Connections in Death (In Death #48)(105)

“Don’t—”

“Shut the fuck up!” he shouted at Quentin. “You think I’d stick it to that junkie whore, listen to her whiny ass because I liked it?”

“No.” Eve circled the table again. “You did it because she had two uses for you. To help you get to Pickering, and to die bloody. I get that. I get that. What I don’t get is Pickering. Why? He wasn’t part of the gang any more. He wasn’t a threat, and I can’t see how he’d be a tool.”

“Slice let him walk, just walk away like he was better than us. Nobody walks away from us like that. I said we need to tune him up good, make him pay a price, and Slice? He says no. He says the asshole’s off-limits, how he was a fine lieutenant, and how he’ll come back when he’s tired of living the bullshit life.”

“And Slice, he’d have put him over you, wouldn’t he? Put him at a higher rank.”

“I said fuck that. Slice even goes to see him at his work sometimes, like friends. He wants a friend outside? I showed him what happens.”

“So you ordered Pickering killed to strike back at Slice, to make an example, and because of their connection, to bring the cops sniffing around Slice.”

“You came, didn’t you? Cohen said it had to look like an accident.”

Eve sat again. “Did he?”

“I said we’ll cut him up good, plant the knife on Jones, but Cohen said make it look like he OD’d. The cops would still come. Slice would still look weak. So I told those motherfuckers what to do, and they can’t do it right? Have to take shit out of the place?”

“You did tell them to mess Dinnie up though.”

“Bitch had to go hard or no point. Cohen says now fucking just kill her like we did Pick, but I say it’s going to be done right.”

“He knew you planned to have her raped and beaten.”

“Shit yeah. Said to make sure they suited up, so no juice in her for the cops to find.”

“And still, after all that, Slice didn’t call for war.”

“Got no guts, got no honor. Stealing from his family.”

“Why Aimes? Was it always going to be Aimes?”

“He’s a dumb-ass, zoned out most of the time. He and Dinnie, always whining for more junk. I never killed any of them. You can’t hang that on me.”

Eve sat back. “Who’s the dumb-ass now?”

This time Eve called for a break all around—and decided to pull another Roarke.

As she sat in her office, reviewing interviews, she smelled the pizza coming her way before she heard the clomp of Peabody’s boots.

“Brought you a slice. Ah, the bullpen wants to know if you’re okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Sticky buns this morning, pizza this afternoon.”

“Special circumstances. You can tell them not to get used to it.”

“Being smart cops, I think they know that. Did you talk to Teasdale?”

“Yeah, and sent her the interview. Cohen’s going to be very sad when he doesn’t get witness protection—ever.”

“Instead he goes down for accessory before and after the fact, three counts.”

“I’m going to ask for on-planet.”

Peabody managed to look both surprised and disappointed simultaneously. “Why?”

“I think it’ll actually be harder on the sleazy son of a bitch. Plus, Jorgenson and his idiot team are going off. If they end up in the same facility, Cohen is a dead man. I want him to live a long, miserable life. Go eat before the wolves leave a scatter of crumbs.”

“They’re being nice to me. They said I got the first slice. Let me know when you’re ready for Jones.”

“Yeah.” Eve rolled her tired shoulders, texted Roarke.

Grand slam.

And smiled at his reply.

And the crowd goes wild. I hope to make it down to Central by four if you’re still going to be at it.

She blew out a breath.

Supposed to do stupid media conference about then. Going to bag Jones, and leave Cohen for Teasdale. Jorgenson wrapped him up in a bow.

Then I’ll try to make it down to see you tell the media and the people of New York the city’s a safer place tonight. Eat something.

She started to tell him she had pizza, then remembered she’d had pizza the day before. He’d have something to say about that.

Breaking now. See you later.

After checking the time, she ate her slice, settled for water with a coffee chaser while she continued to review.

Then calculating, tagged Nadine.

“Am I go? I need to head down to Central in a couple hours and join the rest of the media.”

“Here’s what you’re go on now. Jorgenson, Washington, Chesterfield, Cohen, all charged.”

She ran through the specific charges while she ate. “You can check with the PA’s office on when, but they’re all scheduled to be indicted today. You can add the federal charges on Cohen, but you should get confirmation from Special Agent Teasdale. If you wait about a half hour to break this, you can follow up with Pickering’s CI status. I want Jones in the box before that hits. I don’t want it to leak to him and maybe skew the interview.”

“I can do that.”

“Do me a solid—let Kyung know it’s coming. He may be a little annoyed, but he’ll get it.”