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‘Health drink, my ass. She’s using.’
‘Just her,’ Peabody put in. ‘He’s not having any.’
Justin drew Jerry from the bed and with an arm around her waist, led her out of the bedroom, out of vision.
‘Keep scanning, Peabody,’ Eve ordered. She tugged down the goggles so that they hung around her neck. ‘She’s on the edge about something. And I don’t think it’s over our little shoving match. The pressure’s gotten to her. Some people aren’t natural-born killers.’
‘If they’re trying to distance themselves from each other, add more strength to their alibi, it was risky for her to come here tonight.’
Eve nodded as she looked at Roarke. ‘She needed him. Addictions come in all forms.’ As her communicator signaled, Eve reached into her bag. ‘Dallas.’
‘Rush, rush, rush.’
‘Dickie, give me good news.’
‘An interesting mix, Lieutenant. Other than a few additions to take it to liquid, add pretty color, and a mildly fruity taste, you’ve got yourself a match. All the elements from the powder previously analyzed are in there, including nectar from the Immortal Blossom. It is, however, a less potent mix, and when ingested by mouth—’
‘That’s all I need. Transmit full report to my office unit, stat, copy Whitney, Casto, and the prosecutor.’
‘Want me to tie a nice red bow around it, too?’ he said sourly.
‘Don’t be such a shit, Dickie. You’ll get your fifty-yard-line seats for arena ball.’ She broke transmission, grinned. ‘Call for a search and confiscate warrant, Peabody. Let’s go take them down.’
‘Yes, sir. Ah, Casto?’
‘Tell him we’re coming around front. Illegals will get its share.’
It was five A.M. by the time they’d waded through the official paperwork and finished the first round of interviews. Fitzgerald’s lawyers had insisted on a six-hour break, minimum. With no choice but to comply, Eve ordered Peabody off duty until eight and swung by her own office.
‘Didn’t I tell you to go get some sleep?’ she asked when she saw Roarke kicked back at her desk.
‘I had some work.’
Frowning, she glanced at the monitor on her desk unit. The intricate blueprints had her hissing. ‘This is police property. Tampering with police property can get you eighteen months under home security.’
‘Would you hold off on the arrest? I’m nearly finished. East wing view, all levels.’
‘I’m not kidding, Roarke. You can’t use my ’link for personal business.’
‘Hmm. Note to adjust recreational center C. Square footage insufficient. Transmit all memos and amended dimensions, CFD Architectural and Design, FreeStar One office. Save to disc, and disengage.’ He slipped the disc out, tucked it into his pocket. ‘You were saying?’
‘This unit is programmed for my voice print. Just how did you get it operational?’
He only smiled. ‘Really, Eve!’
‘All right, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know, anyway. Couldn’t you have done this at home?’
‘Certainly. But then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of taking you home and making you get a few hours’ sleep.’ He rose. ‘Which is what I’m about to do now.’
‘I’m going to catch a nap in the lounge.’
‘No, you were going to sit here combing through evidence and doing probability scans until your eyes fell out.’
She could have denied it. It wasn’t very hard to lie under most circumstances. ‘I just have a couple of things I want to put into order.’
He tilted his head. ‘Where’s Peabody??
?
