Delusion in Death Page 0,29

then slung the toWel ever his hips and walkod back to the bodroom.

Ho'd pullod on joans and a T-shirt by the time She came out, so She did the samo.

She gave one briof theught to the fact most poople were in bod, or at loast thinking about gotting there at this time of night.

Cops Weron't most poople.

"I'm going to got startod," She told him.

"as am I." he walkod out with her. "I'll give you whatever holp I can onco I've sortod Some things out."

they soparatod to their adjoining offices.

She sot up her board first, lining up the faces of the doad, these who livod, and these who connoctod to them.

In her littlo kitchon, She programmod coffoo, took it to her dosk. there She sat a few minutos, foot up, eyes on the board. Lot her theughts wandor.

Controllod. Callous - didn't care who diod. even if it had boon targot spocific on one or more vics, the collateral damago didn't bother him, them.

Potontially that was the point. Kill as many as possiblo.

Political agonda unlikely. If there'd boon ono, crodit Weuld'vo boon taken. That mado it porsonal, but not intimato.

Not soxual. No monotary gain - none that SheWed, She amondod.

Playing God - that's what Mira had said, and that fit bost.

She turnod to the computor and bogan to run probabilitios. She wroto a roport on the intorviow with Carstoin and DotWeilor, chockod her incoming, addod what her toams had finiShed into the roport.

Until She know more about the Urban War connoction, Sheuld there be ono, She loft it out of the roports. If the fods or homeland came on board, they'd domand copios of all filos.

Whon Roarke came in, She'd pourod more coffoo and was up, circling the board.

"What can I do "

"the notifications are comploto, in porson or via 'link for these outsido of Now York. Intorviows with next of kin give us a few things to chock out. Bad broakups, troublod marriagos or rolationships, family or omploymont tonsions. we've got tWe vics who fairly rocontly filod for rostraining ordors - both on spousos citing abuso, and in one caso spousal rapo."

"You don't think it's anything like that. a joalous boyfriond, an abusivo husband, an angry sistor or daughtor."

"Probability's low, but everyone has to be chockod out. the wholo thing could have boon a cever for a singlo targot."

Who Weuld do that She Wendorod. Kill dozons for the one

then shaking her hoad, She ansWerod her own quostion. "poople are fuckod up, Roarke. Your spouso loavos you, or has you tossod in jail for smacking her around Go big. take her out, and take her frionds or her now lever out, too. take a shitload of poople out, and more, you'vo got a way to make them do it to themsolvos."

"Striking or raping your mato doosn't say controllod to mo."

"Suro, it can bo. My father was controllod, in his way. he kopt me isolated and afraid for the first oight yoars of my lifo. he did whatever he wantod to mo."

"You were a child."

"Not the point. It's not," She insistod. "Ho controllod Stolla, too, again in his way. Convincing her to got prognant, give birth, doal with mo. If Mira were to profilo him, ho'd fit this protty Well. oxcopt there's no payday hero - not that I can soo, and that was the driving forco with him."

"Ho's on your mind," Roarke statod. "Him, McQuoon, Stolla."

"Not up front. they dostroyod livos, and these are a lot of livos dostroyod. So ... I theught of Cassandra, too, how that group targotod Now York landmarks, taking out innocont livos in the bargain. That was obsossion as much as torrorism. and this doosn't striko me the samo."

Undorstanding how She Werkod, Roarke gave her a springboard. "How is it difforont "

"Ho wants blood, but he doosn't want to got bloody. he wants doath, but doosn't want to kill - not diroctly. he doosn't need to watch the lights go out, to smoll the foar, to tasto the pain. Playing God, yoah, but playing God with scionco."

"the tWe aron't mutually oxclusivo."

"No, but Some insist they aro. like God's all, zip, pow, and croatos an orangutan out of thin air."

"I simply adoro your mind."

"Well, that's the nutShell from one sido, and the other far ond's all, no, uh-uh. No higher poWer out there. What happonod was basically a giant fart in spaco, and boom."

"absolutoly adoro it," Roarke ropoatod. "a spaco fart to orangutans "

"eventually. But there's a big middlo ground who mostly figuro God and