Survivor in Death

One, Eve thought, and only on the taillights. But why quibble. “When contacted, Lieutenant Dallas would neither confirm nor deny the report.”

“A formal one-on-one would round this off sweet.”

“I'm cutting back on sweets. Later.”

Juggling plans in her head, Eve headed to her office, then swung toward Roarke's. She gave a quick knock, opened the door. And winced.

It was full of people. Or more accurately, it was full of Roarke and holos. His admin, Caro, sat in her tidy way, her hands folded in her lap. Two men in square, collarless suit jackets, and three women in similar conservative corporate gear studied yet another holo of some sort of elaborate development, complete with winding river and a sheer tower ringed with people glides.

“Sorry.” She started to back out, but Roarke lifted a hand.

“Ladies, gentlemen, my wife.”

They all looked over at her. She saw, clearly enough, the measuring of the females-and the reactions of puzzlement, even amusement. And she could understand it. There was Roarke, rangy and stu

And here she was, banged-up boots, hair she couldn't quite remember if she'd even finger-combed that morning, and a weapon harness over her shirt.

“We're just wrapping up,” he told Eve, then turned back to the group. “If you have any further questions, relay them through Caro. I want the changes discussed and implemented by this time tomorrow. Thank you. Caro, stay a moment.”

The holos, save Caro's, winked off. Caro rose. “Lieutenant Dallas. It's good to see you.”

“Good to see you, too.” Now, Eve thought, she'd have to make chatty talk. “Ah, how's Reva?”

“She's very well. She's moved back to the city.”

“Well, good. Tell her hi.”

Caro turned to Roarke. “You're conferencing again at eleven with the engineers on the project. And have a one o'clock with Yule Hiser that we've switched to 'link. Your two o'clock is Ava McCoy and her team. Then you're clear for your five o'clock. The Fitch Communications meeting is tentatively scheduled for nine p.m., via holo.”

“Thank you, Caro. Anything urgent, you know where to reach me.”

She nodded. “Lieutenant,” she said, and winked out.

“Who were the suits?” Eve asked.

“Architects. I'm still making some refinements on a new development on Olympus.”

“Six architects for one development.”

“A rather large and complex one-and that includes buildings, landscape, water, interiors… And you don't care.”

She felt a little pinch of guilt, right between the shoulder blades. “Not much, but that's not the same as not being interested. Which I am, in a supportive kind of way.”

He chuckled. “What do you need?”

Now a

“It doesn't, no.” He leaned back on his desk. “But you came in here because you did. There's no need to feel guilty about it, or to start worrying that I'm carving off my own worktime to help with yours. I wouldn't if I didn't want to do it.”

“Well, how do you feel about giving me a building downtown?”

“Which would you like?”

This time she chuckled. “Showoff. Have you got something untenanted? Something we can secure and wire up within twenty-four?”

“I imagine we can come up with something. That's your trap. Why downtown?”

“Because I know they're based uptown. Because when this goes down, I want it as far away from the kid as I can make it and stay in the city. I need a place where I can post up to a dozen men inside, where I can place snipers and tech response in select locations. I need to make it look like a safe house-cop security on doors and windows. And I need to be able to lock the place down tight as soon as I have them inside.”

“I'll give you some possibilities by this afternoon. That soon enough?”

“Good. There's this other thing. I'll make it quick. You said Richard and Elizabeth were coming today.”

“Yes, at four. I'll take care of that.”

“Much as I'd like to let you, it's not right.” She didn't have to be told the meetings Caro had rattled off weren't all he had on the big, shiny plate of Roarke Industries. “I dumped her here, I've got to do my part in it. I figure you've dealt with their security.”

“It's done.”

“I'm bringing Mavis in.”

“Excuse me?”

“The kid's a big fan. She brightened up when she heard I knew Mavis, and before I knew it I'd said something about yeah, she could meet her. Anyway, it seems like if I had Mavis come in, Mira-we'd need Mira to give an opinion on the kid's reaction to the fostering-it would look more causal. Like we're having guests over.”

His communication system beeped and buzzed, lights signalling incoming data. She wondered how he stood all the interruptions. Of which, she knew, she was one.

“In the real world of good and evil, good doesn't have a party if they've got a reason to think evil might try to crash.”

He gave her an easy nod. “Thereby giving the impression that there's certainly no young girl evil might want to get its hands on around here.”

“It's sort of braining a lot of birds with one stone. Leonardo's in Milan or Paris or someplace over there.” She gestured vaguely in what might've been the direction of Europe. “So if I bring her in, it'd be best to keep her here. Just in case.”

“I'd say the more the merrier-and merrier it tends to be with Mavis around-but it's not quite the phrase that comes to mind with a houseful of cops.”

There came the guilt again, with a more enthusiastic pinch. “I'll get them all out as soon as I can.”

“Holding you to that. Oh, I caught your performance on a media Bash right before my meeting.”

“Yeah. Heard it got screen time.”

“Some impressive maneuvers, both air and ground. Still you're lucky you didn't splat that new police issue of yours into the face of a building.”

“I couldn't. I wreck another ride this soon, even with Peabody offering a variety of perverted, possibly illegal sexual favors, I'd be lucky to score an airboard out of Requisitions.”

“An offer of a variety of perverted, possibly illegal sexual favors would score you any vehicle you might like from me.”

“ Peabody doesn't need the incentive. She already wants to jump you.”

“Flattering. But I was actually thinking of you in regard to those favors. But I'm sure Peabody and I can work something out.”

“I'd hate to put her back in the hospital this soon. Catch you at four.”

With Peabody, Eve made a point of going back to every crime scene she attributed to Kirkendall. She stood on the sidewalk, studied the building where Judge Moss and his family had once lived. Another family lived in the pretty brownstone now.

Did they think about it? Talk about it? Entertain their friends with the horror story?

“Baxter and Trueheart recanvassed here,” Peabody commented. “Showed off the composite and the military ID photos. Nobody remembers seeing them around. Two years since,” she added. “It was a long shot.”

“He didn't go after the wife on this one. You could speculate that he was more focused in on the judge. Or that he opted to leave her alive, to suffer. But he knew the routine, so he'd watched them.” She turned a circle. “A lot of places around here a guy could rent or buy, settle in, stake out. Isenberry probably handled this end. Smarter. Original canvass probably interviewed her. We'll re-evaluate the reports, see if we see anything on that.”

She got back in the car, drove toward the Swisher's. “Property around here's a good investment. He likes good investments. Maybe he bought in somewhere near the Moss residence, held on to it, rents it out. He partners up with Master Lu for investment, for income. Why not do some real estate?”

“Vary your portfolio.”

“Let's tug that line. See if we can find a property bought after the trial, before the bomb. It may not lead us to him, but it builds evidence. When these bastards go to trial, I'm going to have them sewn in a titanium shroud. Goddamn it!” She punched the accelerator as the Swisher house came into view. “Look at those idiot kids.”