Born In Death

20

ON THE THIRD LEVEL A DROID IN A PALE GREEN lab coat was sprawled on the floor against an overturned chair.

“We had to take it down.” Peabody pulled her master out of a lock slot in a door designed to blend into the wall.

Trueheart crouched in front of a small comp unit. “The droid must have deactivated this when it heard us come in.” Trueheart shook his head. “I can’t reactivate.”

“I’ll have a go at the lock.” Roarke took some tools out of his coat pocket.

“Looks like a medical.” Eve gave the droid a light boot with her foot. “Portable birthing equipment, fetal monitor.” She lifted her chin toward a roll cart. “Warming tray. Got your towels, your scale, and so on. I saw this stuff at the birthing class. She’s in there.”

“Must have cams on her,” Peabody said. “Droid could sit out here, monitor her on-screen. Suspects?”

“Down. McNab and Baxter have them. Call this in, Peabody. I want the suspects taken in. Put an ambulance and OB team on alert. Roarke?”

“It’s coming. Complicated little bastard.”

“Peabody, have uniforms pick up a copy of the warrant on Cavendish. I want him brought in now. And contact Reo and Lieutenant Smith, give them the situation. I want a warrant on Bruberry, too. Let’s have a big party down at Central.”

“I’ll pick up the hats and streamers.”

“Nearly there,” Roarke mumbled. “Aye, you shagging bitch, I’ve got you now.”

A dot of green light flashed along the narrow strip of chrome.

“Might have another guard inside,” Eve said, “So – ”

“You go low,” Roarke finished.

With a nod, she shoved the door open. “Lights on,” she called out, swept the room with her weapon, with her eyes. “Tandy Willowby, it’s the police. It’s Dallas.”

Quiet classical music played, and the air smelled subtly floral. The walls were cheerfully warm yellow with paintings of meadows and calm blue seas. Cozy chairs, padded tables, snow falling gently outside the screened windows created a scene of comfort and ease.

In the bed, a pale, hollow-eyed Tandy sat up, gripping something white and sharp in her fist.

“Dallas?” Her voice was thin, rusty, and her body began to shake. “Dallas? They’re going to take my baby. They’re going to take him. I can’t get out.”

“It’s all right now. You’re all right now. We’re going to take you out.”

“They locked me in. I can’t keep the baby. I don’t have the right.”

“Bullshit. Peabody.”

“You don’t have to worry about them anymore. Here.” Peabody moved slowly toward the bed. “Why don’t you give me that now? We’ll get you a coat. We’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No, no, no!” Eyes wild, Tandy cringed back. “No hospital. They’ll take the baby.”

“They won’t.” Eve holstered her weapon and walked briskly to the bed. She held out her hand. “Because I won’t let them.”

Tandy dropped the thin, sharp plastic, then simply collapsed against Eve. “Please, please, please, get us out of here.”

“Here now.” Roarke took off his coat. “It’s cold outside. Put your arms in, there’s a girl.”

“Stay with me.” Tears streaming, Tandy gripped Eve’s hand. “Please, stay with me. Don’t let them take my baby. Who’s that? Who’s that?” She wrapped herself around Eve when she spotted Trueheart.

“He’s one of mine. He’s one of the good guys. Trueheart, go on down, assist Baxter and McNab. I want those people gone.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You okay to walk, Tandy?”

“Out of here. I can walk out of here. The baby’s okay, he’s been kicking. I don’t want to go to the hospital, please. I don’t want to be alone. They might come back. They might – ”

“You’d like to see Mavis, wouldn’t you?” Roarke kept his voice light and gentle as he helped her out of bed. “She’s at our place, and she’s been worried about you. Why don’t we go see Mavis now?”

Roarke gave Eve a long look as he helped Tandy out of the room.

“A little shocky,” Peabody commented. “Mostly just scared. How do you want to handle? I can go with her to your place while you take the suspects.”

Oh, how she wished. But she couldn’t very well dump two pregnant women on Roarke. “I’ll go with Tandy, get a statement out of her when she’s settled. Make sure the suspects are booked and caged for the night. They’re going to wait until morning for Interview. Let’s see how they like being locked up. Then go home, get some sleep.”

“I’m so all about that. Look at this room. All the comforts. Bastards.”

Eve called in Crime Scene, left Baxter, Trueheart, and McNab to work with them to process the room where Tandy had been imprisoned, to search the house. She hated leaving the scene, leaving the work, but climbed into the back of the vehicle. She had a victim who needed care.

“I was so scared.” Bundled in Roarke’s coat, covered with a blanket, Tandy sat in the front passenger seat. “I think they were going to kill me. Take the baby, then kill me. They left me in there. He came in once a day, every day. And he looked at me like I was already dead. I couldn’t do anything.”

“Where’d you get the sticker?” Eve asked her.

“The what?”

“The plastic shiv you were holding.”

“Oh. They brought me food. The droid did. Have to keep the baby healthy, that’s what she said. Horrible thing, always cheerful. Even when she restrained me for exams. I palmed a couple of the plastic spoons – that’s all they brought in for me to eat with. Plastic spoons. And when they turned off the lights at night, I sawed and rubbed them together under the covers. Hours, it seemed like. I was going to hurt one of them. Somehow.”

“Wish you’d had the chance. Do you want to tell me what happened, or do you want to wait on that until later?”

“It was Thursday. I left work to walk to the bus stop. And she – her name is Madeline Bullock – she walked up to me. I was so ashamed. Before, in London when I found out I was pregnant, and things didn’t seem as if they were going to work out, I went to this agency. I was going to put the baby up for adoption. It seemed like the best thing to do. I – ”

“We know about that. They’re running an operation, under the cover of the foundation. Selling babies.”

“Oh, God. God. I’m such an idiot.”

“You’re not,” Roarke told her. “You trusted them.”

“I did. I did. There were counselors, and they were so kind, so understanding. Ms. Bullock came in to meet me herself, and so did he. Her son. They said how I was giving a gift, to a worthy couple, and to my baby. I signed a contract, and they gave me money. For expenses, they said. Proper food, clothing. I had to agree to use their medical people, their facilities, but it was all so nice. I was to have regular care and monitoring, counseling, and the foundation would help me with lodging, and with education should I want to go back to school, or with career counseling. All of it.”

“A very sweet pot.”

“Yes, very sweet. But I changed my mind.” She wrapped her arms around her belly as she hunched in the seat. “I’d always wanted to make a family, to be a mother, and now I was denying myself. I’m smart enough, and strong and healthy. I’m not a child. I could make a good life for the baby. I took the money back. I’d hardly spent any, and I made up the difference with my savings.”

She swiped at the tears on her face. “They were very harsh. I’d signed a contract, it was legally binding. They’d take me to court, and the law would force me to fulfill my obligations. What kind of a mother would I be, a liar and a cheat. It was horrible. I left the money. I was so upset, and questioning myself. Were they right? Would I be a terrible mum? Would the courts take my baby? How could I prove I’d given the money back? Stupid, so stupid.”

“So you came to New York,” Eve prompted.

“I thought, I’m not going to have this. I can’t risk it. I… I nearly went to see the baby’s father a dozen times, but I’d made this choice, so I was going to follow it through. I packed up, quit my job, sold some of my things. I had a friend who was driving to Paris for the weekend, and hitched a ride with her. I even lied, told her I was going to look for work there. I don’t know why, exactly, but I was afraid they’d set the cops on me, or something.”

Letting her head fall back, Tandy closed her eyes as she traced light circles over her belly. “I was so angry, just so angry at everyone. I took a bus from Paris to Venice, and a shuttle from there to New York. I was lonely at first, I nearly went back. But then I found my job, and it was brilliant. And I signed up with a midwife, and I met Mavis. Everything seemed to be so right. I missed… I missed people from home, but I had to think about the baby.”

“Then you left work on Thursday.”

“I had Friday off, and Saturday was Mavis’s shower. I was feeling so good about everything. And there she was. So surprised to see me, so kind and asking how I was doing. I was so ashamed at the way I’d run off, but she just waved all that aside. She said she had a car, and would see me home. And when this lovely limo swooped up to the curb, like magic, I went right along.”

Circling, Eve thought. Not parked, leaving no record.

“She sat in the back with me while the driver started on. She gave me a bottle of water, and we chatted about London. And then… I felt so strange, and I can’t remember. Until I awoke in that room.”

“You’re out of it now,” Eve said when Tandy trembled again. “You’re out, and they’re the ones locked up.”

“I’m out. Yes, we’re out, and we’re safe. They were there, both of them,” she continued in a steadier voice. “And that horrible droid, sitting there, staring at me when I woke up. And they told me how things would be. The baby wasn’t mine, I’d signed it away. I was only the means to its birth.”

She shifted now, to look behind her and meet Eve’s eyes. “They said this to me, all so calm, even when I was screaming and trying to get away, and the droid forced me back on the bed. They said I’d be treated well, have proper nourishment, rest, stimulation, and they expected me to deliver a healthy baby boy within the week.

“I said they were mad, they couldn’t force me to give up my child. He said – the son – he said they had wealth, power, position. I had nothing but a fertile womb. They left that music playing day and night. Good for the baby. Everything in the room was bolted down. I couldn’t even throw anything. I beat against the windows, but no one could see. I screamed until I hadn’t a voice left, but no one could hear me.

“What day is it?”

“It’s early Monday morning,” Eve told her.

“Only Monday,” Tandy said and turned to rest her head again. “It felt longer. So much longer. You saved my baby. You saved me. If I live two hundred years more, I’ll never forget it.”

The lights were on, gleaming against the windows, flooding the grounds where the snow lay like white mink. Tree branches were heavy with it as it continued to fall in a hushed whisper.

“Oh. It’s like a palace.” Tandy’s voice shook. “Like a winter palace. I feel as though I’m the princess who’s been rescued. You’re my knights in shining armor,” she said, rubbing fresh tears from her cheeks.

Even as they pulled up in front, the door to the house burst open, and Mavis, dwarfed in one of Eve’s robes, ran out. Summerset and Leonardo rushed behind her.

“Mavis, you promised you’d wait.” Summerset reached for her arm.

“I know, I’m sorry. I can’t. Tandy!” She wrenched open the door. “Tandy! Are you all right? The baby?”

“They saved us.”

On cue, Eve thought, both women burst into tears and fell into each other’s arms.

“Let’s get you inside now, out of the cold, sweetheart.” Leonardo wrapped his big arms around both of them. “Come inside now, Tandy.”

“Take them straight up to the room I prepared,” Summerset ordered. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

As they walked toward the house, sheltered by Leonardo, Mavis looked back at Eve. “I knew you’d find her. I knew you would.”

“They’re yours now.” Eve pointed at Summerset. “I’ve got work.”

“Lieutenant.”

She turned, scowled at him. “What?”

“Well done.”

“Huh. Thanks.” She raised her eyebrows at Roarke as they went inside. “I’ve got to tag Peabody, make sure the prisoners are secured, check in with Baxter on-scene, and round it out with Reo and Smith.”

“Yes, of course. After you’ve had some sleep.”

“Loose ends dangling.”

“That can be tied up later. Whatever you got from the booster and your own adrenaline is washed, Lieutenant. You’re pale as the moon, and your words are starting to slur.”

“Coffee.”

“Not a chance in hell.”

He must have been right because when she managed to focus, she was standing – barely – in the bedroom. “One hour horizontal,” she said as she took off her weapon harness.

“Four – which gives you enough time to put some fuel in your system in the morning and get downtown to grill your suspects.”

“Not just grill.” She sat to yank off her boots. “I’m gonna fry ’em. Aren’t you gonna carry me to bed?”

“You’re still dressed.”

“’S’ okay. I can sleep in my clothes.” She smiled sleepily, held up her arms to him.

He got her up, staggered a little as he carted her to the bed, then dumped both of them onto the duvet. “Best I can do.”

“Good enough.” She curled into him, he wrapped around her, and they both tumbled into sleep.

He’d been right about the four and the fuel, Eve decided. She was going to have a long and tricky day, and needed to charge up for it.

As expected, Bullock and the rest had called in a fleet of lawyers. Eve was letting them all stew while she and her team gave complete reports to Whitney and Reo.

“The Feds and Global are going to want to take over the fraud, the baby-for-profit op, and whatever else the foundation had its fingers into,” Reo told her.

“They can have it.”

“And a field day with it. The London law firm is also going to be on the hot seat. You’ve got yourself an international incident, Dallas.”

“I’ve got three DB’s. Those are mine. As for the abduction and held-against-will of Tandy Willowby, that’s a share with Lieutenant Smith in MPU.”

“How’s she doing? Willowby?”

“Good, I’m told. She was sleeping when I left the house.” She turned to Whitney. “I want to start with Cavendish on this, sir. He’s the weak sister.”

“Your call.”

Reo got to her feet. “Got them cold on the kidnapping, and the evidence is there for Global. The three homicides, that’s the sticker.”

“I’ll get them.”

Reo nodded. “Mind if I watch?”

Cavendish was in Interrogation, looking pale and sweaty and flanked by two sharp-looking suits. The one on the left got immediately to his feet. “My client was held overnight without bond, and kept waiting in this room nearly an hour. We intend to file complaints, and when you’ve finished this ridiculous charade, demand an internal investigation on you.”

“Charade?” Eve said to Peabody.

“It’s like that game where you can’t talk, but you have to use your hands and body language to get the other person to guess the word or phrase.”

“No kidding? That’s good, because while Mr. Cavendish is entitled to his representation, and may speak with same, I’m not obliged to speak to lawyers. Record on. Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, and Peabody, Detective Delia, in formal interview with Cavendish, Walter, and his two representatives. I’ll just read off the charges.”

When she had, she sat, kicked out her legs. “You’ve already been read the Revised Miranda, Mr. Cavendish – ”

“My client is a citizen of Great Britain – ”

“God save the King. Do you understand your rights and obligations in this matter?”

“I understand. I have nothing to say.”

“Okay, I’ll do the talking. We’ll start with accessory to murder, three counts. That’s good for three consecutive life sentences in the good old U.S. of A. Now, the Brits may want you, and we may agree to deport you into their custody, which would make me sad. Still, they’d lock you up for the rest of your natural life there, too – and save the taxpayers money.”

“You have nothing to link my client to any murder, or any crime.”

“I have enough not only to link you,” Eve said, speaking directly to Cavendish, “but to chain you head to foot and throw you overboard. Randall Sloan kept private records, Cavendish. Chase didn’t get them. I did. Your name’s on them.”

She smiled when a line of sweat beaded over his top lip. Yeah, the weak sister.

“You were aware of the operating practices of the Bullock Foundation, which included the sale of infant human beings for profit and fraudulent tax reporting to boost the profit on that operation. You were also aware that Chase intended to murder Natalie Copperfield and Bick Byson, who had discovered at least part of those practices. You knew he was going to do this to them.”

Eve shoved two crime scene photos across the table.

“My client has no knowledge of any of the circumstances of these crimes.”

“You may be bottom of the food chain, Walt, but you knew. Bullock and Chase came to your office to discuss it in private, didn’t they? You had a nice little lunch while you discussed how he’d kill two people.”

“This is absurd.” One of the lawyers got to his feet. “You have nothing but speculation. Groundless speculation. This interview – ”

“I’ve got more, Walter. I’ve got your girlfriend in the next room.”

Eve grinned when his eyes darted toward the door. “Yeah, that’s right, and I’d make book she’ll push this whole thing into your lap. She worked for you, did what she was told, didn’t know. She can play that, and you’ll go down for it. Your kind always does. You’ve got SAP tattooed on your forehead. I don’t like her, so I’m talking to you first. I’m offering you the deal I’m going to offer her if you don’t make me happy.”

“No deal,” the suit snapped.

“I bet you work for Stuben, Robbins, Cavendish, and Mull.” Eve spoke to the lawyer for the first time. “They’re in a big pile of crap, too. Lot of smart lawyers there, right, Walter – smart lawyers who represent Bullock and Chase. I imagine they’ve got you all picked out as fall guy. Sent you over here, gave you busy work, show you no real respect. Now the heat’s on, and who do you think’s going to burn?”

“I was home in bed with my wife when these murders occurred.” Cavendish tugged on his tie. “I have nothing to do with this.”

“You don’t want to lie to me. You really don’t want to piss me off when I’m the only one here looking out for you. Chase killed Randall Sloan, set him up, took him out. I wonder what he’d do to you. Maybe I should put the two of you in a box together and find out.”

“Threats won’t be tolerated,” one of the lawyers snapped.

“Not a threat, just speculation. Here’s how it happened, how it’s documented in Randall Sloan’s private records. Copperfield came across something that didn’t quite add up for her, and she – being a good girl – went to Randall Sloan for advice. She knew him, the father of her friend, the son of the head of the firm – she trusted him. Maybe he tried to put out the fire himself, but she’s asking the wrong questions. He contacts Bullock, she contacts you. You’re in it now. She sets her son on Copperfield when bribery doesn’t work. You knew just what they did – that makes you an accessory.”

“More speculation,” the lawyer said. “You have nothing concrete against my client, or Ms. Bullock and her son.”

“Who do you believe, Walter? The suit from Stuben, or the cop who’s got you by the short hairs? It’s over for you, and you know it. Your life, your career, the plush office, the expense account. But you can choose how you want to spend what you’ve got left. Three counts, accessory to murder or – if you cooperate now – three counts obstruction of justice. You’ll do time in a cage, but you’ll be eligible for parole. You’ll end your life on the outside, instead of in. One-time offer, and you’ve got thirty seconds.”

Eve leaned in close until he had little choice but to meet her eyes. “You know she’ll take it when I go next door. She’ll throw you to the wolves without a second’s thought. Tick-tock, Walter. Twenty seconds left.”

“I want it in writing.”

“Cavendish – ”

“Shut up!” he rounded on the lawyer. “It’s not your life on the line, is it? I’m not taking the fall for this. In writing,” he repeated. “And I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“That was easy,” Peabody commented after they’d stepped out.

“Didn’t even get me warmed up.” Eve rolled her shoulders. “Spineless bastard. He’ll do a solid dime on the obstruction.”

“And there’s the fraud. You didn’t mention that to him in the offer.”

Eve grinned. “Oops. Well, it’s not in my authority to offer a deal on international tax fraud or any international crime. Gee, I guess he’s going to do considerably more time than the dime.”

“Who do you want next?”

“We’ll take Bruberry. She’s going to be very, very unhappy her boss flipped on her.”

“You think she’ll crack?”

“Two hours tops.”

“Put money on it?”

Eve considered. “Fifty.”

“Done.”

In one hour and fifty-three minutes, Peabody walked out of Interview. “I’m kind of torn. I’m out fifty, but it was fairly frosty to watch her go down. Didn’t just crack, she exploded.”

“And knew more of where the secrets are locked than her boss.” Eve rubbed her hands together. “Double or nothing on Chase?”

“I figured we’d hit Bullock next.”

“Nope, I’m saving her for last.”

“No bet,” Peabody decided. “You’re hitting your stride.”

As they turned, they saw Baxter hotfooting it down the hall. “Sweeper report, wanted to hand-deliver it.” He slapped a file, with disc, into Eve’s hand. “On Sloan’s vehicle. They found a single hair, headrest, driver’s seat. It’s Chase’s. EDD report,” he added, handing her another. “My new best friend, McNab, found transmissions to and from a Doctor Letitia Brownburn, London. Authorities there have already picked her up, and acted on a warrant to close down Sunday’s Child, until further investigation into its practices. There are also transmissions to Cavendish’s office – Madeline to Bruberry, and from Madeline to the London office where she conversed for some length with Stuben. They spoke cryptically, of an imminent delivery.”

“Cavendish and Bruberry both sang like fat ladies,” Eve told him. “We’re taking Chase next.”

“I’ll be in Observation with Reo.”

“Baxter, why don’t you take this round. I’ll observe.” Peabody glanced at Eve. “That work for you?”

“Fine.”

“I appreciate it. How do you want to handle it?”

“Hard and mean. No deals, no good cop. He’s got a temper. Let’s piss him off.”

“Like your style.”

They went in together. Eve slapped the files on the table where Chase sat with three lawyers.

“Record on.” She read off the data. “There’s one suit in here too many.” She shot up a hand before any one of them could speak. “Anything over two reps is at my discretion. One of you get out.”

“As Mr. Chase is a British citizen and the absurd charges levied against him so serious, we require special representation for international law, for criminal law, and for tax law.”

“I don’t much care what you require. One of you get out. Now, or this interview is over, and your client goes back to sit in his cell until you’re down to two.”

“We expect some courtesy.”

“You’re not going to get it. Detective.” She turned for the door.

“I can handle international and criminal.” The lone woman, a brunette of about fifty, spoke in clear, unaccented tones. “I think it’s in our client’s interest to have this straightened out as soon as possible.”

One of the men rose, strode stiffly out of the room.

“Mr. Chase, you’ve been read the Revised Miranda, is this correct?”

When he sat stonily silent, the woman spoke again. “Mr. Chase acknowledges the reading of his rights.”

“I hear that from him, on record, or again, this interview is over.”

“I was read my rights,” Chase snapped. “And manhandled. I intend to file charges of police brutality.”

“You look okay to me. Are you requesting a physical examination to document any injuries you may have incurred during your arrest?”

“You attacked me.”

“Beg to differ, and the assault against me was recorded. Now, do you understand your rights and obligations, Mr. Chase? He answers,” Eve said again. “On record.”

“I understand them, such as they are in this uncivilized city of yours.”

“Good. In this uncivilized city we like to put people in cages for their entire natural life for various offenses. Now, where should we start?”

“Lieutenant.” The brunette took a sheet of paper from her briefcase. “If we could clear up the matter of one Tandy Willowby residing temporarily in Ms. Bullock and Mr. Chase’s New York home?”

“Residing? Is that what you Brits call it when a woman’s locked in a room and held against her will?” She shook her head at Baxter. “And they say we speak the same language.”

“Didn’t look like she was residing to me. Bet you like women locked up and helpless, Chase. Pregnant, too, so they can’t fight you off. Fucking pervert.”

“We will make note of any obscenities,” the brunette said primly.

“Wanker.” Eve grinned darkly at Chase. “I bet you watched Tandy on that security screen while you slapped the monkey.”

“You disgusting bitch.”

“Mr. Chase.” The brunette laid a hand over his. “Lieutenant, please. I believe we can clear this up quickly, and move on. I have here a statement Ms. Bullock dictated to her representative, and which Mr. Chase has corroborated and signed. I’d like to read it into evidence.”

“Help yourself.”

“On Thursday, shortly after six P.M., Ms. Bullock noticed Ms. Willowby on Madison Avenue, where Ms. Bullock had been shopping. In May of last year, Ms. Willowby had enlisted the help of the Bullock Foundation to assist her in placing her child for adoption. However, Ms. Willowby failed to keep subsequent appointments with the counselor, the obstetrician, and the placement agency. Relieved to see her well, Ms. Bullock approached her. At that time, Ms. Willowby became quite distraught and begged Ms. Bullock for help. Concerned, Ms. Bullock helped Ms. Willowby to her car, intending to have her driven home. But Ms. Willowby only became more hysterical, to the point of threatening suicide. She was nearly at term and had realized, she stated, that she could not raise the child, having neither the emotional nor the financial wherewithal. Out of concern, and with a desire to assist, Ms. Bullock took the young woman to her home – with Ms. Willowby’s full consent. She lodged Ms. Willowby there, arranged for medical assistance, and began to make arrangements for counseling and for adoption proceedings should Ms. Willowby remain in the same state of mind.”

“You can just stop there, because we didn’t bring shovels, and that’s the biggest load of bullshit we may have ever had dumped in this room. We’ve got you on Tandy, Chase. Not only her statement, but the statements of five cops and one civilian, who will all testify she was locked in a room against her will.”

“Ms. Willowby’s state of mind,” the lawyer began, and Eve shoved up from her chair, got in her face.

“I wonder what your state of mind would’ve been if you’d been locked in a room, examined by a medical droid without your consent. You can cram your statement and the rest of this bullshit. You can cram it, sister, because when Stuben and company goes down, your ass is very likely going to be hanging naked in the wind.”

“If this interview can’t be conducted with some measure of decorum – ”

“Screw decorum and you with it. You don’t like it, there’s the door.” She shifted to Chase. “EDD is even now mining the medical droid’s memory banks. I don’t have to waste my time on that, because you’re going down for it, Win, you and Mommy. Oh, by the way, did you tell your representatives you were sleeping with Mommy when we took you down?”

“Shut up.”

“Lieutenant, please.” The female lawyer held up a hand, but Eve had seen the blink of shock. “Impugning Ms. Bullock’s and Mr. Chase’s reputations is unacceptable.”

“Here, again in the uncivilized U.S., so is incest. Twenty-five to life for the abduction and held-against-will of Tandy Willowby. And if we find you raped her while she was held – ”

“I never touched that filthy slut!”

“Oh?” Eve flipped through one of the files. “Right, right, you don’t play that game, because it’s all about Mommy.”

“Maybe he likes – what do you call them – Nancy boys,” Baxter suggested. “Yeah, I bet this one likes to stick it to little boys when he’s not doing it with Mom.”

“You revolt me. We’ll bury both of you before this is done.”

“No, he wouldn’t play with boys,” Eve said. “Mommy wouldn’t like it. Didn’t rape Tandy either, did you, Win? Never got it up for anyone but your mother. Can’t get the wood on for anyone but her, can you?”

At Eve’s words, Chase shoved out of the chair, lunged toward her. It took both the lawyers and Baxter to hold him back.

“Lieutenant, this is simply unacceptable. I won’t have my client spoken to in this way.”

“Write a complaint.” She rose, circled around, leaned over the back of Chase’s shoulder. He was breathing hard, and she could feel the heat pumping off of him. “You didn’t rape Natalie either. Another filthy slut? Not like your mother, who’s important and understands you, your needs. You and your mother have so many secrets. Isn’t that what she told you when she touched you when you were a boy? A secret, just between the two of you. As long as you’re a good boy, do what your mother says, everything’s fine.

“Then that bitch Copperfield started poking around where she had no business, and she was going to try to take you down. She had the nerve to question your business. Did your mother tell you to do it, Win? I think so. You do what your mother tells you, or there’s no sack time with her. Did she tell you to use Randall Sloan’s car? Found your hair in it.”

“My client and Mr. Randall Sloan were acquainted. He might have ridden in that car at any time.”

“Driven it,” Eve corrected. “Hair was on the driver’s seat. Your hair. Your DNA, just like your DNA was on Bick Byson’s knuckles. Popped you before you could use your stunner – you coward. Don’t know how to fight like a man, but then you’re not a man. Just a boy who sleeps with his mother. Still, it was easy to slap around some woman half your size, bind her up. Break her fingers, beat her face, burn her skin. You enjoyed it, just like you enjoyed watching her eyes when you strangled her. I bet it’s the only way you get it up when you’re not with your mother.”

“This interview is terminated,” the brunette began.

“I’d enjoy watching yours,” Chase said softly.

“You going to let the girl lawyer say what you do? Just like Mommy. Do this, Win, do that. Good dog.”

“Nobody tells me what to do. Shut up!” he shouted at his lawyer. “Stupid git. I’ve had enough of this. Enough of being questioned by this person, of being placated by you. I’ve done no more than what needed to be done. It was Randall Sloan who hired some thug to kill those people. He confessed before he hanged himself.”

“How do you know? Were you there?”

“You told us yourself.”

“No, I didn’t. I said Randall Sloan was found hanging, period. He didn’t self-terminate. You killed him, and staged it. Because you’re a spineless coward. You killed Sophia Belego, Rome, and Emily Jones, Middlesex, England. Pregnant women must be an offense to your eye.”

“’Cause he can’t get it up except with Mommy Dearest,” Baxter said.

“It has nothing to do with sex! They signed a contract!” He slammed his fist on the table. “They signed a legal document, and we gave our word to properly screened parents. They had no right!”

“Yeah, carting a fetus around for nine months doesn’t give you any rights to it. You snatched Sophia Belego, didn’t you? Took that kid, got rid of the incubator. Didn’t work so well with Emily Jones. Lost the product on that one. How many others, Chase?”

“We provide a service!” he shouted over his lawyers’ warnings. “We give our time, our expertise, our name to help these women in trouble, through their own doing, their own weaknesses, and give a gift to worthy couples.”

“For a nice, fat fee.”

“They’re paid, aren’t they? Given a chance to better themselves while the child is properly raised. How dare you question me?”

He literally shook off the lawyer to his left, and backhanded the one on his right. “I don’t need to justify my actions.” He surged to his feet.

The brunette wiped at her bloody lip and tried to stand. “This interview is – ”

“Shut up! Didn’t I tell you to shut the hell up?”

“Natalie Copperfield,” Eve said flatly. “Bick Byson, Randall Sloan.”

“Sneaking around, sticking their noses into our business. Sloan’s fault for being sloppy. Lazy, incompetent.”

“So you had to kill them. All of them. It was a matter of pride,” Eve continued calmly. “Of business.”

“The Bullock Foundation needed to be protected. It’s bigger than any of those pathetic people. My mother is the heart of the foundation and has taken it beyond what it was. It was blackmail against us, all of them. What I did was self-defense, to preserve an important charitable institution.”

With a handkerchief still pressed to her bleeding lip, the brunette lifted a hand. “We need to consult with our client.”

“You’re fired.” Chase bared his teeth as he swung around violently enough to have both lawyers scrambling back. “Do you think I need you? Idiots. Panderers. Get out. I’ve had enough of both of you. Out of my sight.”

“Mr. Chase – ”

“Now! I can and will speak for myself,” he said as the lawyers emptied out of the room.

Now, Eve thought, we’ll do this thing. She kept her face blank, her voice even. “Mr. Chase, for the record, you have dismissed your representatives?”

He curled his lip at Eve. “I speak for myself.”

“You’re waiving your right to counsel at this time?”

“How many times do I have to say it, you ignorant twit.”

“That’s probably enough. Let the record show Mr. Chase has dismissed his representatives and has agreed to continue this interview without the benefit of legal counsel.”

She paused, put a concerned, respectful look on her face. “Blackmail, you said? That puts a different face on it. Why don’t you tell us how this started? You were informed by Randall Sloan that Natalie Copperfield was asking questions,” Eve began.

And he gave them every last detail.