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“Look at me, Mika,” Eve demanded. “Who told you to turn off the cameras, to send your relief away, to dismiss the tech?”
“Nobody.” Her breath went short as her pale face bunched with pain. “I didn’t. I wouldn’t. Murdered? Who? How?”
Eve narrowed her eyes. “Got a headache, Mika?”
“Yes. It’s splitting. I took a blocker, but it hasn’t touched it. I can’t think. I don’t understand any of this.”
“Do you remember going to work yesterday?”
“Of course. Of course I do. I . . .” Her lips trembled; her eyes filled. “No. No. I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything, it’s all blurred and blank. My head. God.” She dropped it into her hands, rocked herself, much as Jackson Pike had. “When I try to remember, it’s worse. I can’t stand the pain. Sir, something’s wrong with me. Something’s wrong.”
“All right now, Mika.” Roarke simply nudged Eve aside, crouched, and put his arms around the weeping woman. “We’ll take care of it. We’ll get you to a doctor.”
“Peabody, help Ms. Nakamura get dressed. We’ll have her taken down to Central.”
“Damn it, Eve.” Roarke shoved to his feet.
“Dr. Mira can examine her,” Eve said evenly, “and determine if the cause is physical or psychological. Or both.”
Roarke eased back, turned to help Mika to her feet. “Go with Detective Peabody. It’s going to be all right.”
“Someone’s dead. Did I do something? If I did—”
“Look at me. It’s going to be all right.”
It seemed to calm her. But as she continued to tremble, Peabody put an arm around her to lead her from the room.
“Same symptoms as Jackson Pike,” Eve commented. “Down the line.”
“Eve—”
“I’m cutting you a break by not getting pissed off. Don’t push it.”
He merely nodded. “I’ll stay until she’s ready to go. Then I’ve other things to see to.”
“Good.” She took out her communicator to arrange for Mika’s transportation, then contacted Mira’s office. She plowed through Mira’s admin. “I’m pulling rank, are you hearing me? If necessary I’ll go to the commander on this, and nobody’ll be happy about that. I’m ordering a priority. Dr. Mira will clear her schedule as of now. Jackson Pike, currently in custody, will be brought down to her for examination. She has the file. If she has any questions, she can reach me. In an hour, she will examine Mika Nakamura, who will be brought to Central shortly. If you have a problem, you can take it up with me later, but you’ll do exactly what I’ve told you, and you’ll do it now.”
Eve clicked off. “Ought to hook her up with Summerset.” she muttered. “Couple of tight-asses.” While Roarke watched thoughtfully, she contacted her own division and arranged for two uniforms to deliver Pike to Mira’s office, ASAP. Satisfied, she shoved the communicator back in her pocket.
“Someone used her,” Roarke began.
“Maybe.”
“Used her,” he repeated. “And a woman’s dead because of it. Mika won’t ever forget that.”
“You can worry about that now. I can’t.”
“Understood. We’re not on different sides, Eve. Just slightly different angles. She’s in pain, and afraid, and confused. And she’s mine. You understand that.”
“Yeah.” She understood that right down to the bone. “And Ava Marsterson’s mine. Do I think your head of security suddenly thought it would be fun to help a bunch of lunatics carve someone up in the name of Satan? No. But there’s a reason they used her, a reason they used your place, that room, that victim. There’s a reason for Jackson Pike.”
Eve stepped over as Peabody led Mika back into the room.
“Ms. Nakamura, do you use the West Side Health Clinic?”
“What? Yes. Aiko’s pediatrician is there, and my doctor.”
“Do you know Ava Marsterson?”
