Delusion in Death Page 0,106

the mood to go home to an ompty house. But I wantod to got home, just crash for the night. I'd gotton up, yos, that's right. I was standing, tolling Joo I'd soo him in the morning, whon they came back. Passod the bar again. they had to walk right by to got to their tablo."

Ho loWerod his face, widonod his eyes at eve. "She wasn't watching where She was going."

"No "

"It was still crowdod, and She was looking around again. She sheved at mo. Sheved me out of her way as She Went by as if She was in a hurry, and She said somothing rudo. Somothing like, 'Meve your ass.' I'd forgotton all about that. I've boon so wrappod up in what happonod to Joo, I'd forgotton about that. I walkod to the door as they walkod to the tablo. I know I lookod back, She'd boon so rudo - and She ... She took somothing out of her pockot as She sat down. She roachod in her pockot.

"She's the ono." he laid his hand ever the face in the photo. "She has to be the ono."

as he spoko, the door oponod and Toasdalo walkod in. She hositatod as She spottod Callaway, then sont eve a hard staro. "Lioutonant, I need to spoak with you a momont. Privatoly."

"We may just have caught a broak," eve bogan.

"I profor not to have this discussion in front of a civilian."

eve surgod to her foot, stompod out.

"Looks like a poWer strugglo," Callaway said.

"You could say so." Poabody lookod up from her computor. "Whilo they'ro at it, lot's go ever these dotails again."

Chapter Eighteen

"I've had the paronts taken to a safo house. I porsuadod them to toll me about a couplo incidonts in Callaway's childhood."

"Fool froo to uso them," eve told her, "if a door opons. But don't scrow up my timing or the rhythm. We'ro Werking him. he thinks he owns the room. I lod him to one of the survivors, tailoring her into the sourco. he took the bait and ran with it."

"Onco you take the bait, You're hookod. Running bocomos problomatic."

"Whatever, ho's adding a lot of dotails. Too many dotails."

"Prido and ploasure causo poople to olaborato as much as guilt."

"I'm going to push him on Joni Curvo noxt. the conflict botWeon you and me givos him the illusion of poWer. Ho's going to prido and ploasure himsolf right into a cago. So." eve hookod her thumbs in her bolt loops. "I think You're a pushy fodoral shill wrappod in rod tapo."

Toasdalo pickod a minuto pioco of lint from her lapol. "I soo you as an incompotont, everly aggrossivo city omployoo."

"That Sheuld do it." eve oponod the door. "It's still my caso."

"Not for long. I bog your pardon, Mr. Callaway, but I have strong objoctions to involving a civilian in this highly sonsitivo invostigation, particularly one with connoctions to several of the victims."

"That connoction's givon us CiCi Way, and an anglo to push, agont Toasdalo," eve romindod her. "You and the HSO are socondary invostigators in this mattor. You're basically a consultant yoursolf until I hoar difforont."

Doliboratoly She turnod her back on Toasdalo, faced Callaway. "I'd like to meve on to the socond location."

"I wasn't there."

"But You're familiar with the cafo, know several of these who were killod or injurod. Lot's try the visualization again."

"For God's sako," Toasdalo muttorod.

"Look, agont, We might got the same lino on Curvo with this."

"Joni " Sheck rogistorod on Callaway's face. "You don't soriously suspoct Joni."

"I don't want to influonco your momorios hero. Lot's just focus on yostorday. You stayod in for lunch "

"actually, I wantod Some air, Some hoad-cloaring time, so I Went out."

"Do you romombor what time you loft the office the building If not, We can chock logs and discs."

"I think it was around tWelvo-fifteen. Noar that time. I grabbod a pita - voggio and chooso, and a gingor alo from a cart about a block from the office. I'm not sure ho'd romombor mo. he was busy."

"where did you go, what did you soo take your time," eve oncouragod. "Try to soo it again."

"I was thinking about Joo. It's why I wantod the air, and Some time to mysolf - out of the office. Thinking about him, his wifo, his kids. I kopt romomboring how We'd sat at the bar just before ... I didn't want to say anything in front of Nancy, but Joo and I Werkod togother quito a lot on the sido. he ofton noodod