Survivor in Death

With the first cup of coffee down, she opened her closet and pulled out a pair of pants.

“Have some eggs,” Roarke ordered.

“I'm going to go over some data in my office before the rest of the team get here.”

“Have some eggs first,” he repeated, and made her roll her eyes as she shrugged on a shirt.

She marched over, picked up his plate, and shoveled in two forkfuls of his omelette.

“I didn't mean mine.”

“Be more specific, then,” she said with her mouth full. “Where's the cat?”

“With the girl, I'd wager. Galahad's shrewd enough to know she'll be more likely to share her breakfast with him than we are.” To prove it, Roarke took the plate back. “Get your own eggs.”

“I don't want any more.” But she nipped a piece of his bacon from the plate. “I expect to be in the field most of the day. I might need to relieve Baxter and Trueheart, pull in a couple of uniforms. That a problem for you?”

“Having a house full of cops? Why would that be a problem for me?”

The dry tone made her smile. “I'm going to see the Dysons. Could be we'll move her by tonight, or tomorrow anyway.”

“The child is welcome as long as need be, so that goes for whoever you need to look out for her. I mean that.”

“I know. You're nicer than me.” She leaned down, kissed him. “I mean that.”

She reached over for her weapon harness, strapped it on. “With the Dysons as legal guardians, I can bypass Child Protection and get them moved into a safe house without any sort of data trail.”

“You're concerned whoever did this to her family will want to clean up the loose end.”

“It's a good bet. So her location will be need-to-know, with no paperwork.”

“You told her you'd arrange for her to see her family. Is that wise?”

Eve picked up the boots she'd thrown in temper the night before. “She'll need to. Survivors of violent crimes need to see the dead. She'll have to wait until it's safe, and until Mira clears it, then she'll have to deal. It's her reality now.”

“You're right, I know. She looked so small in that bed last night. It's the first I've dealt with this, specifically. A child who's lost so much. It wouldn't be the first for you.”

After dragging on the boots, she remained sitting on the arm of the sofa. “Not many firsts left in my line. You've seen this at Dochas,” she said, thinking of the shelter Roarke had built. “And worse than this. That's why you made the place.”

“Not quite so personally. Would you want Louise to help in this?”

Louise Dimatto, crusader and doctor, head of Dochas-she'd be a plus, Eve thought, but she shook her head. “I don't want to pull anyone else in, not at this point anyway. Especially a civilian. I've got to get set up before the rest get here. If you get anything on the security system, let me know.”

“I will.”

She leaned down, brushed his lips with hers. “See you, ace.”

She was revved to work, ready to do what she knew how to do. While Baxter and Trueheart plowed through some drone work, Feeney, his EDD team-along with their civilian expert-pushed on the security angle, she and Peabody would continue the interview process.

It was likely, she thought, that the killers had been hired, and were even now out of the city. Even off planet. But once she found the root, she'd work her way up the stem, then break off those branches.

And that root was buried somewhere in the lives of an ordinary family.

“Ordinary family,” she said whenPeabody walked in. “Mother, father, sister, brother. You know about that.”

“And good morning to you, too.” Peabody all but sang it. “It's a lovely fall day. Just a bit brisk, with the trees in your beautiful, personal park just-what is it-burnished with that last stand of color. And you were saying?”

“Jesus, what happy bug jumped up your ass?”

“I started out my day with what you could call a bang.” She showed her teeth. “If you know what I mean.”

“I really don't want to know. Really don't.” Eve pressed the heel of her hand against her left eye as it twitched. “Why do you do that? Why do you insist on making me see you and McNab having sex?”

Peabodyonly flashed a wider grin. “Gives my day an extra bounce. Anyway, I saw Nixie for a minute downstairs. How'd she do last night?”

“Had a nightmare, took a soother. Would you also like to discuss fashion, or any current events while we're chatting?”

“No happy bug up your ass,” Peabody grumbled. “So,” she said when Eve merely studied her with steely eyes, “you said something about families.”

“Oh, I see we're ready to work now.” Eve gestured to the board where, in addition to the on-scene pictures, she'd pi

“Okay.”

“So, somebody surveilling them would get a good sense of their routine, too. Easy enough to snatch and grab one of them, if one of them is the problem. A little persuasion and you know if you've got a problem. Tells me the whole family was the problem. That's one.”

She stepped back from the board. “Two, they have contact with a number of people during the course of this routine: clients, coworkers, neighbors, merchants, friends, teachers. Where do one or more of them cross with someone who not only wants them dead, but has the means?”

“Okay, from what we know, no one in the family felt threatened or worried. From that we can deduce, no dangerous type came up to one of them and said: 'I'm going to kill you and your whole family for that.' Or words to that effect. From the profile on this family, if they'd been scared, they'd have made a report. They were law abiders. Law abiders generally believe in the system, and that the system will find the way to protect you from harm.”

“Good. So while there may have been an argument or a disagreement, none of the adults in the household took it seriously enough to take those steps. Or it happened long enough ago they no longer felt threatened.”

“Oh. There might have been a previous threat, a previous report,” Peabody responded.

“Start looking.” She turned as Baxter and Trueheart came in.

Within the hour, she had her team on their respective assignments and was driving out of the gates. “Dysons first,” she toldPeabody. “I want to handle that one, then we'll do formal interviews with the neighbors.”

“I'm not finding any official complaints filed by any of the Swishers or the domestic. Not in the last two years.”

“Keep going. Somebody who could do this would have a lot of patience.”

The Dysons had a two-level apartment in a security-conscious building on theUpper West Side. Even before Eve swung toward the curb, she spotted a pair of media vans.

“Goddamn leaks,” she muttered, and slammed out, leavingPeabody to flip the on-duty light.

The doorman had called out reserves-a smart move, Eve thought- and had two burly types helping him hold off the reporters.

She flashed her badge, saw the relief on the doorman's face. Not the usual reaction. “Officer.”

The minute he said it, the hungry horde swung on her. Questions shot out like laser blasts and were ignored.

“A media conference will be scheduled later today, at Central. The liaison will give you the details on that. Meanwhile, you will remove yourselves from this entrance or I'll have the lot of you arrested for creating a public nuisance.”

“Is it true Li

Eve reined in her temper. “In my opinion, the murder of a nine-year-old child is always a mistake. My only statement at this time is that all resources of the NYPSD will be utilized to identify those responsible for the death of that child. This case is open and active and we are pursuing any and all possible leads. The next one who asks me a question,” she continued as they were hurled at her, “will be ba