In Death 19 - Visions in Death

to go for Peabody." "He was supposed to go for you." "Makes more sense, goddamn it. I'm primary. I'm in charge. But he goes for my partner. So he could go after you. Working through the lineup, I get that now. Wants me to see he can take out my people under my nose. Wants me to know it before he comes for me." "I can follow the dots, Dallas, but it doesn't address how I'm suppose to gather data and report same when I come as a trio, and two of that trio are badges. Nobody's going to talk to me." "Deal with it," Eve snapped. "Just fucking deal, Nadine.
    He's not going to put his hands on another friend. He doesn't get the chance for another." Nadine studied the icy rage on Eve's face, and said nothing.
    She leaned back, took the coffee out of Eve's hand, sipped.
    "Tastes like warm piss," she commented, then sipped again.
    "No, maybe a little worse than that." "It's not so bad after the first gallon." "I'll take your word," she decided, and handed it back. "I don't want him to get his hands on me. I do want to mention I know how to take precautions. Particularly after my own romp in the park with a homicidal maniac a year or so ago.
    And I haven't forgotten who got me out of that. I'm also smart enough, and have a healthy enough sense of self-preservation to accept that there might be times I need someone to take an interest in my welfare. So I'll deal, Dallas." She shifted, looking for comfort on the hard floor. "And actually, the one on the left is kind of hot." "Try not to have sex with one of my men when he's on duty." "I'll try to restrain myself. I'm going to go see McNab for a minute." She nodded. Eve considered pacing again, or just closing her eyes and pushing herself into oblivion. Roarke came out before she'd decided, crouched in front of her.
    "It might be an idea to go down, get some food other than the slop available through vending for the horde in there." Trying to give me something to do with myself?" "Both of us." "Okay." He straightened, took her hand to pull her to her feet.
    "It just seems like we should know something more by now. It just seems like--" She looked toward the elevators and saw Louise and Charles rushing in.
    "News?" Charles demanded.
    "Nothing. Nothing for over an hour now." "I'll go into surgery." Louise squeezed Charles's arm. "I'll scrub up, get a look for myself." "That'll be better," Eve said when Louise dashed off. "We'll know more, and that'll be better." "What can I do?" Charles gripped Eve's hand. "Give me an assignment something." She looked into his eyes. The friendship deal came in a lot of layers, she thought, a lot of measures. "Roarke and I were talking about getting some food for everybody." "Let me take care of that. I'll just go let McNab know we're here, and I'll take care of it." "It keeps rippling, doesn't it?" Roarke watched Charles move through the groups of cops to where McNab stood.
    "All the people, the relationships, the connections. Lieutenant." He framed her face with his hands, kissed her gently on the forehead. "It wouldn't hurt you to find a flat surface, close your eyes for a few minutes." "Can't do it." "I didn't think so." She waited. And felt she was at the center of a vortex as she contacted or was contacted by Whitney, Mira, Peabody's family. Cops came. Some went, more stayed. EDD and Homicide, uniforms and rank.
    "Get McNab," she murmured to Roarke when she spotted Louise. "Keep it low. I don't want the whole department out here when she fills us in." Bracing herself, she stepped forward to meet Louise.
    "Roarke's getting McNab, so you only have to say it once."
    "Good." She wore scrubs now, pale green and baggy. "I'll go back, observe, but I wanted to give you what I could." Roarke came out with McNab, with Feeney and Charles.
    The first circle, Eve supposed, of all those spreading ripples.
    "Are they finished?" McNab said quickly. "Is she--" "They're still working on her. It's going well. She's got a solid surgical team, Ian, and she's holding her own." She reached out, took his hands. "It's going to take a while longer.
    There was extensive damage, and the fact is she's undergoing more than one surgery. Her vitals are good, and everything that can be done is being done." "How much longer?" Eve demanded.
    "Two, three hours more. At least. She's critical, but she's holding. Now I'm going to suggest you go down and give blood. It's something positive you can do. I'll go back in, observe. The head of the surgical team will give you more details