The In Death Collection 06-10 (52 page)

“You can do that downtown.”

“Okay, we keep them separated,” Eve said to Feeney as they studied Piper through the glass. Piper sat at the little scarred table in Interview A, rocking herself as one of the attorneys murmured to her. “We could double team them, but I think
we can get more done if we each take one. You want her or Rudy?”

Feeney considered, lips pursed. “I’ll start with him. I say we switch off, toss them out of balance once they get used to the rhythm. If either of them shake enough, then we go in double.”

“Good enough. Did McNab check in?”

“Just did. He’s about finished at the salon. He’ll be in and have his report up before we’re done here.”

“Tell him to stand by. If we get enough here, we may be able to juggle a warrant for their computer system. If he can work on their machine, he might dig something out.”

Otherwise, she thought, she was going to have to ask Roarke to work his magic again.

“Buzz when you want to switch,” she told Feeney.

“Same goes.”

Eve pulled open the door of the interview room and stepped inside. The lawyer immediately got to his feet, puffed out his chest, and went into the expected song and dance.

“Lieutenant, this is an outrage. My client is overwrought, emotionally distressed. You have no cause to demand this interview at this time.”

“You want to block it, get a court order. Record on. Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, ID 5347BQ, interviewer. Subject Piper Hoffman. Initial date and time. Interviewer has requested representation. Attorney is present. These proceedings are being recorded. Subject Hoffman has been read the revised Miranda. Do you understand your rights and obligations, Ms. Hoffman?”

Piper looked at her lawyer, waited for him to nod.

“Yes.”

“You knew Brent Holloway?”

She jerked her head into a nod.

“Let the record show interviewee answered in the affirmative. He was a client of your service, Personally Yours.”

“Yes.”

“Through that service, you matched the deceased with female clients.”

“That’s—that’s the purpose, to match couples with common interests and goals, to afford them an opportunity to meet and explore relationships.”

“Romantic and/or sexual relationships?”

“The tone of the relationships is up to each individual couple or client.”

“And these clients are screened before their application is accepted, before they pay the fee, before they are put on any match lists.”

“Carefully screened.” Piper seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the avenue of questioning. She straightened a bit, skimmed back her silvery hair with long fingers. “It’s our responsibility to see that our clientele meets certain standards.”

“Do those standards include sexual offenders? Convicted sexual offenders?”

“Certainly not.” She went prim, head lifting, mouth firming.

“That’s your company policy?”

“A very firm policy.”

“But you made an exception for Brent Holloway.”

“I—” The hands Piper had folded neatly on the table clenched to whiten the knuckles. “I don’t know what . . .” Her voice trailed off, and she stared helplessly at her lawyer.

“My client has explained her company’s policy in this area, Lieutenant. Please move on.”

“Brent Holloway was convicted of sexual coercion, was charged more than once with sexual molestation, harassment, perversions.” Eve spoke briskly as every ounce of color in Piper’s cheeks drained. “You’ve established for the record that your clientele is screened carefully, you’ve explained your policy in this area. I’m asking you why you exempted Holloway from this policy.”

“We—I—we didn’t.” Her hands began to twist, and
something like fear moved into her eyes. “We have no record of that information on Brent Holloway.”

“Maybe you recognize the name John B. Boyd.” Because her eyes were trained on Piper’s face, she saw it. The flicker of knowledge, the shadow of guilt. “Your system is top of the line. So you told me. It would be your responsibility to do a search for this kind of information on an applicant. Is your company irresponsible or inept, Ms. Hoffman?”

“I don’t like the tone of that question,” the lawyer protested.

“So noted for the record. Your answer, Piper?”

“I don’t know what happened.” Her breath came quickly now, and both hands were crossed over her beautiful breasts. “I don’t know.”

Oh yes, Eve thought. Yes, you do, and he scared the hell out of you.

“Four clients of your service are dead. Four. Each one of them came to you, and each one of them was terrorized, raped, and strangled.”

“It’s a terrible, terrible coincidence. Just a coincidence.” Piper began to shake, with her breath hitching out in little forced gasps. “Rudy said so.”

“You don’t believe that.” Eve said it softly as she leaned closer. “You don’t believe that for a minute. They’re dead.” Brutally, she laid four photos on the table. The crime scene shots were vivid and cruel. “These don’t look coincidental, do they?”

“Oh God. Oh God.” She covered her face with her hands. “Don’t, don’t, don’t. I’m going to be ill.”

“That was uncalled for.” Red-cheeked with fury, the lawyer sprang up.

“Murder’s uncalled for,” Eve tossed back and got to her feet. “I’ll give your client a few minutes to compose herself. Record, off.” She turned her back and walked out.

As she watched through the glass, she buzzed Feeney’s communicator.

“I’ve got her on the edge,” she said when he joined her. “You can push her over. I’d go in light, sympathetic, be her uncle.”

“You always get to be the bad cop,” Feeney complained.

“I’m better at it. Pat her hand, then ask her why they were paying Holloway off. I didn’t get there yet.”

“Okay. Rudy’s holding tight. He’s got a snippy attitude you ask me. Arrogant little putz.”

“Good. I’m in the mood to kick some putz.” Since it was there, she reached into Feeney’s bag of nuts and popped a handful. “She claims they didn’t know about Holloway’s record. She’s lying, but that might get us into their system. I’ll try for the warrant before I hit Rudy.”

She took time for that and one quick jolt of coffee before going into Interview B. “Record on,” she ordered. “Interview continuing with Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. Initialize time and date.”

She sat, smiled at Rudy and the lawyer at his side. “Well, boys, let’s get started.”

She ran him through a pattern similar to what she’d used on Piper. Rather than paling and shaking, Rudy seemed to go stiffer, harder.

“I’d like to see my sister,” he said abruptly, interrupting her rhythm.

“Your sister is being interviewed.”

“She’s delicate. Her emotions are very close to the surface. This entire ugly business will damage her.”

“I’ve got four people a lot more damaged, ace. Are you worried what Piper has to say in there? I talked to her just a bit ago.” Instinct had her leaning back, shrugging a shoulder. “She’s not holding up real well. She’ll do better once you clear things up.”

Eve watched his hands fist and wondered what Mira would conclude about his violence potential.

“She should be allowed to rest.” He bit off the words, his
exotic green eyes flat as a cat’s. “To have a soother and a meditation break.”

“We’re not big on meditation breaks around here. And she’s got her lawyer in there, just like you’ve got yours. I guess you’re pretty close, being twins.”

“Naturally.”

“Holloway ever make a move on her?”

Rudy’s mouth thinned. “Of course not.”

“On you maybe?”

“No.” He reached for his glass of water with a steady hand.

“Why were you paying him off?”

The water slopped toward the rim before he hastily set it down. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Regular payments, ten thousand each, over a two-year period. What did he have on you, Rudy?”

His eyes stormy, he whirled to his lawyer. “They have no right to access financial records, do they?”

“Certainly not.” The lawyer leveled his shoulders, hooking a hand pompously in his lapel, where trendy medallions dangled. “Lieutenant, if you’ve searched my client’s financials without probable cause and proper warrant—”

“Did I say that?” Eve only smiled. “I don’t have to explain how I came by certain information that pertains to this homicide. You won’t find a departmental search of financials. But you paid him, didn’t you, Rudy?” She swung back, hitting low and fast. “You paid him time after time, let him blackmail you into putting him on match lists when you knew he was a sexual deviant. How many clients did you have to placate, or pay, or intimidate to keep the wraps on it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But his hand wasn’t quite so steady now as he picked up the water in front of him. Dark red streaks of emotion began to burn along the milk-white skin.

Eve knew if she’d had him on a truth tester, the graft would have cracked through the screen.

“Yes, you do. And I bet it wouldn’t be too tough for me
to dig out a couple of your clients who Holloway jumped during one of those nice, polite meets you recommend. Once I do, I can charge you and your sister for soliciting, for fraud, for accessory to several types of sex crimes.” She shot a look over. “And your lawyer knows I can make at least some of that stick, and it’ll stick long and hard enough to put your business in the sewer, to put your face, and Piper’s, on every screen in the city for newsflashes.”

“We can’t be held responsible. She can’t be held responsible for what that . . . that deviant did.”

“Rudy.” The lawyer held up a hand, then laid it on Rudy’s shoulder. “I’d like a moment to confer, Lieutenant.”

“No problem. Record off. You got five,” she warned and left them alone.

With her eyes on them through the glass, she pulled out her communicator. “McNab.”

While she waited for response, she rocked back and forth on her heels, judging the body language inside the room. Rudy had his arms crossed, his fingers digging into his biceps. The lawyer was hunched over, talking fast.

“McNab. I’m heading in, Dallas.”

“Then head back. I’m getting a warrant to put you into the system at Personally Yours. Wait for it.”

“Can I take a six-eight? Grab some lunch?”

“Hit a glide-cart on the way back. I want you in place the minute the authorization comes in.” She heard his sigh and smiled thinly. “How was the facial, McNab?”

“Great. I got cheeks like a baby’s ass. And I saw Peabody naked. Well, mostly. She was coated with green shit, but I got the picture.”

“Just put that picture out of your mind and get ready to dig.”

“I can do both. Hell of a picture. She’s really pissed, too.”

Eve did her best not to grin back at him, and shut him off before she lost the battle.

“Time’s up, pal,” she murmured and walked back into
Interview. After resetting the record, she sat down, lifted a brow. Sometimes silence worked a subject better than hammering.

“My client wishes to make a statement.”

“That’s what we’re here for. So, what do you have to say, Rudy?”

“Brent Holloway was extorting money from my company, through me. I did my best to protect my clients, but he was blackmailing me and part of what he demanded was regular consultations and matches. He was, in my opinion, difficult and irritating, but not dangerous to the women we matched him with.”

“That’s your professional opinion?”

“Yes, it is. We advise all our clients to meet their matches in a public place. Any who agreed to meet him privately subsequent to that were making their own decision. All clients sign a waver.”

“Uh-huh, so you figure that covers your ass, ethically speaking. I’m pretty sure the courts may have a different view. But let’s get to the meat first. What did he have on you?”

“It’s not relevant.”

“Oh yeah, it is.”

“It deals with my personal life.”

“It deals with homicide, Rudy. But if you don’t want to tell me about it, I’ll go back and talk to your sister.” She started to rise, but Rudy’s hand flew out and gripped her arm.

“Leave her alone. She’s delicate.”

“One of you will talk to me. Your choice.”

His fingers tightened on her arm, dug in hard before he released it and sat back. “Piper and I have a unique and special relationship. We’re twins. We’re connected.” He kept his eyes level. “We’re matched.”

“You and your sister have a sexual relationship.”

“It’s not for you to judge,” he snapped. “Nor do I expect you to understand the bond between us. No one can. And though what we have together isn’t strictly illegal, society disapproves.”

“Incest isn’t a pretty word, Rudy.” The image of her father, his face red with effort, his eyes hard with purpose, flashed into her mind. Under the table she clenched her hands into fists and forced the image, and the sickness it caused, back.

“We’re matched,” he said again. “For most of our lives we refused to act on what was in our hearts. We tried to be with other people, to live separate lives. And we were miserable. Are we supposed to be unhappy, unfulfilled, because people like you say it’s wrong?”