Loyalty in Death (20 page)

She rose to pace and think. “That’s smoke. It’s the money. And they’ll blow the target whether they get it or not. Because they want to.”

“Either way,” Feeney pointed out, “it puts you in the crosshairs and some unknown target on countdown.”

“Can you fix me up with a tracker they can’t make?”

“I don’t know what the hell they can make.”

“Do your best.” She turned to Anne. “You’ve got a team who can work these high-end scanners?”

“One of Roarke’s geniuses is giving us a briefing on it in twenty minutes. Then we’re in the field.”

“Find the target. I’ll deal with the drop.”

“You’re not going in alone.” This time Feeney rose. “Whitney won’t clear it.”

“I didn’t say I was going in alone, but we’d better work out how it’ll look that way,” she said again. “We’re going to need a hundred million in fake bearer bonds.” Her smile was thin, humorless. “I think I know someone who can deliver those in time for the deadline.”

“Give Roarke my best,” Feeney said with a smirk.

She sent him a bland look. “I need you to report to Whitney and rig me a tracker.”

“McNab and I will get on that.”

“I need McNab — for a bit.”

Feeney looked at her, at his detective, nodded. “I’ll get another man on it until I’ve finished with the commander.” He took the hard copy. “We’ll want a good hour to test it out on you beforehand.”

“I’ll be available. Peabody, you’re with me. I’ll meet you at my vehicle in five minutes. McNab.” She signaled him out with the flick of a finger.

“I want you to check in with Mira,” she began as they walked toward her office. “Get a line on Zeke’s testing. Then I want you to put the squeeze on Dickhead in the lab. I’d do it myself, but I don’t want to involve Peabody at this point.”

“I’ve got it.”

“Threaten him, and if that doesn’t work, bribe him. Arena ball tickets should work. I can scope two VIP box seats for next weekend.”

“Yeah?” His eyes went bright. “Gee, Dallas, how come you never share with pals? The Huds are squaring off against the Rockets next weekend. If I threaten him into shagging his ass, can I have the tickets?”

“Are you asking for a bribe, Detective?”

Because she’d stopped, because her eyes were flat and her mouth set, he sobered quickly. “Why are you pissed off at me?”

“Why did you have sex with my aide during a sensitive investigation?”

His eyes glistened. “Does she need your permission to date, Lieutenant?”

“This wasn’t pizza and a video, McNab.” She strode into her office, yanked her jacket off the hook.

“Oh, so she only has to clear who she goes to bed with.”

Eve spun back. “You’re insubordinate, Detective.”

“You’re out of line, Lieutenant.”

It surprised her, she had to admit. It threw her off rhythm to see him standing there, eyes cold and fierce, body braced, teeth showing. She thought of him — when she thought of him — as a good cop with a sharp mind for details, a good hand with electronics. And as a man, a little foolish, vain, and glib, who talked too much and took nothing beyond his work seriously.

“Don’t you tell me I’m out of line.” Working on control, she put her jacket on slowly. “Peabody got kicked by a cop with a pretty face before. I’m not watching it happen again. She matters.”

“She matters to me, too.” The words were out before he could yank out his tongue and bite it off. “Not that she gives a damn about that. She brushed me off this morning, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.” He kicked her chair, sent it skidding across the room. “Goddamn it.”

“Oh hell, McNab.” The anger she’d worked up so nicely dipped toward nerves. “What are you doing here? You’re not getting sticky on her?” His only answer was one long, miserable stare. “I knew it. I knew it. I just knew it.”

“It’s probably just a blip,” he muttered. “I’ll get over it.”

“Do that. Just do that, will you? This isn’t the time — it’s never the time, but this is really not the time. So forget it, okay?” Eve didn’t wait for his reply — she wanted him to understand. “Her brother’s on the hot seat, we’ve got bombs all over the damn city. I’ve got one body in the morgue and another in the river. I can’t afford to have two members of my team tripping over heartstrings.”

He surprised himself by laughing, and meaning it. “Christ, that’s cold.”

“Yeah, I know.” She remembered the way Roarke had looked at her that morning. “I suck at this, McNab. But I need you on your toes.”

“I’m on them.”

“Stay on them,” she told him and walked out.

Since she calculated she couldn’t do worse on her record of offending, insulting, and injuring people who mattered to her that morning, Eve put a call through to Roarke as she headed to the garage.

Summerset answered, and her instinctive reaction of clenching her teeth felt a lot better than guilt. “Roarke,” was all she said.

“He’s engaged on another call at the moment.”

“This is police business, you cross-eyed putz. Put me through.”

His nostrils flared in annoyance, and her mood lightened just a little more. “I will see if he’s available to take your call.”

The screen went blank. Though she didn’t doubt he’d have the nerve to cut her off, she counted to ten. And ten again. She was heading toward thirty when Roarke came on.

“Lieutenant.” His voice was clipped, the Irish in it frigid temper rather than music.

“The department needs one hundred million in fake bearer bonds — good fakes, but not good enough to pass a bank check. Sheets of ten thousand.”

“When’s your deadline?”

“I could use them by fourteen hundred.”

“You’ll have them.” He waited a beat. “Anything else?”

Yes, I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. What do you want from me? “That’s it. The department — “

“Appreciates it. Yes, I know. I’m on an interplanetary conference call, so if that’s all…”

“Yeah, that’s all. If you’d let me know when they’re ready, I’ll arrange transport.”

“You’ll hear from me.”

He cut her off without another word and made her wince. “Okay,” she mumbled. “That hurt. Bull’s-eye.” She jammed the link back in her bag.

She remembered her advice to McNab. Just forget it. She did her best to follow it, but some of her feelings must have shown on her face. Peabody kept her mouth shut as Eve stepped up to the car. And they drove to the morgue in silence.

The dead house was packed like a lobby bar at a Shriners’ convention. The corridors were full of techs, assistant MEs, and the medical staff drafted from local health centers to wade in during the current crisis. The stench of humanity, alive and deceased, smeared the air.

Eve managed to snag one of the morgue staff she knew. “Chambers, where’s Morris?” She’d hoped for a five-minute consult with the chief medical examiner.

“Up to his eyebrows. The hotel bombing brought in a lot of customers. A lot of them in pieces. It’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together.”

“Well, I need to see one of your guests who checked in early this morning. Lamont. Paul Lamont.”

“Jeez, Dallas, we’re working on priority here. We gotta get these stiffs ID’d.”

“It’s connected.”

“All right, all right.” Obviously miffed, Chambers scurried to a computer, ran the log. “We got him on ice in area D, drawer twelve. We’re racking, packing, and stacking them for now.”

“I need a look at him, his personal effects and the incoming report.”

“Let’s make it quick.” His shoes slapped down the hall. He swung into area D, slid his key card in the slot, and led them inside. “Drawer twelve,” he reminded her. “Just use your master, and I’ll pull up the rest.”

Eve uncoded the drawer and out came a puff of icy smoke and Lamont. Or what was left of him. ‘ They did a job on him,” she muttered, scanning his mangled, broken body.

“Sure did. Says here the vehicle, a black Airstream van, jumped the curve and ran right over him where he stood on the sidewalk. We haven’t done anything on him yet, just stored him. He’s not priority.”

“No, he’ll keep.” Eve slid the drawer back in place. “What did he have on him?”

“Fifty couple in credits, wrist unit, IDs and key cards, pack of breath mints, palm-link, date book. Oooh, and a sticker.” He examined the long, slim blade. “Over the legal limit, I’d say.”

“Only by a mile or two. I need the ‘link and date book.”

“Fine by me. Sign for them and they’re yours. Look, I have to get back. Hate to keep the customers waiting.”

She signed the checkout log. “Have these effects been dusted?”

“Hell if I know. Enjoy.”

Eve turned to Peabody as the area doors swung shut. “We’ll dust and clean first. Let’s go on record.”

Peabody shifted her field kit on her shoulder. “Here? Don’t you want to do this somewhere else?”

“Why?”

“Well, the place is full of dead people.”

“And you want to be a murder cop?”

“I’d rather deal with one at a time.” But she opened her kit and went to work. “Good clean prints on here.”

“We’ll run them after we check out his ‘link and log. Probably Lamont’s prints.”

Eve took the ‘link, turned it over in her hand. It was a top-of-the-line model, sleek and complex. She remembered his expensive shoes. “Wonder what Roarke pays these guys? She turned the control to replay all incoming and outgoing transmissions for the last twenty-four hours. “Note any numbers we hit. We’ll need to run them, too.”

She watched the numbers zip by on the display, then pursed her lips. Video was blocked. But the voices came through loud and clear.

Yes.

They’re looking at me. Lamont, Eve decided, with the faintly French accent and the squeak of nerves in his voice. The cops were here. They’re looking at me. They know something.

Calm down. You’re shielded. This isn’t something to discuss over ‘links. Where are you?

It’s all right. I’m secured. I slipped out to the grill down from work. They called me up, Roarke was there, too.

And what did you tell them?

Nothing. They got nothing out of me. But I’m telling you, I’m not taking the fall for this. I want out. I need more money.

Your father would be disappointed.

I’m not my father, and I know when it’s time to cut loose. I got you everything you needed. I’m finished here. I want my share now, tonight, and I’m gone. I did my part. You don’t need me anymore.

No, you’re right. It would be best if you finished out the day as normal. You’ll be contacted later as to where to pick up your share. We still have to be careful. Your work is done, but ours isn’t.

Just get me what I’ve got coming, and I’m gone by morning.

It’ll be arranged.

“Idiot,” Eve muttered. “Signed his own execution papers.” She shook her head. “Greed or stupidity.”

There was another call, Lamont booking a private compartment on the off-planet transport to Vegas II. He used a false name and identification number.

“Have a unit go by his place, Peabody. I bet our boy was all packed and ready to go.”

The next was an incoming, a recorded voice giving brief instructions.

The corner of Sixth and Forty-third, one hundred hours.

Lamont made two more outgoings, received no answer from either.

“Run the numbers, Peabody,” Eve instructed as she picked up the day book.

“Already running the first. It’s a private code.”

“Use my authorization number and get it. Whoever he was talking to didn’t realize Lamont was on his own ‘link. Had to figure he was on a public job, or he’d never have left this on the body. Even if he’d wanted it, the tails on Lamont were right on scene.”

“The code’s shielded,” Peabody told her. “They won’t release it.”

“Oh yeah, they will.” Eve whipped out her communicator. Within thirty seconds she had Chief Tibble on the line, and barely two minutes later, the governor’s personal authorization.

“Man, you are good.” Peabody looked on with admiration. “You snarled at the governor.”

“Gives me that shit about privacy acts. Politicians.” She set her teeth, flexed and unflexed her fingers as she waited for the last line of bureaucracy to tumble. “Well, son of a bitch.”

“What is it? Who is it?” Peabody craned her neck to see the data on Eve’s display.

“B. Donald Branson’s private line.”

“Branson.” The blood drained out of Peabody’s face. “But, Zeke. Last night…”

“Transmit that call to Feeney, get him to run a voice check. We need to know if that was Branson on the call.” She was moving fast as she snapped out the order. “Contact the guard on Clarissa Branson’s room,” she continued as they strode down the corridor. “Tell him no one goes in or out of it until we get there.”

She pulled out her own communicator as they swung outside into the cold. “McNab, get down to Mira’s. I want Zeke brought back up. Tuck him away until you hear from me.”

“Zeke wouldn’t know anything about Cassandra, Dallas. He’d never — “

Eve spared Peabody a look as she jumped into the car. “Toys and tools, Peabody. I’d say your brother was being used as both.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Clarissa was gone. There was nothing to be gained by berating and browbeating the guard on duty, but Eve did it anyway.

“She looks at him, smiles tearfully, and asks if she can go sit in the gardens.” Eve rolled her eyes and tapped the note Clarissa had left behind in her palm. “Then she uses the can I have a glass of water routine she did with Zeke and our boneheaded hero runs off to fetch.”

She circled the conference room, waiting for Zeke to be brought in. “Oops, where’d she go? It takes him thirty fucking minutes to call it in because he’s so sure a sweet little thing like her is still around somewhere. But does he check her room? See the tearful good-bye note?”

Eve unfolded it again while Peabody wisely remained silent.

I’m sorry, so sorry, for everything that happened. It was my fault. All of it. Please forgive me. I’m doing what’s best for Zeke. He can’t be held responsible. I can never face him again.

“So she leaves him holding the bag. Let’s hear it for true love.” Though Peabody said nothing, Eve held up her hand and began to go through the steps and stages. “Zeke hears them fighting through the vent in the workroom. It’s Branson’s house, his workroom. He knows Zeke’s down there. According to Clarissa, he was wild to keep anyone from knowing he knocked her around. So why doesn’t he fix the damn vent? The staff’s all droids, so he doesn’t worry about them. But he’s got a live one now.”

“You think he wanted Zeke to hear?”

“Follow along, Peabody. I’ve been working this out since last night.”

“Last night?” Peabody’s mouth dropped open. “But, Dallas, there was nothing in the prelim report about — “

She broke off, winced, as Eve shot her a cool stare. “You read my prelim, Officer Peabody?”

“Strap me in irons,” Peabody muttered, “and flog me. He’s my brother.”

“I’ll reserve the flogging for a later date. No, I didn’t put anything into the prelim because the main concern was getting Zeke’s story down and putting him in the clear. But the whole deal screamed setup. Slick, organized, damn well-oiled, but a setup.”

“I don’t see it.”

“You can’t see past Zeke. Take the steps here. They pull Zeke in from out west. I don’t care how good he is, they could’ve found somebody to do this work without transporting him in. But they pull him, a single guy, a Free-Ager. Branson kicks his wife to hell and back, but he lets her import a young, attractive man into the house. And he’s diddling with having carpentry work done when, we suspect, he’s laying plans for the biggest terrorist siege on the city since the Urban Wars.”

“None of it makes sense.”

“Not separately, but it does when you connect the dots. He needed a fall guy.”

“But, for God’s sake, Dallas, Zeke killed him.”

“I don’t think so. Why haven’t they found the body? Why did this cowed, terrified woman manage to get rid of it in less than five minutes?”

“But — who died?”

“This time around, I don’t think anybody did. Toys and tools, Peabody. I’ve seen several of the prototype droids Roarke’s R and D department’s got under production. You wouldn’t make them at a glance, even a close look.” She glanced around as Zeke came in, followed by Dr. Mira.

“Doctor?”

“Zeke’s my patient, and he’s under considerable distress.” Gently, Mira walked him to a chair. “If you feel it’s necessary to interview him, I want to be here.”

“Zeke, do you want your lawyer?” Eve asked him, and he only shook his head. Sympathy threatened to surface. She knew firsthand how miserable Testing could be. She set the recorder, sat across from him. “I just have a few questions. How many times did you meet Branson?”

“I only saw him twice. Once over the ‘link and then last night.”

“Just once, over a ‘link?” But he’d recognized Zeke instantly. Branson had reportedly been stumbling drunk, but he’d tagged Zeke at a glance. “The whore and the handyman,” Zeke had quoted him as saying. “So most of your contact was through Clarissa. How much time did you spend together?”

“Not a lot. When she was in Arizona, we talked. We had lunch a couple of times.” He looked up quickly. “It was harmless.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Just… things. All sorts of things.”

“Did she ask you about yourself?”

“I guess, yeah. She was so relaxed and happy. Not like she is here. She liked hearing about my work, and she was interested in Free-Agism. She said it sounded like such a gentle and kind religion.”

“Zeke, did she come onto you?”

“No!” His shoulders straightened. “It was nothing like that. She was married. I knew she was married. She was just lonely. There was something there.” He said it with a wonder that made Eve’s heart sink for him. “Right away, and we both knew it, but we wouldn’t have done anything. I didn’t know how he treated her, I just knew she was unhappy.”

“Last night was the first time you’d actually seen Branson in person. He never came down to the workroom, never called you up to discuss the projects?”

“No, he never came down.”

Eve sat back. She was willing to bet Zeke had yet to meet B. Donald Branson in the flesh. “That’s all I need for now. Zeke, you’re going to have to stay here, in Central.”

“In a cell?”

“No. But you have to stay here.”

“Can I see Clarissa?”

“We’ll talk about that later.” Eve rose. “The uniform will take you up to the recreation area. There’s a sleeping bin off the side. I think you should tranq up and use it.”

“I don’t use tranqs.”

“Me, either.” She softened enough to smile at him. “Use the bin anyway. Get some rest.”

“Zeke.” There was so much Peabody wanted to say, wanted to do, but she held it in and looked at him soberly. “You can trust Dallas.”

“I’ll be up in a minute.” Mira patted his arm. “We’ll use meditation.” She waited until the uniform came to take him out. “My testing is complete enough for me to give you an evaluation.”

“I don’t need it.” Eve cut her off. “It’s for the record, not for me. He’s not going to be charged.”

Mira relaxed fractionally. In the last two hours, Zeke had slipped past her professional veneer. “He’s suffering. The idea that he took a life, however accidentally — “

“It wasn’t an accident,” Eve corrected. “It was a setup. If I’m on target, B. Donald Branson’s very much alive, and most likely with his wife. I can’t get into the details, I don’t have time,” she continued. “You looked at Clarissa’s statement, you viewed the recording.”

“Yes. It’s a classic case of abuse and shattered self-esteem.”

“Classic,” Eve agreed with a nod. “Like textbook. Like line for line out of a case study. She didn’t miss a trick, did she?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“No friends, no family support. Delicate, helpless woman dominated by an older, stronger man. He drinks, he beats her. He rapes her. She sticks. ‘Where will I go, what will I do?’”

Mira folded her hands. “I realize you would find her inability to change her situation a sign of weakness, but it isn’t at all atypical.”

“No, it’s dead typical. And I’m saying that’s just how she played it. Played Zeke, played me, and would have played you. I think you’d have caught on, and she probably figured the same. That’s why she’s gone. And when we check Branson’s financials, I guarantee the money’s gone, too.”

“What possible reason would the Bransons have to fake his death?”

“The same reason they arranged his brother’s. Money. The same reason they timed it to pull part of the team away from the central theme. More money, with a little payback thrown in. We’ll tie them to Apollo. Sooner or later, something’ll click. Take care of Zeke. If I’m right, we’ll be able to tell him he didn’t kill anyone. Let’s move, Peabody.”

“I can’t keep up,” Peabody told her. “I can’t get it straight in my head.”

“You will, when we get the rest of the pieces. Check those financials.”

Peabody scrambled to keep pace as they worked their way down to the garage. “Jesus, Branson transferred fifty million — that’s most of the fluid cash in the business — to an off-planet, coded account. He did it last night, two hours before Zeke…”

“Check their personal accounts.”

Working one-handed, Peabody slid into the car. “Six personals, between twenty and forty apiece. He cleaned them out yesterday.”

“A nice little nest egg for Cassandra.” As she drove, Eve contacted Feeney on her communicator.

“Voiceprints match,” he told her. “Now how are we going to arrest a dead guy?”

“I’m working on it. Take a run by Branson T and T; take a look at the droids in development. Did we get the order for tapping Monica Rowan’s lines?”

“They’re tapped. Not a peep so far.”

“Keep me up.” She ended transmission. “Peabody, contact the locals up in Maine, get a black and white to do a runby. I want Monica under wraps.”

Lisbeth wasn’t pleased to see cops at her door. She stared through Eve and ignored Peabody. “I have nothing to say to you. My counsel has advised — “

“Save it.” Eve pushed her way in.

“This is harassment. One call to my lawyer, and I’ll have your badge.”

“How tight were the Branson boys, Lisbeth?”

“Excuse me?”

“J. C. must have talked to you about his brother. What did they think of each other?”

“They were brothers.” Lisbeth shrugged. “They ran a business together. They had their ups and downs.”

“Did they fight?”

“J. C. didn’t fight with anyone, really.” Something like grief flickered in her eyes and was quickly shut down. “They disagreed occasionally.”

“Who ran the show?”

“B. D. ran the show.” Lisbeth waved a hand. “J. Clarence was better with people, and creatively he enjoyed having input in new projects. It didn’t bother him that B. D. held the reins.”

“What was his relationship with Clarissa?”

“He liked her, of course. She’s a charming woman. I think she intimidated him somewhat. She’s very formal and aloof for all that air of fragility.”

“Really, but you were friends?”

“Friendly. After all, we were both involved with a Branson. We socialized, with and without them.”

“Did she ever tell you B. D. mistreated her?”

“Mistreated?” Lisbeth let out a short laugh. “The man fawned on her. All she had to do was bat her eyes and purr and he jumped.”

Eve glanced toward the wall screen, noted it was turned off. “Not watching the news these days?”

“No.” She turned her head and for a moment looked tired and strained. “I’m making arrangements to clean up some personal matters before I transfer to the rehabilitation center.”

“Then you wouldn’t have heard that B. Donald Branson was killed last night.”

“What?”

“He fell during a struggle when he was beating his wife.”

“That’s ridiculous. That’s absurd. He wouldn’t lay a hand on Clarissa. He worships her.”

“Clarissa claims he’s been abusing her physically for years.”

“Then she’s a liar,” Lisbeth snapped out. “He treated her like a princess, and if she says otherwise, she’s lying through her teeth.”

She stopped abruptly, went very pale.

“You didn’t find the photographs in your mail slot, did you, Lisbeth? You had them handed to you by someone you trusted — someone you thought cared about J.C.”

“I — I found them.”

“No point in lying to protect the Bransons. He’s dead, and she’s gone. Who gave you the photographs of J. C., Lisbeth? Who gave them to you and told you that he was cheating on you?”

“I saw the pictures. I saw them with my own eyes. He was with that blond bitch.”

“Who gave them to you?”

“Clarissa.” She blinked once, twice, and tears started to stream. “She brought them to me, and she was crying. She said how sorry she was, how sorry. She begged me not to tell anyone she’d given them to me.”

“How did she get them?”

“I never asked. I just looked at them, and I went crazy. She told me it had been going on for months, and she couldn’t pretend not to know any longer. She couldn’t stand to see me hurt and J. C. ruin his life over some cheap lay. She knew how jealous I was, she knew. When I got to his house, he denied it. He told me I was crazy, there wasn’t any blonde. But I’d seen! And the next thing I knew, I was picking up that drill. Oh my God, oh my God. J.C.”

She collapsed into the chair, wailing.

“Get her a tranq, Peabody.” Eve’s voice held no sympathy. “We’ll have a car come by and pick her up. When she’s pulled it together, McNab can take a statement.”

“I know we’re pressed for time.” Peabody jumped in the car again. “But I feel like I’m three steps behind.”

“Branson’s connected to Cassandra. Clarissa’s connected to Branson, Zeke’s connected to Clarissa. We’re led to believe that both the Branson brothers meet with untimely and violent ends within a week of each other. Meanwhile, the accounts are stripped. Zeke’s brought in from clear across the country to work at the Branson house, and within a couple of days, he’s tangled with Branson over Clarissa and supposedly killed him. But Clarissa, out of her fear and concern for Zeke, loses the body.

“That’s the part that hung me up all along, but a guy tells you he kills another guy, you generally go with it. Still we’ve got no body, and there’s nothing on the droid playback to indicate he was instructed to weigh it down. The search team’s sensors don’t pick another up, it doesn’t bob up and float, but we know it got tossed in the river.”

“Droids don’t float, and the sensors are looking for flesh, blood, and bone.”

“See, you’re catching up. Now, we connect those dots. Zeke killed himself a droid. We have Lisbeth’s statement that there were never any beatings, no rapes, and odds are she’d have known if there were. Through J. C., if not on her own. We have the coincidence that Zeke just happened to be in the right place at the right time to hear beatings and rapes, then Clarissa turns to him for help. She’s already scoped him; she knows the kind of man he is, and very likely made the subtle kind of play for him he wouldn’t see as a come-on.”

“He doesn’t understand women,” Peabody murmured. “He’s practically still a kid.”

“He wouldn’t understand this one if he’d hit the century mark. She trolled for him and reeled him in. She and Branson got rid of the brother, which leads me to believe he wasn’t involved in Cassandra. He was weight, so they ditched him. I’m primary on the case, and they don’t want me looking too hard, having just the kind of talk with Lisbeth I just finished having, so they tag me on the bombings. Blowing up the city’s going to pull my attention away from a plea bargain I know I can’t change.”