In Death 20 - Survivor in Death

uptown. Because when this goes down, I want it as far away from the kid as I can make it and stay in the city. I need a place where I can post up to a dozen men inside, where I can place snipers and tech response in select locations. I need to make it look like a safe house--cop security on doors and windows. And I need to be able to lock the place down tight as soon as I have them inside.”
    “I’ll give you some possibilities by this afternoon. That soon enough?”
    “Good. There’s this other thing. I’ll make it quick. You said Richard and Elizabeth were coming today.”
    “Yes, at four. I’ll take care of that.”
    “Much as I’d like to let you, it’s not right.” She didn’t have to be told the meetings Caro had rattled off weren’t all he had on the big, shiny plate of Roarke Industries. “I dumped her here, I’ve got to do my part in it. I figure you’ve dealt with their security.”
    “It’s done.”
    “I’m bringing Mavis in.”
    “Excuse me ?”
    “The kid’s a big fan. She brightened up when she heard I knew Mavis, and before I knew it I’d said something about yeah, she could meet her. Anyway, it seems like if I had Mavis come in, Mira--we’d need Mira to give an opinion on the kid’s reaction to the fostering--it would look more causal. Like we’re having guests over.”
    His communication system beeped and buzzed, lights signalling incoming data. She wondered how he stood all the interruptions. Of which, she knew, she was one.
    “In the real world of good and evil, good doesn’t have a party if they’ve got a reason to think evil might try to crash.”
    He gave her an easy nod. “Thereby giving the impression that there’s certainly no young girl evil might want to get its hands on around here.”
    “It’s sort of braining a lot of birds with one stone. Leonardo’s in Milan or Paris or someplace over there.” She gestured vaguely in what might’ve been the direction of Europe. “So if I bring her in, it’d be best to keep her here. Just in case.”
    “I’d say the more the merrier--and merrier it tends to be with Mavis around--but it’s not quite the phrase that comes to mind with a houseful of cops.”
    There came the guilt again, with a more enthusiastic pinch. “I’ll get them all out as soon as I can.”
    “Holding you to that. Oh, I caught your performance on a media Bash right before my meeting.”
    “Yeah. Heard it got screen time.”
    “Some impressive maneuvers, both air and ground. Still you’re lucky you didn’t splat that new police issue of yours into the face of a building.”
    “I couldn’t. I wreck another ride this soon, even with Peabody offering a variety of perverted, possibly illegal sexual favors, I’d be lucky to score an airboard out of Requisitions.”
    “An offer of a variety of perverted, possibly illegal sexual favors would score you any vehicle you might like from me.”
    “Peabody doesn’t need the incentive. She already wants to jump you.”
    “Flattering. But I was actually thinking of you in regard to those favors. But I’m sure Peabody and I can work something out.”
    “I’d hate to put her back in the hospital this soon. Catch you at four.”
    With Peabody, Eve made a point of going back to every crime scene she attributed to Kirkendall. She stood on the sidewalk, studied the building where Judge Moss and his family had once lived. Another family lived in the pretty brownstone now.
    Did they think about it? Talk about it? Entertain their friends with the horror story?
    “Baxter and Trueheart recanvassed here,” Peabody commented. “Showed off the composite and the military ID photos. Nobody remembers seeing them around. Two years since,” she added. “It was a long shot.”
    “He didn’t go after the wife on this one. You could speculate that he was more focused in on the judge. Or that he opted to leave her alive, to suffer. But he knew the routine, so he’d watched them.” She turned a circle. “A lot of places around here a guy could rent or buy, settle in, stake out. Isenberry probably handled this end. Smarter. Original canvass probably interviewed her. We’ll re-evaluate the reports, see if we see anything on that.”
    She got back in the car, drove toward the Swisher’s. “Property around here’s a good investment. He likes good investments. Maybe he bought in somewhere near the Moss residence, held on to it, rents it out. He partners up with Master Lu for investment, for income. Why