In Death 20 - Survivor in Death

most of the day. I might need to relieve Baxter and Trueheart, pull in a couple of uniforms. That a problem for you ?”
    “Having a house full of cops? Why would that be a problem for me?”
    The dry tone made her smile. “I’m going to see the Dysons. Could be we’ll move her by tonight, or tomorrow anyway.”
    “The child is welcome as long as need be, so that goes for whoever you need to look out for her. I mean that.”
    “I know. You’re nicer than me.” She leaned down, kissed him. “I mean that.”
    She reached over for her weapon harness, strapped it on. “With the Dysons as legal guardians, I can bypass Child Protection and get them moved into a safe house without any sort of data trail.”
    “You’re concerned whoever did this to her family will want to clean up the loose end.”
    “It’s a good bet. So her location will be need-to-know, with no paperwork.”
    “You told her you’d arrange for her to see her family. Is that wise?”
    Eve picked up the boots she’d thrown in temper the night before. “She’ll need to. Survivors of violent crimes need to see the dead. She’ll have to wait until it’s safe, and until Mira clears it, then she’ll have to deal. It’s her reality now.”
    “You’re right, I know. She looked so small in that bed last night. It’s the first I’ve dealt with this, specifically. A child who’s lost so much. It wouldn’t be the first for you.”
    After dragging on the boots, she remained sitting on the arm of the sofa. “Not many firsts left in my line. You’ve seen this at Dochas,” she said, thinking of the shelter Roarke had built. “And worse than this. That’s why you made the place.”
    “Not quite so personally. Would you want Louise to help in this?”
    Louise Dimatto, crusader and doctor, head of Dochas--she’d be a plus, Eve thought, but she shook her head. “I don’t want to pull anyone else in, not at this point anyway. Especially a civilian. I’ve got to get set up before the rest get here. If you get anything on the security system, let me know.”
    “I will.”
    She leaned down, brushed his lips with hers. “See you, ace.”
    She was revved to work, ready to do what she knew how to do. While Baxter and Trueheart plowed through some drone work, Feeney, his EDD team--along with their civilian expert--pushed on the security angle, she and Peabody would continue the interview process.
    It was likely, she thought, that the killers had been hired, and were even now out of the city. Even off planet. But once she found the root, she’d work her way up the stem, then break off those branches.
    And that root was buried somewhere in the lives of an ordinary family.
    “Ordinary family,” she said when Peabody walked in. “Mother, father, sister, brother. You know about that.”
    “And good morning to you, too.” Peabody all but sang it. “It’s a lovely fall day. Just a bit brisk, with the trees in your beautiful, personal park just--what is it--burnished with that last stand of color. And you were saying?”
    “Jesus, what happy bug jumped up your ass?”
    “I started out my day with what you could call a bang.” She showed her teeth. “If you know what I mean.”
    “I really don’t want to know. Really don’t.” Eve pressed the heel of her hand against her left eye as it twitched. “Why do you do that? Why do you insist on making me see you and McNab having sex?”
    Peabody only flashed a wider grin. “Gives my day an extra bounce. Anyway, I saw Nixie for a minute downstairs. How’d she do last night?”
    “Had a nightmare, took a soother. Would you also like to discuss fashion, or any current events while we’re chatting?”
    “No happy bug up your ass,” Peabody grumbled. “So,” she said when Eve merely studied her with steely eyes, “you said something about families.”
    “Oh, I see we’re ready to work now.” Eve gestured to the board where, in addition to the on-scene pictures, she’d pinned photos of the family, alive and smiling for the camera. “Routines, families have routines. I had Nixie take me through the morning before the murder, so I’ve got a sense of theirs: breakfast together, hassling the kids, father walks them to school on his way to work, and so on.”
    “Okay.”
    “So, somebody surveilling them would get a good sense of their routine, too. Easy enough to snatch and grab one of them, if one of them is the problem. A little persuasion and you know if you’ve got a problem. Tells