Concealed in Death (In Death #38)(19)

“How are the twins?”

“Active.” Elsie rubbed her belly the way Eve had observed pregnant women did.

“Sit.”

“No, I’ve got to move around, too.”

“But not overdo.”

“Don’t say overdue!”

“How far along are you?” Peabody asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Detective Peabody, Lieutenant Dallas, Elsie Kendrick.”

“Welcome. I’m at thirty-three weeks, four days. I’m going to start counting hours soon. I feel like I’m carrying a couple of small, frisky ponies.” She pressed a hand to the side of her belly. “Wow. With really strong hooves. It’s taken me a while to get started, so sorry right off. Hormones, I guess. Reconstructing little girls. Mine are both girls. I had to have a little meltdown first.”

“Children always hit harder,” Morris said.

“Boy, don’t they? I was just finishing the first sketch. I always do a sketch, kind of a tribute, after a reconstruct. Let me show you the first girl.”

“Victim One?” Eve asked.

“Yeah, Garnet said to start in numerical.” She moved to the holo-table, tapped buttons. I got a ninety-six and change probability on her, so this should be close. It’ll be close enough for a match run.”

The hologram shimmered on.

Slim face, deep gold skin, dark Asian eyes, a short wedge of straight dark hair, full lips, strong nose, softly curved chin.

A pretty girl, Eve thought, with the potential of true beauty that would never be realized.

“Her racial profile weighed more heavily Asian, so I went with the probability of straight hair. Her facial bones and structure were both fine and even. Excellent bones. I added the nose stud, as Garnet said you found one, but I can take it out.”

“It doesn’t matter. This is good, really good. We need a copy. We’ll start running for a match.”

“We’re working on establishing TOD. It’s tricky to get a real pinpoint on that.”

“Fifteen years—in that area,” Eve said. “If you can narrow it more, it’ll help, but we’re reasonably sure of that. You said this one likely came from a solid middle-class or better.” Eve turned to DeWinter. “Had good health, good medical care. So it’s probable we’ll find a Missing Persons on her. What about Two?”

“I have the basics started.” Again, Elsie tapped buttons. “I’m going to want to work with it, adjust the data. But here’s what I have so far.”

The holo, much less refined here, showed a fuller face, slacker. Smaller eyes, Eve noted, thinner mouth. Not a particularly pretty girl, not at this point in any case. Pale skin, somewhat sallow, a broader nose.

“We’ll do better than this with more time. I’ll send you a copy of the final.”

“Good. We’ll take what you have for now, get started.”

“This one was sad.” Elsie laid her hands on her belly again. “You can just feel it. And she didn’t have time to get happy again.”

When Elsie’s belly jerked, visibly, under her hand, Eve took a definite step back. Peabody took one in.

“Can I?”

“Sure.” Elsie turned her enormous belly toward Peabody’s reaching hands.

“Awww.” The cooing sound matched the sappy look on Peabody’s face.

“I know, right? They’re going to settle down soon, running out of room in there. It’s crazy considering how many times a day they punch or kick me, but I’m going to miss it.”

“Have you got names?”

“Daddy and I are still arguing, but I’m pulling for Harmony and Haven.”

“Pretty.”

“Okay, well,” Eve began.

“Oh, let me make you a copy of both holos, and I’ll update the second image as I refine it. I can probably get a third started today,” Elsie continued as she programmed copies. “And possibly complete three to four tomorrow. I hope to have all of them for you within three days. I just think of the parents, the not knowing. It has to be torture, even after so many years.”

“I don’t want you upsetting yourself, Elsie,” DeWinter warned. “Adding stress to your life at this stage.”

“It’s not, not really. I feel like I’m doing something for them, bringing their faces back, and that leads to giving them their names back. They shouldn’t be numbers. None of us should ever just be a number.”

She handed Eve the disc.

“You do good work. I’ll be in touch, Dr. DeWinter. See you later, Morris.”

“I’ll be back in my own house before the end of the day if you need me.”

She headed down, worked her way back out of the maze. When they were clearly out of anyone’s earshot, Peabody spoke up.

“They look good together.”

Lost in thought, Eve frowned. “What? Who?”

“Morris and DeWinter?”

“What?” Eve repeated. “Get out.”

“No, they do. I don’t see that hum between them like he had with Detective Coltraine, I just meant on a kind of visual level. Both of them kind of exotic and artsy. I always wonder if McNab and I come close to looking good together,” she went on, speaking of her main man and one of the Electronic Detectives Division’s aces.