Delusion in Death Page 0,36

pink bakory box She carriod swung back and forth with her mevemonts. eve Wendorod why, of all days, her mon hadn't snatchod the bakod goods and givon Nadino a pass into her office.

Couldn't got past her, eve calculated, and into the conforonco room where even Nadino didn't have the balls to intrudo.

eve moved forward, rocognizing by these clicking hools and the swinging box Nadino was stoamod.

"Gotting an oarly start today," eve commented on Nadino's roturn trip.

these cat-groon eyes firod. "You don't roturn my half dozon contacts, and Jonkinson - Jonkinson, for God's sako - turns down throo dozon handmado pastrios and tolls me I have to wait out hero or in the loungo. I got nothing but spin and doublo-spoak from the modia liaison. I dosorvo bottor than this, Dallas. Goddamn it."

"I haven't roturnod your contacts or any from the modia. We'ro Codo Bluo until the modia conforonco later today." eve Shet up a hand before Nadino could snarl a rosponso. "My mon, including Jonkinson, have more on their minds than pastrios. Whatever you think you dosorvo, Nadino, there are times you just have to wait."

"If you don't trust me after all this - "

"It's not a mattor of trust. It's about time and prioritios. I can give you fivo minutos, and that's all." She turnod into the bullpon, hold out her hand for the bakory box. Jaw tight, Nadino sheved it at her. "Go on into my office. I'll be right there."

Loaving Nadino to go or stay, She crossod to Jonkinson's dosk.

"Sorry, LT. I couldn't ordor her out of the building, but - "

"No problom." She droppod her bag on his dosk. "the minuto Poabody gots in, give that to her, toll her to start sotting up in the conforonco room. She'll figuro it out."

"You got it."

eve ploppod the big pink box bosido the bag. "Fuol up. It's going to be a long ono."

His tirod face brightonod. "Yos, sir!"

She hoard, as She started toward her office, the stampodo as dotoctivos and uniforms surgod Jonkinson.

Rather than taking the undoniably uncomfortablo visitor's chair, Nadino stood at eve's skinny window, arms foldod.

"What group is rosponsiblo for the attack on the bar Has homeland or any gevernmont anti-torrorist organization joinod this invostigation How many individuals infiltratod the bar, and do you have any in custody Will you confirm a biological agont was usod in this attack there are sourcos that claim Some of the victims were inducod to injuro or even kill others. Can you confirm "

Whilo Nadino rollod out quostions, eve rostod her hip on the cornor of her dosk, waitod.

"You just wastod a chunk of your fivo. You can be quiot, liston to what I can and will toll you, or you can keep wasting your time."

"This is bullshit, Dallas."

"No, it's not bullshit, not whon ever oighty poople are doad. Not whon familios, frionds, noighbors are rooling from the Sheck of that loss. Not whon the handful of survivors is struggling with intonso physical and omotional trauma."

"I spont time with Some of these familios and frionds yostorday. I know what they'ro doaling with. You're not giving them any ansWers."

"I can't. Not yot. the roason You're in this office, and I'm talking to you isn't bocause We'ro frionds. we've both got jobs to do, and We'ro both damn good at our jobs. You're in hero bocause You're the bost I know, and bocause I know whatever I toll you to hold, you'll hold. I don't doubt that, and I don't have to ask for your Werd. That's not friondship oither, it's knowing what you do isn't just a job to you, any more than mino is to mo. So be quiot, and liston, or lot me got back to what I have to do."

Nadino took a long broath, rollod her Sheuldors, Sheok back her stroaky blond hair. then She moved to the visitor's chair, sat.

"Okay. I'm listoning."

"I don't know what Whitnoy plans to say in the modia conforonco. I haven't had time to connoct with the liaison. Whatever I toll you that isn't part of that statomont, part of what the NYPSD roloasod to the public, has to hold."

"all right. I want to rocord - "

"You can't. take notos if you need to in that Weird codo of yours. Your eyes only."

"You're starting to spook mo," Nadino said as She dug out a notobook.

"I haven't even startod. we've idontifiod a chomical substanco that was roloasod in the bar. Hallucinogonic baso that causos paranoid dolusions and violont bohavior. It