“That’s what I thought.” Eve entered Interview, started the record.
And she thought Christopher Lester looked a great deal wearier and less spiffy than he had the day before.
“You don’t have to read my rights again,” he said, “as you already have, and yes, I understand them.”
“Good. Saves time. What can I do for you?”
“We heard about Cafe West. My brother … it’s another very hard blow. We sometimes met there for lunch.”
“You two didn’t like the food at the bar?”
“He liked to get out. He knows the day manager, and hasn’t been able to reach her. Her name’s Kimberly Fruicki. I knew her, too. She came to parties at Devon’s. He and Quirk went to her wedding last year. Lieutenant, he’s frantic. He’s tried the hospital. They won’t tell him anything, even if she’s there, as he’s not family. If I could tell him she’s all right …”
“I can’t release the names of the victims until the next of kin’s been notified.”
“She’s …” He looked away, rubbed his hands over his face. “God.”
Eve gave Peabody a signal. “Detective Peabody exiting Interview. How often did you eat at the Cafe?”
“I’d say once or twice a month—with Devon, or Devon and Quirk. Lieutenant.” He leaned forward, eyes direct, earnest. “You brought me in before because I’m a scientist, a chemist. I realize you have resources, but I doubt they reach the level of my experience, my skill, or my facilities. I know the police department sometimes enlists civilian consultants. I want to help.”
“That’s generous of you.”
“Yesterday I thought it was a terrible accident. Someone experimenting, and having it go horribly wrong. I was upset, disturbed, even angry. But today I know it wasn’t an accident, an experiment. And today I’m afraid. I’ve sent my family away to our home in Oyster Bay. I don’t want them in the city. I want to help find this maniac, or maniacs. I want my family to be safe.”
“I appreciate the offer, Doctor Lester. However, we have a very qualified chemist consulting, and at this time I wouldn’t feel comfortable involving a civilian.”
“You have a police chemist. I can’t believe he’d have the qualifications or facilities I can offer. Perhaps I can work with him.”
“I’ll consider that. But at this time, we’re on it. Your wife was able to leave her work?”
“What? Oh, my wife is very involved in charity work. She can do whatever she needs to do from Long Island. It upsets her to leave, to take the children out of school, but of course she wants them to be safe. And knows I won’t worry with them out of the city.”
“I bet you’ve got a home lab, too.”
“Yes.”
“You’d keep it well secured with kids in the house.”
“Of course, but my children know not to go into my work space.”
“Good for them. I need to get back to work. Interview end.”
“Please, if there’s anything I can do, any question I might answer, contact me.”
“Count on it.”
Peabody came back in, whispered in Eve’s ear.
“You can tell your brother his friend is in Tribeca Health Center in serious but stable condition.”
“She’s alive.”
“Yes.”
“Thank God. This is going to mean so much to Devon and Quirk. Thank you. I’m going to let them know right away.” Even as he walked off, he pulled out his ’link.
“Let’s take a look at this Kimberly Fruicki. Maybe she’s doing the nasty with Chris.”
“Threatens to tell the wife.”
“Isn’t it always the way. Those sidepieces never keep their mouths shut. Today’s target didn’t go as well as yesterday, what with the cops on scene and stunning people before they could kill each other. Maybe he wants to know if he managed to kill his focus point.”
“He looked shaken up to me.”
“Not so smooth as the first time.” Eve lifted her shoulders. “We check it out. He’s the only one, so far, who’s pushing to horn in on the investigation. I’ll go see what Weaver, Callaway, and Vann have to say.”
She saw Roarke striding down the hall with a pair of file bags. “Roarke. With me.”
“Man,” Peabody breathed. “I wish I could say that. Just once.”
“Once would be all before I stabbed out your eyes with an ice pick.”
“Ouch. Might be worth it.”
“A dull ice pick,” Eve added just as Roarke joined them. “Scram.”
“Good night, Peabody.” He sent her a smile that made her think,
“Dull ice pick?” he said as they continued toward the glides.
“Girl talk.” She took one of the file bags, slung it over her shoulder. “Taking you in’s going to throw this trio off some. That’s good. I want impressions. I haven’t met the one, Stevenson Vann, but I’ll fill you in on all three of them. You drive; I’ll talk.”
“I have a few words of my own.”
“Teasdale?”
“We’ll talk in the car.”
She worried—marriage so often had some little pocket of worry—he’d found enough to push on ditching the fed. Shaking off Teasdale wouldn’t be a snap, but …
As the elevator opened, a human tank wearing restraints and sporting a massive erection under his flopping trench coat charged out. He upended cops like bowling pins as two uniforms scrambled out in pursuit.
“Never a dull moment,” Roarke commented just before Eve danced to the side, stuck out her foot. The tank, his long blond wig askew, went airborne.
He shouted, “Woo-hoo!”
He hit the floor with a bone-rattling thud, skidded—taking out another line of bystanders, then smacked the wall with an audible crack.
He lay, eyes glassy, erection spearing up like a monument.
“For Christ’s sake, cover that thing up,” Eve ordered. “He could put somebody’s eye out.”
In the ensuing rush, she nipped onto the elevator, ordered the garage as Roarke stepped in beside her.
“Nice,” she decided. “You hardly ever get an empty car to the garage.”
“We owe it all to a three-hundred-pound flasher.”
“More like two-eighty, but yeah.” She rolled her shoulders. “Anyway, it gave me a little boost.”
“It would as kicking ass is your drug of choice.”
“Maybe, but I only tripped him. No time to kick a naked flasher’s ass right now.”
“There’ll be others, darling.”
“Something to look forward to.”
She got off the elevator, headed straight to her vehicle slot. “You talk first.”
“All right then.” He slid behind the wheel, spared her a quick look before he wound his way out of the garage, punched out into traffic. “Teasdale has an impressive background. Her father was U.S. Air Force, retired as a major general. Her mother served as an assistant Secretary of State. She traveled considerably as a child, speaks several languages, excelled in her schooling. She was recruited by HSO while at university, but didn’t officially join until she’d completed her advanced degrees.”
“Officially?”
“Officially,” he confirmed. “She was an operative at the tender age of twenty-three—unofficially. And she’s quietly, steadily risen up the ranks. She worked with Hurtz on the investigation of Bissel, and in fact, gathered the lion’s share of intel and evidence against him and others involved—though her part in that business was, again, what we’ll call unofficial.”
“Okay. Just give me your take on her.”
“She’s brilliant, dedicated, ambitious, and though your styles appear to be polar opposites, she’s quite like you. In that she doesn’t give up, can’t be bought, and appears to believe in both the rule and the spirit of law.”
