The In Death Collection Books 26-29 - J.D. Robb [124]
“Sorry about that,” Eve heard Baxter say as she walked away. “The lieutenant’s a stickler for procedure. I’ll try to fast-walk all this through.”
On the street, Eve checked in with Peabody. “Status?”
“Wallowing in smut. I had no idea there were so many devices designed to be inserted in orifices. Many are sold in variety and party packs. You can select one of forty-dollar value with any body piercing.”
“That’s a deal.”
“Well, it’s kind of tempting. McNab would wig in a completely excellent way. But seeing as I’m on duty…”
“Seeing as. But keep jabbering, Peabody, and I’ll give you a completely free piercing back at Central.”
“We have a clerk who recognized Suzanne Custer,” Peabody said quickly. “Made her right off. Said she remembered because she—Suzanne—looked so off the rails. She bought several of the items that match those on the Anders scene. The clerk didn’t want to bother checking on it, but she’s flirting with Trueheart.”
“Trueheart’s flirting with a smut shop clerk? What has Baxter done to that kid?”
“No, no, she’s doing the flirt thing. He’s turned all shades of red, but that’s worked for us.” Peabody grinned. “It is pretty damn cute. So she checked, and we’re getting the paperwork. Suzanne didn’t buy the rope here. But, she asked about it. They were out of the velvet bondage set. It’s a popular item, as we learned when we did the initial search.”
“Check the shops closest to your current location. And if you come back with any piercings, they better not be visible.”
“Ouch,” Peabody said as Eve clicked off.
Once she had Suzanne at Central, Eve left her in Interview to sweat for fifteen minutes and watched through the observation window.
“She’s terrified,” Baxter said.
“Good. It probably won’t take very long to break her down. You go in first, make your apologies for the mean old LT.” She glanced over as Mira stepped in.
“She looks worn down. Eaten up.” Her face impassive, Mira stepped closer to the glass. “Guilt would be a viable weapon on her. And her children, they’d be a vulnerable area. She’ll fear you the most,” she said to Eve. “The capable, powerful female—everything she’s not. The authority figure. As, I suspect, Ava Anders is to her. She’s accustomed to violence. It won’t frighten her overmuch. Nor will threats to her person, as she’s accustomed to those as well. She’s also used to being isolated, cut off from any support. So offers of friendship, understanding, support draw her in. Her children are her one accomplishment. She would sacrifice a great deal for them.”
“I need to make her flip on Ava.”
“She’ll need to believe you’re more powerful, and more dangerous than Ava.”
“I am, so she will. Go,” Eve told Baxter.
“The friendship offered by Ava,” Mira continued as Baxter stepped out, “the support, the bargain struck—if indeed one was—weigh heavily on Ava’s side. The power Ava has over her now is tremendous.”
“I know how to play her.” When Mira said nothing, Eve watched Baxter enter Interview, listened to him speak reassuringly to Suzanne. “I know what it’s like to be knocked around regular, isolated, held down so you believe it’s the only way. And I know how far you’ll go to make it stop.”
“She’s nothing like you, and neither are her circumstances.”
“No. But I know how to play her. Baxter, he feels for her. Decent men tend to feel for women like her.”
“But you don’t.”
“No, I don’t. She could’ve walked. Any time. Packed up, grabbed the kids and walked.” Studying Suzanne through the glass, Eve felt not a single twinge of sympathy. “You said she’d sacrifice for her kids, but what has she given them? What kind of life has she opened them to by letting them see, every day, that she’s so weak she’ll let their father slap her around, come and go as he pleases, spend his money on tricks instead of food. You don’t offset that with sports programs, Dr. Mira. That woman took the life of a stranger, the life of a good man, the man who offered her children hope. She did that rather than walk away.
“So yeah, I guess I do feel for her.