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“She’s good,” he said as he offered Cill’s journal to Eve. “I’m better. Thought you’d want it right away.”
“You thought right. Did you read it?”
“No, I wasn’t authorized to . . . maybe a couple pages,” he admitted under Eve’s cool stare. “It’s just—or what I read was just stuff. Daily stuff, some work shit, that kind of thing. Maybe she wrote a little about this guy she went out with a couple months ago. She decided he was a loser. I have to agree.”
“Just a couple pages.”
“Maybe what you’d call a few. Just to make sure there weren’t any glitches.”
“I’m going to let you get away with that because you saved me from having to press her to open it. You’ve got over an hour before the briefing. Go away—and don’t bother my partner.”
“I wouldn’t be a bother,” he began, but her communicator signaled and he slipped out.
“Dallas.”
Dispatch, Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. Report to 431 Spring Street, Apartment 3.
“Cilla Allen’s residence. Is she dead?”
Negative. Allen, Cilla, is being transported to St. Ignatius Hospital by emergency unit. Condition critical, multiple injuries. Report to officers on-scene and secure.
“Copy that. Dallas out.”
She swung into the bullpen. McNab, who was bothering her partner, started to grin. Then saw her face. He laid a hand on Peabody’s shoulder briefly. “Shit.”
“Cill’s being transported to St. Ignatius, critical condition. Let’s go.”
“What happened?” Peabody asked as she shoved up to follow Eve’s long stride.
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” She shook her head as Peabody started to speak again. “Try U-Play. I want to know if Var and Benny are there, and if so, I want you to verify that by speaking to them.”
Peabody followed orders as they rode down to the garage. “Not there. Both of them left, together, about a half hour ago.”
“Together,” Eve murmured, nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good play. I want a guard on her—in the ER, the OR, ICU, whatever and wherever. She’s under our watch as of now, twenty-four/seven. See if we can get any details on her injuries, her condition. I don’t want to hear multiple injuries, critical. I want some fucking details.”
“Yes, sir.” Peabody slanted a glance toward Eve as they jumped into the vehicle.
She braced herself as Eve peeled out.
18
Eve ignored the retro-style elevator and bounded up the steps. “Report,” she ordered the officer on the door as she grabbed Seal-It from her field kit.
“Sir. Nine-one-one came in from Levar Hoyt at nine fifty-six from his ’link and from this location. My partner and I were dispatched as was a medi-unit. We arrived on-scene at ten-oh-two, ahead of the mediunit by approximately two minutes.”
Good response time, Eve thought, and gave him a go-ahead nod.
“We were met at the door by Mr. Hoyt, who immediately showed us into the holo-room at the east side of the unit. The victim, Ms. Cilla Allen of this address, was on the floor, unconscious, and appeared to be seriously injured. A Benny Leman was found in the room with her. He stated that he had not moved the victim in fear of adding to her injuries, but had checked her pulse, and attempted to ascertain the extent of said injuries. He was somewhat incoherent at the time. My partner and I removed the two men and placed them in what appears to be a viewing room where Officer Uttica remains with them. They became increasingly agitated and expressed strongly the desire to remain with the victim, who they identified as their business partner.
“I returned to speak to the MTs regarding the victim’s injuries, which they described as critical and including a fractured skull, a shattered elbow, a broken leg, and at least two broken ribs as well as numerous lacerations and contusions. They transported her to St. Ignatius Hospital, departing at approximately ten-fifteen.”
“That’s some report, Officer Kobel.”
“I like to be thorough.”
“Stay on the door,” she ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
