The In Death Collection Books 26-29 - J.D. Robb [424]
Eve started to speak, broke off when her communicator signaled. “Crap. Sorry. I have to handle this.”
“We can use some of this,” Peabody said as Eve walked out. “The nuances, like you said, to try to pressure Ricker.”
Keep it up, Peabody, Eve thought, and answered Morris’s signal.
“Dallas.”
“I’m at the lab. Cleo Grady is Max Ricker’s daughter. We’re doing a second test, but—”
“It’s all I need.”
“I’m coming in, Dallas. I need to be there when you take her.”
“I’ve got her now, working her now. She thinks she’s helping me nail Alex Ricker. I don’t want her to see you, Morris.”
“She won’t.”
He cut her off, so she contacted Baxter. “DNA’s confirmed. Contact Reo. I want a warrant for that bank box.”
She cut him off in turn, pulled out her ’link when it signaled. And her communicator beeped in her hand. She saw Roarke on the readout of the ’link, answered with a, “Hold it a damn minute,” then switched to the comm.
“Hey, Lieutenant! We are back on Planet Earth.”
“Get your ass in here, Callendar. Turn over your prisoners. Go home.”
“Affirmative to one and two. Negativo on three. Come on, Dallas, I want to see it through.”
“Your choice. Peabody will let you know which interview rooms. Nice work, Detective.”
“Fucking A.”
Eve ended the transmission, switched to ’link. “Yeah?”
“Busy girl.”
“Yeah, and I’ve been trying to fit in a manicure all day.”
“I had a meeting cancel, and have a bit of time on my hands. To echo Callendar, I’d like to see this through.”
“There’s going to be plenty to see here. If you really want to come down, maybe you could hang with Morris. Feeney’s on the electronics. Unless he decides he needs super-geek, I’d like Morris to have a friend nearby.”
“I can do that.”
Yes, he could, she thought. “Then get your ass in here.”
“Fucking A.”
She shoved her ’link back in her pocket, dragged her communicator out again to tag Feeney. “Any hit?”
“No attempt to contact the Ricker ’link.”
“I’ll give her more time to try to talk to Daddy.” Like a boxer before the big match, she rolled her shoulders. Then walked back into the conference room.
22
THE TRICK, EVE THOUGHT, WOULD BE TO PIT all the players against each other and take them all down. Timing would be essential. Too much time and Grady would get suspicious.
“You’re going to take Sisto and work Zeban. You’re in charge.”
“I love the ‘in charge’ part.” Peabody grinned happily. “What about Grady?”
“I’m going to handle her in a minute. Meanwhile, we need to give her time and space, enough for her to use if she wants to call her daddy for kudos or instructions. But . . . little brainstorm.” Eve contacted Feeney again.
“Don’t give me grief, kid. I can’t make the woman use the damn ’link. And as for the unit, McNab’s on it.”
“Here’s the thing. The civilian consultant’s coming in because he wants to play. But I want you to give him another assignment, in case she doesn’t use the ’link. You’ll need to clear it with Whitney, and Omega, but here’s what I have in mind.”
“I like it,” Feeney said when she’d run it through. “I like it just fine.”
“Can you make it work?”
“Kid, up here’s where the magic sits. We’ll work it.”
“Within the hour?”
“That’s pushing, but with the civilian we can shove it through.”
“Then, I’m going to set up down here. Beep me when you’ve got it.”
“It’s devious,” Peabody commented when Eve clicked off. “But how can you be sure they won’t, well, band together instead of turning on one another?”
“Because it’s who they are. Let’s go give Grady some busywork, and get this rolling.”
She walked back into the conference room, letting a little frustration show. “Sorry. I’m getting a lot of pressure to make an arrest on Coltraine. I’m going to work Ricker again, but he’s a hard nut. Listen, if I clear it with your lieutenant, can you hang with this? I’ve got some files I’d like you to look through, to see if you can add anything, or if something in them pops for you. I’ve got plenty of dots, but I need to connect them to hang this bastard.