Delusion in Death

hesitatedas she spotted Callaway, then sent Eve a hard stare. “Lieutenant, I need to speak with you a moment. Privately.”
    “We may just have caught a break,” Eve began.
    “I prefer not to have this discussion in front of a civilian.”
    Eve surged to her feet, stomped out.
    “Looks like a power struggle,” Callaway said.
    “You could say so.” Peabody looked up from her computer. “While they’re at it, let’s go over those details again.”

18
    “I’ve had the parents taken to a safe house. I persuaded them to tell me about a couple incidents in Callaway’s childhood.”
    “Feel free to use them,” Eve told her, “if a door opens. But don’t screw up my timing or the rhythm. We’re working him. He thinks he owns the room. I led him to one of the survivors, tailoring her into the source. He took the bait and ran with it.”
    “Once you take the bait, you’re hooked. Running becomes problematic.”
    “Whatever, he’s adding a lot of details. Too many details.”
    “Pride and pleasure cause people to elaborate as much as guilt.”
    “I’m going to push him on Jeni Curve next. The conflict between you and me gives him the illusion of power. He’s going to pride and pleasure himself right into a cage. So.” Eve hooked her thumbs in her belt loops. “I think you’re a pushy federal shill wrapped in red tape.”

    Teasdale picked a minute piece of lint from her lapel. “I see you as an incompetent, overly aggressive city employee.”
    “That should do it.” Eve opened the door. “It’s still my case.”
    “Not for long. I beg your pardon, Mr. Callaway, but I have strong objections to involving a civilian in this highly sensitive investigation, particularly one with connections to several of the victims.”
    “That connection’s given us CiCi Way, and an angle to push, Agent Teasdale,” Eve reminded her. “You and the HSO are secondary investigators in this matter. You’re basically a consultant yourself until I hear different.”
    Deliberately she turned her back on Teasdale, faced Callaway. “I’d like to move on to the second location.”
    “I wasn’t there.”
    “But you’re familiar with the café, know several of those who were killed or injured. Let’s try the visualization again.”
    “For God’s sake,” Teasdale muttered.
    “Look, Agent, we might get the same line on Curve with this.”
    “Jeni?” Shock registered on Callaway’s face. “You don’t seriously suspect Jeni.”
    “I don’t want to influence your memories here. Let’s just focus on yesterday. You stayed in for lunch?”
    “Actually, I wanted some air, some head-clearing time, so I went out.”
    “Do you remember what time you left the office? The building? If not, we can check logs and discs.”
    “I think it was around twelve-fifteen. Near that time. I grabbed a pita—veggie and cheese, and a ginger ale from a cart about a block from the office. I’m not sure he’d remember me. He was busy.”
    “Where did you go, what did you see? Take your time,” Eve encouraged. “Try to see it again.”

    “I was thinking about Joe. It’s why I wanted the air, and some time to myself—out of the office. Thinking about him, his wife, his kids. I kept remembering how we’d sat at the bar just before … I didn’t want to say anything in front of Nancy, but Joe and I worked together quite a lot on the side. He often needed a little help on projects.”
    “He’d come to you?”
    “I was glad to help.” Callaway brushed that away, as if it didn’t need mentioning. “As I said, he has kids, and that long commute every day. A wife who, understandably, wanted his attention when he was home. Sometimes he had trouble keeping his head in the game—a spat with the wife, the kids acting up.”
    “So he had trouble at home?” Eve asked, all attention.
    “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” But his face clearly did. “But that added pressure, and demands on this time, his attention, so I’d give him some input, another set of eyes, you could say.”
    “I’m sure he appreciated it.”
    “It wasn’t a big deal,” Callaway said, glancing down in modesty. “I’m sure he’d have done the same for me if I’d needed his help. In any case, I just wanted to walk, so I walked and ate lunch. Nancy’s so emotional right now. She hasn’t been able to get a handle on things. I’m happy to lend a shoulder or take on some extra work, but I needed a break.”
    “I understand. Were you ever in sight