In Death 22 - Memory in Death

Trudy.”
    “Who made things worse.”
    “I’ll say. Made her scrub in cold water every night. And other various torments. Kid squeals, but
    nobody’s buying. Not a mark on her. No outward signs of abuse, and it’s all put down to her prior difficulties. Until she tried to off herself. Slashed her own wrists with a kitchen knife.”
    Eve paused long enough to breathe out. “Oh, hell.”
    “Said it was Bobby who found her, called an ambulance. When she woke up in the hospital, they told
    her she’d attacked her foster mother. She swore that was a lie, but Trudy had superficial stab wounds
    on her forearms.”
    “Bitch did it to herself.”
    “I’m with that. But she’s back in the system again, and this time she stays in state schools until she’s
    of age.
    “She turned her life around, Dallas, you gotta admire it. Scraped it together to go to college for a degree
    in Elementary Ed, snagged a couple scholarships. She settled out in Iowa, said she just wanted to put it away. Close that door. Met her husband five years ago, got married.”
    “Then Trudy comes back.”
    “Parents might not like the idea of someone with her background teaching their tots, that’s how Trudy
    put it. If she wanted to keep all that boxed up, it would cost. These aren’t wealthy people, but Carly
    was scared. They paid. When I told her we were going to try to get the money back, she cried.”
    “How much did Trudy take her for ?”
    “Over the years, about a hundred and fifty thousand.” There was an account Roarke had opened in her name when they’d married. She’d never touched it, had never intended to do so. But, she thought now,
    if the system didn’t do right by Carly Tween this time, she’d do it herself.
    * * *
    In EDD, Eve studied the homers Feeney offered. They were bigger than she’d wanted, almost thumb-sized.
    “How am I supposed to get these on the subjects without them being aware?”
    He gave her one of hismorosescowls. “Hey, that’s your part of the show. You wanted audio. You
    settled for a simple beacon, I get you something not much bigger than a piece of lint.”
    “I want audio. I’ll figure it out.”
    “You’re welcome,” he muttered.
    “Sorry, sorry. Jesus. You’re the god of electronics. Appreciate you doing this. I know you’re shorthanded.”
    “Might as well be doing something.” He nodded toward his office door where the sounds of loud music, loud voices pressed.
    “They’re having a party. A quick one. I gave them an hour to blow off the steam, do the Secret Santa crap. Anybody who’s not on an active’s not coming in next two days.”
    “Cops know better than to figure crime takes holidays.”
    “Yeah, yeah. I got some boys on call. I’m coming in a half-day, just to round things up. Wife’s making Christmas dinner, and you’d think she was cooking for the royal freaking family. Says we gotta dress
    for it.”
    “What, you generally eat naked?”
    “Dress, Dallas. Like formal or some shit.” His already droopy face sagged. “She got the damn idea from you.”
    “Me? Me?” Insult, and a little fear, jumped into her voice. “Don’t hang your marital weirdness on me.”
    “It was the party at your place did it. Everybody all duded up and sparkly. Now she wants us all to get fancy. I gotta wear a suit in my own house. At my own table.”
    Because she felt guilty, Eve pulled her hands through her hair, and struggled to tug out an idea. “You could spill gravy on it right off.”
    His eyes brightened. “I knew I kept you around for something. The wife’s gravy’s lethal, too. I spill that on the suit, it’ll practically eat through the lining. Hey, Merry freaking Christmas, kid.”
    “Back atcha.”
    She toted the homers out, and had to slap a hand to her cheek as a muscle twitched. Straight in her line
    of vision, Peabody and McNab were locked in a big, sloppy kiss, hips grinding together as they used the music as an excuse for vertical humping.
    “Stop! Cease and desist, or I’m locking you both in separate cells for public lewdness.”
    She kept walking. When Peabody caught up, she was huffing. Eve didn’t think it was the quick trot that had her breathing heavy.
    “We were just”
    “Say nothing,” Eve warned. “Do not speak. We’re heading to the hotel. I’m going to get these wires planted, give the subjects the talk. You’re going to check out the banks on the list I’m going to give you. Show them Trudy’s picture. See if anyone