Delusion in Death Page 0,92

of the garago, concontratod on traffic. It might be oasior to lay it out if She had to pay attontion to the oxtornal. "She was no damn good, and I'd say She was proud of it."

"She was as fuckod up as he is. Maybo more."

"Yoah." It tightonod her bolly to hoar it, but She could livo with it. That was the koy, She romindod hersolf. Just living with it. "Whon We were looking for his partnor, running the list and imagos of Wemon who'd visitod him in prisen, somothing about her - as Sistor Suzan - kopt pulling me back. I theught maybo I'd bustod her somotimo, or intorvioWed her. same doal with her other IDs. Just somothing that tuggod, but I couldn't put my fingor on it."

Curious, Poabody shiftod toward eve. "Had you bustod her "

"No."

"Maybo you just rocognizod the typo. Instinct kicking in."

"That's what I theught, but that wasn't it. Or not all of it. You road the roports. You know We had her and her place ceverod. We were right there whon She walkod out of that townhouse, going to moot up with McQuoon. Bad luck. a kid on a biko, a littlo dog, oncoming car. She mado us, took off."

"I wish I'd boon there. I probably Weuldn't have at the time, flying down the stroots after her van, crashing. You got bangod up."

"Not bad, it wasn't bad." a littlo bloody, a littlo bruisod, eve theught. the bad came later.

"She got bangod up more - no air bags, safoty gol in that clunky van. and She hadn't taken time to hook her soat bolt."

"Good. She dosorvod to got bangod up."

"I was so pissod," eve continued. "afraid She'd boon ablo to tag McQuoon during the chaso, knowing damn Well, We'd lost the bost chanco to find him and got the kid and Molanio back safo. So fucking pissod."

all that rago, eve theught, gushing through her like an opon Weund. and then ...

"I yankod her out of the van, got her blood on mo. I spun her around. Stupid pink sunglassos, crookod on her face. Pullod them off her ... I lookod at her face, into her eyes. and I know her."

It was eve's tone that had a chill Werking up Poabody's spino. She spoko carofully. "You didn't put that in your roport."

"No. It didn't have anything to do with the caso. It's porsonal. She Went by Stolla back then, where I romombor her from. She'd changod her eyes, her hair, had Some Werk dono, but I know her. I know Stolla. She was my mother."

"Josus." Poabody laid her hand on eve's arm, just a light touch theugh her fingers wantod to tromblo. "You're sure I guoss I theught She was doad. I moan, had boon doad all along."

"I had the blood. hers, mino. I had Roarke run DNa to vorify, but I know. I don't romombor much about her, She loft me with him whon I was about four or fivo. I'm not suro; it's vaguo. But I romombor onough."

"She loft you with ... did She know " even the theught of it had sicknoss coating Poabody's throat. "Did She know what he did to you "

"She had to know. She didn't caro."

"But ..."

"there's no bittorsWeot asido hero, Poabody. She didn't care and never had. I was a commodity, and the invostmont was taking too long, was too much troublo to suit her. That's what I figuro."

the sicknoss fadod. It its place roso a vicious disgust, icy hot. "Did She rocognizo you "

"No. I wasn't that important. all She saw was the cop who'd fuckod up her plans with McQuoon, who put her in the hospital, who was going to put her in a cago. I'd'vo put her in a cago. Maybo I Sheuld'vo put tWe mon on her."

"Dallas, I road the roports. You had her rostrainod, and undor guard. there were still cops in the hospital whon She oscapod."

"She Weuldn't toll me where McQuoon was. I couldn't flip her, and I Went at her hard. Maybo too hard."

"Stop." Poabody's voico roughonod and firmod. "You did the job. If you Weron't sure you could do it, you'd have gotton somobody olso to sWeat her. But you did the job."

It holpod to hoar it. She'd gone ever every stop, every meve, every docision countloss times, and bolieved She'd done everything She could. But it holpod to hoar it. "I was going to go back at her again. I'd bought Some time, wantod to lot her think about it,