Promises in Death (In Death #28)(109)

With her shorter legs and snappy heels, Reo hustled to keep up with Eve’s long, booted strides. “Which is?”

“Peabody’s going to flip Zeban on Rouche. I’m flipping Rouche on Ricker, which should include Sandy and possibly Grady. Then I’m going to get a confession out of Grady for Coltraine and Sandy, and flip her on her father.”

“Is that all?”

“They’re all connected. It’s going to fall like a house of dominoes.”

“I think that’s house of cards, maybe rows of dominoes.”

“Whichever, it’s coming down.” She paused by Vending, pulled out credits. “Get me a tube of Pepsi. I don’t want to interact with the damn machine. I’m on a roll here, and I’m not jinxing it.”

“You’ve got some strange habits, Dallas.”

Eve studied Reo’s high, elegant shoes while the APA ordered up the Pepsi. “I’m not the one wearing stilts. This show’s going to require a lot of hiking from one room to another. Your feet are going to cry like babies before it’s done.”

Eve drank, explained the setup. “I want Morris to observe—anything he wants to observe. Mira wants to observe when I interview Grady.”

“I can take care of that. If your men find anything in the bank box, and I’m betting they will, you won’t need all the bells and whistles.”

“It’s not enough. Sure, that ring’s going to be in there and probably more to take Grady down, and that’s enough for the arrest. But it’s not enough payback, not on my scale. I promised Morris justice for Coltraine.” And, Eve supposed, she’d promised the same to a dead cop. “I’m going to get him every ounce of it.”

“If you pull this off, you’ll have made my job very easy.”

“I’m counting on you to do it.”

“Yo.” A very hollow-eyed Callendar bounced up. “Swig of that?” she said and snatched the tube out of Eve’s hand. Glugged some down. “Thanks.”

“Keep it.”

“Double thanks. Sisto hooked with the Peamiester. I’ve got your ass**le in interview A as ordered.” She glugged down more Pepsi. “This shot ought to get me through observation while you fry his ass.”

“You’re not in observation. You’re taking him with me.”

“In interview?” Callendar’s tired eyes popped wide. “Hot shit, this is uptown and over the bridge.”

“You earned it.”

“I’ll get started on my end,” Reo said. “Good luck.”

“How’d you swing with this guy?”

“Kept it low and chill,” Callendar began. “I’m just the girl.” She fluttered her exhausted eyes. “He’s interested in my tits, but they all are. Who could blame?”

“Yes, they’re exceptional. Use them if it works.”

“He hasn’t said the L word yet, but he’s thinking about it. I can tell.”

“He can lawyer. It won’t matter. If he does, he won’t get the deal. I’m going to be mean. You can be shocked. Let’s go.”

She stepped in. “Record on,” she said briskly, barely glancing at the big, bulky man huddled at the table. She read off the salients—pointing a finger at him to shut him up.

Wide face, she noted, short, bristly hair. Fear in his eyes.

She sat. “Officer Rouche, welcome to Earth.” And smiled. “You have the right to remain silent,” she began, keeping her eyes hard on his until she’d completed the recitation. “Do you understand your rights and obligations in this matter?”

“Yeah, I understand. I don’t understand why the hell I need rights and obligations. I don’t understand why the hell I got dragged off my job and down here like some criminal.”

Eve leaned forward. “Oh yes, you do. And when you go back up, it won’t be to the job. It’ll be to a cage. Maybe real close to your good pal, Max Ricker.”

“You gotta be crazy. I want a—”

“Say lawyer and we’re done.” She pointed her index finger at him, cocked her thumb. “I don’t give you a shot, just wrap you up and dust off my hands while you’re charged, tried, and convicted of conspiracy to murder a police officer.”

“Con—” He literally choked while his face went raw-beet red. “I never—what the hell? I never killed anybody.”

“Hence the word ‘conspiracy.’ You don’t have to do the kill to go down just as hard, just as long. That’s life, Rouche. But, hey, not so bad since you already live on Omega. I mean, it’s not like you were planning to retire and relocate to, say, the south of France.”

She grinned when he lost every ounce of angry color.

“Here you go, Rouche.” Callendar moved to him, offered a cup of water. “You really look like you need this. Jeez, cop murder. You’re so burnt. I mean, wow. And putting a former guard in up there, with the major badasses he used to dick around? Ouch. Majorly sucks to be you.”

“Your pal Zeban’s in another room just like this right now,” Eve added. “And he’s going to roll over so fast he’ll look like a circus dog. I get a knock on that door before you do your trick of the day, and I don’t need you.”