He turned the button in his fingers. “They’d enjoy all of that. If they knew losing her would destroy me in levels they can’t imagine, they’d cut her into pieces and bathe in her blood.”
“No.” Eve spoke from the doorway. “No, they wouldn’t because I’m better than they are. They can’t beat me, and they sure as hell can’t beat us. Can you give us a minute?” she asked Mira.
“Yes.” She touched Roarke’s arm before she went back inside the conference room.
“Do you really think those two trust-fund fuckwits could take me down?”
Oh aye, he thought, her ego was healthy enough—so was her temper. But by God, so was his. “Think, no. But neither would I have thought those two trust-fund fuckwits could or would murder nine people or more, and have the NYPSD chasing their tails.”
“Chasing our . . .” Fury erupted. He’d have sworn his skin singed in the hot flow of its lava. “Is that what you call this? Is that what you call putting a solid case together in under a week? Making connections that tie them up out of sweat and sleepless nights and solid, consistent police work? Chasing our tails?”
“So solid a case you’re about to paint a target on your back rather than trust that solid case and police work.”
“This is police work, goddamn it. This is the job, and you know it. You knew it from the jump, and if you can’t back me when—”
“Stop there,” he warned her. “I haven’t said I wouldn’t back you, but I won’t be pushed into it.”
“I don’t have time to ease into it, to debate and discuss. I didn’t put it together, and I should have. I didn’t see it until Mira pointed it out, and it should’ve been flashing like fucking neon in my brain. I’ll know who their next target is if it’s me, and I won’t have to stand over somebody else I couldn’t save.”
“I understand that, and you, very well.” Christ, he was tired. He couldn’t remember when he’d last been so bloody knackered. “Do you really expect me to have no concerns, no worries, no dark thoughts? Reverse it. I’m putting myself up as bait. What do you do?”
“I trust you enough to know you can and will handle yourself, and use the resources you have available to ensure your own safety.”
“Eve, please don’t stand there and shovel that bullshit at my feet. These are good shoes.”
She hissed out a breath, but at the end of it he saw the chip on her shoulder tumble off. “Okay, I would trust you, but I’d also have some concerns, worries, and dark thoughts. And you’d be sorry I did. You’d hate that I did.”
“All right.”
She squinted at him. “All right? That’s it?”
“I had a bigger and considerably more vicious fight with you before, in my head. It was passionate, fierce, and very, very loud.”
“Who won?”
He had to touch her, just a skim of his fingertip down the little dent in her chin. “We hadn’t quite got there, but since we’ve finished it here, I like to think we both have.”
“I meant what I said in there, which I shouldn’t have said in front of Whitney. I can’t have another face on that board.” He watched her face change, watched her let him see what was inside.
“The ones on there now, I couldn’t stop it; I couldn’t save them. But if there’s another, I own it, because I know I have the tools to stop it. To make the best possible effort to stop it.”
“And the warrants aren’t enough?”
“I had to believe it to sell it, so I did. I still do, almost clear through.” She looked away for a moment. “But there’s that fraction, that percentage that maybe they’ve covered everything, that we won’t find enough to charge them—or we’ll charge them, indict them, and that fleet of high-priced lawyers will find enough little holes to spring them. I’m hedging my bets, and I’ve got a couple other ideas that should add more edge. You could help me with them.”
“I suppose I could.”
“Do you know where they’re going to be tonight?”
“They’re attending the ballet, at the Strathmore Center.”
“Can you score us tickets?”
“We have a box. They are, however, meeting for drinks at Lionel’s before the performance.”
“That’ll work even better.” She took his hand, linked fingers. “Let me lay it out for you.”
He had to admit, she’d slapped together an interesting and inventive scenario in very short order. He refined it a bit, and felt as confident as he could.
“I’m going to give Reo another thirty. She should’ve finished talking to her boss by then. I’ll need to brief the team.”
“They’re meeting at seven. That gives you time for an hour’s sleep. Not negotiable,” he said before she objected. “And not on the damn floor. There have to be cots at least in your infirmary.”
“I hate the infirmary.”
“Suck it up,” he advised.
“Mira has a big couch in her session room. I’ll ask if I can use it.”
“Make it we. I could use a lie-down myself.”
She slept like the dead woman a couple of rich guys wanted her to be, then contacted Reo. Again.
“Tell me you’ve got it.”
“I told you I’d contact you when I did. Didn’t I tell you the boss thinks Judge Dwier’s the best hit on this?” The testy edge of frustration came through loud and clear. “No known connections with either family, solid reputation, open-minded, and so on and so on, and didn’t I tell you Judge Dwier is fly-fishing in Montana?”
“And didn’t I say go with another choice?”
“Don’t tell us our jobs. The PA’s talking to the judge right now. He’s walking him through it, and my sense is we’re nearly there. We’re ninety percent there.”
“Close enough. When you’ve got it, tag Baxter. He’ll head up that end.”
“Where are you going to be?”
“I’m going to meet a couple guys at a bar.”
She clicked off as Feeney came in. “Gotta suit you up.”
“I can do that.” Roarke walked in behind him, carrying a silver garment bag. “She’ll need to change anyway.”
“Into what?” Eve demanded.
“Appropriate attire. Your con will be more convincing if you’re dressed for an evening out.”
“I’ll test you out when you’re attired.” With a snort, Feeney strolled out.
“Strip it off, Lieutenant,” Roarke told her. He shut and locked the door.
“I need to be able to carry my weapon.”
“I said appropriate attire.” He unzipped the bag.
The dress was short, simple, and black. But it came with a hip-skimming jacket that fastened up the front with a lot of fancy loops.
“Somebody could kill me five times before I got that jacket undone and drew my weapon.”
Roarke simply demonstrated by tugging the jacket open. “The loops are for show.”
“Not bad. Not bad at all.” When she peeled off her clothes, Roarke fixed on the recorder, the mic, the earpiece. “Where’d the dress come from?”
“Your closet. I had Summerset bring it down. Along with the accessories.” He held up diamond earrings. “They’ll see these, believe me, and won’t give a single thought to the possibility you’re wired. And switch your wrist unit for the evening one.”
She gave it, all that fire and ice, a dubious glance. “I haven’t really played with that one.”
“It works the same way as your everyday. You can carry a clutch piece in this bag—though not much else. Add the shoes.”
They were hot murder red with heels that made her arches twinge when she looked at them. “How am I supposed to run in those?”
He gave her a quick, amused look. “Are you planning on running?”
“You never know.” But she dressed, and added the murderous shoes. “Appropriate?”