Devoted in Death (In Death #41)(105)

She walked over to Carmichael and Santiago. “The scene’s yours if you want it.”

“Then we’ve got it,” Santiago told her.

“Document everything, down to the last fleck of dust. Copy me, Whitney, Mira, Reo and Special Agent Zweck.”

Carmichael looked at the pool of blood on the plastic, the spatters of it, the smears of it on knives, hammers, screwdrivers, jags of glass.

“Sweat ’em hard, wring ’em dry.”

“Count on it.”

Eve stepped out into the cold, found it glorious after the stench. “Thanks for the assist,” she said when Roarke stepped out beside her.

“Oh, no, I’ll be seeing this one through. I shuffled some things, as I said, and I can get a bit of work done at Central. I’ll enjoy seeing you sweat ’em hard, wring ’em dry.”

“She might not make it. I could see it in the MTs’ eyes. They don’t think she’ll make it. A few hours earlier… who knows.”

“Eve.”

“I know, I know. It’s not on me, not on anybody but the two who did this to her. But she held out, with everything they did, she held out, held on. And now she might not make it.”

She rubbed her face hard.

“I need to contact her roommate.”

“I’ll do that,” Peabody said from behind her. “I’ll make the contacts for both of them, Dallas. Maybe with friends there, with family, they’ll both have a better chance. Banner and I will ride back with EDD, and I’ll make the contacts.”

“All right, good. I’ll brief Whitney – and get Mira in on this.” She blew out a breath that streamed away in a cloud. “Let’s get it done.”

She walked away from the nightmare of a dead man’s apartment – remembered they had next of kin to notify there.

“Consider my arm wrapped around you.”

“What?”

He smiled at her. “You’d object to such a gesture when cops can see you, but know it’s there, to lean on.”

“I’m okay. We caught the bad guys.”

“Peabody knew you could do with a bit of alone with me. Use it.”

“He – Reed – he’s hurt, but not as much as she is. They didn’t hurt him as much because they needed him physically able to rape. He’s going to make it, but… He might never get over what they made him do. He’s just a guy, just a regular, apparently decent enough guy, and he’ll have to live with this. They raped him, too. By forcing their will on him.”

“Mira, or someone like her, will help him understand that, and cope with it.”

“It takes a long time to cope. It takes a lot to cope with that. Some never get there.”

It put a hole in her belly remembering how close she’d been to never getting there.

“I don’t think I would have gotten there without you. I wouldn’t have gotten there, even with Mira, without you.”

“Now you’ve done it,” he murmured. “Cops or no.” He wrapped one arm around her, then the other. “You got there. We both did. And I wouldn’t change a moment of the time, good or bad, we’ve had together since I first turned and locked eyes on you. What a jolt that was through me.” He touched his lips to her brow. “I’ve never recovered.”

“Not even a minute of change?”

“Not one.”

“Because change one, change all.”

“Now you’ve remembered.”

“Okay.” She breathed deep, pulled back. “No more sloppy stuff on the street.” She strode the few paces to the van, called into Feeney. “Got their asses.”

“Now fry them up, kid.”

Roarke watched that hard grin flash on her face, and thought: There’s my cop.

22

Revved and ready, Eve marched toward Homicide.

“You already know how you’ll work them,” Roarke commented.

“Got a plan.” She slowed her pace when she spotted Zweck. “May have to adjust it. Special Agent.”

“Lieutenant. We need to talk.”

“Sure. My office.” She gave Roarke a glance, led the way into the bull pen where every cop in the room gave Zweck the fish-eye.

She gestured Zweck back as Roarke wandered across the room, perhaps to admire Jenkinson’s latest neckwear.

“Have a seat,” she invited, but Zweck just shook his head.

Reading him, Eve shut the door, then opted to edge down on the corner of her desk. “Parsens and James are in custody.”

“I heard.”

“Clean op, no officers injured. The suspects are now being or have been treated by medical for minor injuries sustained during the op. Both Campbell and Mulligan were taken to Clinton Hospital. The medicals on scene indicated Campbell’s chances are rocky.”

His mouth tightened, just for an instant. “I know who balled things up on our end.”

Recognizing barely suppressed rage when it was steaming barely a foot away, Eve only nodded.

“They’re both superiors, but I intend to use your work on this, your reports and this morning’s results to have them both reprimanded. They have superiors, too, and I’ll go as far up the chain as it takes. My report on this morning’s NYPSD operation will be delayed while I… assess the details and make a determination.”