Witness in Death

"They're coconut crunchies. You hate coconut."

"Then why did you buy coconut?"

"To piss you off." Gri

"Well, hand them over then."

"Okay, so…" Peabody ripped open the second pack, offered Eve a cookie. "Anyway, McNab's got a little, bitty butt, and hardly any shoulders. Still – "

"Stop. Stop right there. If I get an image of a naked McNab in my head, you're going back to traffic detail."

Peabody munched, hummed, waited.

"Damn it! There he is."

Hooting with laughter, Peabody polished off the last cookie. "Sorry. Dallas, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Kinda cute, isn't he?"

And, she thought, it had bumped whatever had been troubling her lieutenant out of the way.

"Button it up," Eve warned, but she had to swallow a chuckle along with her cookie. "Brush the crumbs off your shirt and try to find your dignity somewhere." She pulled to the curb in front of Carly's building.

The high-end neighborhood, the exclusive building, the plush lobby sent a different signal to Eve now. Anja Carvell had selected wealthy parents for the child. The kind of parents who could assure the child would grow up with privilege, security, luxuries.

Had she taken as much care in researching the kind of people they were? Stable, loving, wise, supporting?

"Peabody, we did the run on Carly Landsdowne's educational history? It was private schools, right?"

"Yes, sir, I believe so." To verify, Peabody pulled out her PPC as they entered the lobby elevator. "Private and top rated, preschool through college. They sprang for a bunch of extras including drama, dance, music, voice. All private tutors."

"What do the parents do?"

"Father's a doctor, micro-surgeon. Mother's a travel agent, her own company. But she filed as professional mother from 2036 until 2056, the full twenty years allotted per child."

"No siblings?"

"None."

"She picked wi

It took two long buzzes before the door opened. Heavy-eyed, her hair sleep-tumbled, Carly gave a careless yawn. "What now?"

"A moment of your time."

"At dawn?"

"It's after nine."

"I repeat, at dawn?" Then she shrugged, stepped back. "Don't ask me anything until I get a cup of coffee. That should be added to those rights and obligations you're so fond of spouting."

"Cranky," Peabody whispered as Carly strode away.

Eve sca

"I saw you at Richard's memorial yesterday," Carly said as she breezed back in. Her robe slipped silkily off one shoulder as she sat, crossed long, bare legs. "You do get around."

"Some of the matters I'm here to discuss with you are of a personal nature. You might want to ask your companion to leave."

"My companion?"

"Two wineglasses," Eve pointed out, with a nod at the low table. "Crushed pillows on the end of the sofa." She reached under one, tugged out one sheer leg of black hose. "Undergarments in unusual places."

"So your clever deductive powers lead you to the correct conclusion that I had sex last night." She shrugged and her robe slid down a little lower. "Why do you think he's still here?"

"Because you were having sex this morning before I so rudely interrupted. That little mating bite on your neck's very fresh."

"Ah." She sighed with a sound of amusement. "I suppose he was feeling a little frisky. Why don't you come on out, sweetheart?" She lifted her voice and kept her eyes on Eve. "Lieutenant Dallas has spoiled the moment anyway."

A door creaked open. There was the hesitant pad of bare feet on the floor. Rumpled and flushing, Michael Proctor stepped into the room.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"Ah…" He cleared his throat, tried to find something to do with his hands, and ended up letting them dangle from his arms at his sides. He was rumpled, wrinkled, and had mis-buttoned his shirt. "Good morning, Lieutenant."

Carly's long, delighted roll of laughter filled the room. "Oh, Michael, do better. At least try to look satisfied and defiant instead of embarrassed and guilty. She's not the morals police."

"Carly." Her name was a vocal wince.

She waved a hand. "Go get yourself some coffee, you'll feel better."

"Um… Can I get anyone… anything?"

"Isn't he sweet?" Carly beamed, like a proud mother over a well-ma

She turned back to Eve as Michael shuffled from the room. Her expression transformed, like a mask removed, from silk to steel. "I believe sex between consenting adults is legal in this state, so shall we move on?"

"How long have you and Michael been lovers?"

Carly examined her nails, picked idly at a minute chip in the polish. "Since you tell me it's after nine, for about twelve hours. I'm afraid I can't give you the exact time the act was consummated. I wasn't wearing my wrist unit."

"You want points for attitude?" Eve said evenly. "Fine with me. We can take this down to Central and see who's the biggest hard-ass. Or you can give me straight answers on how Michael Proctor ended up sharing your bed this morning."

Carly's lips twisted, but the idea of a session at Cop Central had her reaching for control. "We ran into each other at the memorial, ended up going out for a drink, came back here. One thing led very enjoyably to another. Is there a problem with that?"

"Bury one lover, pick up a fresh one? That might be a problem for some people."

Temper flashed into Carly's eyes, but she kept her voice level. "Save your narrow-minded view for someone who's interested. It happens that Michael and I have a great deal in common, some chemistry stirred, and we acted on it. Above that, I like him very much."

"One of the things you have in common is Richard Draco."

"True enough. But Richard's dead. We're not."

Michael walked slowly back in. "Carly, would you like me to go?"

"Not on my account." She patted the cushion beside her. "Sit down." It was as much a challenge as a request. When he sat, she gave a pleased smile, hooked her arm through his. "So, Lieutenant, you were saying?"

"Michael, you didn't mention your mother knew Richard Draco."

The cup jumped in his hand, sloshed coffee on his slacks. "My mother? What does she have to do with it?"

"She worked in a play with Draco."

"Your mother's an actress?" Carly angled her head.

"She was. She retired years ago. Before I was born." He set his cup down, rubbed ineffectually at his slacks. "Leave my mother alone. She hasn't done anything."

"Did I say she had?" Nerves, Eve thought. He couldn't keep his hands still for them. "You know then, that she had been intimate with Draco at one time."

"It was nothing. It was years ago."

"Your mother and Richard?" Carly drew back to study his face. "Oh. Sticky." And there was sympathy in her eyes. "Don't let it rattle you, sweetie."

But it had, obviously. "Look, she had a bit part, that's all. She wasn't a serious actress. She told me. She and my father have been together ever since… She wouldn't have told me except she knew I admired him, that I was going to audition for his stand-in. He used her. He liked using women."

He looked steadily at Carly now. "She got over him. Smart women do."

His mother, Eve decided, or maybe women in general, was his weak spot. "Yeah, he liked using women. Young, pretty women. They were toys to him, and he got bored with his toys fairly quickly. Your mother gave up her career, her hopes for it, because of him."