Imitation in Death (In Death #17)(97)

"There's nothing wrong with me." His color came up again. "Jule's just... I don't know, the just has to get this out of her system. And, okay, so I've hired an LC a few times since things have gotten messed up at home. Jesus, I'm not a eunuch."

"She's making you one. She's insulted, belittled, betrayed you. Maybe you were just going out to pick up some stranger. Guy's entitled when his wife shuts him out. Maybe things got out of hand. All that anger and frustration just built up. Thinking about how she'd lied to you, how she was in your bed fresh from another woman. Lying, cheating, making you nothing."

She let that single word vibrate in the room, let it slap at him. "You needed some attention, goddamn it. You've got a head full of men who knew how to get attention. Knew how to make a woman stand up and take notice. Had to feel-good to rip into Jacie, into the symbol of her, to cut out what made her a woman. To make her pay, make them all pay for ignoring you."

"No." He wet his lips, and his breath shuddered through them. "No. You've got to be out of your mind. Out of your mind. I'm not talking to you. anymore. I want a lawyer."

"Are you going to let me beat you, too, Tom? You gonna let some female cop beat you down? Once you call the lawyer, I win the round. Start whining lawyer, and I charge you with suspicion of murder in the first, two counts. Assault with intent, one count. I get to squeeze your balls blue, that is if you've still got balls to squeeze."

His breath hissed in and out, in and out in the silence that followed. And he turned his face from hers. "I don't have anything else to say until I've consulted with my attorney."

"Looks like it's my point then. This interview is ended to allow the subject to arrange for -legal representation at his request. Record off. Peabody, arrange for the standard psych exam for Mr. Breen, and escort him to holding where he can contact his legal rep."

"Yes, sir. Mr. Breen?"

He got shakily to his feet. "You think you've humiliated me," he said -to Eve. "You think you've broken me down. But you're too damn late. Julietta already took care of that."

She waited until he'd gone out, then she walked over and stared at her own reflection in the mirror.

Exhausted, she went back to her office. For once she couldn't face the buzz of coffee and opted for water. Standing by her stingy window, she drank like a camel, and watched the air andd street traffic.

People came, people went, she observed. They didn't know what the hell went on in here. Didn't want to know. Just keep us-safe--that was the bottom line when they gave the cops: inside the building a passing thought. Just do your job and keep us safe. We don't care how you do it, as long as it doesn't spill over on us.

"Lieutenant'"

Eve continued to stare out the window. "You got him tucked?"

"Yes, sir. He's contacted the lawyer, and he's clammed. He requested a second transmission, re child care. I, um, I authorized it, with supervision, He contacted the neighbor and asked if she could keep Jed for several more hours. Said he'd gotten tied up with something. He made no request to contact his wife."

Eve simply nodded.

"You were pretty rough on him in there."

"Is that an observation or a complaint?"

"An observation. I know you're going to say I'm an investigative slut, but he's starting to.look good to me. The way you sprang knowledge of the wife's affair on him, he never recovered from that."

"No, he didn't."

"And pushing the LC angle. The way he fumbled it, denying any association, then breaking down and admitting it to prove to you he was still sexually capable."

"Yeah, that was stupid of him."

"You don't sound too juiced about it"

"I'm tired. I'm just tired."

"Maybe you want.to take a break before you wrap him up. The lawyer's got to get here, do the consult. You've got an hour anyway if you want to grab a bunk."

Eve started to speak, started to turn, and Trueheart stepped in. "Excuse me, Lieutenant, but Pepper Franklin is here, wants to see you. I didn't know if you wanted me to pass her through."

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Do you want me to sit in?" Peabody asked her when Trueheart left. "Or go baby-sit Breen?"

"Fortney was your pick before you decided to be fickle. Let's both hear what she has to say."

She walked to her desk, sat, and swiveled toward the door when Pepper entered. The actress was wearing enormous silver sunshades and bright red lip dye.. Her glamorous hair was pulled straight back in a long, sleek tail. The sunny yellow skinsuit was in direct opposition to, the murderous expression on her lovely face.

"Get us some coffee, Peabody. Have_ a seat, Pepper. What can I do for you?"

"You can arrest that lying; cheating son of a, bitch Leo, and drop him in the deepest, darkest hole you can find until the flesh rots off his f**king bones."

"No need to stifle your emotions in here, Pepper. Tell us how you really feel."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes." She whipped off the shades and revealed an impressive shiner. It would be more impressive in a few hours, Eve judged, when the blood finished gathering in bruises. Bet that hurts.''

"I'm too mad to feel it. I found out he's been boffing my understudy. My goddamn understudy. And the assistant stage manager. And Christ knows who else. When I confronted him, he denied it, just kept lying, telling me I was imagining things. Have you got any vodka?"