Desperation in Death (In Death #55)(77)
“Consider it done,” Roarke said. “But there are rules, and you’d both have to obey them. What you’re doing here is for all of them.” Roarke gestured to the screen. “What you do at An Didean is for all who go there. You and your friend have to agree to that.”
“We’ll need to put a couple cops in there,” Eve added. “For protection.”
“I’ll contact Rochelle. We’ll work it out.”
“Can you come see me?” Dorian asked Sebastian. “She says I can’t leave until they get Auntie and all of them. It could be forever.”
“I’ll check in on you, but it won’t be forever. You’re helping make sure of that. I’m very proud of you. I’m going to go talk to Mouser now. If he agrees, and I think he will, I can bring him to the school. Is that acceptable?”
“I need a name—a legit name,” Eve insisted. “If he has family—”
“I believe he does, but not the sort you, being who you are, would subject him to. He’s only eleven, and though he’s pushed his way through most of the emotional scars, he still has physical ones. I expect that’s something you’ll want to deal with at some point.”
“At some point,” Eve agreed. If the kid made the difference for Dorian right now, she’d take the kid. “If he was abused or endangered, we’ll deal with whoever’s responsible. I need his legal name to do that. Tell him no bullshit.”
“So I will.” Sebastian rose, held out a hand to Eve. “I know our methods are dramatically different, but we have considerable common ground on the ultimate goal. Thank you for your … creativity and flexibility in this.”
“It only goes so far.” But she took his hand.
“Understood. Mavis can contact me when you’re ready for Mouser. Thank you all.” He opened his arms for Dorian. “You’re strong and brave, and you have such a bright future ahead of you. I’ll see you soon.”
She clung to him another moment, and whispered in his ear, “I’ll never tell them where you are.”
“I know. Strong, brave, and true.”
He left quickly. Dorian shoved tears away with the heels of her hands as she looked at Roarke. “She says you can get me a lawyer to sue the shit out of Ms. Truman. Can you really?”
Roarke lifted his eyebrows. “First, she has a name, and it’s polite to use it. Second, I can arrange for that, yes. We’ll get you settled in the school first.”
“I guess you’ve got lots of money.”
“It happens I do. It also happens I spent the first years of my life very much like you. On the streets, and getting the boot or fist at home. I decided I wanted a different kind of life, so I made one. You have a chance to do the same.”
He rose. “I’ll contact Rochelle and she’ll take care of what needs doing.”
When he walked outside, Dorian turned to Eve. “I can do more, I guess.”
“Peabody, arrange for a detail at the school. We’ll take one more group,” she told Dorian. “And that’s enough for tonight. Detective Yancy—that’s the police artist—will come to you tomorrow. One more group, then Roarke and I will take you to the school.”
“If Mouser doesn’t come—”
“One thing at a time, kid. Let’s do the next group, then call it for now.”
Eve ignored the headache while Dorian identified two more.
“Okay, that’s it for now. We’re going to walk back to Central, get my ride.”
“I had it brought down,” Roarke told her. “It seemed easier.”
“Yeah, great, fine. Thanks for all this,” she said to Mavis and Leonardo. “I’ll be in touch.”
“If anyone can help those children, it’s you.” Leonardo enfolded her before Eve could evade. As he embraced her, Mavis pinned Dorian with a look.
“Somebody just handed you a mega op. Don’t blow it. I’m saying that as somebody who might’ve been whacked enough to blow it in the back time.”
“You weren’t that whacked,” Eve said simply. “Let’s go.”
When they stepped outside, Dorian took one look at Eve’s DLE. “Man-o, that’s one totally out car. Doesn’t look like it’d drive over five.”
“In the back, strap in.”
After the required eye roll, Dorian settled in. “Hey, you got an AC back here. That’s prime. I can get another fizzy.”
“No.” Eve shot through the gates and prayed to any deity who’d listen to help her carve her way through traffic and get this done.
Roarke shifted. “There’ll be a meal for you and your friend at the school.”
She sneered at that. “Like veggie hash or soy surprise.”
“The surprise there is that anyone would eat either of those if they had a choice.” As that got a grin, Roarke did what he could to engage Dorian in conversation while Eve pushed through traffic.
Eve figured she owed him all kinds of monkey sex.
Still, when they pulled up in front of the quietly dignified building that housed An Didean, Dorian’s shoulders hunched.
“Give it a day,” Roarke suggested. “If you’re unhappy, we’ll try something else.”