Abandoned in Death (In Death, #54)(106)

“One more thing that you’ll find useful? You’ll see he did considerable research on his half siblings, their spouses, their children, and so on. One of the younger generation, named after her grandmother, also bears a striking resemblance to her namesake. He took particular interest in her.”

Eve flipped through until she found the data—along with the ID shot. “Okay, yeah, she looks more like Lisa/Violet than the women he killed or captured. And she’s in the age range. Single, an intern at the same hospital where her grandfather worked, her aunt works now. Looks like he’s done a thorough run on her.”

“You’ll find her in his journal notes as well, including a trip he took to see her for himself last December. He had when he applied for the vacation time, booked the trip, where he stayed over that three-day period—what and where he ate. But more, her routine.”

“Yeah, yeah, I see it. Find out if he’s put in for more time off.”

“Feeney’s anticipated that, and is already digging for it. But we thought you’d want this right away.”

“Yeah, I do. He’s got a potful of money now, thanks to Mommy.” Considering, she eyed Roarke. “You know, it’d be interesting to see if he looked into real estate down there. Purchase or rental, private property. Maybe he just wanted to kill her, but pattern says he’d want to play with her for a while first.”

Smiling, Roarke tapped a finger on Eve’s head. “Always thinking. And it would be interesting. I’ll have a look for that myself.”

“Good. I’ve got to get to this, but did Callendar get the work e’s?”

“She did, and so far there’s nothing but official work on his work unit. All very precise again, and very like his personal records in the setup. Jamie’s working on his other devices. He used his ’link to take pictures of his targets—which include his niece. He then transferred those to the computer in his home lab, deleted them from the ’link. But of course, Jamie dug them out.”

“Also good. That calculation again. We’re in Interview A. Anything else that adds weight, have McNab text Peabody. She’ll judge when she can step out of Interview to get it.”

He cupped her chin again, and this time kissed her lightly. “When it’s done, why don’t we go home, open a bottle of wine, and take it and ourselves for a walk to sit by the pond in the moonlight?”

“I could get behind that. I could seriously get behind that.”

“A date then.”

He walked out with her, continued on while she stopped at Peabody’s desk. “We’ve got more.”

“McNab gave me a quick rundown. I passed it on to Mira.”

Eve glanced over where Mira, at Jenkinson’s empty desk, slid the PPC she’d been working on into her jacket pocket.

“It’s going to add weight,” Eve said. “Peabody, if they get more that does the same, McNab will text you. You pick the time to step out, get the information, bring it back in.”

She heard someone stomping their way toward Homicide, and turned as Dick Berenski barreled in.

“What the fuck, Dallas! You have Peabody try to tell me you’ve dragged Dawber in here on some nutball charge. Then you send your storm troopers in to clear out his lab. And I don’t find out all this bullshit about the storm troopers until lab security lets me know. What the fuck!”

“I’ll tell you what the fuck. Andrew Dawber’s charged with three abductions, three counts of involuntary imprisonment, multiple charges of forcibly injecting or otherwise inducing controlled substances, and two counts of murder in the first.”

Berenski slammed his fisted hands on his hips. “This is batshit bullshit! Have you met Andy?”

“Yeah, and the last time we met, I tackled him during his attempt to escape while two of my detectives secured the safety of the woman being forcibly held and restrained and drugged in the basement of his house. And I need the contents of the syringes found in his van, the contents of his home lab analyzed, and now.”

“I put somebody on the lab work. You think you can threaten me like that?”

He moved up, got in her face, and tempted her to punch the anemic caterpillar over his sneering top lip.

“Screw all that. And screw this bullshit. Andy doesn’t have a house. He lives in a damn apartment a spitball away from the lab.”

“Not since September, when his bio mother left him a three-story brownstone—with full basement—and six million in the bank. Don’t tell me it’s bullshit,” she snapped before he could. “I’ve got two bodies, I’ve got the statement from the third woman he held. I’ve got his own records, the evidence from his home lab, the loaded syringes and zip ties in his van.”

“He … he doesn’t have a van.”

“Didn’t have.”

Berenski dragged his hands over the slicked-down hair on his egg-shaped head. “I’ve known Andy more than twenty damn years. Sure he can be a little weird, but…” He looked toward Mira. “Are you saying what she’s saying?”

“Yes, and we have more than she’s told you. I’m very sorry, but there’s no question of his guilt.”

“Lemme talk to him.”

“No.”

At Eve’s flat refusal, he swung back to her. “I want to hear his side. For Christ’s sake. He’s one of mine. How would you feel if all this was coming down on one of yours?”