J. Robb - Kindred In Death

There was, as expected, some legal jumbo. But even with it, she would save considerable time. She continued to consult with Reo as she walked into the house, and thought one advantage to legal crap was the opportunity to totally ignore Summerset.

Once she got the nod, she began making the contacts and arrangements. She’d hit the halfway point when Roarke beeped through. “The program’s set, in the holo-room. I need those coordinates.”

“I’ll bring them to you. Peabody can make the rest of the contacts. Five minutes.”

She routed the rest to her partner, then gathered what she needed. She used the elevator, and stepped out into a larger and somehow swankier version of her home office.

“Hmm.”

“Appearances can count. One of these days, you might consider replacing that desk of yours with a workstation like this one.”

She frowned at the dark, shiny surface of the U-shaped console, its built-in D and C unit and sleek control panel.

“I like my desk.”

“Yes, I know.” He kissed her lightly, then pointed to a table at the rear of the room. “Have a sandwich.”

“We have sandwiches?”

“Eat. You can station yourself at the desk, if you like. Knowing you, I assume you’ll be on your feet most of the time. Your interview subject can be placed at any chair, or the sofa. The unit here, and the wall screen are both fully operational should you need them.”

Slick, she thought. Very slick. “It has to be recorded.”

“It will be.”

Because he pointed at the table again, she picked up a sandwich. “Let’s bring Peabody in first.”

He nodded, used his own ’link.

“Peabody.” Peabody’s face went glowy at the sight of Roarke. “Oh, hey. Hi!”

“Hi. The lieutenant would like you to join us.”

“Okay. Wow. I’ve never holo’d before.”

“I’ll be gentle,” he said and made her giggle. “There. I have you. Initiating.”

Little dots of lights swirled, then the swirl became Peabody.

“Oh. Gee. That was easy. It didn’t feel weird.” She looked around, blinking. “It is weird, but it didn’t feel weird. What’s that?”

“What? It’s a sandwich.”

“Oh, it’s a panini. It really looks good.”

“There’s more over there. Help yourself.”

“Thanks.” Peabody turned to the table, reached out, and her hand passed straight through sandwich and tray. “That was just mean. I can’t help myself because I’m not really here. But I am here. I don’t understand holo-science. Every time McNab tries to explain it to me, my brain goes to sleep.”

“Let’s leave that to the geeks and be cops. Finish the contacts, get the waivers. I’ll connect with the PD again, then we’ll bring her in.”

It was weird, Eve admitted, but it was also smooth and efficient. In moments, she had the former public defender sitting in her programmed office.

“I appreciate the time, Ms. Drobski.”

“It’s no problem. I’d like to get this business resolved as soon as possible. It’s unnerving.”

“I’m sure it is. Your safety, and the safety of your family is a priority.”

“You have viable evidence that I-or my family-is being targeted? Evidence that substantially links this jeopardy to a defendant I represented more than twenty years ago?”

“You’re thinking like a lawyer. I’m thinking like a cop. Which one do you want to trust your life to, and the lives of your family?”

The woman shifted either in discomfort or annoyance. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You were shown an artist rendering of the suspect. Are you still certain you’ve never seen this man before? On screen image, Darrin Pauley.”

Drobski studied the screen. “I haven’t, not to my knowledge.”

“You have a brother.”

“Yes, Lyle. As I told you, he’s a financial consultant. I spoke with him, and he’s been shown the sketch, as has his wife, and their son. I’m concerned enough that I’ve been through this with my parents, and they live in Arizona. None of them recognize this man.”

“Who are you closest to?”

“I’m sorry?”

“In your family. Who are you closest to?”

“That’s very difficult to… my father, I suppose. He’s the reason I became a lawyer. I can promise you, Lieutenant, he’s not naive or gullible enough to allow himself or my mother to be put in danger. And he’s targeting women, isn’t he?”

“We don’t rule out a change to male target. Who else is there?”

“I don’t have any other family.”

“Who else are you close to? Family isn’t always blood.”

“Oh. God.” For the first time, Drobski looked shaken. “Lincoln, Lincoln Matters. We’ve been involved for over a year now, and my partner, Elysse Wagman. We’re very close, have been since college. She… she’s like a sister.”

“Peabody.”

“On it.”

“You think he might go after Lincoln or Elysse? I need to tell them-”

“We’re taking care of it right now. Is Elysse married, cohabbing?”

“No. In fact she just came out the other side of a difficult divorce. She has a daughter, my goddaughter, Renny. She’s only eleven.”

“We’ll take care of them.” She saw Peabody give her the nod out of the corner of her eye. “Police officers are on their way to her residence right now, and to Lincoln’s. When we’ve finished, I’ll contact both of them myself, and explain everything.”

“You really think it could be-”

“I’m not going to take any chances. I want you to tell me everything you remember about the Irene Schultz case.”

“I remember it very well. I hadn’t been a PD long, and I was still idealistic. Green. I felt, since she didn’t have any priors, she had a young child, I could make a good deal for her. I figured I’d get them to kick the illegals charge, the solicitation, maybe plead it down to a year, and mandatory rehab. Maybe get part of the year in a halfway. Then even before I talked to her, I got the whiff that they wanted her husband, and maybe I could get her straight into halfway and rehab with no cage time if she flipped on him.”

“But she didn’t.”

“Wouldn’t. She insisted, even to me, he had no part in what she’d done, no knowledge of it. I explained, tried to nudge her some, but she wouldn’t budge. I tried the mom card. I really wanted to help her. She wouldn’t be able to take care of her little boy if she was in prison. But, she stuck. Worse, when the APA came in the next morning to deal, she insisted on taking the first round. I could’ve dealt it down to a year, but she wouldn’t let me. I felt like a failure.”

“Did you speak with the husband?”

“Yeah. He was angry. Outraged when I told him she’d taken the eighteen. He said she shouldn’t do more than a year inside. I agreed with him, but he blamed me. When I told him she wouldn’t let me try to deal, he calmed down some, even apologized. When we went into court, he brought the baby. A really beautiful baby.”

Her gaze went back to the wall screen. “God. I held him. I held that baby while Irene and her husband had a minute. I actually held him. I felt sick when he cried for his mother. Sick that I hadn’t been able to do more. You get over that after a while, after being buried under the work, the system. That’s when you have to get out, when you get over being sick you couldn’t do more.”

When Eve felt she’d gotten everything she could, she brought in Elysse Wagman, keeping Drobski in place as both of them requested.

The woman absorbed the information Eve gave her, took it all in without a flinch. “I’m going to send my daughter to Colorado, to my mother. Tonight.”

“Lissy, you should go, too. You should-”

“Ms. Wagman.” Eve interrupted Drobski’s worry. “I understand your concern for your daughter’s safety. The officers will assist you in any way they can with the arrangements for her transportation to your mother. I can’t order you to stay, but I will ask you. If you have been targeted, any change in routine may tip him off. We can and will protect you.”