The In Death Collection Books 6-10 - J. D. Robb [107]
“Get a hold of yourself, Peabody, or it’s back to the sedan.”
“No way.” Peabody all but dived inside. “You’re not getting me out with a hydro-lift until I get a ride.”
“I wouldn’t think a woman raised by Free-Agers would be so shallow and materialistic.”
“I had to work on it, but I’ve almost got it down.” She smiled happily when Eve slipped in beside her. “Dallas, this rocks. Can I try the music system?”
“No. Strap in. We’ll look for your dignity later.” But because the car called for it, Eve engaged ignition and took off like a rocket.
It took less than ten minutes to reach the Central Park Arms.
“Did you see the way this honey handled the turns? You took that last one at sixty and there wasn’t even a shimmy. Imagine what she’d do in the air. Why don’t we try it when we leave. Man, I think I had an orgasm rounding Sixty-second.”
“I don’t need to know about that.” Eve climbed out, tossed her key code to the doorman. When she flashed her badge, the hand he’d held out for a tip retreated. “I want that vehicle kept close. I don’t want to wait more than thirty seconds for it when I come out.”
Without waiting for an answer, she swung through the auto-doors and crossed the mosaic tiles of the lobby toward the massive front desk.
“You have a suite registered to a Brian Kelly,” she said, holding up her badge.
“Yes, Lieutenant, scheduled for arrival and occupancy this afternoon. Penthouse B, Tower Level.”
“Clear me through.”
“I believe that suite is occupied at the moment. However, if you’d like to wait until—”
“Clear me through,” she repeated. “Now.”
“Right away. The private elevator is down this corridor and to the left. It’s clearly marked. Your key code will access both the elevator and the doors, parlor and bedroom.”
“Any transmissions, messages, deliveries come in for that suite, send them directly up.”
“Of course.”
The clerk winced as she strode off, then quickly rang Penthouse B. “I beg your pardon, sir, but a Lieutenant Dallas and a uniformed officer are on their way up. Excuse me? Ah, yes, sir, of course. I’ll see to it right away.”
Baffled, the clerk hung up, then contacted room service and ordered coffee, tea cakes, and fresh fruit for three.
Outside Penthouse B, Eve drew her weapon. At her signal, Peabody flanked the opposite side of the door. Eve slid her key code toward the lock, gave her aide a quick nod.
They went in low and fast.
She hissed at Roarke, who continued to smile and lounge on the silk-covered sofa pit. “I don’t think the weapon’s necessary, darling. I’ve ordered coffee, and the service here is very swift and efficient.”
“I ought to give you a jolt, just for the hell of it.”
“You’d be sorry later. Hello, Peabody, you look a bit windblown. Very attractive.”
Flushing, she brushed at her straight black hair. “Well, I put the sky roof down for a minute on the XX.”
“Sexy little ride, isn’t it? Well, shall we discuss how to lay the trap now, or wait for the coffee?”
Resigned, Eve shoved her weapon back in its harness. “We’ll wait for the coffee.”
chapter seventeen
“We’re nearly set up here, Commander. If he calls, we’ll be ready.”
“If he calls, Lieutenant, and if he follows the same pattern he used to abduct O’Leary.”
“He used the same pattern when he contacted Brian Kelly this morning.” Beneath the range of the ’link monitor, she jerked a hand so that McNab would stop the chatter. Christ, the man ran his mouth at light speed. “We can take him down here, Commander. All he has to do is move in this direction.”
“You better hope he does, and quickly, Dallas, or both of us are going to get our butts singed.”
“I planted the bait. He’ll take it.”
“Contact me the minute you hear from him.”
“You’ll be the first,” she murmured as the screen went blank. “You guys want to keep it down? This isn’t the damn party suite.”
McNab and two EDD drones were chirping away as they set up equipment in the bedroom that was the temporary