Faithless in Death (In Death, #52)(95)

As she studied Eve’s face, Nadine pursed her lips. “For you, too, I’d say.”

“The next twenty-four are going to be a lot longer, a lot harder for a lot of sons of bitches. So are the multiple, consecutive lifetimes in cages going to be long and hard.”

“Let me help you put them there.”

“Let’s get started.”

With a sigh, Nadine paused at Vending. “I need a boost, even something from here. I’ve been too busy to grab more than a bagel.”

“Bagels seem to be the choice of the day. I’m having food sent in.”

“Great. You know,” Nadine continued as they walked, “a couple of days ago, walking through that big, crazy house with Mavis, I felt so damn up. Just knowing, seeing, good things happen to people I care about. And now?”

She shook back her streaky blond hair. “I know there’s a lot of ugly in the world. You and I make our living off the ugly. But—hell, Dallas, a long twenty-four.”

“We’re about to carve away a lot of ugly. Have a seat.”

“Been sitting, need to move a little. Hi, Reo.”

“Nadine. Love those sneaks!”

“Thanks. Me, too. Did you hear Mavis and Leonardo bought a house?”

“What? When? Where?”

Eve held out a hand. “Documentation before you start chatting.”

Nadine took a box of discs out of her enormous bag. “They’re labeled, and I reviewed every one of them. Just a few days ago, and just a few blocks from here,” she told Reo. “It’s this old, big, crazy place with an attached multilevel unit. Peabody and McNab are taking it.”

“What? Wow!”

While they chattered over houses and friends, Eve set to work organizing the discs for display on-screen.

“I’ve got this,” she said as Peabody came in. “Get the food going.”

“What are the possibilities?” Reo wondered. “I swear I can’t face another salad.”

“How about a burger?”

“Don’t toy with me, Peabody.”

“Got burgers. Cow.”

Reo just closed her eyes. “It’s a whole new world. Medium rare? Side of fries, and why not go for broke if this is really happening. Tube of Pepsi.”

“I’m doing exactly the same.” Nadine sighed again, but this time with pleasure.

“Got you covered. Dallas? What do you want to eat?”

“What? Whatever.”

“Burgers all around! I’m down a whole size.”

“I knew it!” Nadine walked over to Peabody, circled a finger to order a turn. “I knew it.”

“Really?” Thrilled, Peabody did another turn. “You noticed?”

“Of course I did. Congratulations.”

“I won’t hit burgers and fries often, but I’m celebrating a little. My pants aren’t loose today because they’re new, and a size down.”

“And they look mag,” Reo told her. “I love the little strip of navy piping down the sides. Cute, and leg-lengthening.”

“If we’ve completed the socializing portion of the program, maybe we can turn to murder, abductions, torture, and human trafficking.”

“They go so well with burgers.” Reo sent Eve a bright smile. Then she closed her eyes again. “Oh my God, smell them!”

Peabody set it all out, complete with condiments, napkins, glasses full of ice. Eve found herself surprised her partner hadn’t come up with a centerpiece of flowers.

“Now this is what I call a lunch meeting.” Reo dug right in.

“Nadine, tell Reo what you told me, then we’ll view the documentation.”

Reo managed to eat and take notes while Nadine spoke.

“It would help to have the name of your source.”

“I can’t give you that.”

“I know where you stand on it, but the fact is, the sister—if all this is true—will be in those documents as OB nurse. We’ll have her name.”

“My source changed hers, changed the children’s names, and moved out of the country. You can, as I did, dig it up and find her. She knows that. She’s afraid, as anyone would be, of reprisals if their names and locations go public.”

“When and if we identify them, when and if we need her testimony, we will, absolutely, keep her identity out of it.”

“We’re not going to need it.” Since it was there, right in front of her, Eve took a bite of burger. “I’m telling you, we’ll have enough to put them away without her direct testimony.”

Reo swept a fry through a little pool of ketchup. “I hate to give up a nail. But we’ll see.”

“On-screen. First doc is the medical files on a female identified only as Candidate A. You see her age, race, hair and eye color, height, weight,” Eve continued as she displayed the file. “Various tests, blood work, gyn exam, dental screening, and so on, and the doctor’s notes certifying Candidate A as a healthy subject, a strong candidate for insemination. It’s signed Dr. Paula Huffman, with the date.

“Next is the nutritionist’s evaluation and recommendations for diet and pre-insemination vitamins and supplements. Peabody, run a search on the nutritionist. We’re going to want a warrant there, too.”