In Death 17 - Imitation in Death

together. "I say we've got one killer employing a variety of methods. And this occurred to me when I got wind of the last-"
     
     
"Cox was attacked. about two-thirty this morning. Shouldn't you have been asleep, or banging your flavor of the month?"
     
     
"I was asleep, and was awakened from my virginal bed--"
     
     
"Pig's eye.,,
     
     
"With an anonymous tip," Nadine finished with a little cat's smile. "I started wondering, then I started working, and I started asking myself what these three -women had in common, besides you. I decided, the killer. The first was, obviously, an imitation of the infamous Ripper. What if the others were also imitations of previous crimes?"
     
     
"I'm not going to comment on this, Nadine."
     
     
"Albert DeSalvo and Theodore Bundy.'
     
     
"No comment."
     
     
"I don't need you to comment." She leaned forward. "I can put enough together to go on the air with a story, with supposition."
     
     
"Then what're you doing here?"
     
     
"Giving you a chance to confirm or deny, or to ask me to hold the story I'm putting together. I'll hold it if you ask me, because you won't unless you need to."
     
     
"You're also thinking I won't ask unless you're right, and then you'll have a big, sexy story with big, sexy ratings."
     
     
"That plays, too. But I'll still hold it, if you need me-to. And by holding it, I'm giving competitors the chance to come to the same conclusions I have."
     
     
Eve contemplated her doughnut. "I need to think a minute, so just be quiet."
     
     
There were pros and cons here, and Eve ran through them all while Nadine sat silently, eating her muffin crumb by crumb.. "I'm not going to give you data. I'm not even going to give you hints. Because when I'm asked, and I will be, I want to be able to say honestly that I didn't. That I wasn't your source. I'm not going to confirm or deny your supposition, which is what you'll have to say if and when you break this story. Lieutenant Dallas would neither confirm nor deny. I will, however, make a personal comment, between us girls. Besides having those pretty tits, you've got a sharp brain."
     
     
"Why, thank you. I've also got great legs."
     
     
"Now if I were doing this story, which I'm not, I'd wonder why this particular bag of nuts has so little personality, power, and imagination. He has to pretend he's somebody else to do the job. And the last time out, he flubs it up so bad, a girl about half his size hurts him and he has to run away."
     
     
Eve picked a sprinkle of colored sugar from the doughnut, laid it on her tongue. "Word is the primary investigating officer has 'a good idea just who he is, and is, at this time, compiling the evidence so that she can make an arrest, and ensure conviction:'
     
     
"Are you?"
     
     
"I will neither confirm nor deny."
     
     
"You're bluffing."
     
     
"No comment."
     
     
"Big bluff, Dallas. I go out with this, and you don't make that arrest quickly, you're going to look like an asshole."
     
     
"The story's your business. Now that I've finished my doughnut, I've got to get back to my business."
     
     
"I break this, and it goes down this way, I'm going to deserve an exclusive one-on-one."
     
     
"I'll see about that, as soon as I consult my crystal ball." Nadine rose. "Good luck. Serious good luck."
     
     
"Yeah," Eve murmured when she was alone. "I'm about due for some."
     
     
Chapter 18
     
     
She grabbed a conference room, brought in her disc files, set up her board. As she was finishing, Peabody, came in.
     
     
"Lieutenant, I'm supposed to do that. It's' my job to do that. How come you're not letting me do my job?"
     
     
"Bitch, bitch, bitch. I gave you another job. Did you inform Captain Feeney and Detective McNab of the time and place of this briefing?"
     
     
"Yes, sir, I-"
     
     
"Then why aren't they here?"
     
     
"Well, I..." She was saved. as the door opened. "They are here."
     
     
"Good job then. All right, people, take a seat. I'm going to bring you up to speed on my out-of-town-interviews, and why my conclusion is our target has practiced his skills in at least three other locations to date."
     
     
When she'd finished she was sitting on the corner of the table, drinking the coffee she noted Peabody provided her without request. "I'm pushing for the authorization to check travel on my suspects for the dates in question. The commander has agreed to put the pressure on, but as my list contains some influential names, it's taking time.