Strangers in Death (In Death #26)(101)

“Seeing as. But keep jabbering, Peabody, and I’ll give you a completely free piercing back at Central.”

“We have a clerk who recognized Suzanne Custer,” Peabody said quickly. “Made her right off. Said she remembered because she—Suzanne—looked so off the rails. She bought several of the items that match those on the Anders scene. The clerk didn’t want to bother checking on it, but she’s flirting with Trueheart.”

“Trueheart’s flirting with a smut shop clerk? What has Baxter done to that kid?”

“No, no, she’s doing the flirt thing. He’s turned all shades of red, but that’s worked for us.” Peabody grinned. “It is pretty damn cute. So she checked, and we’re getting the paperwork. Suzanne didn’t buy the rope here. But, she asked about it. They were out of the velvet bondage set. It’s a popular item, as we learned when we did the initial search.”

“Check the shops closest to your current location. And if you come back with any piercings, they better not be visible.”

“Ouch,” Peabody said as Eve clicked off.

Once she had Suzanne at Central, Eve left her in Interview to sweat for fifteen minutes and watched through the observation window.

“She’s terrified,” Baxter said.

“Good. It probably won’t take very long to break her down. You go in first, make your apologies for the mean old LT.” She glanced over as Mira stepped in.

“She looks worn down. Eaten up.” Her face impassive, Mira stepped closer to the glass. “Guilt would be a viable weapon on her. And her children, they’d be a vulnerable area. She’ll fear you the most,” she said to Eve. “The capable, powerful female—everything she’s not. The authority figure. As, I suspect, Ava Anders is to her. She’s accustomed to violence. It won’t frighten her overmuch. Nor will threats to her person, as she’s accustomed to those as well. She’s also used to being isolated, cut off from any support. So offers of friendship, understanding, support draw her in. Her children are her one accomplishment. She would sacrifice a great deal for them.”

“I need to make her flip on Ava.”

“She’ll need to believe you’re more powerful, and more dangerous than Ava.”

“I am, so she will. Go,” Eve told Baxter.

“The friendship offered by Ava,” Mira continued as Baxter stepped out, “the support, the bargain struck—if indeed one was—weigh heavily on Ava’s side. The power Ava has over her now is tremendous.”

“I know how to play her.” When Mira said nothing, Eve watched Baxter enter Interview, listened to him speak reassuringly to Suzanne. “I know what it’s like to be knocked around regular, isolated, held down so you believe it’s the only way. And I know how far you’ll go to make it stop.”

“She’s nothing like you, and neither are her circumstances.”

“No. But I know how to play her. Baxter, he feels for her. Decent men tend to feel for women like her.”

“But you don’t.”

“No, I don’t. She could’ve walked. Any time. Packed up, grabbed the kids and walked.” Studying Suzanne through the glass, Eve felt not a single twinge of sympathy. “You said she’d sacrifice for her kids, but what has she given them? What kind of life has she opened them to by letting them see, every day, that she’s so weak she’ll let their father slap her around, come and go as he pleases, spend his money on tricks instead of food. You don’t offset that with sports programs, Dr. Mira. That woman took the life of a stranger, the life of a good man, the man who offered her children hope. She did that rather than walk away.

“So yeah, I guess I do feel for her. I feel disgust. I’ve got no qualms about putting her away. I just want to make damn sure I put Ava Anders away with her.”

“Eve.” Mira put a hand on Eve’s arm as Eve started to step out. “There’s a difference between weak and evil.”

“Yeah, but there’s sure a lot of overlap.”

Eve entered Interview. “Record on. Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, and Baxter, Detective David, in Interview with Custer, Suzanne, in the matter of the murder of Custer, Ned, case number HC-20913, and any and all related events or crimes. Detective, have you read Mrs. Custer her rights?”

“No, Lieutenant.”

“Do so. For the record.”

He sighed. “Yes, sir. It’s a formality, Mrs. Custer. You have the right to remain silent.”

Fear widened Suzanne’s eyes, quickened her breath as Baxter recited the Revised Miranda. Eve took a seat at the table, slumped back. “Do you understand your rights and obligations in this matter?” she demanded.

“Yes, but—”

“Here’s something that strikes me, Suzanne. It just seems so damn handy that you’d be sitting at home trying to tag your cheating shitbag of a husband on his ’link while some unidentified hooker’s slitting his throat. What, were you going to ask him to bring home a jug of soy milk?”

“No. He was late. I just wanted to—”

“He was late a lot, wasn’t he? Did you whine on his voice mail every time he was late?”

“No, but—he promised. He promised he wouldn’t be. I said I’d leave him if he didn’t stop.”