Origin in Death (In Death #21)(41)

"Did he eat alone?"

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"What time did his wife leave?"

"Mrs. Icove and the children left the house at twelve-thirty. Mrs. Icove gave instructions for me to serve Dr. Icove soup and tea. She expressed concern that he wasn't eating properly and would make himself ill."

"Did they have a conversation?"

"Conversations between family members and guests are private."

"This is a murder investigation. Your privacy functions are overridden. Did they have a conversation?"

The droid looked as uncomfortable as a droid could manage. "Mrs. Icove expressed the desire that Dr. Icove accompany them, or that he allow her to send the children with the nanny droid so that she could remain with him. Dr. Icove insisted that she go with the children, anc told her he'd join them in a day or so. He communicated his desire to be private."

"Nothing else."

"They embraced. He embraced the children. He wished them a good trip. I prepared and served him the meal Mrs. Icove had ordered for him. Shortly thereafter, he left for the Center, informing me he would return by five, which he did."

"Alone."

"Yes, he returned alone, at which time he began deactivation of the domestics and lockdown."

"Did you serve fruit and cheese this evening?"

"No, Lieutenant."

"All right. That's all for now."

Upstairs, Morris was finishing his on-site. He wore a clear gown over a shimmery deep purple shirt and narrow black pants. His hair was pulled back in three stacked tails, perfectly aligned.

"Did you dude up just for me?" Eve asked him.

"Late date, with serious heat potential." He straightened. "But I'll get him started for you. What you got here is like father, like son. Same method, same weapon type, same cause of demise."

"Got it lying there."

"Yep." Morris leaned over the body. "Killer at this angle, and round about this distance. Up close and personal."

"Need a tox screen."

"Yeah." He straightened again, glanced at the tray. "None of that looks touched. Waste. That's some good-looking fruit."

"Domestic droid reports he ate a little chicken and rice soup, a couple of crackers, and tea about thirteen hundred. He shut the droids down just after seventeen hundred. None of them served this tray of stuff."

"So he got it himself. Or the killer brought it to him."

"Maybe it's tranq'd, maybe not. Either way, the guy just lies there and takes a knife in the heart."

"Knew his killer."

"Knew, and trusted. Comfortable enough to stretch out. Maybe he let the killer in himself, and was lured up here. But I don't see it." She shook her head. "Why bother bringing the vic upstairs, putting food on the tray? Why not just stick him downstairs, save the trouble? Maybe you want a conversation first, but hell, you can have that downstairs, too. Door's locked. Inside lock."

"Ah, a locked-door mystery. And you our Poirot-minus the mustache and accent."

She knew who Poirot was because she'd dug into some Agatha Christies after viewing Witness for the Prosecution-and the murder that had gone along with it.

"Not so mysterious," Eve corrected. "Killer knows the codes. Just does the job, sets the codes from inside, shuts the door, and walks away. Takes the security discs for the time elapsed. Even resets the security."

"Knew his way around the place."

"Her. I'm betting her. And she had to. You get him in, I need a close check for any other wounds, any pricks, pressure marks, anything. But I don't think you'll find them. Or the tranq. Like father, like son," she repeated. "Yeah, just like."

Chapter Seven

EVE TOOK TIME TO CONTACT ROARKE.

"Got into Icove's place, found him dead. Gonna be late."

"There's a pithy report, Lieutenant. Dead how?"

"Same as his father." She walked outside as she spoke, the better to keep an eye out for the new widow. "Wife and kids went to their weekend place earlier today. He was home alone, house locked up tight, domestics deactivated. And he's taking a little lie-down on his office sofa With a scalpel in his heart. Room's locked, and there's a tray of healthy snacks on the table."

"Interesting," Roarke replied.

"Yeah. More interesting that EDD, at this point, hasn't found any holes or tampering in security, and the disc for the murder time is missing. Security was fully activated on our arrival, and in full DND mode as the domestic reports the doctor himself set it this evening. The killer entered approximately ninety minutes thereafter. This is slick business."

"Are you back to considering a professional?"

"All the earmarks, none of the vibes. Anyway. See you later."

"Anything I can do from here?"

"Find me the money," she said and ended transmission as she watched a sedan draw up behind one of the black-and-whites.

She walked down to meet Avril Icove herself.

Avril was dressed in dove gray, pants and sweater, with a dark red coat thrown stylishly over her shoulders. Soft, heeled boots matched the coat.

She leaped out of the car before her driver could make his way around to open her door. "What's happened? What's wrong? Will!"