Ceremony in Death - J. D. Robb [55]
“Busy night, Dallas.”
“That’s right, and I’m still busy. There’ll be a press release by noon.”
“You can give me something now.” Nadine elbowed her way onto the glide. She wasn’t a big woman, but she was a sneaky one. You didn’t get to be one of the top on-air reporters in the city without some quick moves. “Just a nibble, Dallas. Something I can take to the public for my ten o’clock bumper.”
“Dead guy,” Eve said shortly, “identification withheld until next of kin are notified.”
“So you know who he was. Got any leads on who opened his throat?”
“My professional opinion would be someone with a sharp implement,” Eve said dryly.
“Um-hmm.” Nadine’s eyes narrowed. “There’s a rumor rolling around that there was a message left at the scene. And that it was a ritual killing.”
Goddamn leaks. “I can’t comment on that.”
“Wait a minute.” At the top of the glide, Nadine took Eve’s arm. “You want me to hold something, you know I’ll hold it. Give me something, and let me work.”
Trusting the media was a dicey business, but she’d trusted Nadine before. To their mutual benefit. As a research tool, Eve knew Nadine was a finely honed instrument. “If it was a ritual killing, which is not substantiated and not for broadcast, my next step would be to gather all pertinent data on established cults and their members—registered and otherwise—in the city.”
“There are all kinds of cults, Dallas.”
“Then you’d better get busy.” She shook her arm free before dropping one more crumb. “Funny, cult must be the root word for occult. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence.”
“Maybe it is.” Nadine swung to the downward glide. “I’ll let you know.”
“That was tidy,” Peabody decided.
“Let’s hope it stays that way. I’m for Whitney. I want you to find out the names of every uniform that was on scene this morning. I want to have a talk about internal security with every one of them.”
“Ouch.”
“Damn right,” Eve muttered and stalked to the elevator.
Whitney didn’t make her wait. She noted as she took her seat in his office that he didn’t appear to have slept any more than she the night before.
“Internal Affairs is beefing on the Wojinski matter. They’re pushing for an official investigation.”
“You can’t hold them off.”
“Not past end of shift today.”
“My report should help.” She took a disc out of her bag. “There is absolutely no evidence that DS Wojinsky was using illegals. There’s every indication that he was running his own sting on Selina Cross. His reasons were personal, Commander, but even IAD should understand them. I have Alice’s statement, recorded, and fully transcribed in the report. In my opinion, she had been drugged, and her…naamp2;¨veté exploited. She was used sexually. She became involved with the cult established by Selina Cross and Alban. And when she broke with them, she was threatened, and she was frightened. Eventually, she went to Frank.”
“Why did she break loose?”
“She claims she witnessed the ritual slaying of a child.”
“What?” His knuckles went white as he surged up from his desk. “She witnessed a murder, reported this to Frank, and he didn’t file?”
“She waited some time before telling him, Commander. There was no evidence to support her allegations. I can’t substantiate them now. But I can say that Alice believed she saw the killing. And she was terrified for her life. She also felt she was responsible for the death of her grandfather. She believed, strongly, that he had been murdered because of his private investigation of Selina Cross. Her claim was that Selina Cross has expert knowledge of chemicals and essentially poisoned Frank.”
“We don’t have enough to prove foul play.”
“Not yet. Alice was certain she would be next, and she died the same night she gave her statement to me. She also claimed Cross was a shape-shifter.”
“Excuse me?”
“She believed that Cross could take other forms. A raven, for one.”
“She thought Cross could become a crow and fly? Jesus, Dallas, the boys in IAD are going to love that one.”
“It doesn’t have to be real for her to have believed it. She was a terrified young girl, tormented