Abandoned in Death (In Death, #54)(28)

Eve noted some walls had come down and—better—all the hideous wallpaper in her sight line. Some walls apparently would go back up, and inside their framework lived the new guts that would run security and the rest.

“It looks bigger. It was already big.”

“Roomier, more open. It’ll be function city, too, when it’s done. We got more samples, Peabody.”

“I wanna see!”

Bella wiggled down to run, to lead the way through what Eve remembered as a labyrinth and now presented as—yeah, roomier, more open. And into what had been an ugly nightmare of a kitchen.

It seemed the gut job Roarke had deemed it had been accomplished. Most of the wall leading out to the now-cleared backyard was glass.

“They installed the accordion doors!”

Mavis did another dance. “Surprise! And check this!”

She tapped a code on her ’link, and the doors silently folded in and away. “It’ll be voice command, too, when it’s all done. Is that frosted or what?”

“Frost supreme,” Peabody agreed, and took Mavis’s hand. “We’re going to have the most fabulous gardens. I’ve got so many ideas.”

“And over there”—Mavis pointed—“Play Town. Ken, the secondary job boss after Bellamina who’s fallen hard for her, drew up this magomaniac play/adventure house. Roarke gave it the okay, so they’re going to build it.”

“Roarke?”

Mavis turned to Eve. “He’s Supervisor of All.”

“Ork,” Bella said, and sighed like a woman in love.

“Over here, that’ll be the hang-out area.” Mavis circled the kitchen. “And there, kind of a cozy place, like for breakfast, and back here … Roarke calls it a butler’s pantry. We’re not getting a butler, unless it’s Summerset.”

“He’s yours.”

Mavis spun to Eve with a laugh. “As if.”

“No, seriously. I’ll make him your housewarming present. I’m supposed to do that, right?” she asked Peabody. “Do the present thing?”

“Housewarming presents aren’t usually human beings.”

“We can have a debate on whether or not Summerset’s human, but either way, I’ll make an exception.”

“Someshit,” Bella announced, and Eve nodded at her.

“You got that right, kid.”

“Check these samples, Peabody, and give me your what-what. I got Trina’s, but I need more votes.”

“You guys do that. I’m going to find … Ork.” And escape from tile samples.

“Take the back stairs,” Mavis suggested. “We’re leaving them in. I’m digging deep on having back stairs.”

When Eve reached the second floor, she noted the absence of ugly wallpaper, and more walls down to studs.

And through the studs the colorful McNab working on a handheld, the towering Leonardo in what she supposed passed as work clothes in his world—the flowing blue-and-red-striped shirt over blue baggies—and Roarke, still in his king-of-the-business-world suit.

Or maybe Supervisor of All.

He did something with those long, clever fingers to something inside the open studs. “Try it now, Ian.”

“And we are up! We are green all the way! Woot! My man!” He gave Roarke a high five, then offered his palm for a low one to Leonardo. “This system will rock it up, down, sideways, inside, and out.”

“And the house, the grounds, my girls, they’ll be safe.”

“They will, yes.” Roarke gave Leonardo a pat on the shoulder. “I promise you.”

“That’s all that matters.”

Roarke looked through the studs, the odd wire, and smiled at Eve right up into those wonderful wild blue eyes. “Nothing matters more. Lieutenant.”

“He’s not going to look at Mavis,” Eve said as she walked forward. “I’ve got a line on him, and she doesn’t fit. I just want to be careful.”

Leonardo crossed to her, folded her in. “They’re my world.”

“They’re a really big chunk of mine. Just steer clear of the playground until we’ve got him.”

“We will. Bella’s so in love with the house, it’s her playground for now.”

“Job Boss,” Eve said, adding a smile in hopes it took the worry from his eyes. And it did.

“She runs the show. We’ve got wine. I’ll go open a bottle.”

She started to beg off. She wanted to get home, get back to work—but she caught Roarke’s eye.

“Sure. We’ll have a glass before we take off. Everything echoes.”

“Sometimes Mavis wanders around singing. It’s wonderful. I can already see us here. I already see it.”

Eve slowed her pace so she fell well behind Leonardo and McNab. “I really can’t stay long. There’s another missing woman, and he has her.”

“We won’t.” Roarke took her hand. “They need this, need just a moment with you here.”

She did her best to shift gears. “Can you already see it?”

“Actually, I can. It’s going to be a colorful, creative, and surprisingly functional home.”

“And safe.”

“Safe as our own. Trust me on that.”