The In Death Collection Books 16-20 - J. D. Robb [271]
“Please. Please. If you do anything, I’ll have to leave. Rose needs me. Mrs. Renquist doesn’t love Rose, not the way I do, and he—he barely notices the child. The other, what he does, it’s not important. It isn’t so very often, not any longer. I think he loses interest.”
“If you change your mind, you can contact me. I’ll help you.”
Chapter 19
A call to Renquist’s office netted her the information that he’d been called out of town, and would be unavailable for the next two days. She went through the formality of making an appointment upon his return, then drove to his house.
The housekeeper gave her the same information.
“You see him leave? You personally?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You watch him walk out the door with his suitcase?”
“I fail to see the relevance of such a question, but as it happens, I carried Mr. Renquist’s luggage to the car myself.”
“Where’d he go?”
“I’m not privy to that information, and would not be free to divulge it if I were. Mr. Renquist’s duties often require travel.”
“I bet. I’d like to see Mrs. Renquist.”
“Mrs. Renquist isn’t at home. Nor is she expected to be until this evening.”
Eve looked past her, into the house. She’d have given a month’s pay for a search warrant.
“Let me ask you something, Jeeves.”
She winced. “Stevens.”
“Stevens. When did the boss get this call to duty?”
“I believe he made the arrangements very early this morning.”
“How’d he find out he was hitting the trail?”
“Excuse me?”
“A transmission come in, a call, a private messenger whiz by, what?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know.”
“Some housekeeper you are. How’d his eyes look this morning?”
Stevens looked perplexed, then simply annoyed. “Lieutenant, Mr. Renquist’s eyes are not my concern nor yours. Good day.”
She thought about booting the door open when it started to shut in her face, but decided it was a waste of energy.
“Peabody, start the EDD troops doing a search to find out where Renquist went, and how he’s getting there.”
“I guess he’s the one.”
“Why?”
It was Peabody’s turn to look perplexed and she hurried after Eve to the vehicle. “He’s molesting the nanny. He and his wife lied about him being home all morning on Sunday. He’s got a private, locked room in his house, and this morning, he’s conveniently called out of town.”
“So you cross off Fortney, just like that. Peabody, you’re an investigative slut.”
“But it all fits.”
“You can fit it this way, too. He’s molesting the nanny because he’s a royal shit and a perv. His wife’s not putting out, and he’s got a young, pretty girl in the house who’s afraid to say no. They lied because they’re both royal shits who don’t want to be hassled by the police, and saying he was home is more convenient. He’s got a locked home office because he’s got staff who might poke into sensitive material, and a kid he doesn’t want bothering him when he’s working. He’s called out of town this morning because his line of work demands he get up and go when the call comes.”
“Well, hell.”
“If you don’t think it from both ends, you don’t get the right answers. Now let’s see how Breen holds up in formal interview.”
He was waiting, examining the one-way glass when Eve stepped into Interview Room B. He turned, and sent her one of his boyish smiles.
“I know I should be pissed off, and yelling lawyer, but this is just iced.”
“Happy to entertain you.”
“I had to leave Jed with a neighbor though. I don’t trust the droid when I’m not in the house. So I hope this isn’t going to take too long.”
“Then sit down, and let’s get started.”
“Sure.”
She engaged the recorder, recited the case data, and the Revised Miranda. “Do you understand your rights and obligations, Mr. Breen?”
“Oh yeah. Look, I heard the media reports on the attack early this morning. Guy pulled a Bundy. What do you think—”
“Why don’t you let me ask the questions, Tom?”
“Sorry. Habit.” He flashed a grin.
“Where were you this morning at two A.M.?”
“At home, asleep. I knocked off work about midnight. By two, I was sawing them off.”
“Was your wife at home?”
“Sure. Sawing them off right