of them.” He inclined his head toward Eve. “Well done, Lieutenant.”
“You’d be right at home there, skulking around the haunted wallpaper, baking in the kitchen from hell.”
Because she wanted to set up her board, she left the insults there. She tossed the topper over the newel post and started upstairs with the cat bounding up beside her.
“Interesting. There’s devil’s food cake—but I didn’t bake it in the kitchen from hell.”
That got a laugh out of Roarke as he went upstairs.
“Why do they call it devil’s food cake?” Eve demanded. “How does anyone know if the devil eats cake, and, if he does, is he only allowed one kind? I don’t think so. I say the devil eats whatever he damn well pleases.”
Adoring her, Roarke gave her butt a pat. “I can truthfully say I’ve never given the matter any thought. Let’s raise a glass to the five-point-whatever in their new home.”
“They won’t be living there for months.”
“Regardless.”
He walked into her office, straight to the panel that opened to a generous wine rack.
Not to play favorites, Galahad gave Roarke’s leg a rub before leaping to the sleep chair.
He chose a bottle, opened it, then poured two glasses.
“To friends,” he said as he handed Eve hers, “who are family.”
“Yeah, that’s a good one.” She tapped her glass to his. “But I still have to work.”
“Understood. Why don’t you set up your board, as you won’t enjoy a meal until you have. I’ll take a look at this trust.”
“I don’t know who set it up. I only have what Shelby told me.”
“And what she told you, and you told me, is enough. Set up your board and book, then we’ll have a meal.”
She set up her board while he worked in his adjoining office. After circling it a couple of times, making an adjustment or two, she settled into her command center.
She opened operations, and copied her book to date.
She grabbed her ’link when she saw Baxter on the readout.
“Dallas. What’ve you got?”
“Shoe envy. Not for the type she’s got, but the number. I can tell you Shoe Hoarder Huffman liked to live and dress in style. Under her clothes, too. A whole bunch of sexies. I believe my esteemed partner developed a permanent blush.
“She keeps a selection of high-end vibrators, but tucked away from curious eyes. But,” he said just as Eve figured the search hit bust, “we got her ’link.”
“The one she said she ditched?”
“She did ditch it—in her kitchen recycler. It’s dinged up, but she didn’t run a full cycle—and we got to it before it ran the auto. Still too crunched for us to access anything.”
“You need to get that to EDD.”
“Already there. Dinged up, like I said, with some bites out of it, but they should be able to get something.”
“That’s good. That’s gold. What else?”
“No drop ’links, nothing on her comp or tablet that popped out, but they’re in EDD now. The second bedroom’s set up as an office, but she clearly doesn’t do much in it. Plenty of sparkles in a safe, along with some cash, and a safe deposit box key.”
“We’ll check on that.”
Roarke walked in, signaled her to continue as he went into the kitchen.
“It’s in Evidence. I’m going to say that she lives cold. You can have the sparkles, the shoes, a closet full of high-end wear, and still live cold.”
“Cold suits her.”
“It must. But the possible payoff? Tucked away with the vibrators she had a small, unmarked bottle. As it wasn’t labeled, it’s not prescription or OTC.”
“Illegals?”
“That’d be my guess, boss. And since it was tucked with her sex stuff, I’m figuring sex illegals. I didn’t want to risk opening it, so we dropped it at the lab.”
“Good. I’ll check on it.”
“My boy Trueheart’s writing out the full report, then we’re heading out for a brew.”
“You earned it. Thanks.”
“All in a day’s, Dallas. The woman has a good fifty pairs of shoes that haven’t been worn. I stand and salute.”
“That’s just sad,” Eve said, and cut him off.
She sat back, considering, as Roarke came back with two covered plates.
“Shoes and vibrators.”
That stopped him. “Sorry?”
“Gwen Huffman’s place. Baxter admires her many shoes, reports she has a collection of vibrators tucked away—and a lot of sexy underwear.”
“None of that sounds murderous or illegal.”
“They recovered her old ’link from her recycler, so once EDD gets inside and recovers, maybe some murderous.”
“How damaged?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know yet, but maybe they’ll recover any communications she made on the way home from Ariel Byrd’s. And Baxter found an