Survivor in Death

“She never intended to adhere to the conditions, to stay in New York, to allow him to see the kids again,” Peabody said.

“I don't know. She never told me, never even hinted, but no, I think not. I think she must have pla

“There are undergrounds, for people in her situation.”

“Yes. I didn't know then. When she vanished, I was sure he'd killed her and the kids. He's not only capable, but he has the means, the training. Even when he took me, I thought-”

“He abducted you?”

“I was on the subway coming home, and I felt a little sting.” She cupped a hand around her biceps. “I felt sick and dizzy-and I don't remember. I remember waking up, still sick. It was a room, a big room. No windows and just this ugly greenish light. He'd taken my clothes, all of my clothes.”

She pressed her lips together until they went white, reached blindly for her husband's hand. “I was on the floor, my hands in restraints. And as I woke I was lifted up, by some sort of pulley, so that I was standing, had to stand on my toes. I was six months pregnant with Ben.”

Turnbill pressed his face into his wife's shoulder, and Peabody could see now that he wept.

“He stepped in front of me. He had some sort of rod. He said, 'Where is my wife?' Even before I could answer, he pressed the tip of the rod here.” She laid a hand between her breasts. “Horrible pain, electrical shock. He told me, very calmly, that he had the rod on low, and would up the power every time I lied.

“I told him I knew he'd killed her, and he shocked me again. And again and again. I begged, I screamed, I pleaded, for myself, for my baby. He left me there, I don't know how long, then he came back and did it all again.”

“He had her over twelve hours.” Turnbill sucked in breath, ignored the tears on his face. “The police-you can't file a report, a missing person's, that soon. I tried, but they said it wasn't enough time, when I called. But it was a lifetime, for both of us. It was a miracle she didn't miscarry. When he was done with her, he dumped her on the sidewalk in Times Square.”

“He believed me, finally. He must have known that I would've told him anything just to stop the pain. So he believed me, and before he knocked me out again, he told me if I went to the police-if I implicated him in any way-he would find me again. He would cut the brat out of my belly and slit its throat.”

“Roxa

“No. He had that bastard with him. They were joined at the hip, claimed to be brothers. Isaac, Isaac Clinton. They were in the army together. He… he sat at some sort of console, controls. I don't know. I think he was studying some kind of readout. They had some sort of hookup on me, like in a hospital. He sat, the whole time Roger tortured me, and he never spoke. Not one word. At least not when I was conscious.”

“Was there anyone else?”

“I'm not sure. Sometimes I thought I heard voices, maybe a woman's. But I was out of my mind. I didn't see anyone else, and I was unconscious when they took me out, when they tossed me onto the street.”

“You didn't tell the police that you knew your abductors?”

“When I… when I came out of it, I was in the hospital. I was afraid for my life, for my baby's life. So I said nothing. I told them I couldn't remember anything.”

“What do you expect-” Turnbill began, but Peabody sent him a look of such sympathy his voice broke.

“I expect I would have done exactly the same,” she told him. “I expect my only clear thought would be to protect my child, my husband, myself.”

“We said nothing,” Roxa

“We left New York, we left our lives there, and came here. My parents live nearby. I realized she'd run-Dian-but I thought he'd find her. Kill her. Two years, I was sure she was gone. Then I answered the 'link. She'd blocked the video, but she said my name. She said my name and we're safe. That's all. She broke the co

“When was the last time she contacted you?”

“Three weeks ago. I don't know where she is, and if I did I wouldn't tell you, for the same reasons I said nothing after the abduction. We've made a life here. We have two sons now, and they're happy. This is their home. And still, we live in a prison because of this one man. I'm afraid every day, every single day.”

“We're going to find him, Roxa

19

EVE WAS BACK AT HER DESK WHEN ROARKE CAME into her office. He immediately sniffed the air.

“You had a burger?”

“What? No. Baxter, Trueheart. Let cops loose near food, it's a freeforall. They'd want a place in the city, wouldn't they?”

“Baxter and Trueheart? Is there something about their relationship I've missed?”

“What?”

“You keep saying that. You need to eat.”

Her mind cleared slightly as he moved into the kitchen. “I'm not talking about Baxter and Trueheart.”

“I'm perfectly aware of that. And yes, I agree. Kirkendall and associates would want a place in the city. Why risk ru

“I bet it's Upper West.”

“We agree again.” He came back in with two plates, and this time Eve sniffed the air. “What is that?”

“Lasagna.” Veggie lasagna, he thought. One of the easiest ways to get something green in her system that wasn't a gumdrop was to disguise it in pasta.

“Why do you agree? About the Upper West?”

He set one of the plates in front of her, the other across the desk. Then went to get a chair, and two glasses of wine. When a man wanted to eat a meal with his wife, and his wife was Eve, Roarke thought, the man learned to make adjustments.

“Considerable time and effort went into casing out the Swisher property. Not only the electronics, but lifestyle. They knew where to go and when to go. So-”

He set her wine down, tapped his glass against it, then sat. “More efficient to have a location near the target point. You can do drivebys, walk-bys, test your jammers and so on against their system. And you'd want to watch them.”

She watched him as she cut into the lasagna. “Because you'd want to see them alive before you saw them dead.”

“Oh yes. It's personal. So though the kill is clean and quick, you'd want the rush beforehand. Look at them, they don't know I have the power to end them. When and how I like.”

“It's a little strange being hooked up with someone who can think that much like a killer.”

He lifted his glass to her. “I'll say precisely the same. And make a considerable wager that your thoughts ran parallel to mine.”

“Yeah, you win.” She sampled the lasagna. Something in there tasted like spinach. But it wasn't half bad. “You come up with anything for me?”

“I'm a little hurt you'd have to ask. Eat first. You've heard from Peabody?”

“They're on their way back. Want to hear the roundup?”

“Of course.”

She told him while they ate.

“Torturing a pregnant woman,” Roarke commented. “Lower and lower. But he should've killed her, in hindsight. It seems his long suffering wife learned enough from him to keep her location-more likely locations, as she'd be smarter to move every few months at least- from everyone. He kept the sister alive assuming that his wife would, at some point, run to her family.”

“Then they'd all be dispensable. I really want this guy.”

This time Roarke reached over, laid a hand on hers. “I know.”