Holiday in Death (In Death #7)(73)

“Well, let’s find out. I found a memo on Donnie Ray, dated six months ago and updated the first of December.”

Eve felt a little tickle under her heart. “What kind of memo?”

“From Rudy to the consulting staff. Donnie Ray was not to be put through to Piper. Rudy would do his consults personally, or oversee them. The update was a little slap, restating the original notice and reprimanding some drone who didn’t shield a call.”

“That’s fairly interesting. So he didn’t want Donnie Ray sniffing around Piper. I can use that. Anything on the other two victims?”

“Nothing that popped out.”

She drummed her fingers on the desk. “Medical? Mental or physical treatments?”

“They’re both sterilized.” McNab squirmed on the desk as he imagined the cold tongue of the laser on his own genitals. “They opted out of the reproductive market about five years back.”

“That follows.”

“Piper’s had regular shrink work, weekly sessions at Inner Balance for as long as they have records on file. Last year, she did a month at one of their retreats on Optima II. I hear they do colonies, sleep in mood tubes, and eat nothing but grain noodles.”

“What a party. What about him?”

“Zip.”

“Well, he’s going to get some shrink work this afternoon. Decent job, McNab.” She looked over as Peabody came in. “Good timing. The two of you nail down that last piece of jewelry. I want to know where he bought those four calling birds. He got a little sloppy at the scene; maybe he tripped up with the necklace, too.”

Peabody studiously avoided looking at McNab. “But, sir — “

“I’m going to squeeze Piper, so I can’t take you with me. If you leave the building, either of you, you leave together.” She rose. “If he hasn’t picked out number five by now, he’s looking. I want you both where I can find you.”

“Relax, She-Body,” McNab sneered as Eve headed out. “I’m a professional.”

“Bite me.”

Though Eve managed to swallow a chuckle at her aide’s use of her own standard response to annoyances, she didn’t quite make it over McNab’s cheerful, “Where?”

Eve’s timing was well calculated. If Rudy’s lawyer had any brains, he’d have his client in some locked room being prompted on the upcoming tests. She had, she decided, at least an hour to rattle Piper before she had to get back to Central for the press conference.

This time, the receptionist didn’t bother to stall, but simply cleared her through.

“Lieutenant.” Pale, hollow-eyed, Piper stood at the doorway of the office. “My lawyer informs me that I’m not under any obligation to speak with you, and advises me against it unless it’s in formal interview with my counsel present.”

“You can play it that way, Piper. We can go in right now, or we can stay here, be comfortable, and you can tell me why Rudy didn’t want you dealing with Donnie Ray Michael.”

“That was nothing.” Distress shimmered into her voice as she linked her hands. “That was nothing at all. You can’t make anything bad out of it.”

“Fine. Why don’t you just clear it up for me so we can put it away?”

Without waiting for an invitation, Eve slipped into the room and took a chair. She waited, saying nothing, and let the little war so obvious on Piper’s face play out.

“It was just that Donnie Ray had a little crush on me. That’s all. It was nothing. It was harmless.”

“Then why the staff memos?”

“It was just a precaution. To avoid any… unpleasantness.”

“Is there often unpleasantness?”

“No!” Piper shut the door and hurried over. There were spots of agitated color in her cheeks. The silvery hair had been twisted back today, leaving her face unframed, adding a contrast of sophistication and fragility.

“No, not at all. We’re dedicated to helping people find pleasantness, in companionship, romance, often marriage. Lieutenant…” She steepled her hands, folded the fingers down. “I could show you dozens of endorsements from satisfied clients. From people we helped to find each other. Love, true love, matters.”

Eve kept her eyes level. “You believe in true love, Piper?”

“Absolutely, completely.”

“What would you do for your true love, to keep him?”

“Whatever I had to do.”

“Tell me about Donnie Ray.”

“He asked me out, a couple of times. He wanted me to hear him play.” She sighed, then seemed to melt into a chair. “He was just a boy, Lieutenant. He wasn’t… It wasn’t the way it was with Holloway. But Rudy felt, rightly so, that in order to fulfill our obligation to him as a client, it would be best if contact with me was eliminated.”

“Were you interested in hearing Donnie Ray play?”

A smile ghosted around her mouth. “I might have enjoyed that, if that was all. But it was clear that he had hopes for more. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I can’t bear to bruise a heart.”

“And what about yours? How does your relationship with your brother sit on your heart?”

“I can’t — won’t discuss that with you.” She sat straight again, folded her hands.