Survivor In Death (In Death #20)(87)

“She needed what you gave her. She'll heal. She's too strong not to. But she needed this to begin.”

“She'll need a hell of a lot more since the Dysons won't take her.”

“I'd hoped ... well, it may be for the best on all sides. She would remind them of their loss, and they of hers.”

“It's not best for her to end up a ward of the court. I may have another possibility. I know some people who'd qualify to take her on. I was thinking maybe we could contact Richard DeBlass and Elizabeth Barrister.”

“It's a good thought.”

“They took that kid, the boy, we found on a murder scene last year.” Eve shifted, not entirely comfortable with the role of family planner. “I figure they decided to foster him because their daughter was murdered. Though she was an adult, and--”

“Your child is always your child. Age doesn't factor.”

“If you say so. Anyway, I guess they wanted another chance to... whatever. I know Roarke waded in with that kid, ah, Kevin. Gave them a little nudge to take him in. From what I know, it worked out okay, and like I said, they're qualified. Maybe they'd consider taking in another.”

“I think it's a very good idea. You'll talk to them.”

Boggy area, Eve thought. “Ah ... I need to talk to Roarke because he knows them better. I'm the cop who closed their daughter's murder case--and uncovered some ugly family secrets. He's their friend. But if this pans out, I'm going to need you to add your weight with GPS.”

“You've given this considerable thought.”

“No, but it's the best thought I've had on it since Mrs. Dyson dropped the boomer on me this morning. She's been kicked around enough. I don't want her kicked around by the system that's supposed to protect her.”

“Once you've talked to Roarke, let me know. We'll work to get what's best for Nixie. I should go up to her now.”

“Ah, just one more thing.” Eve got out the photograph Dave Rangle had given her. “Her father's partner sent this for her. Swisher kept it on his desk. His partner figured Nixie would want it.”

“What a lovely family,” Mira said as she took the photograph. “Yes, she'll want this. And it couldn't come at a better time. She'll see this, remember this, and imagine them this way rather than as they were at the morgue.”

She looked back at Eve. “Wouldn't you like to give this to her yourself?” When Eve only shook her head, Mira nodded. “All right, then. I'll take it to her.”

Mira turned toward the steps, stopped at the base. “She doesn't know how hard that was for you, to stand with her while she said good-bye to her family. But I do.”

Upstairs, Summerset sat with Nixie in his lap. “They didn't look like they were sleeping,” she said, with her head on his chest, his heart beating in her ear. “I thought maybe they would, but you could tell they weren't.”

His long, thin fingers stroked through her hair. “Some people believe, as I do, that when we die the essence of ourselves--the spirit or the soul--has choices.”

“What kind?”

“Some of those choices might depend on how we've lived our lives. If we've tried to do our best, we might then decide to go to a place of peace.”

“Like angels on a cloud.”

“Perhaps.” He continued to stroke her hair as the cat padded into the room, then leaped up to join them on the arm of the chair. “Or like a garden where we can walk or play, where we see others who made this same choice before us.”

Nixie reached out, petted Galahad's wide flank. “Where Coyle can play baseball ?”

“Yes. Or we might decide to come back, live again, begin a new life at the very start of it, inside the womb. We may decide to do this because we want to do better than we did before, or right some wrong we may have done. Or simply because we're not quite ready to go to that place of peace.”

“So maybe they'll decide to come back, like babies?” The idea made her smile a little. “Would I know them if I got to meet them some time ?”

“I think you would, in some part of your heart. Even if you don't realize it, you recognize in your heart. Do you understand?”

“I guess. I think so. Did you ever recognize somebody who had to die before?”

“I think I have. But there's one I keep hoping I might recognize one day.” He thought of his daughter, his beautiful, lost Marlena. “I haven't found her yet.”

“Maybe she made the choice to go to the garden.”

He bent to touch his lips to Nixie's hair. “Maybe she did.”

Summerset waited nearly an hour, monitoring Eve's office until he saw Peabody leave the room. He hoped whatever task she'd been sent to perform took long enough for him to finish what he had to do.

When he stepped into Eve's office, she was just coming out of the kitchen with another mug of coffee. Her hand jerked slightly, lapping hot liquid over the rim.

“Oh, f**k me. Consider this area police property and restricted to tight-assed f**kwits I don't want around. Which is you.”

“I only need a moment of your time. I would apologize.”

“You would what?”

His voice was as stiff as hers and only went more rigid. “I would apologize for my remarks earlier. They were incorrect.”