Faithless in Death (In Death, #52)(87)

“No. No, thanks for that. Thanks. It’s Mancini.”

“Gina Mancini. Gina, why don’t you take a break? Maybe Zoe’s up. You can hang with your kids, check out what rooms they have for you here.”

Gina rose. “Can you really do this? Can you really arrest them, make them pay?”

“Yes, I can. And I will.”

As Gina went out, Eve held up a finger, tried a run. “No Gina Mancini of her age in New York—that’s where she was living when they took her. We’ve got a Gina Dawber, but the data prior to her bogus marriage is equally bogus.”

“Bogus marriage?”

“Drugged, forced, raped. Fuck, it’s uglier than we thought. One of them killed Ariel Byrd, and that opened a crack into the whole sick system. The social worker’s part of it. Jane Po. I’ve got Carmichael and Shelby watching her. I don’t want to move too fast. We pick her up, she tags a lawyer, they know we know.”

Peabody plopped down. “What the hell happened after midnight?”

“I’ll brief thoroughly at Central.”

She gave Peabody the essentials.

“Listen to the recordings. I need to keep moving.”

Eve stepped out, and, following the sound of banging and hooting, found a kind of playroom. All three kids ran around like maniacs while the two mothers huddled together, smiling.

“You got her out.” Zoe leaped to her feet. “You said you would, and you did.”

“Here’s what I need. The police artist is coming in. I need Gina to describe the recruiter and this Mother Catherine. Zoe, I need you to describe any of the men you saw last night. Gina, what did you see last night?”

“Westley’s teething, so he was fussy. I didn’t hear the fight—Zoe told me a little just now—but I saw the vans pull up. I saw the men get out. One of them’s a doctor or medical, I think. I know I saw him at the compound. I can describe him.”

“Good. I need you both to file charges when APA Reo gets here.” She glanced back and both women just stared at her. “Here’s Detective Yancy now. You were quick.”

“I don’t live far.”

“Gina, how about you go first? You can use the office we were in before. Zoe’s got the kids, right, Zoe?”

“Oh, sure. I’m so happy to see them. So happy, Gina.”

They hugged, swayed with it. Then Gina popped up. “Let’s do this. I really want to do this.”

Eve led them back. “Peabody, they need the room.”

“Hey, Yancy.” Peabody’s lips curved, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes as she picked up Eve’s recorder and came out.

“I didn’t get far,” she told Eve. “But far enough to see where it was going. Po? She’s supposed to help people.”

“We’ll have her picked up, charged, have a team move in on the halfway house—there’s bound to be some of Natural Order in there, too. We need to coordinate, all of it. It’s going to take time and a shitload of manpower.”

“We have to conclude Marcia Piper’s dead.”

“We’ll see what the sweepers find, but it leans that way. We’re going to find more people who’ve been taken or held, or Realigned. More people, even, like Gwen Huffman, who were secretly tracked.”

“If they had that sort of response to the Piper house, they’ve responded before. Cleaned crime scenes before.”

“Yeah. Organized, ready. You give somebody that kind of power over somebody else? You’re going to have more bodies to clean up. Who reports it? Nobody. And you just wipe their data, if you haven’t already. Hell of a system.”

Eve turned when Natalie led Reo in.

“Good. Natalie, sorry, but I need another private space.”

“No problem. Moira’s due in shortly, but you can use her office. I’ll explain what I can when she gets here.”

“It would help if APA Reo could speak to Zoe. She’s watching the kids.”

“I’ll take over there, and send Zoe up. Oh, good morning, Desi. Would you mind showing these ladies Moira’s office?”

“Thanks, but I know where it is.”

Eve started upstairs. “I copied you on the two interviews,” she began.

“I started listening to them on the way here. Well, to the first one. Zoe Metcalf.”

“I’ve got to get to Central, so I’m going to leave you to handle things here. Gina, the second recording, is working with Yancy in an office downstairs. I need warrants.”

She rattled several off, enough to make Reo’s eyes widen. “And you’re going to get me that warrant for their HQ, Reo. You’re going to have plenty to get that warrant. You’re going to get me an arrest warrant for Stanton Wilkey.”

“On what charges?”

“You’ll have a slew of them, trust me. We’re going to spread that out to his sons, his daughter, and to every so-called husband and a few of the women on that block in Tribeca. We’re going to clean up after these people—a social worker, a halfway house, and that won’t be limited to New York. That’s not how they operate.”

“Let me talk to your wits first. I heard enough on the first recording we can put out a warrant for Lawrence Piper. If for nothing else at the moment, for compromising and leaving a crime scene.”