid. If he made one of Roarke's men, he's likely to make you."

Peabody flashed a smile. "I think I can manage to tail a kid for a few blocks."

Trusting her aide to keep Jamie out of trouble, Eve walked into Spirit Quest. The air swam with incense and the scented melted wax from dozens of candles. The October sun was strong and gleamed in shooting colors through hanging prisms.

The look Isis sent her held none of that exotic welcome.

"You've finished with Chas, Lieutenant?"

"For now. I'd like a few minutes."

Isis turned to answer a question from a customer on a blend of herbs to enhance memory. "Steep it for five minutes," Isis told her. "Then strain it. You'll need to drink it daily for at least a week. If it doesn't help, let me know." She turned her head back to Eve. "As you can see, this is a bad time."

"I'll be quick. I'm just curious about the visit you had from Lobar here, a few days before he ended up with his throat slashed."