In Death 08 - Conspiracy in Death

for you. I want to assure you that the department will handle this, and her."
    "Permission to speak frankly?"
    "Of course."
    "She shouldn't be on the street, she shouldn't be in uniform. She's dangerous, Commander. That's not a personal jab, it's a professional opinion."
    "And one I tend to agree with, but it's not always as simple as it should be. Which brings me to another issue. The mayor contacted me over the weekend. It appears he was contacted by Senator Brian Waylan with a request that the investigations, over which you are primary, be reassigned."
    "Who the hell is Waylan?" Eve was on her feet again. "What's some overfed politician have to do with my case?"
    "Waylan is a staunch supporter of the American Medical Association. His son is a doctor and on staff at the Nordick Center in Chicago. It's his belief that your investigation, and the resultant media, has impinged the medical community. That it may start a panic. The AMA is concerned and willing to fund its own, private investigation into these matters."
    "I'm sure they would, as it's clear it's one of their own who's killing people. This is my case, Commander. I intend to close it."
    "It's likely that you'll get little cooperation from the medical community from this point on," Whitney continued. "It's also likely that there will be some political pressure brought to bear against the department to shift the nature of the investigation."
    He indulged himself briefly with the faintest of scowls, then his face slipped back into neutral. "I want you to close this case, Dallas, and quickly. I don't want you distracted by a personal... irritant," he decided. "And so I'm asking you to let the department handle the Bowers situation."
    "I know my priorities."
    "Good. Until further notice, this case, and all related data, are blocked from the media. I want nothing new to leak. Any and all data relating is to be on a need-to-know basis, with full copies encoded to my attention."
    "You believe we have a leak in the department?"
    "I think East Washington is much too interested in our business. Put together a team, keep it Code Five from this point," he ordered, blocking any unsealed interdepartmental reports and adding a media block. "Put this one to bed."

CHAPTER TWELVE
    "I can run a probability scan back in EDD in half the time it's going to take you to put it through this reject from the ark."
    "You're not in EDD, McNab."
    "You're telling me. And if you want a full run on the London victim done right, I should be doing it. I'm the E-detective."
    "I'm the primary's aide. Stop breathing on me."
    "You smell pretty good, She-Body."
    "You're not going to have a nose to smell with in about five seconds."
    Eve paused outside her office door and rapped her fists against the sides of her head. This was her team, squabbling like a couple of five-year-olds while Mom was away.
    God help her.
    They were glaring at each other when she stepped in. Both jerked back, shifted attention to her, and struggled to look innocent.
    "Recess is over, kids. Move it into the conference room. I tagged Feeney on my way down. I want all data on all cases streamlined and cross-checked by end of shift. We need to bag this bastard before he adds to his collection."
    After she'd turned on her heel and strode out, McNab broke into a grin. "Man, I love working with her. You think we'll headquarter in her home office on this one? Roarke's got the best toys on the block."
    Peabody only sniffed and began to gather discs and files. "We work where the lieutenant says we work." She rose, bumped into him, and felt her nerves sizzle. She stared dolefully into his cheerful green eyes. "You're in my way, McNab."
    "I keep trying. So how's Charlie?"
    She counted to ten, then replied, "Charles is fine, and it's none of your business. Now move your skinny ass." She gained some pleasure in elbowing him aside as she stomped out.
    McNab merely sighed, rubbed his sore gut. "You sure do it for me, She-Body," he muttered. "Christ knows why."
    Eve paced the conference room. She needed to put Bowers and that situation out of her mind. She was nearly there, she told herself. Just a little more cursing, a little more pacing, and she would have put Bowers in some deep, dark hole. With a few rats for company, she decided, and a single crust of moldy bread.
    Yeah, that was a good image. She took two more cleansing breaths and rounded on Peabody as her aide entered. "Death scene stills, on the board. Work up a location map,