"Yeah, right." He strode out, his exit hampered a bit by squeaking airboots.
"Well." Charles blew out a breath. "That was entertaining."
"Hold still," Louise ordered. "Your lip's bleeding."
As she dabbed at it with a napkin, Charles angled his head. "I'm soaking wet, too."
"Yes, you are."
"I think he bruised my ribs."
"I'll take a look. Come on. Let's get you out of those wet clothes and patch you up. This time," she said, "I'm the professional."
"I love playing doctor. Louise." He stopped her, made her turn and look at him. "Delia and I – She's really very special to me. But we were never lovers."
"Yes, I figured that out." She patted her fingers gently on his bruised cheek. "I can't believe you were about to tell Ian."
"Could be my brain was still rattled from having his bare-knuckled fist slammed into my face. We're friends," he added. "Delia's the best friend I've ever had."
"And you've just done her a lovely favor. Come on now, come with Dr. Louise." She slipped an arm around his waist. "It's sweet, isn't it, the way he leapt to defend her."
"Sweet." Charles wiggled his jaw, and saw a few stars. "He thinks I'm sleeping with her, and that pisses him off. Then he thinks I've stopped sleeping with her, and it pisses him off even more, so he comes over here and punches me in the face. Yes, very sweet."
"It's all point of view. Now, take off your clothes. First house call's free."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Eve stood on the sidewalk outside Stefanie Finch's apartment building, took a moment to sort through her thoughts. Summer was coming. She could feel the weight of it on the air. "Does it feel like rain to you, Peabody?"
Peabody took a sniff. "No, sir. Humidity's coming in. It's likely to be hot and heavy tomorrow."
"In more ways than one. But I don't want a storm to muck things up."
"Dallas, if we move in on him tomorrow without using bait, we can't be sure of getting him on anything but illegals possession, and that's if he's carrying."
"He'll be carrying. And we've got bait."
Peabody glanced back up at the building. "You didn't say anything to her about keeping the date."
"She won't be keeping it. I will."
"You?" With a shake of her head, Peabody gave Eve a measuring glance. "If he's sticking to pattern we have to figure he knows what she looks like. And you don't look like her. You're close to the same height, but coloring's different, features are different. And she's, well, bustier. No offense."
"By one tomorrow, I'll look enough like her to pass. I'm calling Mavis."
"Oh." Peabody brightened. "Oh, that's iced."
"Easy for you to say. You won't have to listen to lectures from her and Trina on why I haven't had my eyebrows shaped lately, or why I haven't used the butt cream or whatever. And I'll probably have to agree to a full treatment after the op." This was said with undisguised bitterness. "I know how they work."
"You're a true soldier, sir, sacrificing yourself for the cause."
"Wipe that smile off your face, Officer."
"Wiping, sir."
"We've got…" She turned her wrist to check the time. "Fourteen hours to put this together. Go home, get some sleep. I want you at my home office at oh six hundred. Wear soft clothes. Contact Feeney and McNab, bring them up to date. I'll have to tag the commander at home." She blew out a breath. "I bet his wife answers."
Eve slid behind the wheel of her vehicle, switched on the autopilot and set it for home. The engine fired, and died.
She sat back, glared at the console. "This is just not right. I'm a ranked officer." She punctuated this by smacking the dash with the heel of her hand. "I deserve a goddamn reliable ride. Computer, run the stinking diagnostic on autopilot."
Unauthorized use of this vehicle is an unlawful act punishable by up to a five year imprisonment and a monetary fine of five-thousand USD. If you are not authorized to use this vehicle, please exit same immediately. If you have authorization, identify yourself. Failure to do so will automatically lock all exists and notify the nearest patrol vehicle.
A red haze drifted over her vision. "You want me to identify myself? I'll identify myself, you demon from hell. Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. Vehicle authorization code Zero-Five-Zero-Six-One-Charlie. I am armed and I am dangerous, and in about five seconds I'm going to draw my weapon and fry every one of your circuits."
Any attempt at vandalism on this vehicle will result in -
"Shut up, shut up, shut up, and ran the fucking ID."
Processing… Your identification and codes are correct, Dallas, Lientenant Eve
"Dandy keen, now run the damn diagnostic."
Working… Auto-navigation on this vehicle is experiencing systemic problems. Do you wish to notify Maintenance at this time?
"I wish to blow Maintenance and everyone in it to holy hell. And don't tell me that will result in fine and/or imprisonment because it'd be worth it. Re-engage manual."
The engine rumbled on, and the air conditioning whirled, filling the cockpit with frigid air. "Disengage climate control."
Working… Climate control is experiencing systemic problems. Do you wish to notify Maintenance at this time?
"Oh, fuck you," Eve said and rolled down all windows.
She shot away from the curb, and unwilling to trust the in-dash 'link, pulled out her own.
Mrs. Whitney answered, looking perfectly groomed and very annoyed.
"I'm sorry to disturb you at home, Mrs. Whitney, but I need to speak with the commander."
"It's after eleven o'clock, Lieutenant. Can't this wait until morning?"
"No, ma'am, it can't."
"One moment," she snapped, and switched Eve to wait mode, complete with canned music. Eve listened to violins and flutes as she drove one-handed through a snarl of traffic.
"Whitney."
"I'm sorry to call you at home, Commander, but there's been a break in the investigation."
"I'm always ready to hear good news."
"I've just come from questioning Stefanie Finch. She has a date with the suspect tomorrow at thirteen hundred, Greenpeace Park."
"He's moved to days?"
"It fits the profile, sir. Upping the risk. Finch is cooperating. She's agreed to remain inside her residence. I have two uniforms with her, round the clock. Unless the suspect hears from her by noon tomorrow, he'll keep the date. I'm making arrangements to go in her place."
"Is there a physical resemblance?"
"We're close in height and build. I'm making arrangements to take care of the rest. I've got more data to study, but I can maintain the cover until he gives me the drug. He puts it in my hand, Commander, and we sew him up."
"What do you need?"
"I'd like six cops, soft clothes, in addition to my team, stationed at strategic areas. I'll go over diagrams tonight and determine placement. I'll go in wired. I'll need Feeney and the e-man of his choice in a surveillance vehicle. Additional vehicular and air backup is advisable, in case he gets past me. I'd like to select the rest of the team and brief them from my home office by oh eight hundred hours. I want everyone in place by eleven."
"You're cleared. Pick your men, and keep me updated. What the hell is that noise?"
"Ah, my climate control's dinky, sir."
"Well, notify Maintenance."
She heard her own teeth grind. "Yes, sir."
When she got home, she marched through her office and into Roarke's.
"Can you get your hands on any explosives?"
He glanced up from his work, picked up the brandy snifter that sat at his elbow. "Probably. What would you like?"
"Anything that will blow that insult, that abomination parked out front into a million tiny little pieces that can never be put back together again."
"Ah." He swirled brandy, sipped. "Vehicular troubles again, Lieutenant?"
"Is that a smirk?" The red haze was gathering again. "Is that a smirk on your face? Because if it is…" She shoved up her sleeves.