Rapture in Death (In Death #4)(25)

Stifling a yawn, she pulled the goggles off again. A harmless, sedative scene, she decided and set the goggles down. Nothing that would have induced a sudden urge to slash one’s wrists. But the water might have prompted the urge for a hot bath, so he’d taken one. And if Foxx had crept in, had been quiet enough, quick enough, he could have done it.

It was all she had, Eve decided, and took out her communicator to order a second interview with Arthur Foxx.

CHAPTER SIX

Eve studied the reports on the knock-on-doors from uniforms. Most of them were what she’d expected. Fitzhugh and Foxx were quiet, kept to themselves, yet friendly with their neighbors in the building. But she latched on to the statement of the droid on doorman duty that placed Foxx at leaving the building at twenty-two thirty and returning at twenty-three hundred hours.

“He didn’t mention he went out, did he, Peabody? Not a word about a little jaunt in the evening on his own.”

“No, he didn’t mention it.”

“Have we got the security discs logged yet from the lobby and elevator cameras?”

“I loaded them in. They’re under Fitzhugh ten-fifty-one on your unit.”

“Let’s take a look.” Eve booted her machine, leaned back in her chair.

Peabody scanned the monitor over her shoulder and resisted mentioning that both of them were now officially off duty. It was exciting, after all, working side by side with the top homicide detective at Cop Central. Dallas would sneer at that, Peabody thought, but it was true. She’d been following the career of Eve Dallas for years, and there was no one she admired or wished more to emulate.

The biggest shock of Peabody’s life was that somehow, over the course of a few short months, they had come to be friends as well.

“Stop.” Eve sat up straight as the transmission froze. She studied the classy blonde entering the building at twenty-two fifteen. “Well, well, there’s our Leanore, slipping by.”

“She had the time fairly close. Ten fifteen.”

“Yeah, she’s on the mark.” Eve ran her tongue around her teeth. “What do you think, Peabody? Business or pleasure?”

“Well, she’s dressed for business.” Peabody cocked her head and allowed a faint trail of envy to curl up her spine at Leanore’s spiffy three-piece suit. “She’s carrying a briefcase.”

“A briefcase — and a bottle of wine. Enhance quadrant D, thirty to thirty-five. An expensive bottle of wine,” Eve murmured when the screen popped and displayed the label clearly. “Roarke’s got some of that little number in the wine cellar. I think it goes for about two hundred.”

“A bottle? Wow.”

“A glass,” Eve corrected, amused when Peabody goggled. “Something doesn’t fit. Resume normal size and speed, shift to elevator camera. Hmm. Yeah, yeah, she’s primping,” Eve murmured, watching as Leanore took a gold compact out of her embossed briefcase, powdered her nose, freshened her lipstick as the elevator climbed. “And lookie there, just flipped open the top three buttons of her blouse.”

“Getting ready for a man,” Peabody said, and shrugged when Eve slanted a look at her. “I’d guess.”

“I’d guess, too.” Together, they watched Leanore stride down the foyer on the thirty-eighth floor and buzz herself into Fitzhugh’s apartment. Eve increased the time delay until Foxx strode out fifteen minutes later. “Doesn’t look happy, does he?”

“No.” Peabody narrowed her eyes. “I’d say he looks ticked off.” She lifted her brows when Foxx kicked bad temperedly at the elevator door. “Very ticked off.”

They waited for the drama to resume. Leanore left twenty-two minutes later, color high on her cheeks, eyes glittering. She jabbed a finger at the elevator, hitched her briefcase on her shoulder. A short time after, Foxx returned carrying a small parcel.

“She didn’t stay twenty or thirty minutes, but more than forty-five. What went on inside that apartment that night?” Eve wondered. “And just what did Foxx bring back with him? Contact the law offices. I want Leanore in here for questioning. I’ve got Foxx at nine-thirty. Get her in here at the same time. We’ll team play them.”

“You want me to interrogate?”

Eve disengaged her machine, rolled her shoulders. “It’s a good place to start. We’ll meet here at eight-thirty. No, come by my home office at eight. That’ll give us more time.” She glanced at her ‘link as it beeped, considered ignoring it, then gave in.

“Dallas.”

“Hey!” Mavis’s bright face filled the screen. “I was hoping I’d catch you before you left. How’s it going?”

“Well enough. I’m just about to log out. What’s up?”

“Good timing. Great timing. Mag. Listen, I’m at Jess’s studio. We’re going to do a session. Leonardo’s here. We’re going to make it a party, so come on by.”

“Hey, listen, Mavis, I’ve put in a full day. I just want to — “

“Come on.” There were nerves as well as enthusiasm. “We’re going to get food in, and Jess’s got the most rocking brew here. It’ll debrain you in seconds. He thinks if we can lay something decent down tonight, we could run with it. I’d really like you around. You know, moral support shit. Can’t you just stop by for a while?”