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“Sorry. Got you a lemon fizz.”
“It’s just not right.” Eve pulled away from the curb. “It should be illegal to run a food-service operation and not offer Pepsi.”
“Speaking of food-service operations, you know what Ophelia told me she’s going to do with the reward?”
“If she gets it.”
“If. Anyway, she and the deli guy talked about going in together if she ever got enough scratch. So, with the reward, she’d be solid. They want to open a sex club.”
“Oh, like New York doesn’t have enough of those.”
“Yeah, but a sex club deli. It’s pretty innovative. Get your salami hard, get your hard salami, all in one venue.”
“Christ, I’m never eating in a deli again.”
“I think it might be interesting. Anyway.” Peabody popped a mini eggroll. “You want me to tag Feeney, have him start trying to trace the transmissions?”
“No. I’ll take that. Tag Baxter, tell him to prioritize the Brenegan case. And contact the commander, see if he’s had any luck cutting through the red tape. Let him know Kirkendall is now prime, and we’ve got Baxter looking into a closed case that may connect. No, not the ’link,” she added. “Let’s mix up the communication devices. Use your personal for this. Then do a check with the rest of the team, using your communicator.”
“You think they might try to triangulate our location through communication?”
“I think we’ll be careful.” Eve used the dash unit for Sade Tully’s home address. Her next stop.
It was a modest building, easy walking distance to the law firm. No doorman, Eve noted. Average security. A scan of her badge got them through—and she imagined a couple of buzzes on various apartment intercoms would have done the same. In the narrow lobby, she pushed the button for Sade’s floor and studied the setup.
Dual security cams—that may or may not have been working. Fire-door leading to stair access. There was another cam in the single elevator, and the standard set of them on opposite sides of Sade’s floor.
The apartment door was fitted with an electronic peep and a sturdy police lock. Eve buzzed, saw the peep engage a few moments later. Locks snicked, and Sade opened the door.
“Has something happened? Oh, Jesus, did something happen to Dave?”
“No. Sorry to alarm you. Can we come in?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She pushed a hand through her hair. “I guess I’m on edge. Getting myself together for Linnie’s funeral. I’ve never been to one for a kid. You should never have to go to one for a kid. We closed the office for the day. Dave’s going to pick me up soon.”
The apartment was pretty and bright, the trendy gel sofa done in shimmering shades of blue and green with a small eating area set up in front of a pair of windows framed with fabric. Inexpensive posters of some of the city’s highlights decorated the walls.
“Dave says you’ve got a good memory for names, for details.”
“That’s why they pay me the big bucks. You want to sit? Do you want . . . God, I don’t know what I have. I haven’t been to the market since . . .”
“It’s all right, we’re fine.” Peabody went into comfort mode. “This is a nice place. Great sofa.”
“I like it. I mean the whole shot. It’s a quiet building, close to work. And when I want to play, I can scoot half a block to the subway and head toward the action.”
“Full apartment in this neighborhood doesn’t come cheap,” Eve commented.
“No. I have a roommate. Had,” she corrected. “Jilly’s a flight attendant—handles the New York to Vegas II route, mostly. She’s gone so much we don’t get in each other’s way, or on each other’s nerves.”
“Had?” Eve prompted.
“She got in touch a couple of days ago. She’s going to base on Vegas II now, so . . .” Sade shrugged. “No big for me. I can handle the rent now on my salary. Grant and Dave—hell. Dave’s not stingy. I’ve gotten raises along the way.”
She looked down at herself. “Do you think this is the right thing to wear? Maybe it’s too morbid. Black suit. I mean, a funeral’s morbid, but maybe—”
“I think it’s very appropriate,” Peabody told her. “Respectful.”
“Okay. Okay. I know it’s a stupid thing to worry about. Why the hell should they care what I’m wearing when . . . I’m going to get some water. Do you want any water?”
