In Death 26 - Strangers in Death

dead.”
    “She knows he was screwing around. She knows something about it.”
    “I guess they probably always do. The spouse, I mean, of the screwing-arounder. And I think a lot of times they can just block it out, pretend it’s not happening hard enough so they start to believe it.”
    “Would you be shedding tears for McNab’s dead body if he’d been screwing around on you?”
    Peabody pursed her lips. “Well, since I’d’ve been the one who killed him, I’d probably be shedding tears for me because you’d be arresting me. And that would really make me sad. Easy enough to verify Ava Anders was out of the country when Anders died.”
    “Yeah, do that. And we’ll check her financials. They’ve got plenty of dough to roll. Maybe she cut off some to hire somebody to kill him. Paid his playmate to do it.”
    “Man, how cold would that be?”
    “We’ll run friends, business associates, golf partners—”
    “Golf?”
    “He had a golf game scheduled this morning with an Edmond Luce. Maybe we’ll shake loose something on who he played other games with when the wife was off with the girls.”
    “Wouldn’t you like to do that? Have a girl trip?”
    “No.”
    “Ah, come on, Dallas.” The very idea brightened Peabody’s voice. “Go somewhere with girlfriends, hang, drink lots of wine or fussy drinks, get facials and spa treatments, or lie on the beach, and talk about stuff half the night.”
    Eve glanced over. “I’d rather be dragged naked over jagged glass.”
    “Well, I think we should do it some time. You, me, Mavis, maybe Nadine and Louise. And Trina—she could do our hair and—”
    “If Trina comes on this mythical nightmare, I get to drag her naked over jagged glass. That’s my bottom line.”
    “You’d have fun,” Peabody muttered.
    “I would, I probably would. I’d feel bad about dragging her over jagged glass ten or twenty years later, but at the time, I’d have fun.”
    Giving up, Peabody huffed out a breath, took out her PPC, and began to do the checks and runs.

2
    IT WAS INTERESTING, BUT NOT SURPRISING, THAT Anders Worldwide’s New York headquarters were housed in the sleek black tower on Fifth. Roarke Enterprises’ New York headquarters also housed its base there and owned every inch of that sleek black tower.
    “Do you want to stop by and see—”
    “No.”
    Peabody rolled her eyes at Eve’s back as they stepped into the huge, glossy lobby with its rivers of flowers, its moving maps, its busy shops. “I just figured since we were right here—”
    “Why are we right here, Peabody? And if you roll your eyes behind me again, I’m going to poke them out with a stick.”
    “You don’t have a stick.”
    “There’s a tree right over there. I’ll get one.”
    Peabody sighed. “We’re right here because we’re investigating a murder.”
    “And do we think Roarke killed Anders?”
    “No.”
    Eve stopped at Security, started to badge the guard on duty. And he smiled toothily. “Lieutenant Dallas. You can go right up.”
    “I’m not going there. Anders Worldwide.”
    He tapped his computer screen. “Twenty-first and-second floors. Reception on twenty-one. You’ll want the first bank of elevators. Do you want me to call up?”
    “No, thanks.”
    Eve called the car, stepped on, ordered the twenty-first floor.
    “Do you think Roarke knew Anders?”
    “Probably.”
    “Could be handy.”
    “Maybe.” Eve had nearly reached the point where having Roarke know so many damn people wasn’t completely annoying. “The run said Anders is worth about half a billion including his controlling interest in Anders Worldwide.” Hooking her thumbs in her pockets, Eve tapped her fingers on her thighs. “That’s a lot of motives for murder. Add sex, you’ve pretty much got it all. Greed, jealousy, gain, revenge.”
    “The guy was practically asking for it.”
    Eve grinned. “Let’s find out.” Her face sober again, she walked through the open elevator doors.
    Behind a long red counter, three receptionists wore headsets and appeared very busy. Even so, the center one, a dark-skinned brunette, offered a beaming smile. “Good morning! How can I help you?”
    “I need to see whoever’s in charge.”
    “Which department are you—Oh.” She broke off, blinking rapidly at Eve’s badge when it slapped on the slick red counter.
    “All of them. Who’s the top dog under Thomas A. Anders?”
    “This is my first week. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.