last.
“That doesn’t mean she doesn’t go into a high-security prison, but it’s going to be the mentally defective wing. Still.” Eve looked at Mira. “If we’re wrong, you’ll know it.”
“She planned each murder precisely,” Reo argued. “With alternatives, escape routes, ways to avoid detection. She knew right from wrong.”
“I’ll observe, and I’ll have a one-to-one evaluation session with her. Eve, what is this pizza? I’ve never had better.”
“Shagging, apparently.”
“Sorry?”
“It’s one of Roarke’s deals. He’s started stocking my office AC because he’s constantly afraid I’ll starve to death.”
“Aw,” Reo and Peabody said in stereo.
“Love sometimes comes with mozzarella,” Mira said with a smile.
“I guess it does. I have to tag somebody, then we’re going in. Peabody, we square on approach?”
“Yeah.”
“Have her brought up. I’ll meet you there.”
Now Eve went to her office, contacted Nadine.
“Late this afternoon,” Eve began, “officers attached to Homicide and EDD entered the home of Eloise Callahan—”
“The what!”
“On a duly authorized warrant,” Eve continued. “At that time they apprehended Darla Pettigrew. Ms. Pettigrew is charged with the abduction, torture, and murder of Nigel McEnroy, Thaddeus Pettigrew, and Arlo Kagen, and the abduction and torture of Linus Brinkman. Ms. Callahan, grandmother of Ms. Pettigrew, had been sedated by her granddaughter and is not a suspect or a person of interest in the investigation.
“Those are the highlights, you could say.”
“Jumping Jesus, Dallas.”
“I want Eloise Callahan protected, Nadine. I want you to give her a damn good cushion. She’s a victim in this, too.”
“You’re sure she wasn’t—”
“One hundred percent. Pettigrew slipped her something before she went out on the hunt and had a goddamn medical droid—of her making—guarding her. She did her dirty work in the basement behind doors locked so tight it took Roarke—who designed the damn system—several precious minutes to get through.”
“Okay, got it. Give me—”
“I’m putting her in the box now. That’s all I can give you. You do your job, I’ll do mine.”
“And good luck to us both.”
Eve put the ’link back in her pocket, rolled her shoulders to loosen them, and went out to meet Peabody.
“She’s in there,” Peabody told her outside the door of Interview B. “Hasn’t asked for legal representation, hasn’t asked to make any contact. The uniforms who brought her up said she’s anxious to talk to us.”
“Then let’s not keep her waiting.”
Eve stepped in.
“Finally.” Darla rattled her restraints as she lifted her hands. She looked calm, composed as she sat at the table in her orange jumpsuit.
“Record on,” Eve began. “Dallas, Lieutenant Eve, and Peabody, Detective Delia, entering Interview with Pettigrew, Darla, on the matters of case files H-33491, H-33495, H-33498, and H-33500.” Eve set down a file as she and Peabody took their seats. “Ms. Pettigrew—”
“Oh now, it’s Darla.”
“Fine. Darla, you’ve been read your rights. Do you understand those rights and obligations?”
“Of course I do. I understand we have to go through these formalities, deal with these fussy little rules, but I’m here to talk with you, both of you.”
“Great.”
Oh yeah, Eve thought, studying Darla’s animated face. About to get chapter and verse.
“You’re charged with the abduction, administration of barbiturates without consent, enforced imprisonment, torture, and murder of Niles McEnroy, Thaddeus Pettigrew, Arlo Kagen. You’re additionally changed with the abduction, administration of barbiturates without consent, enforced imprisonment, and assault on Linus Brinkman.”
Darla rolled her eyes with the same attitude as a teenager caught breaking curfew. “That’s all nonsense.”
“How can it be nonsense?” Peabody asked, all quiet reason. “We apprehended you in the act of assaulting Linus Brinkman, we found articles belonging to McEnroy, Pettigrew, and Kagen in your workshop. Denying the charges isn’t going to fly, Darla.”
“The charges are nonsense,” she insisted.
“You’re actually denying you tortured and killed three men,” Eve put in, “and were in the process of taking another man’s life?”
“Absolutely not. I’m not denying the acts and actions, for goodness’ sake. It’s the charges that are foolish. I executed justice, justice no one else had been able to execute. The city should throw me a damn parade, and every woman who’s ever been harassed, raped, beaten, cheated on would cheer.”
She leaned forward. “You of all people should understand. You’re constrained by those formalities, those rules, but you’re women, women who must see nearly every day the pain, the humiliation, the degradation men cause women. I did what you’re unable to do—what I realize you must be afraid to do. I stopped them from causing more harm, from benefitting from the pain they’d inflicted. None of them deserved to live.”
“And you figure that’s your call?” Eve demanded. “To determine