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“You don’t have to do that, Lieutenant.” Voice rusty, Peabody deflated as Roarke slipped out of view. “Jesus,” she said under her breath and grinned foolishly at Eve.
“Settle your hormones, Peabody, and report.”
“Settling, sir.” She cleared her throat. “I’ve untangled most of the bureaucratic tape, Lieutenant. Just a couple more snags. At this juncture, we should have the requested data by oh nine hundred. But we have to go to East Washington to view it.”
“I was afraid of that. All right, Peabody. We’ll catch the shuttle at oh eight hundred.”
“Don’t be foolish,” Roarke said from behind her while he critically studied the lines of the dinner jacket he held. “Take my transport.”
“It’s police business.”
“No reason to squeeze yourselves into a tuna can. Traveling in comfort doesn’t make it less official. In any case, I’ve some business I can see to in East Washington myself. I’ll take you.” He leaned over Eve’s shoulder, smiled at Peabody. “I’ll have a car sent for you. Seventy forty-five? Is that convenient?”
“Sure.” She wasn’t even disappointed that he was now wearing a shirt. “Great.”
“Listen, Roarke—”
“Sorry, Peabody.” He cut Eve off smoothly. “We’re running a bit late here. See you in the morning.” Reaching over, he manually disengaged the communicator.
“You know, it really pisses me off when you do that kind of thing.”
“I know,” Roarke said equably. “That’s why it’s irresistible.”
“I’ve spent half my life on one sort of transport or another since I met you,” Eve grumbled as she settled into her seat in Roarke’s private Jet Star.
“Still cranky,” he observed, and signaled the flight attendant. “My wife needs another dose of coffee, and I’ll join her.”
“Right away, sir.” She slipped into the galley with silent efficiency.
“You really get a bang out of saying that, don’t you? My wife.”
“I do, yes.” Roarke tipped her face up with a fingertip and kissed the shallow dent in her chin. “You didn’t sleep enough,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb under her eye. “You so rarely turn off that busy brain of yours.” He flicked a glance up at the flight attendant as she set steaming coffee on the table in front of them. “Thank you, Karen. We’ll take off as soon as Officer Peabody arrives.”
“I’ll inform the pilot, sir. Enjoy your flight.”
“You don’t really have to go to East Washington, do you?”
“I could have handled it from New York.” He shrugged, lifted his coffee. “Personal attention always has more impact. And I have the added benefit of watching you work.”
“I don’t want you involved in this.”
“You never do.” He lifted her cup, handed it to her with an easy smile. “However, Lieutenant, I’m involved with you, and therefore you can’t shut me out.”
“You mean you won’t be shut out.”
“Precisely. Ah, here’s the redoubtable Peabody now.”
She came aboard pressed and polished, but spoiling the effect with her jaw hanging open as she swiveled her head right and left in an attempt to see everything at once.
The cabin was as plush and sumptuous as a five-star hotel, with deep, cushy seats and gleaming tables, the glint of crystal holding flowers so fresh they gleamed with dew.
“Stop gaping, Peabody, you look like a trout.”
“Nearly finished, Lieutenant.”
“Don’t mind her, Peabody, she woke up surly.” Roarke rose, disconcerting Peabody until she realized he was offering her a seat. “Would you care for coffee?”
“Well, ah, sure. Thanks.”
