Innocent in Death (31 page)

“Rayleen, I’m Dr. Mira. I know you’re very frightened and very upset.”

Rayleen sniffled, raised her head to study Mira’s face. “You’re a doctor? Are you going to fix my mother?”

“Yes, I’m a doctor, and I know the doctor who’s helping your mother now. She’s a very, very good doctor.” Mira crouched down, all compassion and concern.

Good, Eve decided. Good and smart. Don’t align yourself with me. Just an attractive, female doctor. A motherly one. Eve turned, looking through the glass porthole on the trauma room door as Mira talked to Rayleen.

Inside, it looked to her as if they’d pumped stuff out of Allika, and were pumping stuff in. Louise wore a protective cape, her delicate blond hair clipped back, her smoky eyes intense.

If Allika had a shot, Eve knew Louise would give it to her.

Behind her, Mira spoke in a voice that exuded sympathy and authority. “I know you’re going to be brave now, Rayleen.”

“I’ll try, but—”

“I know it’s very hard. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I don’t know. My mom…We were supposed to have lunch at Zoology, then go to the salon. It’s our girl time.”

“Isn’t that nice?”

“We have lots and lots of fun together. But she called when we were in the museum and said we had to come home instead of her coming to meet us. She didn’t say why. She looked really tired, and she was acting funny.”

“Funny?”

“She said Cora should go, because it’s her half-day off. When she did, my mom cried.”

“I shouldn’t have gone out. I should have stayed.”

“It’s not your fault, Cora. My mom said she was sorry, and not to be mad at her. But I wasn’t mad at her. She couldn’t help it if she was sick. She gets sick sometimes, and needs to rest.”

“I see.”

“She hugged me, really, really tight. Like she does when she and Daddy go on a trip, and I don’t. A good-bye hug. She told me I was her princess, and the best part of her whole life, and how she loved me.”

Rayleen’s mouth quivered as she took a handkerchief with her name embroidered on the corner from her purse. She wiped at her eyes. “How she knew I’d be brave and strong, no matter what.” Her gaze ticked up to Eve’s back, held for an instant. “She said to remember, no matter what, she loved me best of all. Then she said I could get a snack and go play in my room, to be good. She was going to sleep. I was really quiet.” Fresh tears gushed. “So I wouldn’t wake her up.”

The nurse swung out, took a look at the weeping little girl. Her face radiated compassion, then she drew Eve out of earshot. “Condition’s still critical. If Dr. D manages to stabilize her, they’re sending her up to CCU. Her chances aren’t very good, but Dr. D’s fighting the fight.”

“Okay. Appreciate it.” Eve stared over the nurse’s shoulder. “That’s the husband coming down.”

Straffo bolted down the corridor, and Eve could all but feel the fear radiating from him. Rayleen jumped up, and into his arms. Cora rose, weeping and babbling.

Eve left them to it, while Straffo clutched his daughter, murmured to her. Then he set her down, brushed the hair from her face. She nodded, then sat with Cora again. Straffo went to the porthole, staring in as Eve had done.

Eve went to stand beside him.

“What do you know?”

“I know the doctor who’s working on her,” Eve told him. “She’s good, and she doesn’t give up easy.”

She heard him draw in a breath, let it out, and the sound was raw. “Thank you.”

“She’s critical, once she’s stable enough they’ll move her to CCU. She was overdosed with sleeping pills.”

“Oh, God, oh, God.” He laid his forehead on the glass.

“What was her mood when you left this morning?”

“She was stressed. We’ve both been stressed, for Christ’s sake. But…this has to wait. For God’s sake, Dallas, that’s my wife in there.”

“All right. I need to talk with Cora.”

“Yes, yes, fine.”

“Straffo?” She waited until he tore his gaze from the trauma room, met her eyes. “I’m pulling for her. For both of you. Believe me.”

Tears swam as he nodded. “Thank you.”

“Dr. Mira happened to be with me when we were informed. You know her, you know she’s good. She can stay with your daughter, talk to Rayleen while I interview Cora, and you’re focused on Allika.”

“Mira.” Distracted, he glanced around, saw Mira standing to the side. “Yes, yes. I’d appreciate that. I don’t want Rayleen left alone, and I need…”

“You need to be with Allika. Got it.”

Eve turned, walked over to the chairs. “Cora, I need to talk to you. Dr. Mira will sit with Rayleen.”

“I want my daddy.”

Two could play, Eve decided, and sent Rayleen a sympathetic look. “Yeah, I know, and he’s not going anywhere. Try not to worry. I just need Cora to talk to me about your mother.”

“Will it help my mommy?”

“I hope so.”

Rayleen straightened her shoulders. Brave little soldier. “I’ll be okay.”

“I know you will. How about if Cora and I get you something to drink?”

“May I have some juice, please?”

“You got it. Cora, let’s take a walk.” Eve could feel Rayleen’s smug delight as she turned away.

“Run it through for me, Cora.”

“I shouldn’t have left her, I’m telling you that straight off. I could see how poorly the missus was feeling, but off I went.”

“How long were you out of the apartment?”

“Too long, that’s the truth of it. Less than an hour. I don’t know exactly.”

Eve listened, let Cora select juice from a machine.

“Then I saw the pills,” Cora continued. “And I knew. I couldn’t wake her up. I shook her, I slapped her, but I couldn’t wake her. I called nine-one-one, and I told them to come, and why. I couldn’t tell if she was breathing, so I did CPR until I heard them at the door. Then I ran down, let them in.”

“What about Rayleen?”

“Oh, merciful Mary, the poor child.” Cora paused, pressed both hands to her face, scrubbed hard. “She came out of her room just as I was running down for the door. I knew I had to hurry, and didn’t even stop.”

“Did she say anything?”

“Well, she did. I imagine she was puzzled, as I must’ve looked to frighten the devil himself, and wasn’t supposed to be there at all. That’s what she said, come to that. ‘What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here.’”

“Annoyed?”

“Aye, I’d say. She likes things to run as they’re planned, and there I was on her day with her mum. Oh, Lieutenant, what an awful thing for a child. She just went into hysterics when the MTs charged in.”

“I bet.”

“If I hadn’t left—”

“You came back,” Eve interrupted. “If you hadn’t, she’d be dead. If she pulls through this, it’s not just the doctors who’ll have saved her life. You did.”

“Thanks. Thanks for that. I can’t stop leaking.” Cora wiped at tears. “She’s good as gold to me, the missus. Good as gold.” They headed back, then Cora clamped her free hand on Eve’s arm. “They’re bringing her out.”

“Yeah.” Eve watched the trauma team move the gurney out of the room toward the elevators. “That means they’ve stabilized her.” For now. “Listen to me, Cora. Look at me.”

“What?”

“You have friends in the city?”

“I do, yes.”

“I want you to stay with them tonight.”

“Oh, but…I’ll be with little Ray. She’ll need me, poor mite.”

“No.” Eve wasn’t going to risk another innocent. With her latest plans thwarted, Rayleen might take out her frustration on Cora. “When you leave here, you’re going straight to your friend’s, and you’re going to stay there tonight. I’ll make arrangements for Mr. Straffo and Rayleen.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t have to, yet. But if you don’t give me your word you’ll do what I’m telling you, I’m having you taken down to Central and held as a material witness. Your choice.”

“Well, that’s harsh.”

“It’s going to get harsher. Straffo and the kid are heading up. You can go up and take Rayleen her juice, talk to them, reassure yourself as best as you can. Then I want you to leave, and do what I’ve told you.”

“All right, all right then, I will. I suppose she’ll only want her da now anyway.”

Satisfied, Eve headed for Louise.

“Dallas. Small world.”

“And why are you in it?”

Louise smiled. “I’m a rotating Attending here, and took the big Valentine’s Day Saturday shift. Charles is busy, and we’re having our romantic rendezvous tomorrow.”

As Louise’s main man was a high-class licensed companion, Eve imagined he was fully booked on heart day.

“You look beat.”

“Rough one. And if you’re going to ask me her chances, I can tell you they’re very shaky. We’ve got her on life support. She’s not breathing on her own yet, and may not respond. But if she’d gotten here ten minutes later, she wouldn’t have had any chance at all. So we take what we can get.”

“My lab’s going to need a sample of what you pumped out of her.”

“No problem. The au pair has a steady head on her shoulders. Gave the nine-one-one the name of the med, gave the MTs the bottle. We knew what we were dealing with straight off, and that made a difference, too. She’d started CPR, gave the patient another fighting chance. Beautiful woman, the patient. Husband, sweet little girl. You never know.”

“Nope, you never know.”

21

AS LOUIS NEEDED TO GET UP TO CCU, EVE TURNED to Mira. “Well?”

“She’s an excellent actor.”

“She’s in Drama Club.”

“I’m not surprised. I’d need a longer session with her, probably more than one to be definitive, but I tend to agree with your analysis. She enjoyed having me focused on her, even though she was very aware of you. She wanted to be sure you were listening to her.”

“And I was. She was pretty damn detailed in the conversation she claims to have had with her mother. ‘I love you best. I know you’ll be brave.’ Made sure she got in there, too, how her mother sometimes gets sick. She’s planned it all, rehearsed it all. Had to ad lib since Cora ruined it for her.”

“Or postponed it. Allika Straffo may never wake up. Eve, she’s enjoying this now. The hospital, the crisis, the way the medical staff treats her so gently. Her father’s fear and grief, her nanny’s attention.”

“Yeah, she’ll milk it. But it’s going to run dry real soon. I need you and Louise to use some muscle, get Straffo and the kid in one of the family rooms here tonight. I don’t want the girl in with her mother.”

“In a situation like this, with the mother critical, the CCU staff will encourage family to spend time with the patient.” Like Eve, Mira considered the options. “If you alert the staff, it’ll show,” Mira said. “She may pick up on it.”

“Yeah, yeah, she would.” Eve paced a few strides down the corridor, then back. “Okay. I want a twenty-four/seven guard on her. I’ll get one who has some medical training, but it’s going to be my man on her.”

“Because you think Rayleen may try to finish what she started.”

“Probably not, not at this point, but I’m not taking any chances. I’ll couch Louise, so she makes sure it trickles down to the kid that her mother’s going to be watched every minute, for medical reasons. I’m going to have to slip the knife into Straffo, and tell him Allika’s under suspicion of two murders, and I’m putting a guard on the door.”

“The man’s barely holding on.”

“I’m counting on that,” Eve countered. “And I have to count on him letting go. Rayleen doesn’t do things out of desperation or impulse, so I think Allika’s secure for now. This is just precaution.”

“How are you going to handle her?”

“I’m going to let her think she’s sliding through it. Let her relax, and make sure she believes she’s snowed me. Poor kid, her mother kills a couple of people, then tries to do herself. I need to lay it out for Straffo, and that’s not going to be easy.”

“He won’t believe you.”

“I don’t know, maybe not. I’m working on that part.”

Daddy was furious. Rayleen couldn’t hear everything he said, or that Lieutenant Dallas said to him, but she could tell it made Daddy mad. Still, the snippets she caught when her father’s voice rose were enough to please her.

Stupid police, she thought as she lay curled up on the sofa of the waiting area, pretending to sleep. They thought they were so smart, but she was
so
much smarter.

If nosy-posy Cora hadn’t interfered, her mother would already be dead. But Rayleen wasn’t sure that would be better. She could tell by the tight faces around her that everybody knew her mother was going to die anyway. This was so much more interesting.

It was like Ms. Hallywell said about being on stage. If someone forgets a line or says the wrong one, you have to be able to think,in character, and keep going.

She kept her eyes closed and smiled inside when she heard her father.

“My wife is fighting for her life.”

“Your wife tried to take her life. I’m sorry.” The lieutenant’s voice was calm. “I hope she makes it. Sincerely.”

“So you can charge her with two murders? Allika could never hurt anyone.”

“But herself? Look, again, I’m sorry. I’m not saying we’re going to charge her. I’m telling you now, as a favor, that we have to weigh this act in. If and when she’s able to talk, I’m going to have to question her. It’s hard on you, and God knows it’s hard on your kid. I’m trying to give you some time to prepare.”

“Just go. Just go and leave me alone with my family.”

“I’m leaving. I’ll be back if she comes out of it. Oliver…take care of yourself and your daughter. The kid’s been through more than any kid should have to handle.”

Rayleen kept her eyes closed as she felt her father sit down beside her. As he gently, gently stroked her hair. And she kept them closed when she heard him begin to quietly weep.

She wondered how long she’d have to wait to get pizza and a fizzy.

Eve pulled her communicator out as she headed down. It signaled in her hand before she could use it to tag Peabody.

“Dallas.”

“You clear?” Peabody asked.

“Yeah, heading out. Allika’s critical, on life support. Chances slim. I got a guard on her door and another with med training inside her room. Louise was on.”

“Handy.”

“Yeah. I heard her tell Straffo he should spend as much time as possible in her room with her, talking to her, telling her to fight. Might help. Who the hell knows? The kid’s playing it out perfectly, but she didn’t stump Mira, not this time. So we’re getting some weight.”

“We’ve got more. I found the diary.”

Eve had to stop herself from doing a victory dance as she pushed out the hospital doors. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

“You’re damn straight. Took freaking hours.”

“Where?”

“In the kitchen recycler. I went over every damn inch of this place, kept the uniforms on to help. Why the hell didn’t I think of the recycler first?”

“How much is left?”

“All, I’d say, as it’s inside a fancy metal box embossed with her name. I can tell there’s a book inside it—the weight, and it thumps around when I shake it. Only went through one cycle, I think. Banged up. Locked tight, too. Lock’s too small for a master, and it’s caved in. Probably have to cut through it.”

“I’m swinging by to get it. Roarke will beat the lock.”

“Mag. I’ll touch on McNab, tell him to put Valentine’s on hold.”

“No.” Eve climbed into her vehicle. “It’s going to take time to put all this together. Fucking tricky business. I’ll take the diary, log it in and out of evidence.”

“Already logged it in by remote.”

“Even better. For now, you go home, have a drink, have sex with McNab if you must.”

“I must,” Peabody concurred. “I must.”

“Be sure to block video if I tag you later. I don’t wish to be struck blind. We’re going to put this together, and we’re going to lock it down.”

She clicked off. “Rayleen, you little shitbag,” she mumbled. “I got you.”

While Eve drove, contacting both Whitney and Mira to update, Roarke selected the champagne he wanted for dinner.

He’d worked most of the day, and very soon, he hoped, both he and Eve would put their responsibilities aside. And just enjoy each other.

He knew she’d be pleased, and get a good laugh out of his choice for the meal. For their intimate, at-home dinner for two, he’d chosen pepperoni pizza. A personal favorite of hers.

He’d also selected what could loosely be called lingerie for her dinner attire. She’d laugh at that, too. And he would certainly enjoy seeing his wife in the red silk chemise trimmed with white ermine.

As she hadn’t contacted him to tell him she’d gotten hung up, he thought the chances were good they’d make that dinner at eight. He’d decided they’d dine in Prague, courtesy of the holo-room. The romantic architecture, a thickly falling snow outside the windows, Gypsy violins singing in the air.

A bit over the top, he supposed, but why the hell not?

“Roarke.”

“Hmm.” He acknowledged Summerset as he completed his selections, set the programming.

“Magdelana is at the gate.”

“She’s what?”

“At the gate,” Summerset repeated. “Asking to come in, a bit tearfully. She claims she must speak with you, even for just a moment. Should I tell her you’re unavailable?”

That would be the easy way, Roarke supposed, and damned if he wasn’t tempted to take it easy. But if he didn’t deal with this now, he’d just have to deal with it later. And he could admit to a certain curiosity. Just how would Maggie explain herself this time?

“No, let her in. Show her into the parlor. I’ll deal with her.”

“The lieutenant should, I believe, be home within the hour.”

“Yes, so make it quick. Let’s move this business along and be done with it.”

Troublemaker, Roarke thought as Summerset went to give Magdelana access. He’d always known she was one, and had, in fact, found that attractive. But he hadn’t seen, not clearly, just how deep the penchant for stirring up the pot went in her.

He knew how to handle troublemakers. Once he had, she’d go off, understanding him perfectly. And that would most definitely be that.

He took his time going down. Do her good to cool her heels, he thought. And Summerset would make certain she didn’t palm any of the silver.

As he expected, Summerset remained in the parlor, and had given Magdelana, who looked pale and delicate in ivory satin, a glass of wine.

She stood by the fire, at the optimum distance, the perfect angle for the flames to sprinkle light over her skin, to glow light through the satin.

Setting the stage had always been a skill of hers. Only this time he’d been the mark. And as far as she was concerned, he still was.

“Roarke.” She lowered her head, as if in shame. But not before the thinnest sheen of tears sparkled over her eyes. “Oh, Roarke, can you ever forgive me?”

“You’ll excuse me?” he said to Summerset.

As Summerset left the room, she set down the wine with the slightest tremor in her hand. “I feel absolutely dreadful about this. I just…Roarke, I’ve been out of town for the last two days, only just got back. But I heard—and saw. I tried to contact you before I left, as soon as I…But—”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Avoiding me,” she said with those tears in her voice. “I wasn’t sure you’d see me at all. Damn paparazzi. They should all be hanged.”

“Even they have to make a living.”

“But to imply something so completely innocent was…was something illicit. We should sue them. But, of course, that only makes it worse. I know, I know.” She lifted a hand, waved it distractedly. “I can’t imagine how upset you are. And your wife. Is she very angry?”

He angled his head. “What do you suppose?”

“In her place, I’d be furious! They made it look as if we were…We were only saying good-bye. You and I know, Roarke, we were only saying good-bye.”

“We do yes, and we were.”

“Perhaps if I tried to explain to her. Is she here? I could try—”

“You’d already know she isn’t here.”

Magdelana closed her swimming eyes. Regroup, he thought. Reconfigure.

“All right, yes. I admit it. I wanted to speak to you alone first, so I called downtown. They said she was in the field, so I came right over. God, I’m such a coward.” She touched her fingers to her lips. “But if it would help, even a little, I’d try to explain to her.”

“I think not. She’s perfectly aware of the circumstances.”

“Oh. Good. Good. What a relief.”

“Perfectly aware that you set it up, that you staged it, and paid the camera to get the vid out.”

“What? That’s ridiculous. That’s…Roarke.” She said his name with a soupçon of injured feeling, just the right addition to shock. “How could you possibly think I’d do something like that? I understand you’re angry and upset—so am I—but to accuse me of deliberately trying to hurt you and your wife. For what purpose?”

It was hardly a wonder they’d done so well, professionally speaking, in the months they’d worked together. She was brilliant. “I’d say the amusement would be quite enough for you.”

“That’s a despicable thing to say to me.” She picked up the wine again. “Absolutely despicable.”

“Do you think I can’t track down the camera, that I can’t bribe well enough to learn all the details? You underestimate me, Maggie.”

She carried her wine to the window, stood with her back to him. “No. No,” she said quietly. “I could never underestimate you. Maybe I wanted you to know. Knew you would, in the end. It’s you who underestimate me, Roarke, my feelings for you. My regret.” And looked over her shoulder. “My desire. I admit it. I’m not proud of what I did, but I won’t be ashamed either. I did what I thought I needed to do. I’d have done anything to get you back. Nothing else matters to me. Only being with you again.”

He waited a beat. “Bollocks.”

“How can you mock my feelings?” She threw the wine down, shattering the glass. “How dare you when I stand here, stripped bare?”

“I’m not mocking them, I’m clearly saying you haven’t any feelings. You never did, for me or for anyone but yourself.” He let out a half-laugh. “Took me longer to get to that than it should have.”

Then even that half-laugh was gone, and he was ice. “You came here, to New York, to test the waters. I have a great deal more than I once had, and you hoped for a piece of it. She saw through you, you know. The first look.”

Magdelana tossed her head, strode toward him. “And from the first look at you again, I saw she had you under her thumb. How that made me laugh! The rich and powerful Roarke, tamed and trained by a skinny cop with no style or beauty.”

“Odd. From where I’m standing, she has more style, more beauty, and—Christ knows—more class than you can ever claim.”

He didn’t so much as flinch when she slapped him. “You won’t want to do that again,” he said, softly enough to have her lower her hand.

“Roarke—”

“It’s you who wanted to put a leash on me, Maggie, who thought she could just by snapping fingers. And when I didn’t go to heel you did what you could to cause trouble for me and my marriage, to hurt my wife.”

“So what if I did? It’s just a game. You used to have a sense of humor, but apparently she’s whipped that out of you, too.”

“You’ll never understand her, or me. You’ll never understand what we have. More pity for you, you’ll never have it. You’re not capable. So here’s how this plays now. Listen carefully: You’ll never step foot in my home again, or in any of my other properties or businesses—which includes every hotel, transportation system, shop, restaurant, and so forth that I own or have majority interest in. There are quite a number of them.”