Obsession in Death (In Death #40)(42)

“We’re clear.”

“Send her in here, Trueheart.”

“Yes, sir.”

“She’s supposed to be in Nevis or somewhere with palm trees and sand – with some stud named Bruno.”

“The one with the abs? Like mago abs? She told me about him at your holiday party.”

“Apparently he has mago abs. I’ll deal with her. You can start on any names Mira might have sent along. And make sure everyone gets the data they need to start this thing.”

“All over it.”

Peabody started for the door when Nadine walked in on shiny thigh-high boots over black skin pants, a poppy-red sweater under an open vest, and some sort of furry coat tossed over her arm.

“It’s twenty-three degrees out there, with the potential for an ice storm tonight. I left eighty-two and sunny. Your cops wouldn’t let me in, even with this.” She dropped a glossy bakery box on the conference table. “Double-chunk brownies.”

Turning down baked goods? Eve thought. Her cops had decided to throw up full shields.

“Peabody, take that into the bullpen when you go. No point in denying them chocolate.”

“I’m getting mine before they trample me. Double-chunk!”

“And probably still warm,” Nadine added. “Hi, Peabody.”

“Hey, Nadine, good Christmas?”

“It wasn’t bad. You?”

“Real good.” Catching Eve’s hairy eyeball, Peabody grabbed the box, got going. “See you!”

Nadine tossed the coat on the conference table, set a purse in zebra stripes the size of a cargo freighter – a Christmas gift from Eve – beside it. “Got any real coffee in there?” she asked, gesturing to the AutoChef.

“No.”

“Hell.”

“Where’s Bruno?”

“Sulking. It may be time for a tasteful parting gift there. He’s a really nice distraction while I’m deciding if I want more distractions or a long haul. I’m pretty sure I’m still in distraction mode. Anyway, enough about me. What’s your status?”

“There wasn’t any need for you to come back here.”

Nadine reached into the enormous zebra, pulled out a file case. “Here I have correspondence to me regarding the book and the vid. I’ve already culled through it, eliminated those who couldn’t possibly be involved – such as a fourteen-year-old boy, a woman who recently celebrated her centennial by skydiving, and a scientist currently doing research in the Aleutians. Among others. I know how to do this, Dallas.”

“Okay. You still didn’t need to cut your sexcation short and come back.”

“Sexcation – I’m stealing that. As fun as that sexcation might have been, you’re my friend. And you’re a damn good cop. Put those in whichever order works for you. Then add, extremely big story when it hits. It’s going to hit, and soon.”

“I know it.”

“I help you, you help me. It’s what friends do. And really good cops and really good reporters. Tell me what you can, and I’ll work on it – on my own,” she added. “I may not be on sexcation, but I’m not back at work, officially. Just me – no team.”

Eve thought longingly of the real coffee in her office – but she wasn’t taking Nadine there. Not this round.

“We have a second vic.”

“Another?” Nadine dived in the zebra again, pulled out a notepad and pencil. “No recorder – pen and paper – and nobody can read my notes. Name?”

“Ledo, Wendall.”

“Connection to Bastwick?”

“None known. Smallest of small-time illegals dealer. Lived and worked in the Square.”

“As far away from Bastwick as it gets. How was he killed?”

“A really good reporter could find that out.”

“Fine. Connection to you – unless you want me to dig for it.”

“Occasional source, largely unwilling. Last altercation he accidentally smacked me with his cue stick – which I’d broken over some other *’s skull.”

“I see, just another day in the life.” Nadine raised her eyes. “Are you telling me somebody killed him because he knocked you with a cue stick?”

“That’s how it reads.”

“Did the killer leave another message?”

“Yeah.”

“What did it say?”

“It’s enough for you to know it ran along the same lines as the first.”

“I can help more if – Hang on.” Once again she reached in the bag, pulled out her ’link. Hissed, then looked back at Eve. “I set an alert. It just blew.”

“Shit.”

“Tell me what you can while you can – and what I can green-light.”

“I can’t —” She broke off to pull out her own ’link. “Media liaison,” she told Nadine. “Dallas, privacy mode. Yeah.” She paced as she listened, paced as she gave short, terse responses. “Nadine Furst is here, with me. I know it. We want to keep this straight, this is how. I know that, too. Okay. Yes. Jesus, Kyung, remember how I said you’re not an *? Well, I’m not a moron. I’ll tell her.”