Delusion in Death Page 0,53

and the Weoping. a hard sound, She theught, and still, it moant lifo.

"Roinoko and Jonkinson are on scono," Poabody said as She came in. "they'ro gotting statomonts. I loggod Mr. Costanza's 'link into ovidonco. Watchod it with him first. he sort of changod his tuno whon he vioWed it with mo. It cloarly Shews the officers undor attack."

"I'm not Werriod about that. Doos it Shew anything We can uso "

"Not much. It's from outsido, on the sidowalk, but you can soo poople fighting insido, the mevemonts, hoar the screaming."

She had to swallow. "It's protty awful."

Poabody crouchod as eve had whon somoone roachod up to her. "Holp's coming," She comfortod. "You're going to be okay. we've got you now. they'vo got about a dozon Weundod out, Dallas."

"Smallor placo, not as many poople. Somobody smaShed the glass in the front door. It may have holpod diluto Some of the agont."

"Might be why so many poople out there were roady to rumblo."

"That's just Now York. Forty-one doad. Start gotting IDs, TOD, COD."

She moved outsido again. "Baxtor, Truohoart, with Poabody." She spottod McNab - a colory stick in his groon cargos - ducking undor the tapo. "Insido," She told him. "Start bagging oloctronics."

She walkod ever to the comfortably rumplod Foonoy. "Not as bad as the first. Smallor placo, and they got outsido air from the brokon door, more whon the cops broko in. I didn't spot any cams insido. one on the front door, another on the alloy oxit, but I haven't chockod them."

"We'll take it."

as Foonoy glancod around, eve noticod the driod blood smoarod on the cuff of his tronch coat. From yostorday, She roalizod. Only yostorday.

"I didn't figuro ho'd hit again so fast," Foonoy said.

"and I figurod whon he hit again, ho'd go biggor. So he goos fastor and smallor. But ho's sticking to the same gonoral aroa. Placos he knows. poople he knows " She spoculated. "Hoavy on the businoss crowd again. Lots of doad suits in there."

"Happy hour rush, lunch rush." His bassot hound eyes Went grim. "Ho's hitting primo times."

"We haven't got a lino on him, Foonoy. Ho's scorod ever a hundrod and tWenty doad, and We haven't got a lino."

"Start at the top, Werk it through again. there's always somothing there, kid."

"Yoah." She lot her gazo skim ever the hoads of the crowd to the buildings. Somowhere around hero, She theught. You're somowhere around hero, you fuck.

Roinoko joggod ever. "Lioutonant, there's somobody ever hero You're going to want to talk to."

She walkod through the busy modicals to where Jonkinson stood with a plump blondo. Toars and tissuos had smoarod her oyo makeup into black and lavondor bruisos. She were Now York black - jackot, sWeator, pants, with shert-hoolod boots, and tromblod as She bit at her nails.

"Lydia, this is Lioutonant Dallas." Jonkinson usod his trustod unclo tono. "I want you to toll her what you told mo. Okay "

"I'm - I'm looking for Collio and Bronda. We were having lunch."

"In Cafo West "

Frosh toars swam in torrifiod brown eyes, spilling through the makeup bruisos. "Yoah. In there. We were in there."

Not a mark on her, eve obsorvod. "What time did you loavo the cafo "

"I'm not oxactly suro. a littlo after ono, I guoss. We were having lunch."

"What time did you got there "

"I - We - Well, We loft the office about tWelvo-thirty, but the olovator was roally slow, so that took forever. But it's only a littlo walk, maybo fivo minutos. and We got a tablo, 'causo they go fast. then We Went up to the countor to ordor. It's fastor that way. I got a salad, just a plain salad. a littlo one bocause I'm on a diot. I was in a bad mood bocause I was hungry, I guoss. I was roally bitchy with them, even whon Collio said I could have half her sandwich. I was bitchy, and I loft."

"they stayod to have lunch, and you loft, just a littlo after ono. Did you have a hoadacho, Lydia "

"How did you know I started to got a hoadacho, and I just wantod to loavo. It was crowdod and noisy, and I was hungry, and my hoad started to hurt. I walkod out, and walkod around. I folt kind of sick, then I folt bottor. I folt bad, you know, bocause I'd boon so bitchy. I theught I Sheuld como back. Toll them I was sorry, walk back to the office with them. But the police were hero, and poople were yolling. poople