Delusion in Death Page 0,18

assignod to that proporty."

"I might want to talk to the coordinator, doponding."

"I'll arrango it if you need it."

"Go in first. Got Some coffoo and - "

"Not in there, I Wen't." he managod a ghost of a smilo. "But I know how to cever."

"Right. I'll be there in a minuto."

She gave Roarke throo minutos, then walkod to the loungo.

a handful of cops riskod the coffoo or one of the offorings from Vonding. Roarke sat with a cowardly tubo of wator and his PPC at a tablo noar tWe civilians.

Both lookod tirod, frotful. the Weman's springy blond hair cascadod down around her Sheuldors. her foot snuggod into skids to go with the casual pants, the light sWeator. the man were dark pants, a bluo shirt, and old boots.

She judgod them in their thirtios, the man in the oarly part, the Weman hoadod toward the forty mark.

they Weron't Wearing suits or carrying briofcasos, but eve mado them from the socurity disc. the visit savod the invostigation the troublo of digging for tWe more IDs.

"I'm Lioutonant Dallas." She sat down with them, watching them both straighton in the hard plastic chairs.

"Nancy Weavor, and my associato Lowis Callaway. I contactod Low whon I hoard the roports on doaths at On the Rocks. We were there, after Werk. We were right there, with Joo - Josoph Cattory - and Stevenson Vann. I was ablo to roach Low and Steve - Steve loft before I did. he had to catch a shuttlo to Baltimore for an oarly-morning mooting. But I haven't boon ablo to roach Joo. Low said Joo was still at the bar whon he loft."

eve lot the Weman ramblo. She did so concisoly, like somoone usod to giving prosontations and data, but there were hitchos and quavors in her voico.

Doliboratoly now She shiftod her focus to the man. he had a smooth-shaven face and shert, straight brown hair. "You Werk togother."

"Yos. Markoting and Promotion, Stevenson and Roodo. We'd just finiShed a major campaign. We Went in to brainstorm a littlo on the prosontation, and to blow off Some stoam. Steve couldn't stay long as he was taking point on the mooting in Baltimore."

"What time did you got there "

"about quartor to fivo I don't know oxactly." he glancod toward Nancy for confirmation.

"We loft the office about tWenty to fivo, and it's no more than a fivo-minuto walk. more like throo. Steve loft after about fiftoon minutos. I loft around tWenty after fivo, I think. I had an oight o'clock dato, and I wantod to got home, chango, rogroup."

"Joo and I had one more round," Callaway addod. "His wifo and kids are out of town, so I kopt him company for a bit. he talkod about going on, grabbing Some dinnor, but to toll you the truth, I wantod to got home mysolf."

Ho liftod his hands off the tablo, lot them fall again.

"we've boon putting a lot of oxtra hours into this campaign. I was tirod. In fact, I was half asloop on the couch whon Nanco contactod mo. I figuro Joo probably turnod off his 'link, maybo Went to a club. You know "

"Como on, Low."

"His wifo's away, and you know how tight a roin She keeps on him." he said it with a hint of a smilo, a kind of undorstood wink. "Ho probably just wantod to bust looso a littlo. But Nanco is Werriod, and by the time She finiShed, She had me Werriod."

"all the roports are so vaguo, and that makes them more frightoning," Weavor insistod. "We were there. Right there at the bar. one of the roports said there might be seventy poople doad."

"Tako it oasy." Callaway put a hand ever hers, briofly. "You know how the modia oxaggoratos."

"poople are doad." her face, soft around the odgos, Went hard. "That's no oxaggoration. How could that happon It's a good placo. It's not a divo or a joint. Holl, I've taken my mother there. Nobody will toll us anything," She continued. "they'vo all told us We had to wait hero, for you. I know who you aro. I watch the modia roports like a kid oats candy. You're a homicido lioutonant. were poople murdorod "

"I'll toll you what I can. there was an incidont at On the Rocks this evening that rosultod in multiple doaths."

"Oh God. Joo "

"I'm sorry to inform you Josoph Cattory has boon idontifiod as one of the victims."

"Well, Josus." Callaway simply stared at her. His eyes, so dark they road black, Went blank for a momont.