Survivor in Death

Eve rubbed her temple as they stepped off the elevator. “The housekeeper was divorced. Let's eyeball the ex. We'll get the names of the kids' pals. See if any of those family members should be checked out.”

“He's waiting for you.” Whitney's admin gestured even as Eve strode toward her desk. “DetectivePeabody, it's good to have you back. How are you feeling?”

“Good, thanks.”

But she drew in a deep breath before they entered Whitney's office. The commander still intimidated her.

He sat, a big man at a big desk, his face the color of cocoa, his short cropped black hair liberally dusted with gray. Peabody knew he'd done his time on the streets, nearly as much time as she'd been alive. And he rode his desk with the same fervor and skill.

“Lieutenant. Detective, it's good to see you back on the job.”

“Thank you, sir. It's good to be back.”

“I have your writtens. Lieutenant, you're walking a thin line taking a minor witness into your own custody.”

“Safest place I know, Commander. And the minor was emotionally distressed. More so at the prospect of going with GPS. As she's our only witness, I felt it best to keep her close, to have her monitored, and to attempt to keep her emotionally stable in order to gain more information from her. I've assigned Detective Baxter and Officer Trueheart to witness protection, off the log.”

“Baxter and Trueheart.”

“Baxter's experience, Trueheart's youth. Trueheart has a kind of Officer Friendly way about him, and Baxter won't miss the details.”

“Agreed. Why off the log?”

“At this time the media is unaware there was a survivor. It won't take much longer, but it gives us more of a window. Once they know, the killers know. These men are trained and skilled. It's highly possible this was an operation executed under orders.”

“Do you have evidence of that?”

“No, sir. None to the contrary either. There is, at this time, no clear motive.”

It was going to be the why, Eve thought, that led to the who.

“Nothing that pops in any of the victims' data or background,” she added. “We're begi

“Nothing in your report indicates this as a spree killing or home terrorism.”

“No, sir. We're ru

“I want your witness under supervision twenty-four/seven.”

“It's done, sir.”

“Mira's name will have considerable weight with GPS. I'll add mine.” The chair creaked when he leaned back. “What about legal guardians?” Sir?

“The minor. Who are her legal guardians?”

“The Dysons, Commander,” Peabody said when Eve hesitated. “The parents of the minor female who was killed.”

“Jesus. Well, they're unlikely to give us any trouble over the situation, but you'd do better to get their permission, officially. Doesn't the child have any family left?”

“Grandparent. One on the father's side who lives off planet. Maternal grandparents are dead. No siblings on either side.”

“Kid can't catch a break, can she?” Whitney muttered.

She caught one, Eve thought. She lived. “DetectivePeabody? You spoke with the grandmother.”

“Yes, Lieutenant. I notified next of kin. At that time, I was told the paternal grandmother was not legal guardian in case of parental death or disability. And, to be frank, while shocked and upset, she made no statement to indicate she intended to come here and attempt custody of the minor.”

“All right then. Dallas, speak with the Dysons at the first opportunity, and tidy this up. Keep me updated.”

“Yes, sir.”

When they were walking back toward the elevator, Peabody shook her head. “I don't think now's the best time-for the Dysons. I'd let that slide another twenty-four anyway.”

The longer the better, Eve thought.

5

SECURITY AND STREETLIGHTS WERE POPPING ON by the time Eve headed back uptown from Central. Normally, the vicious traffic would have given her plenty of reason to snarl and bitch, but tonight she was grateful for the distraction, and the extra drive time.

It was gelling for her.

She could see the method, the type of killers. She could walk through the scene over and over in her mind and follow the steps. But she couldn't find motive.

She sat in stalled traffic behind a flatulent maxibus and circled around the case again. Violence without passion. Murder without rage.

Where was the kick? The profit? The reason?

Going with instinct, she called up Roarke's personal 'link on her dash unit.

“Lieutenant.”

“What's your status?” she asked him.

“Healthy, wealthy, and wise. What's yours?”

“Ha. Mean, crafty, and rude.”

His laugh filled her vehicle, and made her feel slightly less irritable. “Just the way I like you best.”

“Location, Roarke?”

“Maneuvering through this sodding traffic toward hearth and home. I hope you're doing the same.”

“As it happens. How about a detour?”

“Will it involve food and sex?” His smile was slow, and just a little wicked. “I'm really hoping for both.”

Odd, damn odd, she thought, that after nearly two years of him that smile could still give her heart a jolt. “It might later, but first on our lineup is multiple murder.”

“Teach me to marry a cop.”

“What did I tell you? Hold on a minute.” She leaned out the window, shouted at the messenger who'd nearly sideswiped her vehicle with his jet-board. “Police property, asshole. If I had time I'd hunt you down and use that board to beat your balls black.”

“Darling Eve, you know how that kind of talk thrills and excites me. How can I keep my mind off sex now?”

Eve pulled her head back in, eyed the screen. “Think pure thoughts. I need to do another walk-through of the crime scene. I wouldn't mind having another pair of eyes.”

“A cop's work is never done, and neither is the man's who's lucky enough to call her his own. What's the address?”

She gave it to him. “See you there. And if you beat me to the scene, for God's sake don't tamper with the seal. Just wait. Oh, shit, parking. You need a permit. I'll-”

“Please” was all he said, and signed off.

“Right,” she said to dead air. “Forgot who I was talking to for a minute.”

She didn't know how Roarke dispensed with such pesky details as parking permits, and didn't really want to. He was just stepping onto the sidewalk when she arrived. She pulled up behind his vehicle, flipped on her on-duty light.

“ Pretty street,” he said. “Especially this time of year with the leaves scattered about.” He nodded toward the Swisher house. “Prime property. If they had any equity in it, at least the child won't be pe

“They had a chunk, plus standard life policies, some savings, investments. She'll be okay. That's one of the deals, actually. She'll be set pretty well, coming into the bulk of it when she hits twenty-one. They both had wills. Trust-fund deal for the kids, supervised by legal guardians and a financial firm. It's not mega-dough, but people kill for subway credits.”

“Did they make contingencies for alternate beneficiaries should something happen to the children as well?”

“Yeah.” Her mind had gone there, too. Wipe out the family, rake in some easy money. “Charities. Shelters, pediatric centers. Spread it out, too. Nobody gets an overly big slice of the pie. And no individual gets much above jack.”

“The law firm?”

“Rangle, the partner, gets the shot there. His alibi is solid. And if he has the co

He stood on the sidewalk, studying the house as she did. The old tree in front, busily shedding its leaves onto the stamp-sized courtyard, the attractive urban lines, the sturdy pot filled with what he thought were geraniums beside the door.