Abandoned in Death (In Death, #54)(103)

But it feels, once again, like taking the coward’s way. You deserve to know.

And I know I can’t make up to you what I did, and the years between, but I need to give you something, some part of what Joe gave me. I’m enclosing the deed and all the paperwork to a house in your city, and have opened a bank account in your name. I do this to provide for you, my son, what I should have throughout your life.

I’m sorry, my baby darling. Please know that when I remembered all that came before, my first thought was of you.

Here, I’m weak. Too much of Lisa, not enough Violet, so I need to go to Joe.

I love you,

Mommy

As Peabody finished, a little teary-eyed, they stepped out of the elevator on Homicide.

“A lot of it’s what you thought might have happened. She blocked it all out, or the trauma did it for her.”

“Wandering around some swamp, no sense of time, fever, chills, detoxing off the pills cold turkey. Rough. Then she hits pay dirt.”

“It didn’t sound like she thought of it like that.”

“Not her, Peabody. Dawber. How he thinks of it, of her. She ditches him and lands in the bed of roses. Now she thinks she can buy him off? Ditch her guilt like she ditched him for a house and some money? Then she takes herself out? She never paid, never will.”

“So he replicates her so she will.”

“And that’s how we play him. I’ll take Covino. You check, see if he’s saying lawyer. If not, we’ll take a run at him tonight before he changes his mind. If he is, tag Reo, and we’ll go from there.”

Eve continued to the conference room as Peabody turned into the bullpen.

She found Charles standing outside the door.

“I didn’t think I should go in,” he said. “I did raid your office AutoChef on doctor’s orders. She said I’d find a lot better than at Vending, and she wanted Mary Kate to have some food.”

“That’s fine. You can wait there, or in the bullpen. I appreciate you both coming in so quickly.”

“No need for appreciation. This is what she does. Let her know I’m in your office, helping myself to some of your exceptional coffee.”

She went inside to find Mary Kate with her roommate sitting beside her, and Jenkinson on her other side. Louise, in a fancy lace dress the color of her eyes, sat across from them.

Mary Kate had clean, white bandages on her wrist, her ankle, good color in her cheeks, and spooned up what smelled like chicken soup.

“This tastes like heaven. Not only because it doesn’t come from him, but because it tastes like heaven.” When she spotted Eve, she set down the spoon.

“Go ahead and eat. Jenkinson, they could use you back at the crime scene.”

He gave Eve a nod, but turned to Mary Kate. “You’re going to be okay now.”

Eve watched him blink in surprise when Mary Kate took his face in her hands. And when she kissed him, saw the faint flush rise up the back of his neck.

“Thank you. I’m never going to forget everything you did. Never.”

He gave her an awkward pat. “You’re a strong, smart woman.”

He rose, gave Eve another nod, and headed out.

“He said you’re the boss. I’m going to say you’re lucky to have someone like him on your team.”

Eve sat. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Okay.” Mary Kate let out a long breath. “Anyway, thanks for not making me go to a hospital, and getting Cleo here so fast. Louise said I’m in pretty good shape. Just … you know, from the cuffs. No infection from the tat or the piercings. I really want this off—” She pointed to her belly. “And the damn earrings, but she—Louise—said we should wait for you. Can she please take them out of me?”

“Yeah, but I need to get them on record first.”

She rose, turned, hiked up her shirt to reveal the butterfly. “God knows what it’s going to take to have this removed. I’m not thinking about it yet.”

“M.K.’s family’s on their way,” Cleo told Eve. “But I’m going to thank you first. You got her out. You got her out safe.”

“It’s what I do, but from what I hear, she was working on that herself. Got the tat, can you turn around?”

Mary Kate turned, still holding up her shirt. “The other detective—Reineke—I’d like to thank him again. I cried all over Detective Jenkinson. He made me feel so safe.”

“Reineke’s still in the field, but I’ll pass it along.” She got out two small evidence bags. “Are your hands sealed, Louise?”

“They are, of course.”

“Go ahead and take the rings out, place them in the bags.”

When she had, Mary Kate sat again, began to cry. “Sorry. Second.” And turned to wrap herself in her roommate’s arms.

“It’s okay now,” Cleo soothed while Eve sealed and labeled the evidence, put it out of sight.

“I know. I know. Okay.” She pulled back, swiped at the tears, then looked at Eve. “What’s next?”

“I need your statement, on record, with as much detail as you can provide. Can you tell me if you knew or had contact with Andrew Dawber before your abduction?”

“Is that his name? He insisted I call him baby darling. Made me sick, but I did it. No, I didn’t know him. I don’t think I’d seen him before, but I’m not absolutely sure. When he first came into that horrible little room, I was sort of sick and dizzy, and I thought he looked a little familiar. But I don’t know, and I don’t know that name.”