"I'm all right as long as I keep doing something."
"We'll put someone in touch with you," Eve told her.
"Good. I've called our lawyers as well, to arrange for emergency custody of Vonnie. To start proceedings to make it permanent as soon as we can. She's not going to be ripped away from the only home she's ever known. I've spoken with Elisa's parents well, her mother and stepfather. Her mother-" Her voice broke again, and she shook her head fiercely as if to deny herself the luxury. "They're corning here later today, so we can sit down and talk about what's best.
Somehow." "Elisa would be grateful that you're taking care of her daughter. She'd be grateful you're helping us do our job." "Yes." Deann squared her shoulders at Eve's words. "I hope so." "What do you know about Abel Maplewood? Elisa's father." "A difficult man, in my opinion. But he and Elisa managed to maintain a good relationship. I haven't been able to reach him to tell him. He's out West somewhere. Omaha, Idaho, Utah… I'm so scattered." She dragged both hands through her hair. "He's been out there a week or so, visiting his brother, I think. Probably sponging off him, to be frank. Elisa was always slipping him money. Her mother's going to try to reach him today." "It would help if we had his whereabouts. Just routine." "I'll see you get the information. And I know you need to look in her rooms. I put the girls in Zanna's room, so they won't be disturbed." She started to rise, but Peabody put a hand to her shoulder.
"Why don't you stay here, try to rest. We know where her rooms are." They left her there. "Record on, Peabody." They stepped into a small, cheerful sitting room done in bold colors. There were a few toys scattered around, and a little basket with a red cushion Eve assumed was a kind of bed for the dog.
She moved through it, and into Elisa's bedroom. "Make a note to have EDD check out her "links, her data units." She went to the dresser first, began to go through drawers.
She already had a sense of a settled, content, hardworking woman. The search of her quarters did nothing to change that. There were a number of framed photographs, most of the child. There were flowers and the little trinkets women enjoyed having around.
Her wardrobe was casual, with two good suits, two pair of good shoes. There was nothing in it that spoke of a man.
She checked the bedside "link herself, pulled up the last incoming. It was from her mother, a chatty, affectionate conversation that included the child toward the end when the little girl ran into the room and babbled away at her gamma.
"Dallas, I think I found something." Peabody held up another basket. This was in the cupboard under the sitting room entertainment screen.
"What is it?" "A craft basket. Handwork stuff. She did crafts." Peabody held up a skein of ribbon. It wasn't red, but it was the same basic type as what had killed her.
Eve stepped forward to take it just as a little girl came into the sitting room. She was tiny, with curly hair so blonde it was nearly white spilling around a pretty, chubby-cheeked face. She was knuckling her eyes.
"That's my mommy's. You're not supposed to touch Mommy's sewing basket, "less she says." "Ah…" "I'll take her," Peabody murmured, and handing off the basket to Eve, crouched down to child level. "Hi, are you Vonnie?"
The child hunched her shoulders. "Not supposed to speak to strangers." "That's right, but it's okay to talk to the police, isn't it?" Peabody took out her badge, gave it to the little girl. "Did your mommy tell you about the police?" "They help people and catch bad guys." "That's right. I'm Detective Peabody, and this is Lieutenant Dallas." "Whatsa Loonat?" "It's a job," Peabody said without missing a beat. "It means she's a policeman who catches lots of bad guys." "Okay. I can't find my mommy. Aunt Deann's sleeping.
Can you find my mommy?" Peabody's eyes met Eve's over the little girl's head. "Why don't we go find your aunt Deann?" Peabody suggested.
"She's sleeping." Her voice spiked, her lips began to tremble. "She said a bad man hurt my mommy and she can't come home. I want my mommy to come home now." "Vonnie-" But she shook Peabody off, planted herself in front of Eve.
"Did a bad man hurt my mommy?" "You should come with me now, Vonnie." "I want her to say." She pointed her little finger at Eve, poked out her bottom lip. "She's the Loonat." Jesus, Eve thought. Oh, Jesus. She jerked her head, signaling Peabody to get Deann, then she sucked it in, crouched as Peabody had. "Yes. I'm sorry." "Why?" "I don't know." Tears were gathering in big eyes the color of bluebells.
"Did she go to the doctor?" Eve thought of Morris, the steel table, the cold, clear lights of the morgue. "Not exactly."
"Doctors make you better. She should go to the doctor. If she can't come home, can you take me to her?" "I can't. She's… she's in a place we can't go. All I can do is find the person who hurt her, so he can be punished." "He'll have to stay in his room?" "Yeah, so he can't ever hurt anyone else." "Then she can come home?" Eve looked over, helpless and weak with relief when Deann rushed in. "Vonnie. Come with me, baby." "I want Mommy." "I know, baby. I know." Deann gathered her up, snuggled her in as the child began to weep on her shoulder. "I fell asleep. I'm sorry." "I know it's hard. I know it's bad timing all around. I need to ask you where she got the supplies in this basket." "Her sewing basket? Here and there. She loved to make things. I went with her a few times. She tried to teach me, but I was hopeless. There was a place on Third ah, God um, Sew What. And a big supply house downtown, near Union Square. Total Crafts, I think. And the one at the Sky Mall. I'm sorry." She rocked back and forth on her heels, stroking Vonnie's hair. "She'd go in to a shop if she was passing, rarely came out empty-handed." "Would you know where she bought this, specifically?" Eve held up the ribbon.
"No, I don't." Tm going to arrange for her data and communication equipment to be taken in. Would all her transactions and transmissions have been made and received by the ones in these rooms?" "She might have called her mother, say, from one of the other "links. But she did all her personal work on her own unit. I need to settle Vonnie down."
"Go ahead." Eve studied the ribbon. "It's a good lead," Peabody said.
"It's a lead." She put the ribbon in her evidence bag. "Let's run it down." The main door of the penthouse opened as Eve walked back into the living area. The man who entered had a shock of gold hair, a pale, tired face. She saw Deann spring up from the couch where she was holding Vonnie, and with the child still in her arms, leap toward him.
"Luther. Oh, God, Luther." "Deann." He enfolded both of them, dropped his head to his wife's shoulder. "It's not a mistake?" She shook her head, and let go with the weeping Eve imagined she'd been holding in for hours.
"I'm sorry to intrude. I'm Lieutenant Dallas." He lifted his head. "Yes. Yes, I recognize you. Deann? Sweetheart, take Vonnie in the bedroom." He kissed them both, and let them go.
"I'm very sorry for your loss, Mr Vanderlea." "Luther. Please. What can I do? Is there something I should do?" "It would help if you answered a few questions." "Yes. All right." He looked in the direction his wife had gone. "I couldn't get here sooner. It seemed to take forever to get home. Deann told me… I'm still not clear. Elisa he went out to walk the dog, and she was… Deann said she was raped and murdered. Raped and murdered right over in the park." "Would she have told you if she was being bothered by anyone, if she was concerned about anything?" "Yes." He said it without hesitation. "If not me, certainly she would have told Deann. They were very close. We…
We're family." He sat, let his head fall back.
"Were you and Ms Maplewood close?"
"You're asking me if Elisa and I had a sexual relationship.
I wondered if you would, and told myself not to be insulted.
I'm trying not to be. I don't cheat on my wife, Lieutenant.
I certainly wouldn't take advantage of a very vulnerable woman in my employ, a woman I liked very much, a woman who worked very hard to give her child a good life." "I don't ask to offend you. Why do you characterize Ms Maplewood as vulnerable?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, dropped his hand. "She was a single parent who had been misused by her husband, who was dependent on me for her salary, for the roof over her head, come to that. Not that she couldn't have found other employment. She knew how to work. But she might not have found a situation that allowed her child to grow up in a home like this, with a playmate, with people who loved her. Vonnie's welfare was first for Elisa."