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

"Hmm. I remember having discussions with her about connections, past, present, to come. Not your style, I know, but a valid and accepted theory, even in some scientific circles."

"What about personal relationships?"

"Other than friendships, you mean. She was involved with someone for a few years. Songwriter, musician. Lovely man. They broke it off a while ago. Around a year ago." She shrugged. "Too bad. I liked him."

"Name?"

"Lucas Grande. Reasonably successful. He's had a number of songs published and produced, and works regularly as a session musician. He scores vids, too."

"Why'd they split?"

"That feels like dish. How does this relate?"

"Everything relates until I know it doesn't relate."

"Basically, things cooled off between them. They just weren't happy together anymore, so they went their separate ways."

"It was mutual?"

"I've never heard Celina trash him any more than a woman does when she splits with a guy. I don't see her all that often—not enough time—but from what I could see, she handled it well enough. They loved each other, then they didn't. They moved on."

"Did she ever mention Elisa Maplewood to you?"

"That's the woman who was killed? No. I never heard the name before this morning on the news."

"Luther or Deann Vanderlea?"

"Antiques?" Louise's eyebrows lifted in interest. "I know them a little. I think one of my uncles plays golf with Luther's father, something like that. It's possible that Celina knows them, socially. Why?"

"Victim worked for them. Domestic."

"Ah. You're reaching, Dallas."

"Yeah, but you never know just what you'll grab out there."

———«»——————«»——————«»———

"You must be really proud," Peabody said as they got back into the car.

"Huh?"

"Place like that." She looked back toward Dochas. "What Roarke's done here."

"Yeah. He puts his money where a lot of people can't even bother to put their mouths."

As Eve started to pull out, Peabody laid a hand on her arm. "What?"

"We're partners now, right?"

"As you never fail to remind me."

"We're friends."

Dubious, Eve tapped her fingers on the wheel. "Is this going to get sloppy?"

"People have private stuff. They're entitled. But friends and partners are entitled to unload on friends and partners. You didn't want to go in there."

It shouldn't show, Eve thought. It wasn't allowed to show. "I went in there."

"Because you're aces at doing things you don't want. Things other people would walk away from. I'm just saying that if something gets over you, you can unload. That's all. And it wouldn't go beyond me."

"You see me doing anything that interferes with the job?"

"No. I only—"

"Some people have personal stuff that can't be cleared up with a nice little heart-to-heart and ice-cream sundaes." She whipped away from the curb, cut off a cab, and punched it through a yellow. "That's why it's personal."

"Okay."

"And if you're going to sulk because I'm not crying on your shoulder, you can just suck it up." She swerved down a side street without a thought to destination. "That's what cops do. They suck it up, do the job, and don't go around looking for somebody to pat their head and say, 'There, there.' I don't need you to play the understanding friend so I can dump my guts all over the floor for your perusal. So just... shit, shit, f**k."

She yanked the wheel, double-parked, and ignoring the furious blasts of horns, slapped on the On Duty light.

"Out of line. Out of orbit. Way out. None of that was called for. None of it."

"Forget it."

"I'm tired," she said, staring out the windshield. "Beyond protein-booster tired. And I'm edgy. And I just can't get into all the whys of it. I just can't."

"It's okay. Dallas, I'm not sulking. I'm not pushing."

"No, you're not." Hadn't been, Eve admitted. "And you're not taking a punch at me, even when I deserve it."

"You'd hit me back, and you hit harder."

With a short laugh, Eve rubbed her hands over her face, then made herself shift in the seat, meet Peabody's gaze. "You're my partner, and you're my friend. You're good in both areas. I've got... the shrinks would call them issues. I have to deal with them. If you observe something in my behavior that affects an investigation, I expect you to call me on it. Otherwise, I've got to ask you, as my partner and my friend, to leave it alone."

"Okay."

"Okay. Let's get moving before there's a riot, and they drag us out of the car and stomp us to death on the street."

"I'm for that."

She drove the next block in silence. "I'm going to drop you off at home," Eve said. "We need sleep."