Survivor in Death

12

IN HIS OFFICE, ROARKE SET UP FOR HIS ASSIGNMENT. It continued to surprise him how much he enjoyed doing cop work. Most of his life had been spent avoiding, evading, or out-thinking cops.

Now he was not only married to one, ridiculously in love with one, but he spent a great deal of his time in a consultant capacity for the NYPSD.

Life was a bloody strange game.

Then again, perhaps it was the game of it that accounted for part of the entertainment. The puzzle that needed to be solved, with facts, with evidence, and with instinct.

They made a good team, he and his cop, he thought, as he poured himself a brandy before getting down to it. She with her ingrained cop senses, he with his ingrained criminal ones.

Just because he was retired from the shadier aspects of the law didn't mean the instincts weren't still humming.

He'd killed. Brutally, coldly, bloodily. He knew what it was to take a life, and what could drive one human to end the existence of another.

She accepted that in him, his justice-seeking Eve. Maybe not forgave, but accepted. Even understood, and that was one of his miracles.

But even at his worst, he'd never killed an innocent. Never ended the life of a child. Still, he could comprehend it, even as Eve could. They both knew evil not only existed, it flourished and grew fat, and it reveled in its pursuit of the weak and the innocent.

He had an abrupt and crystal-clear image of himself-filthy shirt, bloody nose, hard and defiant eyes-standing at the top of the steps in the stinking dump where he'd once lived inDublin.

And there was his father-big, strapping Patrick Roarke-weaving a bit from too much drink.

You thinly you can pass off a couple of thin wallets as a day's take? I'll have the rest of it, you buggering little bastard.

He remembered the boot coming up-he remembered that still- and his quick dodge. Not quick enough, though, not that time. He felt now as he'd felt then, the stomach-dropping sensation of falling, of knowing it would be bad. Had he cried out? Odd that he couldn't remember. Had he yelled in shock, cursed in fury, or just gone down those steps in a bone-banging roll?

What he could remember, and wasn't that a bitch, was the sound of his father laughing as the boy he'd been tumbled down the stairs. What was his age then? Five? Six? No matter.

And, well, hell, he had been holding back, hadn't he? And considered the cuts and bruises worth the ten pounds he'd stashed away.

Nixie had never been booted down the stairs by a drunken bastard who'd happened to share her blood.

And yet the child would understand about evil and cruelty, too. Poor little bit.

He glanced at his monitor, where he could see her curled under the covers of the bed they'd given her, in a room provided by strangers, with the light left dim.

She would come to understand it. Now there was only pain and confusion and grief. But she would come to, and make her choices to rebuild her life on that broken ground.

He'd made his, and didn't regret them. He could regret nothing that brought him where he was, that brought him to Eve. But he didn't wish the same for this small, fragile survivor.

The best that could be done was to win her some sort of justice.

He began a series of simultaneous searches. One on each of the Swisher adults, another cross-checking for duplicate names. Then one more on the Dysons. He doubted Eve would approve, but these were the people who would step in to raise the child. And the child was sleeping in his home, trusting him to keep her safe. He wanted to be sure they were clean.

At the same time, he continued the search for names of known terrorists, members of paramilitary or fringe military groups.

He intended to do one more, but would need the unregistered for that. Even with it, it would be tricky-which appealed to him. He wanted names of covert and special forces operators-military and government agencies who specialized in wet work and electronics. When he had those, he'd run another cross-reference on the Swishers.

He intended to leave his more standard work running while he took himself and his plan into his private office. But he glanced at the monitor again, and saw Nixie stirring in her bed.

He watched, hoping her subconscious wasn't tuning her up for another nightmare. And wondered if he hadn't made a mistake, insisting he take the night shift from Summerset. Nightmares may have become his province, but when it came to children, he was a pathetic novice.

But in another moment, she sat up in bed. She took the 'link he'd given her out from under her pillow, studied it, skimmed her fingers over it. Then she stared around the room, looking so small, so lost and sad it broke his heart.

He thought he should go in to her, try at least to soothe her back to sleep, but she climbed out of the bed. Just needs the loo or a drink of water, he decided. The sort of things a girl her age could handle on her own. He hoped.

But instead of walking to the bathroom, she went to the house scanner.

“IsDallas here?”

There was a plaintive quality in her voice that touched him, even as he thought, “Clever girl.”

Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, is not on premises at this time.

Nixie knuckled her eyes, sniffled, and again he thought he should go to her.

“Is Roarke here?”

Roarke is in his primary office.

“I don't know where that is. You have to tell me.” Roarke rose, then sat back down as the computer relayed location and directions. Let her come to him, he decided. It seemed more normal somehow than having him intercept her, letting her know- though she was smart enough to know it anyway-that she was being monitored even while she slept.

He looked at the work yet to be done, rubbed the back of his neck. “Computer, continue searches, text mode only, internal save. No display at this time.”

Acknowledged.

He opened other work, his own, and began to refine construction plans on another sector of the Olympus Resort while Nixie made her way to him.

He glanced up, cocked a brow, offered a smile when Nixie stepped into his doorway. “Hello, Nixie. Late for you, isn't it?”

“I woke up. Where'sDallas?”

“She's still working. Would you like to come in?”

“I'm not supposed to be up in the night.” Her voice trembled, and he imagined she was thinking of what had happened the last time she'd wandered in the night.

“I wouldn't mind the company, since you're up. Or I can walk you back to your room if you'd rather.”

She walked over to his desk in her pale pink pajamas. “Is she with the dead people?”

“No. She's working for them.”

“But my mom and dad, and Coyle and Linnie, and Inga, they were dead first. She said she would find out who. She said she-”

“She is.” Out of my sphere, he thought. Out of my bloody solar system. “Finding out who is her priority. It's the most important thing she's doing. And she'll keep doing it until she knows.”

“What if it takes years and years?”

“She'll never stop.”

“I had a dream that they weren't dead.” The tears spilled over, slid down her cheeks. “They weren't dead, and we were all there like we're supposed to be, and Mom and Inga were in the kitchen talking, and Dad was trying to sneak a snack and making her laugh. Me and Linnie were playing dress-up, and Coyle was teasing us. And they weren't dead until I woke up. I don't want them to be dead. They left me alone, and it's not fair.”

“It's not, no. It's not at all fair.” He came around, picked her up so she could lay her head on his shoulder while she cried. This, he thought, was something a man could do. He could hold a child while she wept, while she grieved. And later he could do what he could to help piece her broken life back together.

“They left me alone.”

“They didn't want to. Still, I imagine all of them are so glad you weren't hurt.”

“How can they be glad when they're dead?”

Terrifying logic, he thought, and carried her around the desk, sat with her in his lap. “Don't you think that when you die you might go to another place?”

“Like heaven.”

“Aye, like that.”

“I don't know. Maybe.” She turned her head, sighed. “But I don't want them to be there. I want them to come back, like in my dream.”

“I know. I never had a brother. What's it like?”

“They can be mean sometimes, especially if they're bigger than you. But you can be mean back. But sometimes they're fun and they play with you and tell jokes. Coyle played baseball, and I like to go to the games and watch. Is there baseball in heaven?”

“I think there must be. It could hardly be heaven if it wasn't fun.”

“If I'd been in bed, I'd be in heaven with them. I wish-”

“You mustn't.” He drew her back so she could see his face. “You mustn't wish for that, and they wouldn't want you to wish it. There was a reason you didn't go with them. Hard as that is, you have to live your life and find out what it is. It hurts to be alone, I know.”

Her face bunched up like a fist. “You don't. You're not.”

“There was a time I was. Someone took my mother from me before I was old enough to know her.”

“Is she in heaven?”

“I'm sure she is.”

“That's not fair either.” She laid her head on his chest again, patted him with her hand in a gesture of comfort that moved him, amazingly. She could offer him comfort, Roarke thought. Even now she had the heart in her to give solace. How did she come by that? Was it born in her or had it been instilled by her parents?

“I won't tell you I know how you're feeling, but I will tell you I know what it is to be alone and angry and afraid. And I'll tell you it'll get better, however much you don't think so, it will get better.”

“When?”

“Bit by little bit.” He touched his lips to her head.

She sighed again, then turned her head to study the painting on the wall. He shifted her, studied it himself. He and Eve, under the blossoming arbor on their wedding day.

“She doesn't look like police there.”

“Not on the outside anyway. She gave that to me on our anniversary. It's out in the garden here, on our wedding day. I hung it there, though it's a bit selfish of me, so I could look at it whenever I'm working here. I can see her when I'm missing her.”

“We've got pictures at my house.”

“Would you like someone to bring some pictures to you?”

“I could look at them.”

“I'll see to it, then.”

“Can I stay in here for a while, with you?”

“You can. Do you want to see what I'm doing here?” He swiveled so they could both look at the wall screen. “Those are plans for some developments on an off-planet resort and housing colony I've an interest in.”

“It says Olympus Resort. I've heard of that. It's got big hotels and amusement parks, and a beach and arcades. We were maybe going to go there one day. Maybe.”

“These are for a different sector than what's been done so far. See the first screen? Those are plans for villas, vacation villas. We're going to put a river in.”

“Do you build rivers?”

He smiled. “I'm going to build this one.”

“How do you?”

“Well, why don't I show you what I have in mind?”

While Roarke showed Nixie how a river was built on an off-planet colony, Eve met with Yancy. “Give me good news.” “How about cautiously good?” He was young, and whatPeabody would have called a cutie. And he was the best Ident artist in the city. Eve tracked him down in his domain, a generous cube filled with comp screens, portables, paper sketchpads, and pencils.

“How cautiously?”

“Your wit's enthusiastic, and she's got a good eye. Our favor. She's also prone to what I call dramination. She's rocking on the drama, and using her imagination to juice it all up. I can work with that, and we're making progress.”

“Where is she?”

“In the crib. Hey, Peabody.”

“Just settled her in,”Peabody said as she joined them. “Got her an entertainment screen, extra pillows, a meal, a brew.”

“A brew?” Eve demanded.

“You said within reason,”Peabody reminded her. “Not within regs. She's happy, though she squawked some about having to give up her pocket 'link, and not having access to another. Anyway, she's down, and I've got Invansky babysitting.”

“I wonder-just a thought that passes through my mind-why our wit is watching screen and drinking brew instead of giving us a picture of a couple of stone murderers.”

“My call, Lieutenant.” Yancy held up a hand. “She was tapped for the night. She's given us a good start, but she was starting toward hyperbole. She comes back to what we've got fresh, it's a better chance other details will spring for her.”

“Okay, okay.” Eve raked both hands through her hair, at war with her own impatience. “Show me what you've got.”

“Split screen,” he ordered, scooting over. “Current images.”

Eve looked at rough sketches-rougher, she noted, than usual when working with Yancy. Both were of square-faced, square-jawed men she'd judge to be in their early forties to early fifties. The eyebrows were straight and pale, the mouths grim but sensuously full. Dark watch caps were pulled low over both foreheads, and most of their upper faces were concealed by them and the dark, wraparound shades.

“You've got to ditch the shades. I need best probability on the eyes.”

“I will. I'm going to work some from these, but I've got a better chance of hitting it closer after I have another session with Ophelia.”

“I can't go out with this, Yancy.”

“Give me until tomorrow. She's got a good eye, like I said, but it's more impressionistic, more big-picture. It'll take a little more work for me to finesse the details out of her.”

“Just how much is she going to forget while she's slurping down a brew and watching vids? I've got two cops in the fucking morgue.”

“I know what I'm doing.” For the first time in her memory, Yancy shoved up and into her face. “Just because I never worked with Knight orPreston doesn't mean I'm stringing this out. You want results, get off my ass.”

She could have slapped him down for it. Nearly did. God knew she wanted to take a swing at someone. Close ranks, she thought, and sometimes you end up taking a bite out of one of your own.

“Step back, Detective.”

He vibrated, the muscles in his jaw worked, but he stepped back.

“You're right,” Eve said. “You know what you're doing and I'm on your ass. We're all on edge about this. I requested you because I consider you the best we have. I also know you were off duty, and came in on your own time.”

“None of us are on our own time now.” His shoulders relaxed. “Sorry for the spew, Dallas. It's frustrating for me not to be able to put this together faster. I pushed her a little longer than I should have first session. Now I've got to pull back.”

“How sure are you about the facial structure on these?”

“Sure as I get. She's got that big-picture style. I'd say the shape of the faces is on target-at least for one. If she's right on both, these guys might be brothers or cousins. Father and son.”

“Shoot me copies, will you? I'll start with what you've got-and try to stay off your ass until you have more.”

He smiled a little. “Appreciate it.”

The house was quiet when she walked in. She'd nearly bunked at Central, would have if there wasn't a nine-year-old witness in her house. She had three cops patrolling the grounds, another three inside-a situation she imagined Roarke detested more than he would a stock market crash.

He might've built himself a fortress, but he wouldn't care to be under siege.

She checked in with all the night duties and got the all-clear before she went upstairs.

She'd thought he'd be in bed-it was closing in on three in the morning-but her house scan showed him in his office yet. She went into her own, dumped some files, then opened the connecting door to his.

She wasn't quite sure what to think when she saw the kid curled up in the spare bed Roarke must have brought out of its panel-and the man himself sitting beside her, eyes closed.

It was rare for her to see him sleep-he was so often up before her- but she didn't see how that position, with his back up against the wall, could be comfortable.

Even as she debated, he spoke. Eyes still closed. “She was restless. I took the night shift, and let her come seek me out when she woke.”

“Nightmare?”

“Worse, really. She said she dreamed they were all still alive. Woke up, and they weren't.” He opened his eyes now, heavy and blue. “She sat with me awhile, but was so worried about going back to her room, I put her here. She asked if I'd sit with her. Apparently we both nodded off. I've had the searches going on silent, haven't been able to check them.”

“Morning's good enough, since it's only a couple hours away. What do we do with her? Can't leave her here.”

“Well…” He looked over, studied Nixie. “I could try carrying her back. If she wakes up, it's your turn.”

“Shit. Make sure she doesn't wake up.”

He slid off the bed. “This usually works with you.” He tucked his hands under her, lifted. Nixie gave a moan, stirred, and had them looking at each other in mild panic. Then her head dropped on his shoulder.

“Don't breathe,” Eve said in a whisper. “Don't talk. And maybe you could sort of glide instead of walk.”

He merely cocked his head, then inclined it toward the elevator.

She used manual instead of voice, held her own breath until they'd completed the trip and he was easing Nixie into bed. They backed out of the room together as if the bed contained a homemade boomer.

“When does Summerset take over?”

“Six.”

“Three hours. We should be okay then.”

“I sincerely hope so. I need to sleep and so do you.” He rubbed a thumb on the smudges under her eyes. “Anything new?”

“Yancy's working on a sketch, but he wants to get back to it in the morning.” In their bedroom, she shed her jacket, then her harness. “I need a few hours down myself. Brain's mushy. I want to be back at Central around oh-seven hundred. You get any names that look good, you can shoot them to me there.”

She peeled out of her boots, her clothes. “You tired enough not to argue if I ask you to work from here tomorrow?”

“At the moment. But I may revive by sunup.”

“We'll argue then.”

They crawled into bed, his arm came around her, snuggled her back against him. “That's a date.”

He didn't wake before her-another surprise. The low beep from the monitor across the room woke her, and a check of her wrist unit confirmed it was six hundred hours.

The room was still dark, but she could see him, the shape of him. The line of cheek and jaw, the sweep of hair. She'd turned to face him sometime during that short rest. Seeking… what, she wondered. Connection, solace, warmth.

For a moment she wished she could simply close her eyes again, curl closer, escape everything but him in the silence of sleep. Her body, her brain, felt so heavy with fatigue. She'd have to dig in, dig deep to find the energy and purpose she'd need to face the day.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see more of him. The plane of his nose, his cheek, the curve of his mouth. Beautiful. And every plane, every line, every inch was hers.

It made her feel lighter, body and mind, just to look at him.

“I can feel you staring.” His voice was a sleepy murmur, but the thumb and finger of the hand resting on her butt gave her a sharp pinch.

“How come you're not up making another million and generally laying waste to the business world?”

“Because I'm sleeping. I'll make another million later, and let someone else start the day laying waste.”

Yes, she thought, lighter and lighter.

“Why are you tired?”

“Because someone won't shut up and let me sleep.”

“Batteries run down, huh? Maybe you need a recharge.” She wrapped her fingers around him, squeezed, and grinned when he hardened. “Apparently, not running too low.”

“Reserves. You know what happens to sexual predators?”

“You bet. I'm a cop.” She rolled on top of him. “My bats are on low, too. Need a jolt. You know how sex can rev you up?”

“I've heard rumors.” His hand stroked over her hair as she worked her way down-and his body flashed fully awake when her mouth replaced her fingers. “I don't think that's playing quite fair, but keep it up.”

She laughed, bit his thigh. “Keeping it up's never been your problem.”

“You've got a smart mouth.” His breath caught when she used it again. “Make that brilliant.”

She worked her way up, shifted to straddle him. And from across the room a child's voice demanded, “Where isDallas?”

“Shit! Shit a brick!” Eve sprang around, instinctively reaching for her weapon and slapping her own naked side. On the monitor she saw Nixie standing in the guest room by the house scanner. “Jesus, does she ever sleep?”

“Summerset will go settle her down.” But he sat in the warm bed with his naked wife and watched the child.

“We can't have juicy sex with a kid right there. It's… perverted.”

“I don't mind perverted. What it is, is intimidating. It's not like she can see or hear or… it's just that there she is. And now there's Summerset.” He sighed, pushed back his hair as he watched his majordomo go into Nixie's room. “Bugger it. Let's try the shower. It could work in the shower, you know, with the door closed, the water running.”

“It's weirded me out now, him as much as her. I've got to slap it together and get to work. Go back to sleep.”

He dropped back on the pillows when she jumped out of bed and dashed toward the bath. “Right. That'll happen.”

She was smart enough to get in and out of the shower in a blink, knowing he might try to talk them both into a quick water game. She was shutting the door on the drying tube when he came in.

“She wants pictures,” he said. “Pictures of her family. Can you get some for her?”

“I'll take care of it. Gotta check some things in my office,” she added. “See if anything came in while we slept. Then I've got to get back downtown.”

“I'll check the search results for you before you go-on the condition you have some breakfast.”

She watched him-the man had the best ass on the planet-step into the shower. “Get something in the office.” She stepped out of the tube, combed her fingers through her hair as she reached for a robe. “Update you in there if you want.”

“I'll come up as soon as I'm dressed. We'll have some breakfast while you do.”

“Deal.” She went into the bedroom, pulled out some underwear, grabbed some trousers, reached for a shirt. She was pulling it on when the in-house 'link beeped.

“Video off. What?”

“As you're up, Nixie would like a word with you,” Summerset said.

“I'm heading to my office in a minute.”

“As none of you has had breakfast, perhaps she could join you.”

Put me right in that corner, Eve thought with a snarl for the 'link. “I'm still-”

“I can program coffee.” Nixie's voice piped through. “I know how.”

“Okay, fine, sure. Do that. I'll be there in a minute.”

She buttoned the shirt, pulled on her boots, and muttered to herself about having to have conversations with witnesses before she'd had her coffee. Sex might've given her a charge, cleared the cobwebs, but no. Kid's got to start nagging at her before she's out of the damn bed.

She strapped on her weapon harness, strode to the closet for a jacket. She had work to do, damn it. Serious, concentrated work, and what was going to happen? The kid was going to start out the day with one of those long, soulful looks. And she'd have to tell her for the umpteenth time that no, she hadn't caught the murdering bastards who'd slaughtered her family.

“Oh fucking shit!”

The murder board, Eve thought, standing in plain sight in her office. She streaked out of the room, swung into the one Nixie was using. When she found it empty, she charged toward her office.

Still in her pink pajamas, the child stood, staring at the stark images of murder and death. Cursing herself, cursing Summerset, Eve strode across the room, put herself directly between Nixie and the board.

“This isn't for you.”

“I saw them before. I saw them for real. My mom and dad. I saw them before. You said I could see them again.”

“Not like this.” Her eyes were huge, Eve thought. So big in her face it seemed they'd swallow it whole.

“It's my mom and dad. They're not yours.” She tried to push pass Eve.

Going with instinct, Eve hauled Nixie up, turned around. “It doesn't help to see them like that. It doesn't help them or you.”

“Why do you then?” Nixie pushed, shoved. Kicked. “Why do you have pictures of them? Why do you get to look at them?”

“Because it's my job. That's it. You have to deal with that. Stop it. I said stop! Look at me.” When Nixie went limp, Eve tightened her grip. She wished desperately for Roarke, forPeabody, even-God- for Summerset. Then she fell back on training. She knew how to handle the survivor of violent death.

“Look at me, Nixie.” She waited until the child lifted her head, until those drenched eyes met hers. “You want to be mad, be mad. They stole your family from you. Be pissed off. Be sad and sorry and outraged. They had no right. The bastards had no right to do this.”

Nixie trembled a little. “But they did.”

“But they did. And last night, they killed two men I knew, men who worked for me. So I'm pissed off, too.”

“Will you kill them now? When you find them, will you kill the bastards because they killed your friends?”

“I'll want to. Part of me will want to, but that's not the job. Unless my life or someone else's life is in danger, if I kill them because I'm just pissed off and sad and sorry, it puts me in the same place as them. You have to leave this to me.”

“If they try to kill me, will you kill them first?”

“Yes.”

Nixie looked into Eve's eyes, nodded gravely. “I can do the coffee. I know how.”

“That'd be good. I take mine black.”

When Nixie went into the kitchen, Eve grabbed the blanket off her sleep chair, tossed it over the board. Then she pressed her hands to her face.

The day, she thought, was already sucking large.