In Death 16 - Portrait in Death

Their life.
     
     
***
     
     
She was definitely relaxed, and not particularly sleepy when they arrived at the transport dock in New York. Then again, she figured, if a woman wasn't relaxed after an energetic session of cribbage with Roarke, something was wrong with her.
     
     
She let him take the wheel of the city vehicle she'd left in his personal parking slot for the drive home so she could use her energies to alert Central she was back, and on duty.
     
     
"No point in mentioning you could have taken a couple of hours personal time before diving back in."
     
     
"I've had more than my quota of personal time. I'm fine." She looked over at him. "We're fine now."
     
     
He closed a hand over hers as he maneuvered through the early morning traffic. "We are, yes. My head's clearer than it's been in days. I guess I'm a bit anxious to get back to things myself."
     
     
"Good deal. So before we both get back to things, is there anything else you should tell me?"
     
     
He thought of Grogin, and how close he'd come to crossing a line. Eve's line. "No. Oh wait, there is one thing. It turns out I'm a year younger than I thought I was."
     
     
"No kidding. Huh. Does it feel weird?"
     
     
"A bit, actually."
     
     
"I guess you'll get used to it." She snuck a look at the time. "Listen, I'll dump you home, then head straight downtown to... Damn." Her communicator signaled.
     
     
DISPATCH, DALLAS, LIEUTENANT EVE.
     
     
"Dallas, acknowledged."
     
     
REPORT EAST SIDE HEALTH CENTER, SECOND LEVEL UNDERGROUND PARKING FACILITY. HOMICIDE VERIFIED BY FEENEY, CAPTAIN RYAN, ON SCENE.
     
     
"On my way. Dallas out. Goddamn it, goddamn it. I thought I had more time. I have to dump you now, Roarke."
     
     
"I'll take you. Let me do this," he said before she could object. "Let me do whatever I can."
     
     
Chapter 19
     
     
Sirens were screaming, and the lights from the emergency vehicle whirled as it sped by. Someone was in trouble.
     
     
But Alicia Dilbert had no more need for sirens or whirling lights; her trouble was over.
     
     
The scene was already cordoned off, with cops doing their busy work. The morning was beginning to steam, with the hot breath from the subway belching up through the sidewalk vent adding another layer.
     
     
On the corner, an enterprising glide-cart operator was set up and doing a brisk business selling coffee and fried egg sandwiches to cops and health workers-both of whom should have known better.
     
     
Eve smelled the stink of fake eggs sizzling on the grill, the body odor from men who'd been at work too long, and the medicinal scent of hospital that clung to the crowded air.
     
     
If the dog days of August didn't take a breather soon, the city was going to parboil in its own sweat.
     
     
She sealed up, and crouched with Feeney by the body.
     
     
"Got word you were back, so I held off having her bagged." He nodded toward Roarke who stood at the edge of the barricade. "Quick trip."
     
     
"Yeah. We're fine. He's fine. Shit, Feeney. Shit. I should've been here."
     
     
"Wouldn't have made a damn, and you know it. He didn't get past us. Van hasn't been touched. Nobody approached it."
     
     
"She's still dead, so he got past us one way or another." She fixed on microgoggles and studied the neat heart wound. "He keeps things orderly, stays on pattern." With the goggles in place, she could see the thin, faint line of bruises around the wrists.
     
     
"He posed her. When Morris gets her in, he'll find other marks from the wires he uses."
     
     
"Yeah. Dallas. He went a little off pattern this time around." Though his face was cold and set, there was a little flare of fury in his eyes as he reached in his evidence bag and took out a sealed note.
     
     
"She was holding this. He had it taped to her fingers." He turned the bag to show Eve the envelope, and her name printed on it.
     
     
Eve took the evidence bag, turned the note to read.
     
     
Lieutenant Dallas. You don't understand. How could you? Your scope is limited. Mine is expanded. You see here a victim, but you're wrong. She has been given a gift, a great gift, and by a small sacrifice offers that gift to others.
     
     
You think I'm a monster, I know. There will be those who agree with you and curse my name. But there will be more, many more, who will see, and finally understand the art, and the beauty, and the power I've discovered.
     
     
What I do is not simply for myself, but for all mankind.
     
     
Her light