In Death 30 - Fantasy in Death

You’re especially interested in swords.”
    “Undercover road trip!” And now executed a quick, happy dance.
    “Jesus, Peabody, maintain some dignity.”
    “I’ve got to go home and change. I look too much like a cop.” Eve surveyed the breezy summer pants, the cheerfully striped skids. “You do?”
    “I’ve got just the thing. Things,” Peabody corrected. “I need a lot more sparkles, more color.”
    “Great, go get those, grab McNab, and take the first shuttle.”
    “Shuttle. Like one of Roarke’s right?”
    “No, like the shuttle regular people, including cops on undercover road trips take.”
    Peabody’s acre of grin tumbled into a pouty “Aw.”
    “I want buzz on U-Play, any underground data that might’ve leaked on this game, info on the sword, or its type. And I want you to stay out of trouble.”
    “It all sounded like fun a minute ago.”
    “You want fun? Go to the circus. For now, get McNab, go there. Pick up your con passes at Central Information. They’re under your name. And I don’t want to see any toys or games on your expense chit.”
    “What if we have to buy something to maintain our cover?”
    “Don’t.”
    “Less and less fun all the time. Are we cleared for a hotel if we need to follow up a lead?”
    Eve shot her a narrowed stare. “It better be a damn good lead and a cheap hotel or I take the expense out of your hide.”
    “If there’s any rumors, innuendoes, or hard data on this sword, a con’s the place to find them. Really.”
    “If I didn’t believe that you wouldn’t be going.” She pulled over to the curb in front of Peabody’s apartment. “Go get your geek on. Check in when you get there. Don’t screw up.”
    “Your level of confidence brings a tear of joy to my eye.”
    “You’ll be bawling tears if you screw this up,” Eve warned, and, dumping Peabody on the sidewalk, swung back into traffic.
    At Central she went straight to Homicide. No need to visit EDD as Peabody would’ve tagged McNab seconds after she hit the sidewalk. She’d go up, confer with Feeney after she had time to check in on her own division and read through more thoroughly the files she’d gotten from the lawyer.
    She stepped in, stopped short when she saw her commander. “Sir.”
    Commander Whitney nodded, gestured toward her office. “A moment of your time, Lieutenant.”
    He was a big man who moved well, who still managed to move like a cop despite his years behind a desk. Command lined his dark, wide face and, she thought, had added the gray to his close-cropped hair.
    She stepped in behind him, closed the door.
    “Can you spare me some of that coffee?”
    “Yes, sir.” She programmed it for him. “I have a meeting with Doctor Mira shortly to consult her on the Minnock investigation.”
    “So I read in your report. You’ve come from the victim’s lawyer.”
    “Yes, sir. Another college friend. She’s been very cooperative. I have the terms of his estate, will, partnership. It seems very straightforward.”
    He nodded again, sat in her visitor’s chair. Eve stayed on her feet.
    “The circumstances are . . . bizarre is the word that comes to mind,” he began, and sipped coffee like a man sipping a very fine wine. “And those circumstances are leaking to the media. Too many people knowing too much, and with the circumstances, very juicy fodder.”
    She glanced at her ’link, and the rapidly blinking light indicating numerous messages. “I don’t believe we should issue anything but the standard media release at this time. Beyond bizarre there are a number of lines and angles to deal with. We can’t deny the beheading, but I believe it’s necessary to keep as much of the rest as possible under wraps for now.”
    “Agreed. If the public gets the idea that this happened as a result of a game, we’d have panic. Every mother’s son and daughter in the city has a gaming system of some sort.”
    “I’m concentrating on identifying the weapon, or rather have Peabody and McNab on that. I’m sending them to a games convention in East Washington today.”
    “You’ve made two arrests. We’ll use that for now to keep things quiet. I’ve spoken with Captain Feeney. You’ll have as much from EDD as you need—including civilian consultants.” He paused, sipped again.
    “Roarke disclosed he knew the victim, and that his own company has a similar game under development.”
    “Yes, sir. I conducted a level three on those employees connected to that R&D. I