by J. D. Robb
“I need to speak with him,” she told Roarke’s terrifyingly efficient assistant. “If he’s available.”
“Just one moment, Lieutenant. I’ll pass you through.”
One hand to her headphones, Eve moved quietly to the doorway, saw Peabody hard at work at the desk. With only a slight tug of guilt, she slipped back out of sight. She wasn’t deceiving her aide, she told herself. She was preventing Peabody from stepping into the shadowy area between the law and justice.
“Lieutenant? What can I do for you?”
Eve blew out a breath and stepped into those shadows. “I need a consult.”
“Oh? Of what sort?”
“Of the unofficial sort.”
A glimmer of a smile worked around his mouth. “Ah.”
“I hate when you say ‘ah’ that way.”
“I know.”
“Look, I’m not in a position to explain right now, but if you don’t have anything on for tonight—”
“But I do. We do,” he reminded her. “You invited guests.”
“I invited?” She went totally blank. “I never invite anybody. You’re the one.”
“Not this time. Peabody and her young brother? Ring a bell?”
“Oh hell.” Dragging a hand through her hair, Eve paced in a circle. “I can’t get out of that. I can’t tell her the truth, and if I make some lame excuse, she’ll pout. You can’t work with her when she pouts.”
She picked up her coffee, drank with a scowl on her face. “Are we like feeding them and everything?”
He laughed, adoring her. “Eve, you are the most gracious of hosts. Personally, I’m looking forward to meeting Peabody’s brother. Free-Agers are so soothing.”
“I’m not much in the mood for soothing.” But she shrugged. “Well, they have to go home sometime.”
“They certainly do. I’ll be home in a couple of hours. That should give you time to fill me in.”
“Okay, we’ll play it that way. You ever hear of Aries Manufacturing?”
“No.”
“Mount Olympus Enterprises?”
She had his interest now. “No. But Cassandra slides right in, doesn’t she?”
“Looks that way. I’ll be home when you get here,” she told him and signed off.
She solved the first problem by sending Peabody back to Cop Central with the updated report and instructions to pass what they had on to Feeney and McNab.
With the idea of clearing her head before she worked on the rest of the problem, she headed downstairs. A quick workout, she decided, might jar something loose in her brain.
Summerset stood at the base of the stairs. He studied her baggy sweater and ancient trousers with a cool and derisive eye. “I trust you intend to change into something more appropriate before dinner this evening.”
“I trust you’ll continue to be an asshole for the rest of your life.”
He drew air sharply through his nose, and because he knew she despised it, took her arm before she could swing by him. She bared her teeth. He smiled. “There is a messenger coming to the door with a package for you.”
“A messenger.” Though she yanked her arm free as a matter of principle, she shifted to stand between Summerset and the door. Her hand moved automatically to rest on her weapon. “Did you scan?”
“Naturally.” Puzzled, he lifted a brow. “It’s a registered delivery service. The driver is a young female. The scan showed no weapons.”
“Call the delivery service and verify,” she ordered. “I’ll take care of the door.” She started forward, tossed a glance over her shoulder. “You scanned for explosives?”
He paled a little but nodded. “Of course. Gate security is very thorough. Roarke designed it himself.”
“Call and verify,” she repeated. “Do it from the back of the house.”
Eyes grim, Summerset drew out his palm ’link but moved no farther than the parlor doorway. He’d be damned if he’d allow Eve to shield him as she’d done once before.
Eve watched the miniscooter approach on the security monitor. The logo for Zippy Service was clearly printed on the fuel tank. The driver wore the standard bright red uniform, goggles, and cap. She flipped them up as she stopped the scooter, then stood gaping at the house.
She was young, Eve noted, her cheeks still pudgy with baby fat. Her eyes were wide and dazzled as she craned her head back to try to see the top of the house as she moved forward.
She tripped on the steps, then blushed as she looked around to see if anyone noticed. In one hand she carried a disc pouch. She used the other to hitch down her jacket, then ring the bell.
“The delivery is verified,” Summerset said from behind Eve and nearly made her jolt.
“I told you to call from the back of the house.”
“I don’t take orders from you.” He reached for the door, blocking her, then yelped in absolute shock when Eve stomped hard on his instep.
“Get back,” she snapped. “Stupid son of a bitch.” She muttered it as she yanked the door open. Before the delivery girl could give her standard greeting, Eve had dragged her inside, shoved her face first against the wall, and secured her hands behind her back.
“You got a name?”
“Yes, yes, ma’am. Sherry Combs. I’m Sherry Combs.” She had her eyes squeezed shut. “I’m with Zippy. I have a delivery. Please, lady, I don’t carry any money.”
“Is that the right name, Summerset?”
“Yes. She’s just a child, Lieutenant, and you’ve frightened her.”
“She’ll live through it. How’d you get the delivery, Sherry?”
“I–I–I . . .” She gulped audibly, kept her eyes shut. “I’m on rotation.”
“No, how did the package come in?”
“Oh, oh, oh, drop box. I think. I’m pretty sure. Golly, I don’t know. My supervisor just told me to bring it here. It’s my job.”
“Okay.” Eve eased back, patted Sherry’s shoulder. “We’ve been getting a lot of solicitations,” she said with a smile. “We really hate that here.” She pulled out a fifty-credit chip and pressed it into the girl’s sweaty palm. “You drive careful.”
“Okay, right, thanks, gosh.” She started for the door, then turned back, almost tearfully. “Man, gee lady, you’re supposed to sign for it, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Eve simply jerked her head toward Summerset, then started upstairs with the pouch. She heard him murmur to the girl. “I’m terribly sorry. She hasn’t had her medication today.”
Despite the fact that she’d seen the return address on the pouch, Eve had to grin. But the humor didn’t last long. Her eyes were cool when she walked back into her office. She sealed her hands, opened the pouch, then slipped the disc it held into her machine.
We are Cassandra.
We are the gods of justice.
We are loyal.
Lieutenant Dallas, we hope our demonstration of this morning was enough to convince you of our capabilities and the seriousness of our intent. We are Cassandra, and we predict that you will show your respect to us by arranging for the release of the following political heros now wrongly imprisoned in the gestapo facilities of Kent Prison in New York: Carl Minnu, Milicent Jung, Peter Johnson, and Susan B. Stoops.
If these patriots of freedom are not released by noon tomorrow, we will be forced to sacrifice a New York landmark. A symbol of excess and foolishness where mortals gawk at mortals. You will be contacted at noon for verification. If our demands are not met, all lives lost will be on your head.
We are Cassandra.
Susan B. Stoops, Eve thought. Susie B, former nurse, who had poisoned fifteen elderly patients at the rehab facility where she’d worked. Claiming they had all been war criminals.
Eve had been primary, had taken her in, and knew Nurse Susie B was doing five terms of life in the mentally defective ward at Kent Prison.
She had a feeling the other “political heros” would have similar histories.
She copied the
disc and called Whitney.
“It’s out of my hands, at least for now,” Eve told Roarke as she paced the main parlor. “The political heads are doing their circle and spin. I wait for orders. I wait for contact.”
“They won’t agree to terms.”
“No. You add up the body count the four names they want are responsible for, you come up with over a hundred. Jung blew up a church claiming all religious symbols were tools of the hypocritical right. A kids’ choir was rehearsing inside. Minnu burnt down a café in SoHo, trapping over fifty people inside. He claimed it was a front for the fascist left, and Johnson was a hired assassin who killed anyone for the right price. What the hell’s the connection?”
“Maybe there isn’t one. It may just be a test. Will the governor acquiesce, or will he refuse?”
“They have to know he’ll refuse. They’ve left us no way to negotiate.”
“So you wait.”
“Yeah. What place in New York symbolizes excess and foolishness?”
“What place doesn’t?”
“Right.” She frowned, paced. “I did a run on that Cassandra—the Greek one. It said how she was given her gift of prophecy by Apollo.”
“I’d say this group enjoys symbolism.” He glanced toward the doorway when he heard voices. “That’ll be Peabody. Put it out of your mind for a couple of hours, Eve. It might help.”
Roarke walked over to greet Peabody, to tell her she looked lovely, to shake hands with Zeke. He was so damn smooth, Eve thought. It never failed to fascinate her how he could shift from mode to mode without a single visible hitch.
Beside Zeke—gangling, his smile awkward as he struggled very obviously not to gawk—the contrast was only more marked.
“Give her the thing, Zeke,” Peabody demanded and added a quick, sisterly jab in the ribs.
“Oh yeah. It’s not much of anything.” He offered that shy smile to Eve, then took a small wood carving out of his pocket. “Dee said you had a cat.”
“Well, one lets us live here.” Eve found herself grinning down at a thumb-sized carving of a sleeping cat. It was rough and simple and cleverly done. “And this, next to eating, is what he does best. Thanks, it’s great.”
“Zeke makes them.”
“Just for fun,” he added. “I saw your vehicle outside. It looks a little rough.”
“It sounds rougher.”
“I can take a look at it, tinker around.”
“I’d appreciate it.” She started to suggest he do just that, now, when she caught Roarke’s warning look and bit the words back. “Ah, let me get you a drink first.”
Damn party manners, she thought.
“Just some water, or juice maybe. Thanks. There’s beautiful work in this house,” he said to Roarke.
“Yes, there is. We’ll show you through after dinner.” He ignored Eve’s grimace and smiled. “Most of the wood is original. I appreciate craftsmen who build to last.”
“I didn’t realize so much of the nineteenth- and twentieth-century interior work was left in an urban area like this. When I saw the Branson home today, I was just staggered. But this—”
“You were at the Bransons’?” Eve had finished scratching her head over the choices of juice Summerset had arranged. She poured something rose-colored into a glass.
“I called this morning to express my condolences and to ask if they’d prefer to postpone the work they’d contracted for.” He took the glass she offered with a smile of thanks. “But Mrs. Branson said they’d appreciate it if I’d come by and look things over today. This afternoon, after the memorial service. She said the project might help take their minds off things.”
“Zeke says they have a fully equipped workshop on the lower level.” Peabody wiggled her eyebrows at Eve. “Apparently B. Donald likes to putter.”
“Runs in the family.”
“I still haven’t met him,” Zeke put in. “Mrs. Branson showed me around.” He’d spent time with her, just a little time. And his system was still revving on it. “I’ll get started tomorrow, work right there in the house.”
“And get roped into doing odd jobs,” Peabody said.
“I don’t mind. Maybe I should go take a look at the car, see what I can do.” He looked at Roarke. “Do you have any tools I could borrow?”
“I think I have what you need. They’re not Branson, I’m afraid. I use Steelbend.”
“Branson’s good,” Zeke said soberly. “Steelbend’s better.”
Sending his wife a blinding smile, Roarke laid a hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “Let’s go see what we’ve got.”
“Isn’t he great?” Peabody sent a look of affection after her brother. “Twenty minutes at the Bransons’ and he was repairing some plumbing blip. There’s nothing Zeke can’t fix.”
“If he can keep that car out of the hands of the monkeys in maintenance, I’ll owe him for life.”
“He’ll do it.”
She started to bring up her newest worry. Something in Zeke’s eyes, in his voice, when he spoke of Clarissa Branson. Just a crush, Peabody assured herself. The woman was married, years older than Zeke. Just a little crush, she told herself again, and decided her lieutenant was hardly the person to share foolish sisterly concerns with. Certainly not in the middle of a difficult investigation.
Peabody blew out a breath. “I know this isn’t a great time for socializing. As soon as Zeke’s done, we’ll take off.”
“We’ll feed you. Look, there’s this stuff all ready.” Eve gestured absently to a tray of beautifully arranged canapés. “You might as well eat them.”
“Well, since you insist.” Peabody plucked one up. “No word from the commander?”
“Nothing yet. I don’t expect to hear anything before morning. Which reminds me, I’ll need you to report to Central at oh-six-hundred.”
Peabody swallowed the canapé before she choked. “Six. Great.” She blew out a breath and snagged another canapé. “Looks like it’s going to be a very early evening.”
chapter nine
Dear Comrade,
We are Cassandra.
We are loyal.
It has begun. The preliminary stages of the revolution have proceeded precisely as outlined. Our symbolic destruction of the property of the capitalist Roarke was pitifully simple. The slow-witted police are investigating. The first messages of our mission have been transmitted.
They will not understand. They will not comprehend the magnitude of our power and our plans. Now, they scramble like mice, chasing down the crumbs we’ve left for them.
Our chosen adversary studies the deaths of two pawns, and sees nothing. Today, unless we were mistaken in her, she will go where we have led her. And be blinded to the true path.
He would be proud of what we accomplish here.
After this bloody battle is won, we will take his place. Those who have stood for us, for him, will join us. Comrade, we look forward to the day we raise our flag over the new capital of the new order. When all those responsible for the death of the martyr die in pain and terror.
They will pay, in fear, in money, in blood, as one by one and city by city, we who are Cassandra destroy what they worship.
Gather the faithful today, Comrade. Watch the screen. I will hear your shouts of triumph across the miles that separate us.
We are Cassandra.
Zeke Peabody was a conscientious man. He believed in doing a job well, in giving it all his time, his attention, and his skill. He’d learned carpentry from his father, and both father and son had been proud when the boy had outdistanced the man.
He’d been raised a Free-Ager, and the tenets of his faith suited Zeke like his skin. He was tolerant of others; part of his beliefs included the simple knowledge that the human race was made up of diverse individuals who had the right to go their own way.
His own sister had gone hers, choosing to become a cop. No true Free-Ager would ever carry a weapon, much less use one against another living thing. But her family was proud of her for followi
ng her own path. That, after all, was the foundation of Free-Agism.
One of the sweetest benefits of the job he’d taken here was the chance it gave him to spend time with his sister. It gave him a great deal of pleasure to see her in what had become her milieu, to explore the city she’d made her home. And he knew he amused her by dragging her around to every clichéd tourist attraction he could find on his guide disc.
He was very pleased with her superior. Dee had called and written home countless details about Eve Dallas that Zeke had arranged into a very complex and fascinating woman. But seeing her for himself was better. She had a strong aura. The dark shimmer of violence might have troubled him a bit, but the heart of it had been bright with compassion and loyalty.
He’d wanted to suggest that she try meditation to dull that shimmer, but he’d been afraid she’d take offense. Some people did. He’d also thought, perhaps, that nimbus of darkness might be necessary for her line of work.
He could accept such things, even if he never fully understood them.
In any case, he was satisfied that when the job was finished, he could return home content that his sister had found her place and was with the people she needed in her life.
As instructed, he went to the service entrance of the Branson brownstone. The servant who admitted him was a tall male with cool eyes and a formal manner. Mrs. Branson—she’d told him to call her Clarissa—had told him that all staff members were droids. Her husband considered them less intrusive and more efficient than their human counterparts.
He was shown to the lower-level workshop, asked if he required anything, then left alone.
And alone, he grinned like a boy.
The shop was nearly as well-equipped and organized as his own back home. Here, though he had no intention of using them, were the additions of a computer and telelink system, a wall screen, VR unit and mood tube, and a droid assistant that was currently disengaged.
He ran his hands over the oak he knew would be a joy to work with, then took out his plans. They were on paper rather than disc. He preferred to create his drawings with a pencil as his father had, and his grandfather before him.
