Naked in Death (In Death #1)(91)

She wanted to blow off some steam, go over the events step by step with someone who would listen, appreciate, support. Someone who, for a little while, would stand between her and the ghosts of what was. And what could have been.

She headed for Roarke’s.

When the call came through on her car ‘link, she prayed it wasn’t a summons back to duty. “Dallas.”

“Hey, kid.” It was Feeney’s tired face on-screen. “I just watched the interrogation discs. Good job.”

“Didn’t get as far as I’d like, fencing with the damn lawyer. I’m going to break him, Feeney. I swear it.”

“Yeah, my money’s on you. But, ah, I got to tell you something that’s not going to go down well. DeBlass had a little heart blip.”

“Christ, he’s not going to code out on us?”

“No. No, they medicated him. Some talk about getting him a new one next week.”

“Good.” She blew out a stream of breath. “I want him to live a long time — behind bars.”

“We’ve got a strong case. The prosecutor’s ready to canonize you, but in the meantime, he’s sprung.”

She hit the brakes. A volley of testy horn blasts behind her had her whipping over to the edge of Tenth and blocking the turning lane. “What the hell do you mean, he’s sprung?”

Feeney winced, as much in empathy as reaction. “Released on his own recognizance. U. S. senator, lifetime of patriotic duty, salt of the earth, dinky heart — and a judge in his pocket.”

“Fuck that.” She pulled her hair until the pain equaled her frustration. “We got him on murder, three counts. Prosecutor said she was going for no bail.”

“She got shot down. DeBlass’s lawyer made a speech that would have wrung tears from a stone and had a corpse saluting the flag. DeBlass is back in East Washington by now, under doctor’s orders to rest. He got a thirty-six-hour hold on further interrogation.”

“Shit.” She punched the wheel with the heel of her hand. “It’s not going to make any difference,” she said grimly. “He can play the ill elder statesman, he can do a tap dance at the f**king Lincoln Memorial, I’ve got him.”

“Commander’s worried that the time lag will give DeBlass an opportunity to pool his resources. He wants you back working with the prosecutor, going over everything we’ve got by oh eight hundred tomorrow.”

“I’ll be there. Feeney, he’s not going to slip out of this noose.”

“Just make sure you’ve got the knot nice and tight, kid. See you at eight.”

“Yeah.” Steaming, she swung back into traffic. She considered going home, burying herself in the chain of evidence. But she was five minutes from Roarke’s. Eve opted to use him as a sounding board.

She could count on him to play devil’s advocate if she needed it, to point out flaws. And, she admitted, to calm her down so that she could think without all these violent emotions getting in the way. She couldn’t afford those emotions, couldn’t afford to let Catherine’s face pop into her head, as it had time and time again. The shame and the fear and the guilt.

It was impossibly hard to separate it. She knew she wanted DeBlass to pay every bit as much for Catherine as for the three dead women.

She was cleared through Roarke’s gate, drove quickly up the sloped driveway. Her pulse began to thud as she raced up the steps. Idiot, she told herself. Like some hormonal plagued teenager. But she was smiling when Summerset opened the door.

“I need to see Roarke,” she said, brushing by him.

“I’m sorry, lieutenant. Roarke isn’t at home.”

“Oh.” The sense of deflation made her feel ridiculous. “Where is he?”

Summerset’s face pokered up. “I believe he’s in a meeting. He was forced to cancel an important trip to Europe, and was therefore compelled to work late.”

“Right.” The cat pranced down the steps and immediately began twining himself through Eve’s legs. She picked him up, stroked his underbelly. “When do you expect him?”

“Roarke’s time is his business, lieutenant. I don’t presume to expect him.”

“Look, pal, I haven’t been twisting Roarke’s arm to get him to spend his valuable time with me. So why don’t you pull the stick out of your ass and tell me why you act like I’m some sort of embarrassing rodent whenever I show up.”

Shock turned Summerset’s face paper white. “I am not comfortable with crude manners, Lieutenant Dallas. Obviously, you are.”

“They fit me like old slippers.”

“Indeed.” Summerset drew himself up. “Roarke is a man of taste, of style, of influence. He has the ear of presidents and kings. He has escorted women of unimpeachable breeding and pedigree.”

“And I’ve got lousy breeding and no pedigree.” She would have laughed if the barb hadn’t stuck so close to the heart. “It seems even a man like Roarke can find the occasional mongrel appealing. Tell him I took the cat,” she added and walked out.

It helped to tell herself Summerset was an insufferable snob. And the cat’s silent interest as she vented on the drive home was curiously smoothing. She didn’t need some tight-assed butler’s approval. As if in agreement, the cat walked over onto her lap and began to knead her thighs.