In Death 10 - Witness in Death

chocolate."
    "That stuff they sell in those places is swill."
    "Yeah, but it's chocolate swill." Peabody tried a pitiful, pleading look. "You wouldn't let her give us any of the good stuff."
    "Maybe you'd like some cookies, too. Or little frosted cakes."
    "That would be nice. Thanks for asking."
    "That was sarcasm, Peabody."
    "Yes, sir. I know. Responded in kind."
    The easy laugh had the black cloud lifting. Because it did, Eve pulled over at a cross-street 24/7 and waited while Peabody ran in and loaded up.
    "You know, I'm really trying to cut down on this stuff. But..." Peabody ripped into the pack of cookies. "Thing is, weird, McNab doesn't think I'm chubby. And when a guy sees you naked, he knows where the extra layers are."
    "Peabody, do you have some delusion that I want to hear how McNab sees you naked?"
    She crunched into a cookie. "I'm just saying. Anyway, you know we have sex, so you've probably reached the conclusion we're naked when we're having it. You being an ace detective and all."
    "Peabody, in the chain of command, you may, on rare occasions and due to my astonishing good nature, respond to sarcasm with sarcasm. You are not permitted to lead with it. Give me a damn cookie."
    "They're coconut crunchies. You hate coconut."
    "Then why did you buy coconut?"
    "To piss you off." Grinning now, Peabody pulled another pack of cookies from her bag. "Then I bought chocolate chip, just for you."
    "Well, hand them over then."
    "Okay, so..." Peabody ripped open the second pack, offered Eve a cookie. "Anyway, McNab's got a little, bitty butt, and hardly any shoulders. Still -- "
    "Stop. Stop right there. If I get an image of a naked McNab in my head, you're going back to traffic detail."
    Peabody munched, hummed, waited.
    "Damn it! There he is."
    Hooting with laughter, Peabody polished off the last cookie. "Sorry. Dallas, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Kinda cute, isn't he?"
    And, she thought, it had bumped whatever had been troubling her lieutenant out of the way.
    "Button it up," Eve warned, but she had to swallow a chuckle along with her cookie. "Brush the crumbs off your shirt and try to find your dignity somewhere." She pulled to the curb in front of Carly's building.
    The high-end neighborhood, the exclusive building, the plush lobby sent a different signal to Eve now. Anja Carvell had selected wealthy parents for the child. The kind of parents who could assure the child would grow up with privilege, security, luxuries.
    Had she taken as much care in researching the kind of people they were? Stable, loving, wise, supporting?
    "Peabody, we did the run on Carly Landsdowne's educational history? It was private schools, right?"
    "Yes, sir, I believe so." To verify, Peabody pulled out her PPC as they entered the lobby elevator. "Private and top rated, preschool through college. They sprang for a bunch of extras including drama, dance, music, voice. All private tutors."
    "What do the parents do?"
    "Father's a doctor, micro-surgeon. Mother's a travel agent, her own company. But she filed as professional mother from 2036 until 2056, the full twenty years allotted per child."
    "No siblings?"
    "None."
    "She picked winners. She was careful. It mattered," she said to herself as she stepped out and walked to Carly's door.
    It took two long buzzes before the door opened. Heavy-eyed, her hair sleep-tumbled, Carly gave a careless yawn. "What now?"
    "A moment of your time."
    "At dawn?"
    "It's after nine."
    "I repeat, at dawn?" Then she shrugged, stepped back. "Don't ask me anything until I get a cup of coffee. That should be added to those rights and obligations you're so fond of spouting."
    "Cranky," Peabody whispered as Carly strode away.
    Eve scanned the room, listened to the beep of the AutoChef, then tried not to let her mouth water when she caught the scent of rich and real coffee.
    "I saw you at Richard's memorial yesterday," Carly said as she breezed back in. Her robe slipped silkily off one shoulder as she sat, crossed long, bare legs. "You do get around."
    "Some of the matters I'm here to discuss with you are of a personal nature. You might want to ask your companion to leave."
    "My companion?"
    "Two wineglasses," Eve pointed out, with a nod at the low table. "Crushed pillows on the end of the sofa." She reached under one, tugged out one sheer leg of black hose. "Undergarments in unusual places."
    "So your clever deductive powers lead you to the correct conclusion that I had sex last night." She shrugged and her