Divided in Death (In Death #18)(11)

"She didn't kill anyone. It's obvious Reva was set up, and that whoever killed them marked her for it, planned it out and left her twisting in the wind."

"I happen to agree with you."

"And locking her up only gives whoever did this time and opportunity to-what?"

"I said I agree with you, about the setup. But not with what you didn't quite finish saying there." She drank more coffee, slower this time, letting it slide deliciously into her system. "I'm not giving whoever did this the time and opportunity to get away. I'm giving them the time and opportunity to think they'll get away-and keeping Reva safe in the meantime. And following the pesky little letter of the law while I'm at it. I'm doing my job, so get off my back."

He sat because he was suddenly tired, and because he, too, was sick with worry over the mother, the daughter. Both of whom he considered his responsibility. "You believed her."

"Yeah, I believed her. And I believe my own eyes."

"I'm sorry. I seem to be a little dull this morning. What did your own eyes tell you?"

"That it was too staged. The scene. Like a vid set. Viciously murdered naked couple, knife-from the prime suspect's own kitchen, sticking out of the mattress. Blood in the bathroom drain, suspect's print on the sink-one little spot she just happened to miss on the wipe-down. Her prints all over the weapons, just in case the investigating officer needs to be led by the f**king nose."

"And you certainly don't. Should I apologize for doubting you?"

"You get a free one, seeing as it's five in the morning and we've put in a long night." She felt generous enough to give him the coffee, and program another mug for herself. "Classy frame job for the most part, though. Whoever did it had to know your girl-what she does for a living, how she reacts. Had to be dead sure she'd rush over to her pal's house with blood in her eye. That she'd bypass security. Might have figured she'd just beat on the door first, but that she wouldn't turn around and slink off home when nobody answered. But they missed a few."

"Which were?"

"If she'd walked in with a big, nasty knife in her hand, she wouldn't have dug into her bag of tricks for a minidrill to go at the jacket. If she washed up, why'd she use the other upstairs bath to get sick? Why leave her prints there? How come there's no blood in her hair? Spatter hits the lamp, some of the wall, and to do what she did, she'd have been right on top of them, but there's no spatter in her hair. She wash that, too? Then why didn't the sweepers find any of her hair in the bathroom drains?

"You're very thorough."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks. Whoever did this knows her, Roarke, and the victims. Wanted one or the other of them dead, maybe both. Or maybe just want Reva Ewing doing life in a cage. That's a puzzler."

She sat on the corner of her desk sipping her coffee. "I'm going to turn her life inside out, and do the same job on the victims. At least one of them is the key. Whoever did it surveilled the vics, got the photos, the discs. Good quality. And they got into the house as slick as Reva did, so security's no problem for them. Had a military-style stunner. I need it analyzed yet, but I'm betting it's no black market knockoff. They think the cop's going to step into that scene and gobble all that shit right up, then go eat a fricking doughnut."

"Not my cop."

"Not any cop in this division or that cop deserves a boot up the ass," Eve said with feeling. "When something looks that perfect on the surface, it never is down below. Whoever set this up was just a little too creative. Maybe he figured she'd run. That when she woke up, she'd panic and run. But she didn't. I'm having the medicals go over her, see if she was knocked out, or given a dose of something that knocked her out. She doesn't strike me as the fainting type."

"I wouldn't think so."

Still sipping, she looked at him over the rim of her mug. "You're going to get in my face on this again?"

"I am, yes." He touched her arm, ran his hand down it, then let her go. "Both Caro and Reva are important to me. I'll ask you to let me help. If you refuse, I'll go around you. I'll be sorry for it, but I'll do it. Caro isn't just an employee to me, Eve. She's asked me for help, and she's never asked me for anything before. Not once in all the years she's been with me. I can't step aside on this, not even for you."

She took another contemplative sip. "If you could step aside on this, even for me, you wouldn't be the man I fell for in the first place, would you?"

He set his coffee down, stepped over to frame her face in his hands. "Remember this moment, won't you, the next time you're furious with me? And I'll do the same." He lowered his head to press his lips to her forehead. "I'll send you my files on both Caro and Reva, which contain considerable personal data. And I'll get you more."

"That's a good start."

"Caro asked me to do so." He eased back. "I would've done it anyway, but it's easier all around that she asked. You'll find, in your dealings with her, she is scrupulous."

"How'd she get that way working for you?"

He grinned now. "A paradox, isn't it? You'll call Feeney in?"

"I'm going to need ace EDD men, so yeah, it'll be Feeney-and he'll bring in McNab."