She started to speak, held off as Baxter hurried up to join his aide. “This about Custer?”
“I’ve reviewed the book. It’s a thorough investigation so far.”
“Without a single suspect.”
“You’re not looking at the wife.”
“She’s alibied up, Dallas, literally on her house ’link trying to reach the vic when he was being sliced. Trueheart and I were the ones to notify. She wasn’t faking her reaction.”
“No like crimes before or after, not following this pattern. It smells target specific.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“So who benefits?”
Baxter raked his fingers through his hair. “Okay, the wife gets rid of a guy who cheats and may be bringing home an all-you-can-eat buffet of STDs, and who tunes her up when the whim strikes. She comes into a pension and life insurance policy through his employment. Not princely, but solid. But she wasn’t there, that’s a fact. The vic wasn’t going to go into that flop with his wife when he hunted strange. And he’d’ve recognized her. She’s three inches over five feet so she’s not tall enough or strong enough to have made the cut.”
“Maybe she knew somebody who was. A relative, a friend, somebody who thought she was better off with the cheating, heavy-handed husband dead. And she is.”
“She’s got a sister down in Arkansas, a father doing a dime on assault with intent down there, and who used to knock his wife around. Her mother’s in New Jersey, but believe me, she couldn’t have pulled this off either. As for friends, she doesn’t have anybody she’s tight with. Sure as hell not tight enough to slit her husband’s throat for her.”
“A boyfriend. The killer skews tall and strong for a female.”
“Working a team.” Baxter’s eyes changed as he considered. “Guy’s already in the bathroom, she brings the mark in…Then why doesn’t she just go out the front? Why-”
“Lots of whys,” Eve interrupted. “Who says he went up there with a woman?”
Trueheart cleared his throat. “Um, everybody, sir.”
“And did everybody see the killer’s plumbing? You’ve seen enough trannies, Baxter, to know how pretty they are when they’re on the stroll. If you’re not looking close enough, if you’ve had a few brews under your belt, a guy could find a big surprise when he reaches into the box. Everybody sees a woman, so you’re looking for a woman.”
“And don’t I feel stupid,” Baxter mumbled. “I never made the lateral move to male possibility.”
“Wife’s got a secret admirer, he might be man enough to dress like a woman.”
“Sir? Lieutenant?” Trueheart nearly raised his hand. “It’s hard to see how Mrs. Custer could’ve had a relationship, a boyfriend. She’s got those kids, and none of her neighbors reported seeing anyone visiting her apartment regularly. We looked at that, because you have to, but we didn’t find anything that indicated she had a boyfriend.”
“A woman with a husband who likes to use his fists learns to be a careful woman.” Eve glanced back at her own murder board. “And maybe I’m letting some of my own investigation bleed over into my thoughts on yours.” She swiveled back, held out the murder book. “You’ve got two fresher cases open, but find time to poke at the boyfriend angle, and the doing her a favor.”
“Since we’d run out of angles, I appreciate it. Come on, faithful sidekick.” Baxter dropped a hand on Trueheart’s shoulder. “Let’s go think about men in dresses.”
She toggled her mind back to her own case, checked her incomings and her messages. The lab in its better-late-than-even-more-late mode verified what Roarke had already told her. Voice print match. Rising, she added that report to her board.
“Good morning!” Bright, bouncing, and beaming, Peabody sang out the greeting and shook a pink bakery box. “I’ve got crullers.”
“And you got through the bullpen alive?”
“I bought two boxes, tossed one at the rioting horde as I came through.”
“That’s not stupid.”
“I would’ve come back before, but you were with Baxter and Trueheart, and I was collecting my kudos.”
“I thought they were crullers.”
With a laugh, Peabody set the box on Eve’s desk. “I’m celebrating with pastries because I looked really good last night. I know how the camera’s supposed to add pounds, but I didn’t look tubbo. I think it was the jacket. It’s slimming, and the way the buttons run and all, they trick the eye. And I was sitting on my ass, so that wasn’t a problem. Jesus, I was so nervous. Completely freaked.”
She dug in the box, pulled out a cruller and bit in. “Trina was great, sort of talking me down. She says you’re due for a treatment, by the way.”
“She’s due for an ass-kicking.”
“And McNab was mag, seriously mag.” Peabody licked sugar off her thumb. “But you have all those people and the cameras and if you think about how many other people are sitting home watching, you’ll throw up. Nadine was the ult, she really eased me in. But she didn’t baby me, so I didn’t come off like a moron. When we got home, McNab and I watched the segment like twelve times, and had lots and lots of celebration sex. Boy, I feel great! So what did you think when you watched it?”
“I was busy.”
The bright, beaming bounce dropped hard through the trapdoor of shock. “You didn’t…But I thought you’d-oh.”
Eve let it sit for another five seconds, but even she couldn’t be that mean. And there were crullers. “Jesus, Peabody, you’re easy. Of course I watched. I had to know if you screwed up and I needed to kick your ass, didn’t I? You didn’t screw up.”
The beam bounced back. “I really didn’t. McNab said I sounded smart and completely on top. And I looked sexy. Did you think so?”
“I dreamed of you all night. Can we move on now?”
“One more thing. Thanks for pushing me into this. I won’t be so freaky about it next time. Oh, oh, and just another thing. Mavis and Leonardo tagged us when we were on our way home from the studio, and Mavis said Belle smiled and cooed when she saw me on screen. Okay, done.” She took another bite of her cruller.
“If you’re ready to set your kudos aside, we’re in the field. Anders Worldwide.”
“The memorial’s this afternoon,” Peabody reminded her. “I don’t think Forrest will be in. Do you want me to check?”
“No. He may not be in, but I bet his admin is. And I like the drop-in. Let’s move.”
Eve grabbed her coat, considered the crullers. If she left them there, out in the open, even the box would be devoured when she got back. She could hide it, but the vultures would sniff it out, which could lead them to the candy she’d stashed where-so far-the Candy Thief hadn’t discovered it.
She snatched up the box on the way out. Better safe than crullerless.
Leopold Walsh had struck Eve as a man who manned his station, and guarded his prince whatever the crisis. She was right. He met them in his office-sober eyes, dark suit, and a black armband.
“I don’t expect Mr. Forrest today,” Leopold began. “Mr. Anders’s memorial is scheduled for two this afternoon.”
“We’re aware of that.” No offer of coffee, Eve noted, no invitation to sit. Don’t like us much, do you, Leo? “Mr. Forrest and his uncle were very close, personally and professionally. Would you agree with that assessment?”
“I would.”
“As you work closely with Mr. Forrest, you’d be privy to their dealings together.”
“Of course.”
Eve smiled. She had to admire a man who knew how to answer without saying anything. “I imagine you formed opinions regarding Thomas Anders-professionally and personally.”