Strangers In Death

“Mrs. Anders attends a lot of functions-balls, parties, and so on. Does she ever attend costume types-masked balls, fancy dress, that sort of thing?”

“There’s a fancy-dress gala in October every year.”

“Where does she keep her wigs?”

“All the costume pieces she has made or purchased are kept in storage on the third floor.”

“Does she own a red wig?”

“I believe she owns a few, in different shades and styles. I haven’t been in the storage area for some time.”

“Thanks.”

Eve ended transmission, and placed another to APA Reo.

Then she called in the team.

In the conference room, Eve paced while Baxter brooded into his coffee and Roarke passed the time on his PPC. Peabody, with no new visible piercings, huddled together with Trueheart. EDD had yet to arrive. Cher Reo entered next, the pretty blonde with the Southern drawl and the raptor claws in court.

“Hello, gang.” She nodded at Eve. “Let’s hear the pitch.”

“We’re not all here. Feeney-” Eve narrowed a stare at him as he strolled in with McNab. “You’re late.”

“You want it fast or you want it right?”

“I just want it. Status, EDD first.”

Feeney took out his notebook. “Pill dispenser, vic’s, opened and reprogrammed the morning Ava Anders left for St. Lucia. None of her prints inside or out. Office ’links, Anders Worldwide. No transmissions to or from Suza

“Ava test drove it.”

“Be my take. Disposable ’link, dead as disco. Those type don’t hold transmissions much over twenty-four anyway. If they do that. And this one’s cheap shit.”

“You’re telling me you got zip?”

“I didn’t say zip.” He stretched out his legs, crossed them at the ankles. “Every electronic byte leaves an imprint. A smudge anyway. You go in right, and you can finesse. We got what you could call echoes. ’Link’s a piece of crap, but crap can be manipulated. We need to process the echoes, tune them up, sort them out. Something’s there. Give us a day or two, and we’ll pull it out.”

“Good. Peabody?”

“Adult toy items matching those at the Anders crime scene were purchased by Suza

“And yet,” Reo commented, “Murder Two.”

“It’ll be worth it,” Eve told her. “In Interview, Suza

“That’s dumbass,” McNab put in. “Why incriminate yourself on record?”

“If Ava ever recorded her own statement, she’s long since wiped it. But I’ll bet she’s got Suza

McNab nodded. “Not so dumbass.”

“Three days after the Custer murder, Anders waylaid Custer on Custer’s way to her usual Monday morning marketing. Custer and Anders were seen together, and today identified by Isaacs, Jerome, the market’s owner.” Eve pointed a finger at McNab before he could speak.

“Yes, dumbass, but we’re dealing with a woman who never believed we’d have any reason to tie her and Suza

“So moving on. Custer further stated that Anders informed her Anders had killed Ned Custer-and gave all details to same. And it would soon be time to complete the bargain. According to Custer’s statement, Anders used threats and duress to obtain her agreement, while Anders drove into New Jersey, to a rest area. A security tech at same has identified Anders and her vehicle, corroborating Custer’s statement. At that time, Anders gave Custer the disposable ’link, and described how Thomas Anders was to be killed.”

“You’re going to get a lot of she said/she said here, Dallas,” Reo commented.

“Yeah, so we’ll need to make what Custer said stick. We need those echoes cleared, Feeney. Custer did not, as Anders instructed, dispose of the ’link, the remote, the discs. Anders lied about her husband’s sexual proclivities.”

“Prove it,” Reo demanded.

“Your job. But, she told both Custer and one Petrelli, Bebe, that Thomas Anders was a sexual deviate, and a pedophile. She indicated same to a Gordon, Cassie. There is no evidence this was true. In fact, there is weighty evidence it was not. Ava engaged a licensed companion for several months. There is no evidence Thomas Anders used LCs or engaged in extra-marital affairs, as Ava claims. Let her prove it,” Eve added.

“After receiving the news that her husband was dead,” Eve continued, “Ava ordered a tasty breakfast, ate same, dressed, and groomed meticulously. She didn’t wake her friends, but took a shuttle home alone.”

“I just don’t like her.” Reo examined her nails. “I don’t like Ava one little bit.”

“Get in line. Rewind two months. Custer, Ned, was last seen with a tall woman, a redhead, taken to be a pro. She went from a bar to a flop with the victim, and did not exit by the door. Ava told Suza

“Get me something physical,” Reo insisted. “It’s a good circumstantial case, but-”

“The vehicle registered to Ava Anders was parked eight blocks north and one east of the Custer murder scene,” Roarke put in without looking up. “The vehicle had reserved parking for that slot, in that lot, for a period of two weeks. It was used three times, the last on the night of the murder, clocking in at 10:12 P.M., clocking out at 2:08 A.M.”

“Okay, that’s interesting.” Something lit in Reo’s eyes. “How do we prove she drove it there?”

“Because she fucking did,” Eve snapped. “Because on that night and the ten days prior, Thomas Anders was out of town, and she could come and go as she pleased. Look at the time line. She kills her father-in-law, and that’s the turn.”

“Reginald Anders’s death was deemed accidental.” Reo tossed up a hand. “Don’t bite my head off, that’s the fact. You’ve got the case reopened, and I’m inclined to agree she killed him because I don’t like her. But at this point, we’ve got an old man slipping in the shower.”

“We won’t end with that. She hired a decorator the week before Reginald Anders took the fall. Shortly after it’s reported, she and the old man had a private talk in his office about her charging personal expenses to program budgets. She didn’t walk out happy. And according to the housekeeper, decorating talk began two weeks after the father-in-law’s death, though she’d already contracted with one.

“You’re going to say some spouses sneak in something like that-the decorating crap,” Eve said, anticipating Reo. “Why would she? Every statement we’ve taken on their marriage, on Anders, describes him as indulgent. He wouldn’t have given a shit about that.”

“Then why wait to tell him?” Reo asked. “Picky, I know, but defense attorneys are, as a rule.”

“It was her congratulations present to herself. She didn’t bring it out until after she’d done the old man. Until that was behind her. Weeks after that, she hires Charles Monroe, telling one of her friends-out of the goddamn blue-that she and her husband are sexually incompatible. She revs up the mommy retreat program, and starts to scope. Here, she approaches Petrelli, whose family has ties to organized crime. She suggests Petrelli might find a way to dispose of Anders, who she claims is a pervert. That craps out. She approaches Gordon, an LC who is also in the program, and asks for details about kink. And finally, she finds her mark here, with Custer.”