Imitation in Death (In Death #17)(103)

"Bollocks "

"I don't even know what that means." She speared another asparagus and ate determinedly.

"You made a decision not to tell me." He sat again, crowding, her. "Why?".

"You. know, ace, maybe you could bag your ego for five f**king minutes so this isn't about you. It's my deal, so hey!

She nearly slammed him back when he gripped her chin, but he outmaneuvered her, nudging her back so he could stare into her eyes. `But it is about me, isn't it? I'm following the path of your busy brain well enough now, I think. What I found out about my mother not long ago stopped you from letting me be there for you with this."

"Look, you're still messed up about it. You don't think you are-not the big, strong man, but you are. You've got bruises all. over you, and I can see them, so I didn't figure dumping this on you would do any good."

"Because thinking of your mother, who had no love for you, would only bring the grief for my own, who did love me, closer to the surface."

"Something like that. Let go."

He didn't. "That's a flawed and stupid logic." He leaned in, kissed her long and hard. "And I'd have done the same, I imagine. I do grieve for her. I don't know if I'll ever stop completely. And I don't know how I'd have begun to get through it without you. Don't shut me out."

"I was just trying to give us both some time to settle."

"Understood. Accepted. But we seem to settle better together, don't you think? Where did she hit you?"

Staring at him, she touched the back of her hand to her cheek, then felt her heart stumble when he leaned in, touched his lips gently to the spot as if it were still painful.

"Never again," he told her. "We've beaten them, darling Eve. Separately, and together, we've beaten them. For all the nightmares and the bitterness, we've still won."

She took a breath. "Are you going to be pissed off when I tell you I talked to Mira about this a few days ago?"

"No. Did it help?"

"Some. This helped more." She toyed with her food again. "Cleaned me out. Maybe my brain will start cooking again. I was so off when I got home. I couldn't fling a decent insult at Summerset. And I've been saving up."

"Hmm" was Roarke's only response.

"I had some good ones stockpiled. They'll come back to me. But my head's crowded with this business, and the case. Then there's Peabody driving me over the edge."

"It's tomorrow for-her, isn't itT'

"Thank God. I'll hit Foriney and Breen tomorrow while she's in exam. I can get Feeney to team with me. And then. oh, speaking of hitting, Fortney socked Pepper."

"Excuse me?"

"Blackened her eye. She came in, filed charges, so that smooths the way to holding him. I've shuffled things so he won't be able to whine for bail until tomorrow. I already had round one with Breen today. He started out smirky, but I wiped that off his face. I've got him shadowed until our scheduled interview tomorrow. Renquist is reportedly out of the city on business. I thought I might tug on one of my connections and see if that's the case or just a runaround."

"Would it be my ego talking again if I assume I'm that connection."

She gave him a quick, toothy grin. "You're pretty handy to have around, even after sex."

"Darling, that's so touching."

"I've got Smith locked down, too. I want to know where all of them are 24/7 until I can push for a warrant."

"And how do you know which of the four is your man?"

"I recognized him," she replied, then shook her head. "But that's gut, and you can't arrest on gut.-There's only one who fits the profile, right down the line. Only one who'd have needed to feed himself by writing the notes. I need to eliminate the other three, build the case on the one. Once I tie the travel to the other murders, I'll have enough for a search warrant. He's got stuff-the paper, the tools, the costumes. He's kept all that. Tomorrow, the next day, I'll get in. And I'll have him."

"Are you going to tell me who. it is?".

"I think we'll work on the elimination process, do the travel and murder dates. See if you start leaning in the direction I've taken. You've got a pretty good gut yourself. For a civilian."

"Such flattery. Then it appears we're going to work."

"Yeah, I- Shit." Her pocket 'link beeped. "I've got it," she said, leaping up to scramble to the platform where the bed stood and, grab her trousers from off of the floor.

She dragged it out of a pocket, flipped it on. "Dallas." "Lieutenant." Sela Cox's tear-streaked face filled the screen and had Eve's heart dropping to her knees. "Mrs. Cox."

"She's awake." The tears kept falling even as she smiled. Brilliantly. `The doctor's with her now, but I thought I should tell you as soon as I could." -

"I'm on my way." She started to click off, stopped herself. "Mrs. Cox. Thank you."

"I'll be waiting for you."

"I just got a miracle," Eve told Roarke and dragged on her trousers. Then she found she had to sit, just give into weak legs for one moment. "I saw her face. In my dream tonight. Hers, and the others, my own. I saw her face, and I thought she was dead. That I'd been too late for her, and she was dead. I was wrong."