Survivor In Death (In Death #20)(6)

“You said you wouldn't leave.”

“Hey, standing right here.”

“Don't let them take me. They said they were going to take me away. Don't let them.”

“You can't stay here.” She pried Nixie's fingers from her legs, crouched until they were eye-to-eye. “You know you can't.”

“Don't let them take me. I don't want to go with her. She's not the police.”

“I'm going to have police go with you, and stay with you.”

“You have to. You have to.”

“I can't. I have to work. I have to do what's right for your mom and dad, for your brother and your friend. For Inga.”

“I won't go with her. You can't make me go with her.”

“Nixie--”

“Hey.” Voice pleasant, a non-threatening smile on her face, Peabody stepped in. “Nixie, I need to talk to the lieutenant for a minute--just over here. Nobody's going anywhere yet, okay. I just need to talk to her. Dallas?” Peabody walked to the far side of the room, where they were still in Nixie's line of sight.

Dallas joined her.

“What? Can I make a break for it?”

“You should take her.”

“Peabody, I need to do a more thorough on-scene.”

“I've done one, and you can come back and do your own.”

“So I ride with her to the safe house? Then she wigs on me when I have to leave her with uniforms. What's the point?”

“I don't mean take her to a safe house. Take her home. No place safer in the city--probably on the planet--than your place.”

Eve said nothing for ten full seconds. “Are you out of your mind?”

“No, and just listen first. She trusts you. She knows you're in charge, and she trusts you to keep her safe. She's the eye witness, and she's a traumatized kid. We'll get more out of her, bound to, if she feels safe, if she's settled, at least as much as she can be. A few days, like a transition, before she ends up in the system. Put yourself in her shoes, Dallas. Would you feel better being with the icy, kick-ass cop, or the bored, overworked GPS drone?”

“I can't babysit a kid. I'm not equipped.”

“You're equipped to pull information out of a witness and this would give you full access. You wouldn't have to go through the annoyance of clearance from GPS every time you want to question her.”

Thoughtfully now, Eve glanced back at Nixie. “Probably only be a day, two tops. Summerset knows about kids. Even if he is an ass**le. How much more traumatized could she get looking at his ugly face, considering? Basically I'd be housing a witness. Big house.”

“That's the spirit.”

Eve frowned, studied Peabody's face. “Pretty clever for somebody who's only been back on the job for a couple of days.”

“I may not be up for chasing down suspects on foot quite yet, but my mind? Sharp as ever.”

“Too bad. I was hoping concussion and coma might have honed that area, but you get what you get.”

“Mean.”

“I could be meaner, but it's five in the morning and I haven't had enough coffee. I gotta make a call.”

She stepped away, and saw Nixie tense out of the corner of her eye. Eve just shook her head, and pulled out her pocket 'link.

Five minutes later she was signalling the social worker.

“Absolutely out of the question,” the woman said. “You're not qualified or approved to transport a child. I'm required to accompany--”

“What I'm doing is taking a witness into protective custody. She doesn't like you, and I need her settled in order to interview her more thoroughly.”

“The minor subject--”

“The kid had her family whacked in front of her eyes. She wants me. I say she gets what she wants--and as a ranking member of the New York City Police and Security Department, I'm seeing that she's taken to a safe place, and kept safe and secure until her safety is no longer an issue or other arrangements can be made. You can buck me on this, but why would you?”

“I'm obliged to consider what's in the best interests of--”

“The minor subject,” Eve concluded. “Then you know that it's in her best interests to feel safe, to avoid more stressful situations. She's scared shitless. Why add?”

The woman looked back. “My supervisor won't like it.”

“Your supervisor can deal with me. I'm taking the kid. Go file a report.”

“I need the location, the situation where--”

“I'll let you know. Peabody? Pack what you figure Nixie needs.”

She walked back to Nixie. “You know you can't stay here anymore.”

“I don't want to go with her. I don't want--”

“And you've had it hit really hard tonight that you can't always have what you want. But for right now, you can come with me.”

“With you?”

While Newman stalked away, Eve drew Nixie across the room. “That's right. I can't stay with you, because I've got to work. But there'll be people there who'll look out for you. People I trust, so you can trust them, too.”

“But you'll be there? You'll come back?”