floral scarf looped around her neck trailed behind her in the breeze.
A jaunty navy cap perched over her short, silver hair.
“Detective Peabody. And you’re Lieutenant Dallas.” Violet had a firm, no-nonsense handshake. “I feel I know you after reading the Icove book, and of course, following the reports on K.T.”
“You knew her?” Eve asked.
“Only slightly. I consider New York home now, and only get to the Coast occasionally. It’s interesting to meet you both, but I don’t understand your interest in
“The boat,” Peabody explained to Eve.
“Named for my signature role. You’re both too young, but Simone launched my career. The boat’s ten now, and one of my greatest pleasures.”
“Speaking of that, your professional beginnings. Can you tell me if it’s usual for Joel Steinburger to give a rookie actress twenty thousand dollars?”
“I’m sorry?”
“It’s just one of those old details that popped up in routine investigation. Twenty thousand, transferred into your account—a brand-new account—on July eighteen, ’twenty-nine. Was that a usual practice?”
“No, not at all. Which is what makes Joel so unusual, and special. I remember it very well, as it deals, again, with Simone. The role. I wanted it desperately, and my readings went well. I worked on them for days.”
She laughed a little, looking back. “I ate, slept, breathed Simone. But while Joel wanted me for the part, the rest of the suits were holding out. I wasn’t beautiful enough, sophisticated enough. I wasn’t sultry, I wasn’t sexual. And so on.”
“Okay. Twenty thousand changed that?”
“You’d be surprised. Joel gave me the money out of his own pocket, took that risk. He had me hire one of the top consultants at the time—for fashion, hair, enhancements, attitude.” She laughed again. “God, it was exhilarating. And with this entirely new look and the ’tude that went with it, I went back in for another reading. And I got Simone. I owe Joel for that, and a good deal for everything that came after.”
“Were you lovers?”
“Not then. We were later, for a time. These are odd questions.”
“I know it seems that way. I have another. Since you remember the incident so well, you should remember what Joel asked you for in return.”
“To get the part.”
“A little favor, something he asked for at or near the same time.”
“I just don’t understand what this has to do with my boat.”
“There are all sorts of details we have to nail down.”
“Well, I do remember, as it was a particularly exciting time for me. It’s simple, really, and sweet, though I never really equated it with an exchange, as you’re saying. Not a favor for money.”
“What do you remember?”
“Joel was planning a surprise for his wife, they’d just found out she was expecting their first child. He wanted to take a quick trip down to their villa in Mexico, check on the preparations. He just asked me to say, if asked, that he was with me and the consultant at our first meeting that evening. Which he was, actually, for the first couple hours. Then he had to leave for the flight. Is that what you mean?”
“Yeah, that clears it up, thanks. I guess when the police asked you, you stuck to the story.”
“Oh.” Violet laid a hand on her heart. “Angelica Caulfield’s overdose. Yes, I see the police connection now. What a tragedy, what a waste of a life and talent.”
“The police questioned you?”
“They’d spoken to Joel. There were rumors he’d been having an affair with Angelica. Honestly, I can’t count the number of affairs I’ve had, according to rumor, with people I’ve never even met. It’s part of the business.”
“When they talked to you, you told them he’d been with you and the consultant.”
“Well, yes, I did tell them he’d been with us. Germaine, the consultant, was there when the police made the inquiry. Just routine, again. And he automatically confirmed Joel had been with us. So I did, too. It seemed easier.”
She paused a moment, let out a breath. “I haven’t thought of that in years, but I guess it would’ve been better if we hadn’t. Joel certainly would have had his flight records and so on, but the media would have been all over the trip to Mexico, and spoiled the surprise. And Lana was wonderfully surprised when he threw the most amazing party for her at their villa. My first real bash,” Violet said with a smile.
“Now that surprise isn’t a factor, would you mind clearing up the discrepancy for the record—for the files,” Eve said.
“Oh. All right, sure. If it’s really necessary.”
“Just cleaner,” Eve said casually. “We’ll take care of it later. Would you mind if we took a look at
“Not at all.” At the gate, Violet swiped a card, entered a code. “She’s in six. My lucky number.”
“Have you been out on it—her—lately?” Eve asked.
“Not in a couple weeks. I’ve been in Baltimore, on a location shoot for a new series. I only got back to New York yesterday afternoon.”
“Does anyone else have access to the boat?”
“Phillip—Phillip Decater. We’ve been cohabbing for the last couple years. But he hasn’t taken her out. He was with me in Baltimore, and he’s a shaky sailor. His only flaw,” she said with a smile as she gestured to a pretty white boat, with shining brass and gleaming wood.
“You take friends out for rides, I imagine.”
“Yes, friends, family. When we can arrange it. What is this about?”
“It may be nothing. Is there a way for you to tell if the boat was taken out during your absence?”
“If you’re thinking somebody took her out for a joyride, I don’t see how. They’d have to get through the gate, then get through the security in the wheelhouse,
“Good point. But, if someone did, can you tell?”
“I can check the digi-log. It would have a record of the last use, the coordinates, the time elapsed.”
“Really?”
“A new toy,” Violet admitted with a grin. “Phillip got it for me for my birthday last month. Hardly something I need on a pleasure boat, but he knows I love
“Can we check your gadget?”
“Why not? Come on board. The galley’s always stocked,” Violet said as she stepped nimbly from the dock to the boat. “Can I offer you anything?”
“We’re fine, thanks.”
“Gosh, it’s beautiful.” Peabody brushed her fingers over the trim. “I don’t really know much about boats, but I know wood. This is really gorgeous.”
“Reclaimed teak. We do a lot of entertaining on her in the summer. She’ll sleep eight if we want to make a weekend of it with friends.”
She climbed up a narrow flight of stairs, entered another code at a glass-fronted door.
Though the room looked like a command center, it held an old-fashioned ship’s wheel—the helm, Eve supposed.
And a view out the wide ribbon of glass of the harbor.
Eve tried not to think about the way the floor swayed, gently, under her feet.
“Here now.” Violet moved to the right. “Gadgets. Sonar, which is fun for tracking schools of fish, or whales if we take her out far enough. Various global weather stations. And this is the digi-log.” She opened a counter screen, spoke her name, the name of the boat. “Phillip had this voice-activated, for fun.
“Display full log,” she ordered. “You’ll see,” she said to Eve, “we haven’t been able to take her out much since … This doesn’t make sense.”
It did to Eve. “Am I reading this right? The boat was taken out yesterday morning zero-one-sixteen and returned to dock just over an hour later at zero-two-twenty-two. For a total of two-point-six miles. And this is the average speed?”
