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“It’s what she does. If I happen to run into her in the lobby, or whatever—and that doesn’t happen much—and I say the neighborly, she mumbles. Won’t meet your eyes, either. Keeps her head down. Probably an axe murderer, right?”
Close enough, Eve thought. “If you remember anything else, contact us. If you see Ms. MacKensie again, contact us—and don’t talk to her. Peabody, give Ms....”
“Lacey. Deena Lacey.”
“Give Ms. Lacey a card. Thanks for your help.”
“I’ll be showing my boss this card when he says he’s going to dock me and Georgie for being late. You may get a tag from him.”
“No problem.”
Eve waited while the woman closed the door behind her and hurried to the elevator, yanking out her ’link as she went. “I’m heading down, Georgie. You won’t believe this!”
“Get an update from the uniforms.” Eve pulled out her own ’link. “Reo,” she said without preamble. “I need a warrant.”
She paced, relating the details to the APA, paced while Reo pushed for a warrant to enter and search MacKensie’s apartment.
“Downing doesn’t answer the door, and isn’t at work—didn’t work yesterday. Uniforms are talking to neighbors,” Peabody reported. “Su hasn’t shown up at work, doesn’t answer her ’link, or her door. Looks like they’ve gone rabbit.”
Eve shook her head. “Look at the timing. MacKensie packed up and got picked up—in a van, female driver—about an hour after we pushed on Su. But she took time to fix herself up? They’re not running, not yet, because they’ve got Betz and they still want Easterday. They’ve gone to ground.”
“You think we spooked them.”
“I think they planned all this out, step-by-step, but it went off wrong for them right from the start, when Mr. Mira walked in on their session with his cousin.”
She paced, trying to will the warrant through.
“Then the cops are on them a lot quicker then they expected. Su’s supposed to be questioned as an alibi, but we pushed there, pushed her on her connection with not just Downing but MacKensie. None of these women are idiots.”
“So they panicked.”
“Panicked? I don’t think so. MacKensie fixed herself up, according to the neighbor. Makeup, hair, perfume. You don’t take time for that if you’re panicked. This is like Plan B. Things get too hot, we go to ground. She fixed up, so maybe she’s the bait set to lure Easterday.”
“They’d have to be crazy to go after him now.”
“They’ve already spread the wound, Peabody. It’s all there is. And they’ve got a place we don’t know about, a place they make their plans, a place they can take these men and torture them, pay them back. Start digging now—any property under any variations of their names, mothers’ names.”
She yanked out her ’link. “Reo.”
“Coming through now,” Reo told her.
“I need two more. Lydia Su—that’s S-U—and Charity Downing.” She rattled off the addresses.
“Dallas.”
“These three are working together, Reo. They’ve killed two and they’ve got number three. He’s got hours at best if I don’t find them.”
“I’ll push.”
“Push fast. Warrant’s coming through. I’ll get back to you.”
Eve checked the readout on the warrant—no mistakes now, she thought—then nodded to Peabody. “We’re clear to enter.”
She checked her recorder, used her master. Drew her weapon.
“Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, and Peabody, Detective Delia, entering residence of MacKensie, Carlee. We are duly warranted and authorized.”
She gave the door one more good pounding. “Carlee MacKensie, this is the police. We are entering the premises.”
