Karen Rose - I Can See You

“When Pierce knew we had the participant list,” Noah said, “he knew Jeremy Lyons had to go. As Donner got sicker, he’d passed more authority and access to Lyons.”

“We found Jeremy’s laptop in Pierce’s New Germany house,” Micki said. “He’d sent an email to Pierce with the list as an attachment. We found all the Red Dress victims’ computers in the New Germany house, in fact.”

“Martha used her stool at Ninth Circle to solicit business for Siren Song,” Abbott said. “We’re not sure if she became obsessed with the World to support her phone sex business or turned to phone sex because it allowed her to never leave her PC. Her heaviest call volume was in the hours the other victims were killed, so that’s probably why she met Pierce so much earlier than the others.”

“Which turned out to be important,” Micki said, her brows raised.

“As did the cat and the shoes,” Noah said. “You were right. And Kane, you were right about Jeremy. Pierce used his phone to leave the text and voicemail for Eve. Sitting right outside Abbott’s window as he did so. One more of his up-yours.”

“Like Das Ich ,” Eve said. “Dasich. I can’t believe I didn’t see that. All my avatars’ names had meaning. I never looked at his.”

“Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Eve,” Abbott said kindly. “For all of us. We’ve checked out Pierce’s computers, too. He had two, and accessed Shadowland from both so he could have two avatars active at once, never considering anyone was watching him.”

“Why Axel Girard?” Ian asked. “How did he pick him?”

Noah sighed. “Axel was his optometrist. Eve realized Pierce resented us for the MSP attention, that he never got credit, but he used that anonymity, believing Axel would never have cause to link him to this case.”

“The trigger was MSP ,” Eve said. “For both Pierce and Dell Farmer.”

“We’ll think twice before granting any more interviews,” Abbott said.

“And then we’ll just say ‘no way in hell,’ ” Noah added.

“When will you release the bodies of Pierce’s victims?” Eve asked Ian.

“Today,” he said. “Why?”

“I plan to go to their funerals,” she said.

“Eve,” Abbott said, “you don’t believe any of their deaths are on your head, do you?”

“No.” She gave Abbott a sad smile. “But they were vulnerable to Pierce because all they had was a virtual life. They looked for happiness in an imaginary world because they couldn’t find it in the real one. There but for the grace of God…”

Abbott’s gaze was respectful. “If you’d like someone to go with you, I will.”

Eve looked surprised and touched. “I’d like that. Thank you, Captain.”

“What about you, Eve?” Olivia asked. “Have you heard from the university?”

“Yes. Pierce was lying to get me to leave with him. The dean never contacted him. Dean Jacoby called me this morning. Under the circumstances, there will be no sanctions. We’ll regroup, retool the study with appropriate checks, and begin again.”

Abbott blew out a breath. “I think we’ve covered everything. Everybody go home.”

Eve rose, leaning on the cane the hospital had given her until her leg healed. “Actually, we’re on our way to Sal’s. We’re having a baby shower there for my friend. You’re all invited and Sal says the drinks are on him today.”

Except for me , Noah thought. He’d decided not to go and after he’d explained, Eve’s family had offered to change the venue. But it meant a great deal to Sal and therefore to Eve, so they’d kept the shower there. They’d have an early dinner with her family before they all went back to Chicago and they’d planned an alcohol-free meal.

Noah was looking forward to it. Now, he’d drop Eve off at Sal’s for the shower and go see Jack. They had much to discuss.

Friday, February 26, 8:30 p.m.

“That was nice,” Noah said, helping Eve into his car after every member of her family had hugged them both. “I especially liked all the stories about your misspent youth.”

“I wasn’t that bad. I imagine Brock’s got stories on you that are as good or better.”

“Good point.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and she kissed him back. “Although I wonder if Caroline and Dana know they’ve been immortalized as avatars.”

Eve winced. “Caught that, did you?”

“What, that Pandora’s face is Caroline’s and Greer the Guardian looks just like Dana? I saw it the minute they walked into your hospital room. But I won’t tell. Just tell me I’m not in your avatar collection.” He’d meant it as a joke, but she hesitated. “Eve?”

“Well, remember when you asked me if you needed a virtual warrant to enter one of the condos and I said I had connections and could get one? Well…”

He gave her a mock glare. “Just tell me I’m wearing appropriate attire.”

She snickered. “You do have a hat. The rest is… let’s just say I imagined well what went on under your suits. Really well. I’ll have to show you later.”

He laughed out loud and it felt good. “Where to?”

“My place.”

“My place doesn’t have a leaky roof.”

“But I need to pack a bag.” She aimed Noah an arched look. “Plus, I think we still have some unfinished business having to do with a certain stuffed chair.”

He looked at her leg, his blood already heating. “Can you?”

“I’m young. I heal fast. Very, very fast.” She lifted her brows. “Can you ?”

He snorted a laugh. “I’m functional. Very, very functional.”

“So shut up and drive, Web.”

He obeyed, making the trip to her place in record time, then carrying her up the three flights of stairs to her apartment. He’d started by romantically cradling her close, but after the first flight flung her over his shoulder while she laughed out loud.

“That was a one-time deal,” he said, breathing hard, but the sound of her happy laughter had been worth it. “Open the door so I can collapse.”

She obeyed, then they both stared at David Hunter, who sat in her stuffed chair, arm in a cast, looking as if he owned the place. “I thought you went home,” she said.

David’s dark brows lifted. “I did.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to live here? With Eve?”

David chuckled. “Not exactly. I’ll live downstairs.”

“You are renting from that scum-sucking bastard, Myron Daulton?” she demanded.

“No, you are renting from me . And in six months, your lease is up. If you choose to renew, I’m going to have to raise your rent.” David grinned. “I bought the place.”

Eve’s mouth fell open. “You bought… this place? This place should be condemned.”

“Nah, it’s not in such bad shape. See, on Wednesday morning I was up on the roof, patching your leaks, all of which were man-made, by the way.”

Eve narrowed her eyes. “I knew it. And Callie said I was being paranoid.”

“Well, you weren’t. Anyway, this guy pulls up in a fancy car and calls up to me to come down, that he owns this place and I’m trespassing.”

“Eve’s landlord wouldn’t allow you to fix her roof?” Noah asked.

“Because he’s a scum-sucking bastard,” David said affably. “You’d said he just wanted to sell the place, so I decided to buy it.”

“Just like that?” Eve said. “You’d buy an old house like this?”

His smile softened. “Yeah. It’s an investment.”

Her smile softened as well. “That’s sweet. Except for the part about raising my rent.”

David grinned. “Yeah, well, not by much. A few bucks. If you’re still here.”

Eve sat down on the sofa. “Wait a minute. So what are you using for money?”