Ceremony in Death - J. D. Robb [86]
“You taught me to use both.”
“And to follow orders,” he added, his eyes resting on hers again. “I’d have been ashamed of you if you’d forgotten that. You did right, Dallas, for Frank, for the department. For me,” he said and watched her eyes swim again. “Don’t do that.” His voice shook with the plea. “Don’t start that shit. That’s an order.”
She swiped the back of her hand under her nose. “I’m not doing anything.”
He waited a moment, just to be sure she wasn’t going to lose it and embarrass them both. When her eyes cleared, he nodded in both relief and approval. “Good.” He jiggled the bag in his hand. “Now, are you going to let me in?”
She opened her mouth, shut it.
“I’ve seen Whitney,” he told her. Feeney found he wanted to smile. This was the cop he’d trained. Solid, sturdy, and straight. “Chewed him out in his own kitchen.”
“Did you?” She lifted her brows. “I’d like to have seen it.”
“Trouble was, once it was over, I had to agree with him. He’d picked the best cop for the job. I know you’ve been busting ass to push IAD out of the picture, clear Frank. Me,” he added. “And I know you’ve been working on finding out who did him and Alice.” He had to take a breath because it hurt, still hurt. “I want in, Dallas. I’m going to tell you straight, I need in to clear this out of my gut. Whitney said it was up to you.”
The tension seeped out of her. She could give him this, give both of them this. “Let’s get to work.”
Eve was so pleased to have Selina Cross in Interview, she’d missed anticipating the obvious bonus of having her represented by Louis Trivane. She flashed grins at both of them as she secured the door to Interview Room A.
“Ms. Cross, I appreciate your cooperation. Mr. Trivane.”
“Eve—”
“Lieutenant Dallas,” she corrected, snapping off the grin. “We’re not socializing here.”
“You know each other.” Selina’s eyes went icy, pinned her lawyer.
“Your representative knows my husband on a social level. I’m acquainted with a number of attorneys in the city, Ms. Cross. This doesn’t affect my or their job performance. We’ll go on record.”
Eve engaged the recorder, recited the pertinent data. After reading the revised Miranda, she sat. “You’ve exercised your right to an attorney, Ms. Cross.”
“I certainly have. I’ve already been harassed by you twice, Lieutenant Dallas. I prefer that this continued harassment go on record.”
“Me, too.” Eve smiled. “You were acquainted with Robert Mathias, also known as Lobar.”
“He was Lobar,” Selina corrected. “It was his chosen name.”
“Was is the operative word, seeing as he’s in a refrigerated unit at the morgue. And so is Thomas Wineburg. Are you acquainted with him?”
“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”
“Well, that’s interesting. He was a member of your cult.”
Selina set her chin, waved away Trivane as he leaned forward to speak to her. “I can’t be expected to recognize the name of every member of my church, Dallas. We are…” She spread her hands on the small table. “Legion.”
“Maybe this will refresh your memory.” Eve opened a file, took a still out, and slid it across the table. Death shots were always ugly.
Selina studied it with a small smile tugging at her mouth. A finger of the hand she wore webbed again today traced the spread of harsh red blood. “I can’t say for certain. We meet in the dark.” Her gaze lifted to Eve. “It’s our way.”
“I can say for certain. Both he and Lobar were yours, and both were murdered with a style of knife used in your rituals.”
“An athame, yes. We are not the only religion who uses such an instrument in ceremony. I feel, after this violence, this persecution of members of my church, the police should be concerned with protecting us rather than pointing fingers. Obviously, there is a person or persons determined to eliminate us.”
“I figured you had your own protection. Doesn’t your master look out for his own?”
“Your mockery only shows your ignorance.”
“Having sex with an eighteen-year-old delinquent shows yours. Did you have sex with Wineburg, too?”
“I said I can’t be sure I