Imitation in Death (In Death #17)(11)

"Doesn't seem stupid to marry a rich old guy," Peabody replied. "Calculating."

"You can be stupid and calculating at the same time. Keeps houses in London, Cannes, New York, and Bimini. Made his money the old-fashioned way. Inherited it from his father. No criminal record, no nothing much. Still, we'll see if he's in New York at the moment. Could have servants, staff, assistants, crazy relatives hanging around him with access to his fancy paper."

She continued on down. "Take the names, Peabody. See if you can find out if any of them are in New York."

Would it be that easy? she wondered. Would he be that arrogant to leave something so easily traced back to him? Maybe, maybe. She'd still have to prove it, even if she targeted him through his fancy writing paper.

"Niles Renquist," she stated. "Thirty-eight. Married, one child. Brit citizen with residences in London and New York. Currently chief of staff for the U.N. delegate from Britain, Marshall Evans. Got yourself digs on Sutton Place, don't you, Niles. Fancy stuff. No criminal on you either, but you're worth a look-see."

She sipped coffee, thought vaguely about food.

"Pepper Franklin. What the hell kind of name is Pepper? Actress? Of course you are. Brit actress currently starring in Broadway revival of Uptown Lady. No criminal. Nothing but squeaky-clean on this list."

It was a little depressing.

But she hit with Pepper Franklin's cohabitation partner, Leo Fortney.

Sexual assault, indecent exposure, sexual battery.

"Bad boy," Eve reprimanded. "Bad and busy boy."

When Peabody came.back, Eve already had her list in order of priority and was shrugging back into her jacket.

"Carmichael Smith, Elliot Hawthorne, Niles Renquist, and Pepper Franklin are all in New York, or reputed to be in New York at this time.

"Suit up. We're going to go pay some of our English friends a visit." She started out. "Is the U.N. in session?"

"U.N.? As in United Nations?"

"No, U.N. as in 'Unidentified Numbskulls."

` I recognize sarcasm when I hear it," Peabody said with some dignity. "I'll check on it."

Chapter 3

It irritated her to jump through hoops. Every time she cleared one, there was another stack to hurdle. No amount of reason, demand, or threat got her through the maze of assistants, staffers, coordinators, and personal attendants to Carmichael Smith or Niles Renquist.

She was forced to settle for appointments the following day.

Which might have made her slightly less than diplomatic with the blonde touting herself as Mr. Fortney's social secretary.

"This isn't a social call. See this?" Eve all but pressed her badge to the woman's nose. "This means I'm probably not feeling particularly sociable. This is what we NYPSD people like to call an official inquiry."

The blonde set her face into stem lines and succeeded in looking like a cranky baby doll. "Mr. Fortney is very busy," she said in an indignant lisp Eve just bet some brainless guy found sexy. "He can't be disturbed."

"If you don't tell your boss that Lieutenant Dallas of the NYPSD is out here waiting to speak to him, everyone in this building's going to be disturbed."

"He's unavailable."

Eve had taken that line on Smith, who might very well have been at his health center having a complete physical workup. And she'd taken it on Renquist, who quite possibly had been in back-to-back meetings with various heads of state.

But she wasn't taking it from some actress's bimbo companion.

"Peabody," she said without taking her eyes off the blonde, "call for an Illegals sweep. I believe I smell Zoner.

"What are you talking about? That's just silly." Obviously incensed, the blonde danced on her four-inch platforms that had her impressive br**sts bobbing like soccer balls. "You can't do something like that."

"Oh, I bet I can. And you know what happens sometimes, on an Illegals sweep? It leaks to the media. Especially when there's a celebrity type involved. I bet Ms. Franklin's going to be a little annoyed about that."

"If you think you can intimidate me into-"

"Illegals team will be here within thirty, Lieutenant." Peabody tried her cold cop voice. She'd been practicing. "You're authorized to lock down the building."

"Thank you, Officer. That was quick work. With me."

"What?' The blonde clattered after her as Eve strode out of the office. "Where are you going? What are you doing?'

"Im going to lock down. Once a sweep's been authorized, no one is allowed to enter or leave the premises."

"You can't- Don't." She grabbed Eve's arm.

"Oh-oh?" Eve paused enough to look at the lily-white hand with its baby pink nails that clutched her sleeve. "That might be construed as assaulting an officer, and an attempt to obstruct a police investigation. Since you seem a little dim to me,, I'll just cuff you instead of knocking you on your ass, then cuffing you."

"I wasn't!" The blonde dropped Eve's arm as if it had burst into flame, and scrambled back. "I didn't! Oh, damn it, okay, okay, o-kay! I'll tell Leo."

"Hmm. You know, Peabody." Eve took another testing sniff of air. "I don't think that's Zoner after all."