Faithless in Death (In Death, #52)(82)

“What kind of van?”

“I don’t know. One of the order’s. Black, I think, and no windows. I turned off the lights in my room. They—two men—got a kind of stretcher on wheels out of the back and went next door, and with the windows still open I heard voices. Not what they said, they weren’t loud enough. And I needed to stay back so they didn’t see me looking. I saw, oh God, I saw them roll the stretcher out. They had her covered, they had her in a kind of bag, so I couldn’t see, but I know it was Marcia. It had to be Marcia. He killed her. He killed her.”

Zoe covered her face with her hands.

“What time was this, Zoe?”

“I guess about nine-thirty, or maybe ten. I think maybe ten. I was going to get the ’link I’d hidden and call nine-one-one, but they drove away.”

“Did you see a license plate?”

“No, I’m sorry. I thought, What if I call and the order comes here? What if Harley was right, and the police came and put me in jail? Then, not long after the van left, I heard him talking to the kids. I heard the kids crying, so I tried to see. He loaded the children in his SUV and drove away. And right after, like a minute after, another van came, a bigger one.”

“Black again, windowless?”

“Yes. People got out of it. I think four or five. They wore, like, coveralls? I think. And had their hair covered. They rolled these, like, trollies out of the back of the van and into the house. They were there at least two hours, probably more. I could hear machines, like big vacuums or something, and once or twice one of them came out with a big bag and tossed it in the back of the van.”

Cleaners, Eve thought. Crime-scene cleaners—the order’s cleaners.

“Then they loaded everything back up, and left. I thought, he killed Marcia, and they’re making it all go away. Like it never happened. What if Harley did that to me? What would happen to Gabe?”

She looked back at the monitor as if to assure herself he stayed safe.

“I sat in the dark, in case they came back. I waited in the dark until all the lights were out on the block. Then I waited more, just in case. I packed what I could without turning on any lights. Then I waited some more because I was too afraid to get the ’link. Then I went in to check on Gabe, and I just sat and looked at him sleeping for a long time. And I thought, no, no, he can’t be here, can’t be part of any of this. He’s my baby, and I have to protect him. So I finally got the ’link, and called nine-one-one. I begged Operator Harris to let me talk to you.”

“You did the right thing.”

“If I’d used the ’link earlier …”

“You couldn’t help Marcia. It was too late to help her. But what you’ve done now, what you’re doing now is going to help others.”

“Gina?”

“Yes. Did you get a look at any of the people who came—either van?”

“Sort of, yes. Maybe.”

“Would you work with a police artist?”

Her shoulders pulled in. “Do I have to go to the police station?”

“No, he can come here. You can trust him, too. You should get some sleep.” Eve stood and dug in her pocket for a card. “You can contact me at any time. I want you to tag me after you’ve gotten some sleep, when you’re ready to work with Detective Yancy, the police artist.”

“Okay.”

“Do you have family in Ohio?”

“My parents, my sister, but I don’t want to contact them.” Reaching out, she gripped Eve’s hand like iron. “I don’t want anyone from the order to hurt them.”

“Are they members?”

“Oh God, no. It’s just that they might send somebody there to see if I went there, or if they know. Harley might not want me back after this, but he’ll want Gabe. Please don’t let him take my baby away from me. Please don’t—”

“Look at me.” Eve leaned forward until their eyes met on the same level. “Nobody’s going to touch your son. I’ll get protection for your family in Ohio, and I’ll let them know you’re safe.”

“Thank you, thank you. I’ve been so stupid.”

“No, Zoe, you’ve been abused, and there’s a world of difference.”

“And what a fine mother you’ve proven to be already.” Roarke stood. “Gracie’s coming down for you.”

“Thank you, so much. Lieutenant Dallas, would you tell my family I’m sorry, and I love them?”

“I will.”

The minute they stepped outside, Eve pulled out her ’link and tagged APA Cher Reo.

Reo groaned. “Come on, Dallas. It’s not even six A.M.”

“Warrants, I need them. Now. Piper, Lawrence—I’ll send you his salients—Murder One.”

“Who’d he kill?”

“His pregnant wife. Beat her to death. I need a warrant to enter, to search and seize at the crime scene.” She rattled off the address. “Where I’m heading now. And I need you to start working on warrants to get me and a team—probably NYPSD and FBI—into the Natural Order HQ.”

“Whoa, whoa.” The video popped on to show Reo jumping out of bed in red sleep shorts and a white tank. She shoved a hand through tousled blond curls. “I know you’re working on a murder with connections to Natural Order, but—”