Devoted in Death (In Death #41)(50)

She signaled for Peabody to bring up the map. “If this is the first, they probably came from Oklahoma. Maybe that’s their origin – it’s likely, it’s logical. We’re going to do an IRCCA search on stolen or highjacked vehicles moving back. Maybe they started out stealing cars, using a network to strip them, chop them, sell them. Working the back roads, the small towns. This area – they’d need to be familiar with the area for that. So Oklahoma’s where we start. Grab some gear,” she told Santiago and Carmichael. “I’ll get you a shuttle, and a vehicle at destination.”

“Road trip.” Carmichael pushed up, pumped a fist. “I drive first.”

“Damn it.”

Ignoring them, Eve pulled out her ’link, wandered a few paces off. Clock’s ticking on Jayla Campbell, she reminded herself. She’d use whatever resources she had to save time.

She’d thought to tag Roarke’s brilliantly efficient admin, Caro, but his face slid onto her screen.

“Lieutenant.”

“Hey. I need a favor.”

“Didn’t I just receive payment for one of those?”

“Let’s start fresh. I need a shuttle, fast.”

“Where are we going?”

“We’re not. Santiago and Carmichael are going to Arkansas. We’ve got a lead. I need them there as fast as possible, with a vehicle – nothing fancy – waiting for them on the other end.”

“I can do that. I’ll have Caro send you the appropriate data.”

“Thanks. I can squeeze the standard fees out of the budget.”

“I prefer other methods of payment. Have you found their first victim, as hoped?”

“It looks good for it.”

“Then I’ll get this ordered. Caro will pass on the docs and numbers. And I’ll take my fee later.”

“Ha ha.” She clicked off. “Shuttle in the works,” she told the room, and kept going. “I’m going to clear the paperwork. Carmichael, Santiago, get that gear and be ready to move. Peabody, look after Banner. Mira, I could use a quick meet before you leave for the day.”

So saying, she strode out.

Banner let out a long, long breath. “Does everything always move so fast around here? Does she always move so fast?”

Peabody considered, smiled. “Pretty much.”

11

Mira poked her head in Eve’s office. “I’ve got about ten minutes before I have to start a session.”

“Great.” Eve swiveled around from her desk. “We’ve got two days – some under that now – but you’d agree that’s the pattern.”

“It’s unlikely they’d shorten the time. There could be unforeseen events that would shorten it, but the torture is the thrill, and the bond. The killing is necessary, the end goal and the final release, but prolonging it sweetens that release.”

“They need a place.”

“Yes. Private.”

“I’d lean toward a private home, or a building with low security. So far the abandons and vacants haven’t panned out. Not a flop – not private enough. Not a hotel, and they just don’t strike as the type that can afford to rent a nice roomy brownstone. Anything like that, they’d need to pass some sort of security check first, have the damage deposit. A basement unit, maybe, in a low- to mid-level building. Or… they snagged somebody who already had what they wanted.”

“You think there might be another victim?”

“The timing’s tight, but they have to have a place. So either they set it up on their way here, hit on one pretty much right after they got here. Or they scoped somebody, along the route, in New Jersey maybe, or locked one in after they arrived. If that’s how they’ve worked it, they took some care disposing of the body, or kept the vic alive so we can’t track them through the vic.

“My question. Are they smart enough for that? Smart enough to plan that out, to case a location, a building, and grab a vic who could give them access?”

“Yes, I think so. They’ve had months on this spree. If, as you believe, New York was the destination, they’d plan. They’ve gotten better at their hobby. It’s not a mission,” Mira said when Eve lifted her eyebrows at the term. “It’s not their life’s work. It’s entertainment for them, and that bonding.”

“People get tired of hobbies, and give them up.”

“Yes, they do, and, yes, at some point they may. Right now, it’s much too exciting, and they’ve had success. Factor in we believe this is a couple, romantically and sexually, as well as a killing unit. Couples have… spats, disagreements. They fall out of love. If that happens…”

“They could turn on each other,” Eve speculated. “Or separate. We have to hope they stick. Separating or one doing the other? That changes the pattern, and it would change the MO.”

“As long as they’re bonded, as long as they love, they’ll not only work as a unit, they’ll protect each other. If/when you find them, they’re still bonded, it’s possible – probable – they’ll die together rather than allow themselves to be taken – and separated.”

“Yeah, I’ve already considered the suicide-by-cop angle. Catching them comes first, not giving them the satisfaction of going out together in a f*cking carved heart is next on the list.”