The In Death Collection Books 16-20 - J. D. Robb [655]
“Good enough, then. I didn’t ask before, and I know you’re pressed now, but were you able to speak to the Dysons about Nixie?”
“To her. He was out of it. She’s not in much better shape. I’m going to give them another couple days. I know it’s inconvenient, but—”
“It’s not. I just assume that she’d feel steadier if she had those familiar faces, if she were able to have her friend’s parents with her.” He considered telling her what he’d dug up regarding Nixie’s remaining family, then let it go. She had enough on her plate. And for reasons he couldn’t explain, even to himself, he wanted to handle that part of it. “Summerset told me basically what Trueheart told you. She holds up, she breaks down, and holds up again. She’s grieving, and there’s no one here who can grieve with her, who knew her family.”
“I’ll talk to Mira about it. Maybe she can speak to the Dysons. Might be better coming from her than me.”
“Maybe. I’ll go join the EDD boys and leave you to your commander. Grab a nutribar at least with the next gallon of coffee you drink.”
“Nag, nag, nag,” she said as he walked out the door. But she got the nutribar out of her desk drawer.
10
AFTER MIRA AND HER SECURITY ESCORT WERE cleared through the gates, Eve met her at the door. Since she had the extra men, she ordered security to do a patrol around the grounds, with electronic sweep.
“You’re being very cautious,” Mira commented. “Do you really expect them to try an invasion on this house?”
“Newman doesn’t know where I took the kid, so trying a hit here isn’t the next logical step.” She swept a glance down the hall. Trueheart had Nixie in the game room, but that didn’t mean the kid couldn’t come wandering out. “Why don’t we step outside for a minute?”
Eve led the way through the parlor and the doors to the side terrace. She had a momentary pause when she saw a little silver droid, a low, shiny box, busily sucking up fallen leaves. “Huh, how about that.” At her voice, it glided off the terrace and slid down one of the paths into the garden. “Wonder what it does with them once it sucks them up.”
“I think it chops them into a kind of mulch, or compost. Dennis talks about getting something like it, then doesn’t. I think he secretly enjoys raking the leaves by hand.”
Eve thought of Mira’s kind-eyed, absentminded husband. “Why?”
“Mindless work that gets him outdoors. Of course, if we had grounds this extensive to deal with, it’d be a different story. It’s lovely out here, isn’t it, even so late in the year with so much of the gardens fading away toward winter.”
Eve looked over the gardens, through the ornamental and shade trees, past arbors and fountains to the thick stone walls. “Lot of ways in, lot of ways out, but as secure as it gets.”
“And still your home. That makes it difficult.”
“I made the call. Look, it’s cooler out here than I thought. You okay for a minute?”
“I’m fine.” Mira wore a jacket, and Eve was currently in shirtsleeves. “It must be inconvenient, having so many people in your home.”
“Place is starting to smell like Central. Anyway, if they click on the idea Nixie’s here, they might see it as a challenge, get revved at the idea. The bigger the mission, the bigger the payoff.”
“But you don’t think they know Nixie’s here.”
“I think your average CPS rep would spill data out like a gushing pipe under torture. And I wouldn’t hold it against her. Best I can speculate, she doesn’t know the witness is here, but knows I took her and bypassed regs. They could put it together. I would.”
“Taking a civilian witness into your personal residence isn’t usual, or even standard procedure. But yes, they might put