Faithless in Death (In Death, #52)(31)

Roarke glanced at Eve as he turned and drove through the gates. “Well done, Lieutenant. Just the right amount of horror and desperation.”

“She’s a stone-cold bitch. Normally, I admire that. But she’s the kind of stone-cold bitch who uses people, then discards them.”

“Like the young, yet-to-be-Officer Shelby.”

“Yeah, like Shelby. And there will be others between her and my victim. I’ll find them.”

“I’ve no doubt.”

The last burst of the spring day struck the stone and glass of the house with a fiery flash of light. It flamed in the windows, struck the towers and turrets like torches.

“It hits me, six years ago—just a handy number—Mavis was doing some gigs at the Blue Squirrel and waiting tables there to pay the rent on an efficiency apartment about the size of the master closet in that place downtown. I was sleeping in a bigger apartment, sure, but not really living there. I mostly lived at Central.

“Now I’m living in a freaking castle, and she’s going to be living in a big-ass brick house.”

“Life can have some happy turns.”

“Yeah, for some of us. Not for Ariel Byrd.”

They got out of either side, met around the hood. “Think of this,” he suggested. “Gwen Huffman isn’t having a happy turn, either.”

“Good thought.”

They went in together where Summerset waited in the grand foyer with the fat cat at his feet.

“As you’re both late, but unbloodied, I assume you toured Mavis’s new home.”

“He gets to know?” Eve jabbed a finger as the cat trotted over to rub her legs. “Bag of bones gets to know, but I don’t?”

“No one’s approval matters as yours does,” Summerset said. “I assume you didn’t disappoint her.”

“Not only didn’t Eve disappoint Mavis, she found exactly the right tone and right words to convince Peabody and McNab to take the rental.”

“That’s a fine thing for all of them.” He inclined his head toward Eve. “Well done, Lieutenant.”

“You’d be right at home there, skulking around the haunted wallpaper, baking in the kitchen from hell.”

Because she wanted to set up her board, she left the insults there. She tossed the topper over the newel post and started upstairs with the cat bounding up beside her.

“Interesting. There’s devil’s food cake—but I didn’t bake it in the kitchen from hell.”

That got a laugh out of Roarke as he went upstairs.

“Why do they call it devil’s food cake?” Eve demanded. “How does anyone know if the devil eats cake, and, if he does, is he only allowed one kind? I don’t think so. I say the devil eats whatever he damn well pleases.”

Adoring her, Roarke gave her butt a pat. “I can truthfully say I’ve never given the matter any thought. Let’s raise a glass to the five-point-whatever in their new home.”

“They won’t be living there for months.”

“Regardless.”

He walked into her office, straight to the panel that opened to a generous wine rack.

Not to play favorites, Galahad gave Roarke’s leg a rub before leaping to the sleep chair.

He chose a bottle, opened it, then poured two glasses.

“To friends,” he said as he handed Eve hers, “who are family.”

“Yeah, that’s a good one.” She tapped her glass to his. “But I still have to work.”

“Understood. Why don’t you set up your board, as you won’t enjoy a meal until you have. I’ll take a look at this trust.”

“I don’t know who set it up. I only have what Shelby told me.”

“And what she told you, and you told me, is enough. Set up your board and book, then we’ll have a meal.”

She set up her board while he worked in his adjoining office. After circling it a couple of times, making an adjustment or two, she settled into her command center.

She opened operations, and copied her book to date.

She grabbed her ’link when she saw Baxter on the readout.

“Dallas. What’ve you got?”

“Shoe envy. Not for the type she’s got, but the number. I can tell you Shoe Hoarder Huffman liked to live and dress in style. Under her clothes, too. A whole bunch of sexies. I believe my esteemed partner developed a permanent blush.

“She keeps a selection of high-end vibrators, but tucked away from curious eyes. But,” he said just as Eve figured the search hit bust, “we got her ’link.”

“The one she said she ditched?”

“She did ditch it—in her kitchen recycler. It’s dinged up, but she didn’t run a full cycle—and we got to it before it ran the auto. Still too crunched for us to access anything.”

“You need to get that to EDD.”

“Already there. Dinged up, like I said, with some bites out of it, but they should be able to get something.”

“That’s good. That’s gold. What else?”

“No drop ’links, nothing on her comp or tablet that popped out, but they’re in EDD now. The second bedroom’s set up as an office, but she clearly doesn’t do much in it. Plenty of sparkles in a safe, along with some cash, and a safe deposit box key.”