The In Death Collection Books 6-10 - J. D. Robb [599]
“First, people have been hanged as an execution method for centuries. Second, we have no evidence at this time the subject wrote the note found on-scene. Last, until a full examination of the body is complete, we cannot determine if there are other marks of violence. Even if there are not,” Eve continued, backing down the ladder, “a man can be coerced into a noose.”
“Yes, sir.”
“On the surface, it looks like self-termination. It’s not our job to stop at the surface and assume but to observe, record, gather evidence, and eventually conclude.”
Eve stepped away, studied the scene. “Why would a man come here to an empty theater; sit and drink a glass of brew; write a brief note; fashion himself a nice, tidy noose; secure it; walk up a ladder; then step off?”
Since she understood she was expected to answer, Peabody gave it her best. “The theater is his workplace. Self-terminators often take this step in their place of employment.”
“I’m talking about Quim, Linus. Specifics, Peabody, not generalities.”
“Yes, sir. If he was responsible for Draco’s death, which could be the meaning of the note, he may have been overcome by guilt, and he returned here, to where Draco was killed, balancing the scales by taking his own life under the stage.”
“Think of the profile, Peabody. Think of the original crime and its method of execution. I find calculation, ruthlessness, and daring. Tell me, where do you find guilt?”
With this, Eve strode off to where Ralph was sitting, pale and silent in a corner.
“Screwed that up,” Peabody muttered. “Big time.” She blew out a breath, trying not to be embarrassed she’d had her wings pinned in front of Roarke. “She’s pissed now.”
“She’s angry. Not at you, particularly,” Roarke added, “nor at me.” He looked back at the corpse, the pathetic waste of it, and understood his wife perfectly. “Death offends her. Each time. Every time she deals with it.”
“She’ll tell you that you can’t take it personally.”
“Yes.” He watched Eve sit beside Ralph, automatically shielding his view of death with her body. “She’ll tell you that.”
He could be patient. Roarke knew how to wait, to choose his time and his place. Just as he knew that Eve would seek him out, would find him, if for no other reason than to assure herself he hadn’t stuck his fingers too deeply into her work.
So he sat on the stage, still dressed with the final courtroom set. An odd place for a man with his background, he thought with some amusement, as he used his personal palm computer to scan updated stock reports and revise a departmental memo.
He’d turned the stage lights on, though that had simply been for convenience. When she tracked him down, he sat in the dock under a cool blue spot, and he looked as seductive as a condemned angel.
“They ever get you that far?”
“Hmm?” He glanced up. “You’ve seen my records. No arrests.”
“I’ve seen what’s left of your records after you played with them.”
“Lieutenant, that’s a serious accusation.” Still, a smile flirted with his mouth. “But no, I’ve never had the pleasure of defending myself in a court of law on a criminal matter. How’s the boy?”
“Who? Oh. Ralph. A little shaky.” She climbed the stairs to the dock. “I had a couple of uniforms take him home. We shouldn’t need to talk to him again. And after he recovers, he’ll have all his pals buying him a beer to hear the story.”
“Exactly so. You’re a fine judge of human nature. And how’s our Peabody?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re a good teacher, Lieutenant, but a fierce one. I wondered if she’d recovered from the bruising you gave her.”
“She wants to make detective. She wants to work murders. First rule, you go on a scene, you don’t bring anything with you. No preconceptions, no conclusions. And you don’t take what you see at first glance on face value. You think Feeney didn’t slap me upside the head with that a few times when he was my trainer?”
“I imagine he did and had plenty of bruises of his own when he hit the rock of it.”
“If that’s a fancy way of saying I’m hardheaded, it doesn’t insult me.