Devoted in Death (In Death #41)(92)

“Romance again.”

“Bought her flowers, wrote her bad poetry, gave her little gifts. Came out he’d stolen most of them. And he was also banging two other girls during the same six months – that came out when they testified. One took a slap as she was eighteen. The other was sixteen, so that’s legally consensual.”

“Sex, stealing, romance. He started all of it young.”

“Had some tangles – his juvenile record’s unsealed,” Banner added. “Got a history of shoplifting and moved that up to joyriding, destruction of property, a couple minor assaults. Usual court-appointed counseling, community service. And a quick stint of rehab when he got bagged with some illegals. Can’t get into any of his psych reports – they’re sealed.”

Eve thought of Roarke – the quick way. Or Mira – the official way. “We’ll cut through that if necessary.” Either way.

“He showed an aptitude for mechanics – had better luck for the year they put him in trade school. Showed above-average interest and aptitude for electronics. What you get, Lieutenant, is he’s not all-over bright, but has a knack for those areas. But he’s bone-lazy with it. He took off at sixteen, ended up in Texas, got popped trying to boost a car and did his time in juvie down there. We got pretty much the rest of it.”

“Get that to Mira. It’ll add to the whole picture. Peabody, Parsens.”

“It’s going to sound like a lot of repetition. Low-level achiever in school, no extracurriculars, with a handful of suspensions and write-ups for fighting, disruption of others, unexcused absences. Accused a male teacher of molestation. Thorough investigation there, by my eye. The teacher was completely vindicated. Solicited another – who had a recorder in his pocket, running. Sex for a passing grade was her offer. Any kind of sex he wanted. Mandatory counseling, community service assigned. Dropped out as soon as she reached legal age. No steady employment, and all employment on record is bar work. Applied for an LC license at eighteen, again at twenty-one. Both times denied.”

When she picked up her mug, frowned into it, Banner said, “Out?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll fix you up.”

“Actually, I could do with something sweet at this point. Could you make it an orange fizzy?”

“Coming up. Keep going,” he said as he rose. “I can hear you.”

“I dug up a couple reports, when she was a minor. She was accused of killing a dog – twice.”

Now, Eve thought. There it was. The need to shed blood, give pain.

“How young was she?”

“Thirteen the first time – they couldn’t nail it down, but she’d gone a round with this other girl, over a boy. And the girl’s dog ended up eating poisoned kibble. She was fifteen the next time, and it was the same sort of scenario. Only this time the dog was cut up, burned, and found hanging from a tree.”

“Bitch,” Banner muttered from the kitchen. “I’ve got a soft spot for dogs. I know she’s doing people, but I’ve got a soft spot.”

“Torturing and/or killing animals. One of the foundations of a serial killer. She’d have gone on to people eventually. With or without James, she’d have evolved to that. Any more?” Eve asked.

“We’ve got a few police reports with her the complainant – boyfriend at the time popping her one, other rape or molestation charges. From the photos and reports, the popping did happen, and was mutual. None of the sex charges stuck.”

“Sex as a payoff, a weapon, as currency. I’ve talked to Charles about this sort of thing before.”

“Charles who?” Banner asked as he came back with two fizzies.

“Former LC, current sex therapist, friend,” Eve explained. “And if we consulted him I’d expect him to say sex was never a real pleasure for her. Always a weapon or tool. Maybe we’ll find she rang that bell with James, and that’s what keeps her with him. That, and the killing.”

Peabody took a big gulp of fizzy, winced, rubbed between her eyebrows. “Cold snap. Why do I do that? She ran away a couple of times as a minor, but always came back on her own. Took off for good at eighteen. Stepfather reported stolen articles, cash, but withdrew the complaint.”

“Her mother pushed there,” Eve speculated.

“She bounced around, ended up at the Rope ’N Ride.”

“Organize it, get it to Mira. When we get these two, we’re nailing them shut.”

She rose, pulled out her signaling ’link. “Santiago, give it to me.”

“We rounded up the warden, a couple of guards, the head waitress from the place Parsens worked, her former landlord, and just to top it off, the midwife who delivered her baby. We corralled them, boss.”

“You’ve been out there too long.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Sum it up. You’re on screen,” she said as she walked back to her office, ordered the open transmission. “Talking to the room.”

“Yo, room. Wish I was there. According to all reports, James kept his head down and his nose clean during his incarceration. Took some classes in e-work, did well. Worked in the mechanics shop, did exceptional. He was, in fact, recommended for a job at a local garage here, but requested permission to return home after his early release, stating he and his woman wanted to go home, where their baby was being tended by family. Said permission was granted. He never reported in.”