“I’ve gone over it and over it. Not doing a lot of sleeping since… since it happened. I don’t understand why my mother would’ve gone to you for money. She’s—she was—pretty well set. And I’m doing good. Good enough, and better now that we closed that big deal. Somebody must’ve pushed her to do it. But I don’t know who’d do that. I don’t know why.”
“Get out, clear your head a little bit. Maybe something will come to you.” If not, Eve thought, she was going to bring them both in, formal interview. Hit them with the facts, she decided, straight out. See what shakes.
“We could—” He broke off when Zana stepped out.
She was dressed in a white sweater and trim pants with tiny brown and white checks. Eve noted she’d taken the time to put on some lip dye, a little cheek color.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting. We’re getting a late start today.”
“It’s okay. How’re you feeling?”
“All right. It’s all starting to seem like some long, strange dream.”
“Eve said we can go out for a while,” Bobby told her.
“Really. But…” As he had, Zana glanced toward the window, bit her lip. “But what if… He could be watching.”
“I’ll be with you.” Bobby walked over, put an arm around her. “We’ll go out, buy a little tree. We might get some real snow.”
“I’d really like that, if you’re sure.” She looked back at Eve. “I guess we’re both going a little stir-crazy.”
“Take your ‘link,” Eve advised. “I’ll check in with you now and then.” She headed for the door, stopped. “It’s pretty cold. You’ll want to dress warm if you’re going to be walking around.”
As she headed for the elevator, she pulled out her communicator again. “Peabody, status.”
“Two blocks west. Got what we were looking for, first stop.”
“Meet me in front of the hotel.”
“Are we a go?”
“We’re a go,” Eve said. She switched over to Baxter. “We’re in place. You have the signals.”
“That’s affirmative.”
“Give them some room. Let’s see how they spend their day.”
On the street, she took a look around. If Trudy’s killer had tracked them to the new location—and anything was possible—where would he wait and watch? There were always places. A restaurant, another hotel room, even the street for a period of time.
But those chances were slim. Tracking them wouldn’t have been a cinch. That would take skill, smarts, and luck. Finding a spot to watch for a couple of days would take a great deal of patience.
And for what purpose? Money, if money was the object, would only come through them if she paid it out. Smarter, simpler, to try the direct blackmail route.
Smarter, simpler, to try to shake her rather than the victim’s daughter-in-law.
She leaned on her car as she waited for Peabody. If money was the motive for murder, why wasn’t the killer pushing harder for a payoff?
Peabody hiked up, rosy-cheeked from the cold and the walk.
“What if the money’s the beard?”
“Whose beard?”
“The beard, Peabody. I keep circling back to payback instead of payoff. It just slides in better. But if it’s payback, why do you wait until she’s in New York, coming after me? Why do you smash her head in after she’s made contact? Why don’t you wait until you see if she gets the dough first? Or you take her out at her home base, easier to make it look accidental.”
“Maybe the killer lives here. In New York. Maybe she was playing two at once.”
“Maybe. But so far, I’ve got nobody who’s local popping out of her file. If it was impulse, why hang around trying to threaten Zana into coughing up money she doesn’t have?”
“Because now you’re greedy.”
“Yeah, greed’s usually good.” But it wasn’t gelling for her.
She got in the car. She didn’t want to be loitering out front when and if the Lombards came out.
“What did you find out?” she asked Peabody.
“National Bank, a block from the boutique. One of the tellers made her photo straight off. She was in right before they closed, Friday afternoon. Wanted two hundred single-dollar credits. Snippy about it, so says the teller. Wanted them loose. No bag, no rolls. Just dumped them into her purse. Oh, they want a warrant before they turn over any security discs.”
“Get one. Let’s tie up all the threads.”
“Where are we heading?”
“Back to the murder scene. I’ve run re-enactments on the comp. I want to try it on the spot.” She dug out her homer, stuck it on the dash. “Baxter and Trueheart can handle the shadow, but we’ll keep an eye on them anyway.”
“Haven’t moved yet,” Peabody observed.
“They will.”
Eve took a second-level street slot at the West Side Hotel. “How could there be anything left in the city to buy?” She clambered down, scowling at the masses of people. “What more could they possibly want?”
“Speaking for myself, I want lots and lots. Piles of boxes with big shiny bows. And if McNab didn’t spring for something shiny, I’ll have to hurt him. Maybe we’ll get that snow.” She sniffed the air like a hound. “Smells like it.”
“How can you smell anything in this city but city?”
“I got a prime nose. I can scent soy dogs grilling. And there they are, down the block. I’m sort of going to miss being here for Christmas. I mean, it’s exciting—scary, too—going to Scotland, but it’s not New York.”
Inside, the same droid worked the desk. “Hey!” He signaled. “When you gonna unseal the room?”
“When justice is served.”
“Manager’s busting me on it. We got reservations. Full house next week for New Year’s Eve.”
“He’s got a problem with my crime scene, tell him to contact me. I’ll tell him what he can do for New Year’s.”
She checked her homer on the way up. “They’re moving. Baxter?” she said into the communicator. “They’re coming out.”
“We’ve got them. Got audio. They’re talking about heading over to Fifth, window shopping. Looking for a tabletop tree for the room.”
“I can hear them. I’m tuning down the audio. Tag me if there’s anything I should know.”
“They’re stepping out. My youthful companion and I will be taking a stroll. And we’re out.”
Eve pocketed her communicator, took out her master to break the seal. A woman opened the door across the hall a crack.
“Are you the police?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Eve drew out her badge.
“Somebody said a woman was killed in that room, just a few days ago.”
“There was an incident. There’s no reason for you to be concerned.”
“Easy for you to say. Larry! Larry, I told you there was a murder. The cops are right here.” She poked her head back out. “He wants to get his vid cam. Get something we can show the kids tomorrow.”
Larry, busting with smiles as he pushed the door open, led with the camera. “Hi! You think maybe you could put your hand on your weapon, maybe hold up your badge. Look tough. The kids’re going to love it.”
“Now’s not really a good time, Larry.”
“It’ll only take a minute. You going in? Great! I can just get a quick shot of the inside. Is there still blood?”
“What, are you twelve? Put that thing down, go back in your room before I arrest you for being dirt stupid.”
“Great! Great! Keep going.”
“Jesus Christ, where do people come from? What dark hole vomits them out into my face? Peabody.”
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to go back inside now. This is a police investigation.” She lowered her voice as she moved to block his view. “You don’t want to tick her off. Trust me.”
“Can you say your name? Like this is Officer Smith, ordering you to cease and desist.”
“It’s detective, and, sir, you will have to cease and desist before—”
Eve simply stepped forward, wrenched the little camera out of his hand.