Indulgence in Death

by J. D. Robb

  “The amusement park.”

  “Yeah, which Roarke has a piece of, and a part in. But it’s hard to pick a company without bumping into one of Roarke’s, and the killer didn’t go there for his cover either time. There’s going to be a connection between the men and/or their companies. It’s not random. Neither are the vics. They’re not personal, but they’re specific. We’ll run a search to see if there’s any connection between Houston and Crampton, but it’s going to be the men, the companies, not the victims.”

  “I don’t find anything on this first round. None of the subsidiaries are connected or even in direct competition. They do have offices in some of the same cities, but that’s a stretch. They do each have long-running charitable foundations, but again, they veer off into different areas of interest and support.”

  “It’s in there somewhere,” Eve noted.

  Peabody put her head back, closed her eyes. “Maybe employees who crossed over, or interbusiness marriages, relations. So the killer has at least some data on both.”

  “Possible.”

  “Or somebody who knows and has a hard-on against Sweet and Urich.”

  “A lot of trouble to go to, and pretty fucking extreme to take a punch at somebody. But we’ll be looking for connections between Sweet and Urich. The methods aren’t random either. They’re planned well in advance, so they’re deliberate. A bid for attention. He’s showing off. Send an alert to Mira’s office,” she said referring to the department’s top profiler and shrink. “I want a consult tomorrow. Send her the files so she can take a look.”

  When she pulled up in front of the dignified old brownstone, she smiled at her wrist unit. “Bastard really works.”

  She got out of the car, took a moment to study the townhouse, the neighborhood. “Nice spot. Quiet, established, monied but not flashy. Urich was married once and did it in a twelve-year stretch. He’s worked for the same company for close to twenty years. He sticks. Got a little garden going here that looks all tidy and organized. Everything all nice and settled.”

  She passed through the short wrought-iron gate, to the walkway between a small, structured front garden, and up the stairs to the main door.

  “Locks down at night.” She nodded toward the steady red light on the security pad before pressing the buzzer.

  This residence is protected by Secure One, the computer informed her. The occupant does not accept solicitations. Please state your name and your business.

  “Lieutenant Dallas and Detective Peabody.” Eve held up her badge for the scanner. “NYPSD. We need to speak with Foster Urich.”

  Your information will be relayed. Please wait.

  Good security, Eve thought, but Urich kept it simple and straightforward.

  It took several minutes, but the security light switched to green, and the door opened.

  Urich stood in loose pants and T-shirt, his feet bare. His hair looked sleep tumbled and curled around a sharp-featured face. Fear lived in his eyes.

  “Has something happened to Marilee? My daughter. Is my daughter—”

  “We’re not here about your daughter, Mr. Urich.”

  “She’s okay? Her mother—”

  “We’re not here about your family.”

  He closed his eyes a moment, and when he opened them the fear died. “My daughter’s at camp. It’s her first time.” He let out a breath. “What’s this about? Jesus, it’s after three in the morning.”

  “We’re sorry to disturb you at this hour, but we need to ask you some questions. Can we come in?”

  “It’s the middle of the night. If I’m going to let you in, I want to know what this is about.”

  “We’re investigating a homicide. Your name came up.”

  “My—a murder? Who’s dead?”

  “Ava Crampton.”

  His face creased in puzzlement. “I don’t know anybody by that name. All right, come in. Let’s get this cleared up.”

  The long entrance hall opened on the side to a living area with deep colors, oversized seating, a wide wall screen. On the table in front of a long high-backed couch sat two wineglasses and a bottle of red. A pair of high-heeled sandals sat under the table.

  “Who’s Ava Crampton, and how did my name come up?”

  “Are you alone, Mr. Urich?”

  “I don’t see that’s any of your business.”

  “If you’ve had company this evening, it may clear up some questions.”

  He was blushing, Eve noted.

  “I’m with a friend. I don’t like being interrogated about my personal life.”

  “I don’t blame you, but Ava Crampton lost her personal life.”

  “I’m sorry about that, but it has nothing to do with me. And I’d really like to know why you think it does.”

  “Elegant Transportation took Ms. Crampton to Coney Island tonight.”

  He looked both irritated and baffled. “Lieutenant Dallas, if you’re questioning everyone who routinely uses Elegant Transpo, you’re in for a really long night.”

  “The reservation for the limo was in your name, and secured with your credit card.”

  “That’s ridiculous. Why would I order a limo for a woman I don’t even know?”

  “That’s a question,” Eve said.

  Irritation increased enough to smother the bafflement. “When was it booked?” He snapped out the question. “What card was supposedly used?”

  When Eve told him, he took a moment before speaking. “That’s my company card. I use that transpo service routinely for both business and personal, but I know neither I nor my admin reserved transportation for tonight.”

  “Let’s get this part out of the way. Where were you between ten P.M. and one A.M.?”

  “Foster?”

  The pretty woman wore a man’s robe miles too big for her. Her short, bark-colored hair fell to her jaw. Like Urich, she hadn’t thought to comb it.

  “I’m sorry. I got worried.”

  “It’s all right, Julia. It’s just some sort of mix-up. Julia and I spent the evening together.” His color came up again. “I, ah, picked her up about seven-forty-five. We had an eight o’clock at Paulo’s. Then we, ah, came back here. I don’t remember the time.”

  “It was a little after ten,” Julia supplied. “We’ve been in since. What’s happened?”

  He walked to her, ran a hand down her arm. “Someone’s been killed.”

  “Oh, no! Who?”

  “I don’t know her, but there’s some confusion about the use of my company card. I need to straighten it out. I can’t think straight,” he added. “I’m going to make some coffee.”

  “I’ll do it. No, I’ll do it, Foster. You sit down. Would you like coffee?” she said to Eve and Peabody.

  “That’d be great,” Eve answered.

  “Foster, sit down with the police. I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Sorry,” he said when Julia went out. “Sit down. This has just thrown me off. I don’t know how my company account could’ve been used. We change the code every couple of weeks.”

  Eve took the ID photo out of her bag. “Do you recognize her?”

  He took a good look at the picture, then scooped back his untidy hair and took another, longer study before he shook his head. “No. And I don’t think that’s a face I’d forget. She’s beautiful. Coney Island, you said,” he added when he handed the photo back.

  “Yes. You’ve been there.”

  He smiled. “I’ve taken my daughter there several times since it reopened. She’s going to be nine next month. I’m divorced,” he said quickly. “Her mother and I have been divorced for several months.”

  “Understood. Do you know an Augustus Sweet?”

  “I don’t think so. It’s not a familiar name. I meet a lot of people, Officer—”

  “Lieutenant.”

  “Sorry, yes, Lieutenant Dallas. In my work . . . You already know what I do, where I work. You’d have checked.”

  “Yes. Who’d have access to your account infor
mation?”

  “My admin. Della McLaughlin. She’s worked with me for over fifteen years. She wouldn’t be involved in this. Her assistant, Christian Gavin, would also have the information, but I have to say the same. He’s been with us nearly eight years. Julia.” He smiled again when she came back with a tray, and rose to take it. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She stood as he set down the tray. “Should I go?”

  “No, please. Lieutenant, I need to go put a block on that account, and initiate a search for use. I may be able to tell you who used it once I do.”

  “Go ahead.”

  He grabbed coffee, dumped creamer into it. “I’ll only be a couple minutes.”

  Julia sat, tugged on her robe. “This is strange and . . . just strange.”

  “Can I ask how long you and Mr. Urich have been involved?”

  “Involved? I guess about a month, but we’ve known each other for three years. Since our daughters became friends. They’re at camp together. Kelsey’s father and I divorced several years ago. Since Foster and Gemma divorced, Foster and I . . . Well, we spent some time together with the girls, playdates and parks and that kind of thing. And we’d talk. He needed someone to talk to who’d been there. Then . . . it sort of evolved. This is actually the first time we’ve . . . Anyway, I don’t suppose any of that’s relevant.”

  You’d be surprised, Eve thought.

  “Difficult divorce for Mr. Urich?” Peabody asked, picking up the theme.

  “They’re all difficult. But it was civilized. They both love their daughter very much. Gemma just wanted something else. I think that’s what was hardest for Foster to understand. It wasn’t any one thing. She just didn’t want what they had.”

  “Is she involved with someone else?”

  “I don’t think so. That’s part of the something else. She just didn’t want a relationship. Not now anyway. She didn’t leave for someone else, if that’s what you mean. She’s a very decent person.”

  Urich came back, stood on the other side of the coffee table. “It’s my code. Whoever reserved the transportation knew my code, my password. I don’t know how that could be. I’ve ordered a sweep and sniff, to confirm we were hacked. It’s the only explanation I have.”

  “Can you think of anyone who’d want to cause you trouble?” Eve asked. “Want the cops at your door at three in the morning?”

  He didn’t answer immediately, but frowned into the distance. “When you hold a position with a company like Intelicore as I do, you do generate some resentment, some anger, some hard feelings. People get fired or transferred, or written up. I can imagine there are some who wouldn’t mind seeing me hassled or inconvenienced. There are probably some who’d enjoy hearing I’d been questioned by the police. But this is more than that. This is using my name in connection with murder. No, I can’t think of anyone who’d do that.”

  “I’m going to send e-detectives to your office and your home to do their own check of your equipment. Any problem with that?”

  “No. I want answers on this, and quickly. I’ll have to tell The Third,” he muttered.

  “The Third?”

  “Sorry.” He shook his head. “The head of the company. I’ll need to inform him there’s been a breach, and that there’s a criminal investigation connected to it.” He dragged a hand through his hair.

  “He can’t blame you,” Julia began.

  “It’s my account. At some point, someone’s head’s going to roll. So believe me, Lieutenant, when I say I want answers. I don’t want that head to be mine.”

  “We appreciate your cooperation.” Eve got to her feet. “If he’s the head of the company, why do you call him The Third?”

  “Sylvester B. Moriarity the Third. His grandfather started the company.”

  She had that information already, but circled around it. “And he takes an active role in the company.”

  “He’s involved, certainly. I’ll walk you out.”

  “They were sweet,” Peabody said when she got into the passenger’s seat. “Well, they were,” she insisted when Eve said nothing. “Him all blushy and flustered about having a woman there, and her making coffee and wearing his robe.”

  “More to the point is he has a solid alibi, and he’s just not part of this. We check the admin and the admin’s boy. Cross-check them, and their family, tight friends, with Dudley. We run the weapon. Who buys a freaking bayonet? The same kind who buys a crossbow. A person who has access to high-tech jammers, and the shielding to get them through a scanner. Gotta have skills, or money, or both.”

  “Probably have to be whacked, too. Killing two people, and it’s looking like those two people were pulled out of a hat—if you’re right and it’s not about the victim as much as the method and the killing.”

  “Who hires the most exclusive LC in the city, then doesn’t take time to bang her? She gets paid a hefty deposit in advance, so it’s somebody who doesn’t mind pissing several thousand dollars away.”

  “Not his money anyway, since it came out of Intelicore’s coffers.”

  “Yeah.” Eve turned it over in her mind as she drove to Central.

  “Back-to-back murders,” she said, crossing the underground lot to the elevator. “Both planned out, set up, both using somebody else’s ID, and both expensive whoever gets dinged for the cost. Big-ass corporations would probably be insured against this sort of fraud.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Bet they are. Sweet and Urich will take some heat, but if it can be proved they didn’t authorize the payment, they could squeak out of it—and the company probably will. The insurance company takes the hit. Let’s find out who insures these people.”

  They switched to a glide. “Start the runs. I’m going up to EDD, see if they’ve got anything for us.”

  For once EDD was almost peaceful. Only a handful manned the cubes and desks at this hour. They paced and pranced, snapped gum and fingers, but there wasn’t so much of a crowd. Noting McNab wasn’t at his station, she veered off to the lab.

  She saw him behind the glass, prancing and snapping—and sucking down a jumbo drink—probably something so sweet it caused the teeth to ache. Roarke sat manning keyboard and screen, his hair tied back, what she assumed was a sensible coffee on the counter.

  To her surprise, she saw Feeney, EDD’s captain and her former partner. His hair, an explosion of ginger and silver, looked as though he’d been struck by lightning. His face looked saggier than usual, probably because he’d been called into work in the middle of the night. He wore a white shirt more wrinkled than his brown pants.

  She stepped in. “Geek report.”

  Feeney glanced her way. “Kid, can’t you catch something normal? Freaking bayonets and crossbows?”

  “Keeps me from getting bored.”

  “Rich people get bored. Working stiffs don’t have time to.” He took the drink out of McNab’s hand, slurped some down. “Security discs got shaked and baked. Solid system for an amusement, but it’s compromised. We’ll get back what we can.”

  “It won’t be much. Bloody buggering hell.” Roarke shoved back. “The system wasn’t simply jammed—and in a pinpoint manner at that—but wiped with a shagging virus tossed in for good measure. The device used had to be very sophisticated, possibly military.”

  “So it’s a wash? You can’t do anything.”

  His eyes narrowed, blue lightning, as she’d expected. “It’s early days yet, Lieutenant.”

  “What about general park security? Have we picked her up there?”

  “I’m all over that.” McNab plopped down, swiveled to a unit. “We’ve got her coming in. Limo pulls up here, see? Driver gets out.”

  “Yeah, got her name. We’ll talk to her.”

  “Vic gets out—some legs. Walks straight to the entrance for scan.”

  “She’s looking around for him,” Eve added. “Waiting just past the scanners, looking around. There, she spots him. See how she puts on the big smile, gives the
hair a toss, starts forward.”

  “Yeah, and we hit another blip. Just a few seconds. Zap, zap. I’ve run through with her image as focal, picked up a couple more blips. When you cross them with the layout, you can basically follow them straight to the spook house.”

  “He didn’t waste any time.”

  “And he knew the layout,” Roarke added. “Of the park, and its security.

  “But he missed just a nanosecond. Going into the spook house. Switching from jamming the outer cam and the inner. We’ve got a piece of him.”

  She saw the partial profile, the shoulder, the side of the body as the killer stepped in, one hand lifted, palm on the back of the white dress Crampton had worn, the other in his pocket.

  “Just the face, enhance it.”

  McNab ordered the computer.

  “Facial hair—you catch the side of a beard. Wearing the hair long. Looks heavier than Urich. A few pounds. It’s not him, but from what we can see there’s enough resemblance to his ID shot to have fooled her. She’s expecting this guy, and he’s likely told her what he’d be wearing, maybe how he’d grown the beard, the hair, gained a little weight. She saw what she’d been prepped to see. How much more can we get from this?”

  “I’m working on a composite. We can get a solid spec from this. We’ve got the shape of his face, part of one eye, basic jawline.”

  “The beard’s going to be fake. He’s got to convince her he’s Urich, so he’s got to have something to mask some features. Get me a composite with and without.”

  “On it.”

  “Tiny little mistake. He’s excited, and he slipped up, just a little bit. He’s going to be about Urich’s height. Could be wearing lifts, but he’s going to be about his height. He could be wearing some padding to add weight, but that doesn’t play for me. He’d want to be as close to Urich as possible, so he’s a little heavier, carries more pounds. Give me the shoe.”

  McNab blinked, shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Enhance.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “They’re—what do you call them—loafers. Dark brown, look expensive. Let’s get a make on them.”