Remember When

bulldozer, the bright yellow bulldozer. Kept it in the box, years and years in the box like a secret. You never played with it. Then you put it on your shelf.
    Why did you want it on the shelf? To show him you'd done what he told you?"
    "Are you sure?" He gripped her shoulders now, the frail frame with its thin and brittle bones.
    "Are you goddamn sure?"
    "They said you were dead." Her color went gray, her breath short and harsh. "They said you were dead, but you're not. I knew, I knew you weren't dead. I see you. Not a dream. You came back.
    You found us again. It's time to run. I won't let you hurt my baby. Time to run."
    She struggled, and her color went from gray to dangerously red. Trevor let her shove him back, and watched dispassionately as she gained her feet. The roses spilled out of the box, strewn over the path. Eyes wild, she set off in a hitching run. Then she stumbled, fell like a limp doll into the colorful flowers and lay still in the streaming sun.

30
    Eve faced the same receptionist at Dix's offices, but the procedure moved along at a much brisker pace. The woman took one look at Eve crossing the lobby and came to attention in her chair.
    "Detective Dallas."
    "Lieutenant." Eve held up her badge to refresh the woman's memory. "Clear me for Chad Dix's level."
    "Yes, of course. Right away." Her gaze skimmed back and forth from Eve's face to Peabody's as she cleared security. "Mr. Dix's office is on-"
    "I know where it is," Eve interrupted, and strode to the elevator.
    "Does it feel good to strike fear in the hearts of all people?" Peabody wondered. "Or does it feel just?"
    "It feels good and just. You'll get there one day, Peabody." Eve gave Peabody's shoulder a bolstering pat. "You'll get there."
    "It's my life's ambition, sir." They stepped in. "You're not figuring Dix is part of this."
    "Guy hides a fistful of diamonds in a toy truck where they've potentially sat for half a century?
    Nothing would surprise me. But no, Dix lacks imagination. If he has the thing, or has knowledge of its location, it's probably a fluke. If Dix knew about the diamonds and wanted more info, he'd have stuck to Samantha Gannon, played Romeo and pumped her for more data instead of twiddling his thumbs while she broke it off. No need for Tina Cobb as he had access to Gannon's place and could've conducted a dozen searches while they were still an item."
    "She wouldn't have told him about Judith and Westley Crew, even if they'd stayed an item."
    "No. Samantha's a stand-up. Gives her word, keeps it. Dix, though, he's a whiner. The book took Samantha's focus off him, so he's annoyed with the book. She gets media play and cocktail talk about it, so he's annoyed with her. The diamonds, as far as he's concerned, are nothing but a fluffy fantasy, and they inconvenienced him. But he's the direct link between Trevor Whittier and the Gannons. He's the twist of fate that brought it to a head."
    They walked off the elevator where the perky assistant was waiting. "Lieutenant, Detective. I'm sorry, Mr. Dix isn't in the office at this time. He had an outside meeting and isn't expected back for another hour."
    "Contact him, call him in."
    "But-"
    "Meanwhile, I need his office."
    "But-"
    "You want me to get a warrant? One that has your name on it along with his, so you can both spend a few hours downtown on this bright, sunny day?"
    "No. No, of course I don't. If you could just give me some idea of the nature of business you-"
    "What was the nature of my business last time?"
    The woman cleared her throat, glanced at Peabody. "She said murder."
    "Same goes." Without waiting for assent, Eve headed in the direction of Dix's office. The assistant scrambled at her heels.
    "I'll allow you inside, but I insist on being present the entire time. I can't just give you free rein.
    Mr. Dix deals with a great deal of confidential material."
    "I'm just here to play with his toys. Call him in."
    The woman unlocked the doors, then marched directly to Dix's desk to use his 'link to make the call. "He isn't answering. It's transferring to his voice mail. Mr. Dix, this is Juna. Lieutenant Dallas is in the office. She insists on speaking to you right away. If you could return my call ASAP and let me know how you want to proceed. I'm calling from your office 'link. Don't touch that!"
    Her voice spiked as Eve reached out for one of the mechanical trucks. Even the cool stare Eve shot over her shoulder didn't penetrate.
    "I mean it, Lieutenant. Mr. Dix's collection