J. Robb - Divided in Death

“I’ll be looking into security and plugging any potential holes, but at this point it’s a bit like bricking up the hole after the rat’s slipped in to nibble the cheese.”

“You can always lay out more cheese,” Feeney commented.

Roarke smiled a little. “We’re of a mind there.”

“What about the worm itself?” Peabody asked. “If this was an HSO hit, and the units were corrupted, that means the HSO has the worm, or a clone. Wouldn’t they be working on an extermination program and shield themselves instead of… Oh.”

“Global espionage isn’t so very different from the corporate sort.” Roarke picked up the pot and topped off his coffee. “If they’re working on spec, or have another organization working on the protection programs, it would pay them to know what we’re up to.”

“And to kill for it. Just another kind of organized crime.” Peabody flushed a little. “Sorry, Free-Ager roots showing. Realistically, I know governments need covert organization to gather intelligence, to help predict terrorist attacks, to help dismantle terrorists and politically fanatic groups. But it’s the fact that they don’t always have to play by the rules that can corrupt the individuals that make up the whole. And that sounded just like my father.”

“It’s okay, She-Body.” McNab gave her knee a squeeze. “I think Free-Agers are hot.”

“If the HSO ordered the hit on Kade and Bissel,” Eve continued, “they may not pay for it in the public courts. But, if they set up Reva Ewing and left her twisting in the wind, they’ll pay for that. She’s a citizen of New York, and that makes her ours. I’m going to speak with the commander, then I’m going to Reva Ewing and make full disclosure, unless ordered otherwise. I believe with her contacts I can work a meet with reps from the HSO. And we’ll play some ball.”

When she’d completed the briefing, she started to walk out with Peabody, then stopped as if just remembering something. “Oh, Feeney, I need just another minute with you. Peabody, go on down. Put in a request with the commander’s office for some time, priority one.”

“I don’t expect to be more than two or three hours at Securecomp,” Roarke told Feeney. “You know where everything is here. Set up however it suits you best. Summerset will be able to answer any questions you may have. I’ll be back to roll up my sleeves as soon as I can. Lieutenant.”

He knew she would wince when he leaned down to kiss her. Which was only one of the reasons he couldn’t resist doing so. He let her close the door behind him, and after giving it one speculative look, walked away.

Inside, Eve rubbed her hands over her face. “I’ve got to ask you for a personal.”

“Okay.”

“This is… a little tricky for me.”

“I’m seeing that. We need a sit-down?”

“No. I mean you can. I… can’t. Shit.” She paced away, stared hard out of the window. “I don’t know how much you know about when I was a kid, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

He knew a great deal, enough that having her bring it up tightened his belly. But his voice stayed even. “All right.”

“There was an HSO field operative in Dallas when… during a period when… Goddamn it.”

“They had eyes on your father?”

“Yes. Eyes and ears. They… it’s complicated, Feeney, and I don’t have it in me to go through it all. But the fact is there’s a file. Roarke’s read it and-”

“Hold up. They had eyes and ears, they knew there was a kid, and they didn’t intervene?”

“That’s not the point.”

“Fuck the point.”

“Feeney.” She turned back and was assaulted by the same rage shooting off him as it had with Roarke. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. If anything… You could, depending on the outcome, be considered an accessory before the fact. But maybe, by telling you, we can change the outcome. He’ll look for payback, and he can’t. It could ruin him. You know that. I’m asking you to help me stop him.”

“Stop him? What makes you think I won’t give him a hand with it?”

“Because you’re a cop,” she snapped. “Because you know you can’t take it down to the personal that way. You know what can happen when you do. I need you to keep him busy, too busy for him to spend any time moving on this other thing. I need you to find a way to try to talk him down from this. I think he’d listen to you.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” She dragged her hands through her hair. “I just do. Please God, Feeney, don’t make me go to Summerset with this. It’s hard enough asking you. I just need to buy some time so I can think it clear.”

“Keeping him busy’s not a problem seeing as there’s only three of us working on fourteen units. Talking to him…” Feeney’s hands retreated to his pockets as he shrugged. “I’ll see if I can find an opening for it. Can’t promise I will.”

“I appreciate it. I appreciate it, Feeney. Thanks.”

“Let me ask you something, Dallas. Just between you and me, here and now. We don’t have to bring it up again, but I want a straight answer from you. You don’t want payback?”

She looked down at the floor, then made herself lift her gaze and meet his eyes. “I want it so bad I can taste it. I want it so bad, so fucking bad, it scares me. I want it, Feeney, so bad that I know I have to put it away. I have to, or I’ll do something I’m not sure I can live with.”

He nodded, and that was enough for both of them. “Let’s go do the job, then.”

Commander Whitney was a big man who sat behind a big desk. Eve knew his day was filled with paperwork and politics, with diplomacy and directives. But it didn’t make him less of a cop.

He had skin the tone of glossy oak, and the eyes that beamed out of his wide face were dark and intelligent. There was more gray in his hair than there’d been the year before, and Eve imagined his wife nagged him to deal with it.

Personally, Eve liked it. It added one more aspect of authority.

He listened, and she found his silence during her report both heavy and comforting.

She remained standing when she was finished, and though she didn’t glance over at Peabody, she knew her partner was holding her breath.

“Your source on this information is reliable?”

“Sir, as this information came to me through unknown sources, I am unable to vouch for the reliability of same, but I’m convinced the data itself is reliable.”

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Carefully said. It may stand if and when you’re pushed on it. How do you intend to proceed?”

“I intend to disclose this information to Reva Ewing.”

“That should make her lawyers stand up and dance.”

“Sir, she didn’t kill Bissel and Kade. I can’t in good conscience withhold this information from someone who is, essentially, another victim.”

“No. I just hate seeing lawyers dance.”

There was the faintest snort from Peabody, hastily transformed into a cough.

“The PA’s not going to be happy,” Whitney added.

“He may be happy enough to dance himself if we tie the HSO into a double murder, and the deliberate framing of a civilian. That eventuality would make this case very hot,” Eve added when she saw the speculative look in Whitney’s eyes. “Hot enough to generate considerable media. Global media, with the prosecuting attorney in the forefront.”

“That’s interesting, and political thinking, Dallas. You surprise me.”

“I can push my mind in a political direction when pressed, and assume you’d be able to expand on that area when briefing the PA.”

“You can be sure of it.”

“Ewing may also prove useful in providing contacts to assist me in pursuing this HSO aspect of my investigation.”