In Death 30 - Fantasy in Death

to start our own. He helped us out, gave us advice, let us play off him for ideas on how to set it all up. We’ve all got an open offer from Roarke Industries, SimUlate, or any of the arms. He wouldn’t steal from us. If we’ve got to give over a copy, I’d want it to be to Roarke’s cop, and Roarke. He’ll make sure nobody gets their hands on it. He’d do that for Bart.”
    She rose, still swiping at tears. “We’ll need to talk to the lawyer. We’d need to cover that much, and maybe get some sort of documentation on producing a copy for you. It’ll take a while to make a copy anyway. We’ve got a lot of security levels on it, and it’s dense, so it could take a while. Maybe a day to get it handled. But I’ll take care of it. Bart’s dead,” she said before either of her friends could speak. “Nobody’s going to put anything in the way of finding out who hurt him. Not even us.”
    “I’m sorry,” Var said as Cill left the room. “I didn’t mean anything about Roarke, that way.”
    “No problem.” Eve’s ’link signaled, told her the e-team had arrived. “My team’s here. You’re going to want to tell your people what’s going on.”
    She sent them out, and brought Peabody in. “I’ve got some details on the game the vic had in, and I’ll fill you in on that later. For now, I want to divide everyone on-site between the five of us. Pick five locations for the interviews, get the full list of employees, divvy them up. We’ll follow up with anyone who didn’t report to work today. Get statements, impressions, salients, and alibis. We’re going to run them all, then run their families and known associates. And we’re going to check financials. Maybe we’ve got somebody passing on data to a competitor for a little extra scratch.”
    “You think this is about the game?”
    “It’s more than a game,” Eve said with a thin smile. “It’s an adventure. I need to take care of something. You can send my share up here when you’ve set up.”
    “You get the cool room.”
    “Yes, I do. Move.”
    Had to be done, Eve thought. She’d have filled him in when she got home in any case. And the murder would leak to the media before much longer. He’d know when it did as he made a point to monitor the crime beat. Just a way to keep up with her.
    If she’d had the head for it, she supposed she’d have monitored the stock market and business news. Good thing for him she didn’t have a clue.
    She opted for his personal ’link, figuring he’d be too busy wheeling to answer, and she could leave him a v-mail.
    But his face flickered on-screen, and those bold blue eyes fixed on hers. “Lieutenant, nice to hear from you.”
    The combination of those eyes, the faint lilt of the green hills and valleys of Ireland in his voice, might have turned a weaker woman into a gooey puddle. As it was she couldn’t stop the quick jump of her heart.
    “Sorry to interrupt whatever.”
    “I’m on my way back from a lunch meeting, so you caught me at a good time.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “Where?”
    “Florence. The pasta was exceptional. What can I do for you?”
    “I caught a case.”
    “You often do.”
    Better quick, she thought. It somehow always was. “It’s Bart Minnock.”
    It changed—the easy good humor, the innate flirtation dropped away. The hard lines of anger didn’t diminish that striking face, but instead made the compelling the dangerous.
    “What happened to him?”
    “I can’t get into all the details now, but I just found out you knew him. I didn’t want you to hear about it on a media report.”
    “Has it to do with his work or was it personal?”
    “It’s too soon to say, but his work’s involved.”
    “Where are you?”
    “U-Play.”
    “I’ll be landing in about twenty minutes. I’ll be there within forty.”
    “Roarke—”
    “If it’s to do with his work, I’ll be helpful. If it doesn’t . . . We’ll see. He was a sweet boy, Eve. A sweet, brilliant, and harmless boy. I want to do what I can for him.”
    She’d expected as much. “Find Feeney when you get here. I’m sorry, Roarke.”
    “So am I. How did he die?” When she said nothing, sorrow clouded over the anger. “That bad, was it?”
    “I’ll talk to you when you get here. It’s complicated.”
    “All right then. It’s good he has you. I’ll be there soon.”
    Eve took a breath. He would be helpful, she thought as she stared at the blank screen of her ’link. Not only with the e-work, but