In Death 19 - Visions in Death

gets over you, you can unload. That's all.
    And it wouldn't go beyond me." "You see me doing anything that interferes with the job?" "No. I only--" "Some people have personal stuff that can't be cleared up with a nice little heart-to-heart and ice-cream sundaes." She whipped away from the curb, cut off a cab, and punched it through a yellow. "That's why it's personal." "Okay." "And if you're going to sulk because I'm not crying on your shoulder, you can just suck it up." She swerved down a side street without a thought to destination. "That's what cops do. They suck it up, do the job, and don't go around looking for somebody to pat their head and say, "There, there." I don't need you to play the understanding friend so I can dump my guts all over the floor for your perusal. So just. . . shit, shit, fuck." She yanked the wheel, double-parked, and ignoring the furious blasts of horns, slapped on the On Duty light.
    "Out of line. Out of orbit. Way out. None of that was called for. None of it."
    "Forget it." "I'm tired," she said, staring out the windshield. "Beyond protein booster tired. And I'm edgy. And I just can't get into all the whys of it. I just can't." "It's okay. Dallas, I'm not sulking. I'm not pushing." "No, you're not." Hadn't been, Eve admitted. "And you're not taking a punch at me, even when I deserve it." "You'd hit me back, and you hit harder." With a short laugh, Eve rubbed her hands over her face, then made herself shift in the seat, meet Peabody's gaze.
    "You're my partner, and you're my friend. You're good in both areas. I've got. . . the shrinks would call them issues.
    I have to deal with them. If you observe something in my behavior that affects an investigation, I expect you to call me on it. Otherwise, I've got to ask you, as my partner and my friend, to leave it alone." "Okay." "Okay. Let's get moving before there's a riot, and they drag us out of the car and stomp us to death on the street." "I'm for that." She drove the next block in silence. "I'm going to drop you off at home," Eve said. "We need sleep." "Does that mean you're going home to work on the case alone?" "No." Eve smiled a little. "I'm going to take my meeting with Mira, then go home and crash for a while. I'll work some tonight. If you want to do the same, you could push at the ribbons some more. And verify Abel Maplewood's whereabouts on the night of." "Can do. What are we going to do about Sanchez?" "I'm going to sleep on it."
    Since her head was messed up, Eve figured it was a really good time to see a shrink. Or a really bad time. Either way, it wasn't smart to miss or cancel an appointment with Mira.
    Mira would take it fine, but her admin would punish you.
    So instead of lying facedown on some flat surface, catching some much needed sleep, she was sitting in one of Mira's cozy scoop chairs, accepting a cup of tea she didn't want.
    Mira had a soft, pretty face surrounded by soft, pretty hair the color of natural mink. She enjoyed attractive, monochromatic suits. Today's was the green shade of good pistachio ice cream. She wore a trio of beaded necklaces with it, in a darker shade of green.
    Her eyes were the same blue as her scoop chairs, and while invariably kind, rarely missed a detail.
    "You're exhausted. Haven't you slept at all?" "Couple hours. I drank a booster." "All well and good. Sleep is better." "Next on my list. Tell me about him." "Angry and violent, with that anger and violence targeted toward women. I don't believe his use of the red ribbon was accidental. Scarlet, the brand for whores. There's a duality in his view on women. Whores to be used and abused, yes, but the pose, the location, indicate an awe of them. A religious pose, a castle. Madonna, queen, whore. He chooses his symbols." "Why Maplewood, specifically?" "You believe she was specifically targeted. This wasn't random?" "He lay in wait. I'm sure of it." "She was alone and unprotected. She had a child, but no husband. This may play a part. She may also represent, by appearance, by lifestyle, by circumstances, the female in his life who influenced him. Sexual homicide with mutilation most often occurs when the perpetrator was abused or humiliated or betrayed in some fashion by a strong female figure.
    Mother, sister, teacher, spouse or lover. It's unlikely he has or has been able to maintain a long-term, healthy intimate relationship with a woman." "And sometimes they're just fucking murdering bastards." "Yes." Mira calmly sipped her tea. "Sometimes.