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When the door was closed again, Eve slid in the new disc, ordered a run.
She saw Greene’s balcony, saw the door swing open. He came out fast, he came out bloody. The image bobbled as the operator jerked at what he saw through his viewer, and she heard his gasping oath. But he was cool enough to zoom in.
Yes, he looked like a monster, Eve thought. Blood literally dripping from his fingers, his hair. His mouth was wide, his eyes wild and red as a demon’s. He hacked at the air with the knife, beat a fist against his own head.
He raced from one end of the terrace to the other, batting at the air as if swatting at insects. Then gripping the knife in both hands, he threw back his head. And plunged it into his own chest.
“Holy shit.” Jamie stood in the doorway leading to Roarke’s office. His jaw was slack, his gaze riveted to Eve’s view screen.
“Goddamn it. End run. That door was closed.”
“Sorry. Roarke asked me to. . . I was just getting something for him and wanted to ask you—doesn’t matter.” He took a steadying breath, scrubbed the back of his hand over his mouth. “That’s the guy from yesterday, right? Yesterday’s homicide.”
“You should be in the lab.”
“I’m part of this team.” His chin came up. “My grandfather was a cop, and I’m going to be one. I’ve seen blood before. I killed a man.”
“Shut up.” She snapped it out, striding over to close the door behind him. “There’s an official report, with my name on it, that states Alban was killed during the struggle to disarm and arrest. You want to fuck me over, Jamie, you keep saying you killed a man.”
“I wouldn’t do anything to mess you up.” Something of what he felt for her, the core of love he tried to bury under a blanket of teenaged cool, surfaced on his face. “I’d never do that, Dallas.”
Because she saw it, she eased back before it embarrassed them both. “Okay.”
“This is between you and me. I know you kept me out of the briefing yesterday, and I can figure why. You didn’t think I should see something like that.” He nodded toward the screen. “The new guy, Trueheart, he’s what? Three years older than me? Maybe four. What’s the difference?”
“He’s wearing a uniform.”
“So will I.”
She studied his face. Something in those gray eyes was already half-cop. “Yeah. Yeah, you will. Look, I’m not saying you can’t handle yourself. There’s a lot of bad shit out there. You see too much of it too soon, it can swallow you up before you get started.”
“I’ve already seen a lot of it.”
“There’s more that’s just as bad. There’s more that’s worse. You get through the Academy, you put on the uniform. That’s soon enough to start dealing with it.”
“Okay.”
“Now scram. And do me a favor. I’ve got a meeting, a private meeting in a few minutes. Keep everyone the hell out of here.”
“Sure.” He grinned and looked terrifyingly young. “Trueheart’s got a little thing for you.”
“Get out.”
As he laughed, she gave him a shove and shut the door in his face. She went back to her desk, copied the disc for her files, then sealed the other for her commander.
She took the rest of the time to update her evidence log, sealed that as well. Then organized her thoughts.
At the knock on her door, she took a deep breath, and rose to open it for the city’s two top cops.
Chapter 19
“During the course of investigating the Greene/Wade homicides,” Eve began, “I found Greene’s financials didn’t jibe with his lifestyle. Even assuming a substantial unreported income through his alleged dealings in illegals and sexual services, purchases, and other assets accumulated over the previous year far exceeded any projected monies.”
“You assumed he had another source,” Whitney put in.
“Yes, sir. During the initial search and sweep of the premises—”
“Lieutenant.” Tibble held up a hand to stop her. “Is there a reason you’re taking us down the long road here?”
