Visions in Death (In Death #19)(14)

Her wardrobe was casual, with two good suits, two pair of good shoes. There was nothing in it that spoke of a man.

She checked the bedside 'link herself, pulled up the last incoming. It was from her mother, a chatty, affectionate conversation that included the child toward the end when the little girl ran into the room and babbled away at her gamma.

"Dallas, I think I found something." Peabody held up another basket. This was in the cupboard under the sitting-room entertainment screen.

"What is it?"

"A craft basket. Handwork stuff. She did crafts." Peabody held up a skein of ribbon. It wasn't red, but it was the same basic type as what had killed her.

Eve stepped forward to take it just as a little girl came into the sitting room. She was tiny, with curly hair so blonde it was nearly white spilling around a pretty, chubby-cheeked face. She was knuckling her eyes.

"That's my mommy's. You're not supposed to touch Mommy's sewing basket, 'less she says."

"Ah..."

"I'll take her," Peabody murmured, and handing off the basket to Eve, crouched down to child level. "Hi, are you Vonnie?"

The child hunched her shoulders. "Not supposed to speak to strangers."

"That's right, but it's okay to talk to the police, isn't it?" Peabody took out her badge, gave it to the little girl. "Did your mommy tell you about the police?"

"They help people and catch bad guys."

"That's right. I'm Detective Peabody, and this is Lieutenant Dallas."

" Whatsa Loonat?"

"It's a job," Peabody said without missing a beat. "It means she's a policeman who catches lots of bad guys."

"Okay. I can't find my mommy. Aunt Deann's sleeping. Can you find my mommy?"

Peabody's eyes met Eve's over the little girl's head. "Why don't we go find your aunt Deann?" Peabody suggested.

"She's sleeping." Her voice spiked, her lips began to tremble. "She said a bad man hurt my mommy and she can't come home. I want my mommy to come home now."

" Vonnie—"

But she shook Peabody off, planted herself in front of Eve. "Did a bad man hurt my mommy?"

"You should come with me now, Vonnie."

"I want her to say." She pointed her little finger at Eve, poked out her bottom lip. "She's the Loonat."

Jesus, Eve thought. Oh, Jesus. She jerked her head, signaling Peabody to get Deann, then she sucked it in, crouched as Peabody had. "Yes. I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Tears were gathering in big eyes the color of bluebells. "Did she go to the doctor?"

Eve thought of Morris, the steel table, the cold, clear lights of the morgue. "Not exactly."

"Doctors make you better. She should go to the doctor. If she can't come home, can you take me to her?"

"I can't. She's... she's in a place we can't go. All I can do is find the person who hurt her, so he can be punished."

"He'll have to stay in his room?"

"Yeah, so he can't ever hurt anyone else."

"Then she can come home?"

Eve looked over, helpless and weak with relief when Deann rushed in. " Vonnie. Come with me, baby."

"I want Mommy."

"I know, baby. I know." Deann gathered her up, snuggled her in as the child began to weep on her shoulder. "I fell asleep. I'm sorry."

"I know it's hard. I know it's bad timing all around. I need to ask you where she got the supplies in this basket."

"Her sewing basket? Here and there. She loved to make things. I went with her a few times. She tried to teach me, but I was hopeless. There was a place on Third—ah, God—um, Sew What. And a big supply house downtown, near Union Square. Total Crafts, I think. And the one at the Sky Mall. I'm sorry."

She rocked back and forth on her heels, stroking Vonnie's hair. "She'd go in to a shop if she was passing, rarely came out empty-handed."

"Would you know where she bought this, specifically?" Eve held up the ribbon.

"No, I don't."

"I'm going to arrange for her data and communication equipment to be taken in. Would all her transactions and transmissions have been made and received by the ones in these rooms?"

"She might have called her mother, say, from one of the other 'links. But she did all her personal work on her own unit. I need to settle Vonnie down."

"Go ahead."

Eve studied the ribbon. "It's a good lead," Peabody said.

"It's a lead." She put the ribbon in her evidence bag. "Let's run it down."

The main door of the penthouse opened as Eve walked back into the living area. The man who entered had a shock of gold hair, a pale, tired face. She saw Deann spring up from the couch where she was holding Vonnie, and with the child still in her arms, leap toward him.

"Luther. Oh, God, Luther."

" Deann." He enfolded both of them, dropped his head to his wife's shoulder. "It's not a mistake?"

She shook her head, and let go with the weeping Eve imagined she'd been holding in for hours.