In Death 08 - Conspiracy in Death

was it?" Eve asked.
    "Her skull was fractured. There was considerable hemorrhaging, swelling. The surgery went quite well, all in all. We're scanning her at regular intervals for brain damage. We can't be sure yet, but we're hopeful."
    "Has she regained consciousness?"
    "No."
    "Can you tell us what happened?"
    "You'll have to get those details from the police. I can only give you her medical data, and I shouldn't be doing that. You'll have to excuse me. We're monitoring her very closely."
    "Dr. Wo?"
    His already-weary face seemed to sink into itself. "We lost Tia moments ago. I came to tell Colin, but didn't have the heart to add to his burden. I hope you'll show him some consideration."
    "I need to see her records," Eve muttered when she was alone with Roarke. "How did she die, what did she take or do? Who found her and when? Damn it, I don't even know who pulled her case."
    "Find a source."
    "How the hell can I -- " She broke off. "Hell, give me your porta-link."
    He handed it to her and smiled. "Say hello to Nadine for me. I'll see if they'll page Peabody again."
    "Such a smart guy," she muttered and tagged Nadine at Channel 75.
    "Dallas, for God's sake, you've been dodging me for days. What's going on? Are you okay? Those stupid bastards! Did you see my feature? We're flooded with calls on it."
    "I don't have time for questions. I need data. Contact whoever you bribe at the ME's office and get me everything you can on Tia Wo, self-termination. She'll be coming in within the hour. I need method, time of death, who found her and called it in, who's handling the case, attending physician. Everything."
    "I don't hear from you for days, then you want everything. And who says I bribe anybody?" She sniffed, looked insulted. "Bribing public officials is illegal."
    "I'm not a cop at the moment, remember? The sooner the better, Nadine. And wait, can you dig any dirt on Senator Brian Waylan, Illinois?"
    "You want to know if I can dig any dirt on a U.S. senator?" She gave a low, rumbling laugh. "You want a truckload or a tanker?"
    "Whatever there is -- emphasis on his stand on artificial organs. You can get me at home or on Roarke's porta."
    "I don't happen to have Roarke's private numbers. Even I have my limits."
    "Have Summerset patch you in. Thanks."
    "Wait, Dallas, are you okay? I want to -- "
    "Sorry, no time." She broke transmission and rushed to the doorway just as Peabody strode down the corridor. "Where the hell have you been? I had you paged twice."
    "We're just a little busy. Feeney sent me down to check on Wo, who kicked about fifteen minutes ago. Her current cohabitant was there and got hysterical. It took me and two orderlies to hold her down so they could sedate her."
    "I thought she lived alone."
    "Turned out she had a lover, kept it quiet. She got home and found Wo in bed pumped full of barbs."
    "When?"
    "I guess it's been a couple hours. We got word after we came in on Louise. Cartright hooked the suspicious death, but it looks like straight self-termination. I have to risk this coffee."
    She crossed to the counter, sniffed the pot, gagged a little, but poured a cup anyway. "She didn't show for interview," Peabody continued. "Feeney and I went to her place, got a warrant for entry. She wasn't there. We looked for her here and came up empty. We had a couple of confirmations that she'd been in her office and the organ wing. We picked up Young and he lawyered up before you could swallow spit. We're holding him for formal in the morning, but he could dance on bail for the night. We were heading back to Wo's when we got word on Louise, so we came in, got her status."
    She gulped down coffee and shuddered. "So, how was your day?"
    "It sucked. What can you give me on Louise?"
    Peabody glanced at her wrist unit, then looked over before Eve could control the wince. "Sorry. Damn, Dallas."
    "Don't worry about it. You're on duty and pressed for time."
    "I'm supposed to be having a fancy French dinner followed by what I figured might be some fancy sex." She tried a smile. "But there you go. Louise got hit at the clinic. Blow to the head. Fractured right wrist indicates defensive wound. We figure she saw whoever bashed her. They used the desk 'link."
    "Christ, that took some muscle."
    "Yeah, and they did a number on her with it. She was in her office. Whoever did it left her there. There's a small drug cabinet in there, for samples. It was broken open and rifled. It happened between three and four this afternoon. She was