"Madam, I am afraid we have no tables available. You would perhaps prefer the delicatessen on the next block north."
"Yeah, I would." Because his attitude annoyed her, she stuck her badge in his face. "But I'm eating here. I don't give a shit if that puts your chips in a twist, pal. Where's Dr. Mira's table?"
"Put that away," he hissed, looking everywhere at once and fluttering his hands. "Do you wish my customers to lose their appetites?"
"They'll really lose them if I take my weapon out, which is what I'll do if you don't show me Dr. Mira's table and see that I've got a glass of iced fizzy water in the next twenty seconds. Got that program?"
His lips clamped together and he nodded. Stiff-backed, he led the way up a swing of faux stone steps to the second level, and then onto an alcove fashioned to resemble an ocean terrace.
"Eve." Mira rose immediately from her pretty table and took both of Eve's hands. "You look wonderful." To Eve's faint surprise, Mira kissed her cheek. "Rested. Happy."
"I guess I am." After a brief hesitation, Eve leaned forward and touched her lips to Mira's cheek in turn.
The droid had already snapped to a server. "Dr. Mira's companion wishes a fizzy water."
"Iced," Eve added, curling her lip at the maitre d'.
"Thank you, Armand." Mira's soft blue eyes twinkled. "We'll order shortly."
Eve took another quick scan of the restaurant, the diners in their summer pastels and pricey cottons. She shifted on her padded chair. "We could have met in your office."
"I wanted to take you to lunch. This is one of my favorite spots."
"The droid's an asshole."
"Well, perhaps Armand is a bit overprogrammed, but the food is wonderful. You should try the Clams Maurice. You won't regret it." She settled back when Eve's water was served. "Tell me, how was your honeymoon?"
Eve gulped down half the water and felt human again. "Tell me how long I can expect people to ask me that question?"
Mira laughed. She was a pretty woman with soft sable hair swept back from a quietly attractive face. She wore one of her habitually elegant suits, this one in pale yellow. She appeared polished and tidy. She was one of the leading behavioral psychiatrists in the country, and was often consulted by the police about the most vicious crimes.
Though Eve was unaware of it, Mira's feelings toward her were strong and deeply maternal.
"It embarrasses you."
"Well, you know. Honeymoon. Sex. Personal." Eve rolled her eyes. "Stupid. I guess I'm just not used it. To being married. To Roarke. To the whole business."
"You love each other and make each other happy. There's no need to get used to it, only to enjoy it. You're sleeping well?"
"Mostly." And because Mira knew her deepest and darkest secrets, Eve dropped her guard. "I still have nightmares, but not as often. The memories come and go. None of it's as bad now that I've dealt with it."
"Have you dealt with it?"
"My father raped me, abused me, beat me," Eve said flatly. "I killed him. I was eight years old. I survived. Whoever I was before I was found in that alley doesn't matter now. I'm Eve Dallas. I'm a good cop. I've made myself."
"Good." There would be more, Mira thought. Traumas such as the one Eve had lived through cast echoes that never completely faded. "You still put the cop first."
"I am a cop first."
"Yes." Mira smiled a little. "I suppose you always will be. Why don't we order, then you can tell me why you called."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Eve chose Mira's recommendation of clams, then treated herself to some of the real yeast bread set in a silver basket on the table. As she ate, she gave Mira a profile of Fitzhugh and the details of his death.
"You'd like me to tell you if he was capable of taking his own life. Disposed to it, emotionally, psychologically."
Eve cocked a brow. "That's the plan."
"Unfortunately, I can't do that. I can tell you that everyone is capable of it, given the right circumstances and emotional state."
"I don't believe that," Eve said so firmly, so decisively, that Mira smiled.
"You're a strong woman, Eve. Now. You've made yourself strong, rational, tough-minded. You're a survivor. But you remember despair. Helplessness. Hopelessness."
Eve did; too well, too clearly. She shifted in her chair. "Fitzhugh wasn't a helpless man."
"The surface can hide a great deal of turmoil." Dr. Mira held up a hand before Eve could interrupt again. "But I agree with you. Given your profile of him, his background, his lifestyle, I wouldn't tag him as a likely candidate for suicide – certainly not one of such an abrupt and impulsive nature."
"It was abrupt," Eve agreed. "I dealt with him in court right before this happened. He was as smug and arrogant and full of his own sense of importance as ever."
"I'm sure that's true. I can only say that some of us – many of us – confronted with some crisis, some personal upheaval of the heart or mind, choose to end it rather than live through it or change it. You and I can't know what Fitzhugh might have found himself confronted with on the night of his death."
"That isn't a hell of a lot of help," Eve muttered. "Okay, let me give you two more." Briskly, with a cop's dispassion, she related the other suicides. "Pattern?"
"What did they have in common?" Mira tossed back. "The lawyer, the politician, and the tech."
"A blip in the brain. Maybe." Tapping her fingers on the cloth, Eve frowned. "I've got some chains to pull to get all the data, but it could be the motive. The reason behind it all might be physiological rather than psychological. If there's a connection, I've got to find it."
"You're veering out of my field, but if you find data linking the three cases, I'd be happy to do a workup."
Eve smiled. "I was counting on it. I don't have a lot of time. The Fitzhugh case can't stay a priority for much longer. If I can't nail something down soon and use it to convince the commander to keep the file open, I'll have to move on. But for now – "
"Eve?" Reeanna slipped up to the table, looking stunning in an ankle-skimming robe of bleeding rainbow colors. "Well, how nice. I was lunching with an associate and thought I recognized you."
"Reeanna." Eve worked up a smile. She didn't mind looking like a street hawker next to the glamorous redhead, but she did mind having her consult lunch interrupted. "Dr. Mira, Reeanna Ott."
"Dr. Ott." Gracious, Mira offered a hand. "I've heard of your work and admired it."
"Thank you, and I'll say the same. It's an honor to meet one of the top psychiatrists in the country. I've scanned a number of your papers and found them fascinating."
"You flatter me. Won't you sit down, join us for some dessert?"
"I'd love to." Reeanna flicked a questioning glance at Eve. "If I'm not interrupting official business."
"We seem to be finished with that part of the program." Eve looked up at the waiter summoned by a discreet flick of Mira's finger. "Just coffee. House brand. Black."
"I'll have the same," Mira said. "And a dish of the Blueberry Trifle. I'm weak."
"So am I." Reeanna beamed at the waiter as though he would personally prepare her selection. "A double latte, and a slice of Chocolate Sin. I'm so tired of processed food," she confided to Mira. "I intend to gorge myself while I'm in New York."
"And how long will you be in town?"
"It depends a great deal on Roarke" – she smiled at Eve – "and how long he finds it useful to have me here. I have a feeling he'll be shipping both William and me off to Olympus within a few weeks."
"The Olympus Resort's quite an undertaking," Mira commented. "All the blips I've seen on the news and entertainment channels have been fascinating."
"He'd like to have it up and fully operational by next spring." Reeanna ran her hand up and down the trio of gold links she wore around her neck. "We'll see. Roarke usually gets what he wants. Wouldn't you agree, Eve?"