Survivor in Death

“Morning, boys and girls. Dallas, you should've sold tickets to that show last night.”

“I thought this briefing was reserved for real cops.”

At Baxter's comment, Eve shook her head in warning. She'd been expecting IAB to poke its sharp nose in. If it had to be IAB, Webster was a mixed bag. She trusted him, as she trusted no one else in that sector. But they had a dicey personal history, and she didn't need a former lover and Roarke butting heads again.

“There's data on this case that's on a need-to-know basis,” she began.

“The Tower,” he said, referring to Chief of Police Tibbie's office, “has decided I need to know. You've got considerable OF banked on this, multiple injuries civilian and department, property damage. You've got multiple dead civilians and two dead cops.”

He waited a moment, sca

“The devil we know,” Eve said.

“That's right.”

“Find a seat. You'll have to catch up.”

She continued the briefing, picking her way carefully now through data Roarke had gained. “We believe Kirkendall, Clinton, and Isenberry executed individuals on a freelance basis for various covert agencies. We have reason to believe they were co

“How do you come by that?” Webster asked.

She'd barely hesitated when Feeney spoke up. “It's data we were able to extrapolate from the military files provided,” he said smoothly. “EDD knows how to do its job, and this team knows how to put a case together.”

“With the Cassandra co

“The current murders don't seem to be part of a terrorist threat,” Webster put in.

“No, they're personal. Screw with me, I don't just screw with you- I kill you and your whole family. It's not revenge. It's pride. Who insulted his pride?”

“Everyone he's killed had a part in it,” Peabody commented.

“No, not everyone.”

“Well, the kid.” McNab glanced toward the door as if she might be listening on the other side.

“No. He wants her dead because his mission isn't complete until that time. His wife. It's his wife who dared to oppose him, dared to not only walk out with his kids, but who took him through the embarrassment of a custody trial. Who won. And who got away clean.”

“He can't find her.” Peabody spread her hands. “Neither can we.”

Eve thought of Roarke. He could, given the time, he could. But she wasn't going to endanger another family. “We can make him think we have her. It'll take a while to set up. Find a female cop who can handle it, one close to her build. We can use some enhancements, but she doesn't have to look identical. If he can have facial sculpting, he'd buy she could, too. We'd have to leak it so he didn't suspect it's a leak. And we've been pretty damn careful so far, so we'd need to trickle it.”

“Need a location.” Feeney pulled on his lip as he took up the thought. “Secure, so he'd buy we were holding her. Lure him in, box him in, shut him down. With the equipment and know-how he's got, you've got a hell of a trick on your hands, Dallas.”

“We put it together. I want it together within thirty-six hours, another twelve for sims. When we lay this trap out, I want it to spring shut right on their necks. Feeney, you and McNab take the computer lab.”

“We'll get on it.”

“The rest of you, give me five minutes with Lieutenant Webster.”

She waited until the room emptied and the door clicked closed. “This investigation, and last night's events, are my responsibility. The chief, IAB, or God Himself wants to file a complaint, it's on me.”

“So noted. I said I wasn't here to bust balls, and I meant it. The Duberry case, I've had a look at the files. While I wouldn't call the investigation sloppy, I'd call it narrow. Brenegan? It looked like a righteous bust that resulted in a righteous conviction. But this data calls that into question.”

“The cops on those cases complained to IAB?”

“Cops don't complain to IAB,” he returned with the slightest of sneers. “You avoid us like a case of the clap. But we get wind. Fact is, Dallas, if the primary on Duberry had done a more thorough job, scratched out that co

“Figuring a co

“You made the stretch.”

“I had more. If you're looking for fuel against another cop on this from me, you're not going to get it.”

“That's up to his superiors, not IAB. Regarding the media that's going to… has already started to explode on the incident last night, you spin that right-and you've got excellent media co

“Oh fuck that.”

“Don't think that's not just how Tibbie will have it spun. Not just your ass in the sling if you don't get some shine on this. Turn it around, get that sexy, fierce-eyed face on camera. Shake this off so you can get back to work.”

“I am back to work.” But she considered. “The spin lower the heat on the rest of the team, on the investigation?”

“Couldn't hurt. It couldn't hurt if you tell the rest of your team to cut me some serious slack. I was a good murder cop.”

“Yeah, too bad you didn't stick with that.”

“Your opinion. I can help, and that's why I'm here. Not to roust you, and not because I've still got a torch going. Maybe just a little smoulder now and then,” he added with an easy smile.

“Cut it out.”

The door between the offices opened. Though Roarke leaned against the jamb, he looked about as lazy as a wolf eyeballing quarry. “Webster,” he said in the coolest of tones.

Eve had a flash of the two of them beating the crap out of each other right where she now stood. She felt the tickle that might have been panic in the back of her throat as she stepped between them.

“Lieutenant Webster is here-at the directive of Chief Tibbie-as a representative of IAB and for the purposes of-”

“Christ, Dallas, I can talk for myself.” And he held his hands up, palms out. “Never touched her, don't intend to.”

“Good. She's on a difficult investigation, as I'm sure you're aware. She hardly needs either of us complicating things.”

“I'm not here to complicate things for her, or you.”

“Standing right here,” Eve said sharply. “You can stop talking around me.”

“Just clearing the air, Lieutenant.” Roarke nodded to her, to Webster. “I'll let you get back to work.”

“A minute,” she muttered and stalked into the office behind Roarke, shut the door with a decisive click. “Listen-”

He cut her off, pressing his lips to hers, then eased back. “I like to wind him up-and you as well. It's small of me, but there you are. I know perfectly well that he won't move on you, and if he lost his mind and did, you'd bloody him. Well, unless I got there first, which I sincerely hope would be the case. Actually, as I've told you before, I like him.”