In Death 30 - Fantasy in Death

You’ve got over an hour before the briefing. Go away—and don’t bother my partner.”
    “I wouldn’t be a bother,” he began, but her communicator signaled and he slipped out.
    “Dallas.”
    Dispatch, Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. Report to 431 Spring Street, Apartment 3.
    “Cilla Allen’s residence. Is she dead?”
    Negative. Allen, Cilla, is being transported to St. Ignatius Hospital by emergency unit. Condition critical, multiple injuries. Report to officers on-scene and secure.
    “Copy that. Dallas out.”
    She swung into the bullpen. McNab, who was bothering her partner, started to grin. Then saw her face. He laid a hand on Peabody’s shoulder briefly. “Shit.”
    “Cill’s being transported to St. Ignatius, critical condition. Let’s go.”
    “What happened?” Peabody asked as she shoved up to follow Eve’s long stride.
    “That’s what we’re going to find out.” She shook her head as Peabody started to speak again. “Try U-Play. I want to know if Var and Benny are there, and if so, I want you to verify that by speaking to them.”
    Peabody followed orders as they rode down to the garage. “Not there. Both of them left, together, about a half hour ago.”
    “Together,” Eve murmured, nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good play. I want a guard on her—in the ER, the OR, ICU, whatever and wherever. She’s under our watch as of now, twenty-four/seven. See if we can get any details on her injuries, her condition. I don’t want to hear multiple injuries, critical. I want some fucking details.”
    “Yes, sir.” Peabody slanted a glance toward Eve as they jumped into the vehicle.
    She braced herself as Eve peeled out.

18
     
     
     
    E ve ignored the retro-style elevator and bounded up the steps. “Report,” she ordered the officer on the door as she grabbed Seal-It from her field kit.
    “Sir. Nine-one-one came in from Levar Hoyt at nine fifty-six from his ’link and from this location. My partner and I were dispatched as was a medi-unit. We arrived on-scene at ten-oh-two, ahead of the mediunit by approximately two minutes.”
    Good response time, Eve thought, and gave him a go-ahead nod.
    “We were met at the door by Mr. Hoyt, who immediately showed us into the holo-room at the east side of the unit. The victim, Ms. Cilla Allen of this address, was on the floor, unconscious, and appeared to be seriously injured. A Benny Leman was found in the room with her. He stated that he had not moved the victim in fear of adding to her injuries, but had checked her pulse, and attempted to ascertain the extent of said injuries. He was somewhat incoherent at the time. My partner and I removed the two men and placed them in what appears to be a viewing room where Officer Uttica remains with them. They became increasingly agitated and expressed strongly the desire to remain with the victim, who they identified as their business partner.
    “I returned to speak to the MTs regarding the victim’s injuries, which they described as critical and including a fractured skull, a shattered elbow, a broken leg, and at least two broken ribs as well as numerous lacerations and contusions. They transported her to St. Ignatius Hospital, departing at approximately ten-fifteen.”
    “That’s some report, Officer Kobel.”
    “I like to be thorough.”
    “Stay on the door,” she ordered.
    “Yes, sir.”
    She moved directly to the holo-room where Cill’s blood, she assumed, stained the floor.
    “Let’s get samples of that, make sure it’s all hers.”
    She walked over to the control. “There’s a disc in here, and it’s going to be Fantastical.”
    “Same setup as Minnock,” Peabody observed, “but from the description of her injuries it sounds like the killer decided to beat her to death.”
    “Then why didn’t he finish the job? She’s down, broken, unconscious. Why leave her breathing after you’ve gone to all that trouble?”
    “Maybe he got spooked, or thought she was dead.”
    No, Eve thought. Just no. “He’s too smart to leave her breathing. It’s a really big mistake.”
    “Not if she doesn’t make it.”
    Eve shook her head. “Go ahead and call the sweepers, and EDD. We’ll see if the partners know her security code. Maybe we can get this disc out without frying it. Either way, I want to know when she started the game, how long she played it.”
    “On it. Do you want me to take one of them in another room to get his statement?”
    “No. We’ll take them together. Let’s see how they