The in Death Collection Books 11-15 - J. D. Robb [496]
“With a warrant stuffed up its electronic butt it might not be so polite.”
LOITERING ON THE PREMISES BY NONRESIDENTS OR APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED GUESTS IS DISCOURAGED. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO REQUEST ANOTHER RESIDENT OR LEAVE A MESSAGE, I MUST ASK YOU TO VACATE THIS LOBBY. IN FORTY-FIVE SECONDS, BUILDING SECURITY WILL BE INFORMED OF YOUR FAILURE TO COOPERATE. MY APOLOGIES FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE.
“Would now be a good time?” Roarke asked. “Lieutenant, you know how it excites me when you snarl at me.”
“Just get us past this thing, and stop looking so smug.”
Roarke simply laid his hand on the palm plate, then coded in.
GOOD EVENING, ROARKE. WELCOME. HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU THIS EVENING?
“We’ll be going up to the twenty-second floor. Release the elevators.”
YES, SIR. ELEVATORS ARE RELEASED. PLEASE ENJOY YOUR VISIT AND THE REST OF YOUR EVENING.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I CAN BE OF ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE.
“Don’t you get tired of everything and everyone sucking up to you?” Eve demanded.
“Why, no. Why should I?” He gestured her into the elevator as the mirrored doors opened soundlessly. “Twenty-second floor,” he ordered. “Young could very well be out, you know.”
“I’ll see for myself. There’s a reasonable chance he’s Julianna’s supplier or knows who is. I don’t walk away until I talk to him.”
She stepped off on twenty-two, turned down the hall to the second door on the right. She rang the bell, kept her badge up so it could be seen through the apartment’s security screen.
DOCTOR YOUNG IS NOT IN RESIDENCE AND HAS AUTHORIZED NO GUESTS TO ENTER HIS HOME IN HIS ABSENCE. MAY I TAKE A MESSAGE?
The second computerized response had Eve agitated. Without comment, she turned around and buzzed the apartment across the hall.
It was opened by a woman wearing a red lounging robe, holding a cocktail glass filled with some pale blue liquid. An entertainment screen roared out of the room behind her. “Police? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, ma’am. I’m sorry to disturb you. Do you know where I can find Eli Young this evening?”
“Doctor Young?” She blinked, then looked over her shoulder. “Marty, the police are here. She wants to see Doctor Young.”
“Across the hall.” The voice boomed out, over the shouted on-screen argument.
“I know he lives across the hall,” Eve said with straining patience. “He doesn’t answer his door. Can you tell me when you last saw him?”
“Oh, several days ago, I suppose.” She lifted the glass, sipped. From the glow on her face, she’d been sipping steadily for some time. “Oh, wait a minute, he’s gone out of town. Could be gone a couple weeks.”
“Did he mention where he was going?”
“No. Actually he didn’t tell me. His niece did.”
“Niece,” Eve repeated as her mind went on alert.
“Yes, she was coming out of his apartment the other day as I was coming in from shopping. A very nice young woman, too. She said that she’d just been visiting her uncle, and how pleased she was that he was going to travel back to visit her parents with her. In Ohio. Or Indiana. Or maybe it was Idaho.” She slipped again. “A nice long visit, she said.”
“What did she look like?”
“Oh, young and pretty. Brunette, short, very chic do.”
Eve pulled out her PPC, called up Julianna’s picture as Janet Drake. “Does she look familiar?”
The woman angled her head, then beamed. “Why yes! That’s Dr. Young’s niece. I was caught by surprise as I didn’t realize he had any family at all.”
“Thanks.” Eve stuck the PPC back in her pocket. “Do you ever watch the news media, ma’am?”
“News? With Marty it’s thrillers and sports, sports and thrillers. I’m lucky if I get the screen for ten minutes a day to watch the fashion report.”
“You might want to take a look at it tonight. Thanks for your help.”
Eve turned away from the woman’s puzzled look, and switched on her recorder. “I have positive ID that prime suspect, Julianna Dunne had contact with Eli Young at this location. Subject Young does not answer, and there is suspicion of foul play. I have probable cause to enter this residence and determine the