J.D. Robb - Visions In Death

"Ears, line of neck. Revolve to back view, other profile.

Full face. Shape of the mouth, nose, angle of bone. Get it to three dimensions, add skin tone. Okay, this is the best probability, given current data. To take it the last step, you have to go with a combo of your own judgment and the comp's. Remove shades." Eve stared at the eyeless face, felt a shudder run through her.

"Apt," Roarke stated.

"Yeah." "His eyes could be damaged, but for ID purposes, we're going to try the highest probabilities for the shape. Color's not an option, though I'd lean toward dark with this skin tone and the eyebrows. Highest percentage. Going that direction, this is what I get." Eve studied the finished image. The hard, square face, soft mouth, thick eyebrows over small, dark eyes. The nose was large, slightly hooked, the ears prominent against the bald skull.

"There he is," she said quietly.

"If it's not damn near close as a photograph, you can spank me," Yancy said. "I'll toss this to your office unit. Got you plenty of hard copies. I'll pass some out myself. You want me to run the ID match?" "Shoot it to Feeney in EDD. Nobody's faster." Then she glanced at Roarke, saw him smile. "Hardly. That's a hell of a job, Yancy. One hell of a job." "Your wits were gold." He handed her a stack of hard copies. "Tell Peabody we're pulling for her." "Bet your ass." She punched him lightly on the shoulder, a sign of affection as much as appreciation, and hurried out.

"Going to run for a match myself. Feeney'll probably beat me to it, but we'll get this started. And once we shit, shit, shit." She yanked out her beeping communicator. Seeing McNab's code on the readout, she stopped short. Instinctively, she reached for Roarke's hand as she answered. "Dallas." "She's awake." "On my way."

Eve all but sprinted down the hospital corridor, and when an ICU attendant held up a hand, she only snarled. "Don't try it." She surged through the door and straight into Peabody's room. And stopped short.

Peabody was propped up in bed, a vague smile on her battered face. The short counter under the single window had been transformed into a garden, with flowers jammed together in such abundance their scent overpowered even the hospital scent.

McNab stood beside her, holding her hand as if he'd been glued there. Louise was on the other side. And perched on a chair was Mavis, doing some blooming of her own in florid purple and green.

"Hey, Dallas." Peabody's voice was slightly slurred and absolutely cheerful. "Hello, Roarke. Jeez, he's just so gorgeous, what're ya gonna do? You gotta think about it."

Louise chuckled. "And who could blame you? You'll have to excuse her," she said to Eve. "They gave her something for the pain." "Something really, "specially good." Peabody grinned.

"Totally iced drugs." "How's she doing?" "Very well." Louise gave Peabody a light pat. "She's got more treatments in store. Tests, scans, therapy all that fussy medical business. And she'll need to be monitored carefully for a while yet. But they've bumped her all the way down to stable. She'll move to a standard room within a few hours if she stays stable. I expect her condition will be deemed good by the end of the day." "You see my face? I mean, whoa shit! Messed me up good.

They had to what was it reconstruct my cheekbone. I don't know why they couldn'ta done both while they were in there, and given me some. Cheekbones, you know? And he dislocated my jaw, so I'm talking funny. But it doesn't hurt a bit. I love drugs. Can I have more?" "Can you cut them back a little?" Eve asked.

"Aw." Peabody poked out her bottom lip.

"I need to talk to her, get her statement. I need her a little more coherent for that." "I'll check, see what I can do. But you'll need to keep it short." "She's in a lot of pain without them," McNab said when Louise stepped out.

"She'd want to do this." "I know." He sighed, smiled as Peabody examined the fingers of her free hand. "She's really wonked." "How come we don't have six fingers, you think? Six would be frosty. Hey, Mavis!" "Hey, Peabody." Mavis moved across the room, slid an arm around Eve's waist. "She says, "Hey, Mavis," about every five minutes," she whispered. "It's cute. I'm going to go out, sit with Leonardo and Charles while you do this part. Anybody you want us to tag to update them?" "We spread the word, but thanks. Thanks, Mavis." Louise and Mavis passed, going in and out. "I'm going to cut her IV down a little and give you ten minutes tops. She doesn't need to deal with pain right now." "Can I kiss Roarke first? Come on. Please, please, please!" Though Eve rolled her eyes, Roarke laughed and walked to the bed. "How about I kiss you, gorgeous?" "Not so pretty right now," she said. Coyly.

"You're beautiful to me. Absolutely beautiful." "Awwww, see? What're ya gonna do?" He leaned down, laid his lips softly on hers.

"Mmmm." She patted him on the cheek when he lifted his head. "Better'n drugs even." "Remember me?" McNab asked.

"Ah, yeah, skinny guy. Crazy about the skinny guy. He's just so cute. Got the cutest little butt. Oughta see it naked." "Louise, cut them back. Have mercy," Eve demanded.

"Takes a minute." "Stayed with me all night. Sweet boy. Love the sweet boy.

Heard you talking to me sometimes. You can kiss me, too.

Everybody can kiss me because… oh-oh." "Give me some room," Eve demanded. "Peabody." "Sir." "You get a look at him?" "Yes, sir." She drew a breath, shakily. "Jesus, Dallas, he messed me up. Came at me like a hell-god. I kept feeling stuff breaking and tearing inside me. Hell of a thing." Her fingers moved restlessly on the sheet, then dug in as she struggled with the pain. Eve covered it with hers, stilled it.

"I got to my weapon, though. I hit him. I know I did. Arm, shoulder maybe, but I nailed one in him."

"You see his vehicle?" "I didn't. Sorry. I just-" "Forget it. He say anything to you?" "Called me a whore. Whore cop." "You make the voice if you hear it again?" "Bet your ass. Sir. I think I heard him… It sounds weird, but I think he called for his mother. Or called me Mother.

Maybe it was me, calling for mine because, I can tell you, I wanted her." "Okay." "I can give you a full description." "I'm going to show you a picture. Tell me if it's him." She held it up, adjusting the position so Peabody could study it without moving.

"That's him. He had a lot of sealant on his face, but that's him. You got him?" "Not yet. We will. Can't take you on the bust because you'll be having your drug party, but we'll take him, and you're part of it." "Will you tell me when you've got him?" "You'll be the first." She stepped back, nodded to Louise. "You want to get sprung from here, you can recoup at our place if you need to." "Appreciate it. I… whee!" She laughed as the drugs bumped up. "That's more like it." "We'll be back," Eve promised. McNab was on her heels as she went out.

"Dallas? We're crapping out on the Transit discs. Since you got your ID, you won't need me on that anyway.

Anything else you need me to do?" "Get some sleep." "Not until." She nodded. "Stick with her. I'll let you know if anything comes up. I'll be back in a minute."

She strode away, headed straight for the woman's bathroom.

Inside, she just sat on the floor, pressed her hands to her face, and cried.

Her chest hurt with it, heaved with it as the pressure finally broke free. Her throat was raw, her head thumping as the emotions she'd stifled took over, poured out in a hot, violent flood.

And sucked her dry.

She started to spring up when she heard the door open, then stayed where she was when she saw Mavis.

She just lifted her hands, let them fall. "Shit, Mavis." "I know." Mavis settled down beside her. "Scared everybody. I had my jag already. You can go ahead, finish yours." "I think I did." But because she could, she let her head lean on Mavis's shoulder a moment. "Maybe after she's better, Trina could give her the full works. Peabody'd like that. She can be a real girl." "Good thinking. We'll have a complete girl party." "I didn't mean… sure, whatever. You got any sunshades on you?" "Do monkeys screw in the jungle?" She reached into the purple fringe worked into her shirt and drew out a pair of purple shades with green lenses.