In Death 12 - Betrayal in Death by authors_sort

master.
    "Which is why, when informed you were on the premises, it was the first place I looked. Hello, Peabody."
    "What do you want?" Eve snapped before her aide could answer. "I'm working."
    "Yes, I'm aware of that. I assumed you'd want to follow through on some of the interviews you mentioned last night. Barry Collins is at home, but his supervisor's available at your convenience, as is another maid, Sheila Walker, who was a particular friend of the victim's. She came in to clear out Darlene's locker for the family."
    "She can't touch -- "
    "And so I told her. Not until you clear it. But I've asked her to wait so that you can speak to her."
    She sizzled, sparked, then cooled down to smolder. "I could tell you I don't need any help setting up interviews."
    "You could," he agreed, so pleasantly she didn't know whether to snarl or laugh.
    "But, you saved me some time, so thanks. I will say I don't want you, or anyone else in this room again until I've cleared it."
    "Understood. When you're done you can reach me at zero-zero-one on any 'link."
    "We're done, for now. Let's start with Sheila Walker."
    "I have an office set up for you on the meeting room level."
    "No, let me talk to her and the other one on their turf. Let's keep it informal, keep them comfortable."
    "Whatever you prefer. She's in the domestic employees' lounge. I'll show you."
    "Fine. You might as well hang around, too," Eve said as she walked through the door he opened. "You'll make her feel protected."
    Less than three minutes into the interview, Eve saw she'd called it right. Sheila was a tall, thin black girl with enormous eyes. More times than Eve could count she looked toward Roarke for reassurance, direction, and comfort.
    She had a beautiful accent, like island music, but between it and the muffled tears, Eve began to feel a headache brewing.
    "She was so sweet. That girl was so sweet. You never heard a bad word out of her mouth about anybody. Had a sunny disposition. Usually, if a guest got to see her or talk to her when she was cleaning, they'd give her a big tip. 'Cause she made them feel good. Now, I'll never see her again."
    "I know it's hard, Sheila, to lose a friend. Could you tell if there was anything on her mind, any worry?"
    "Oh no, she was happy. In two days, we have off, and the two of us, we were going shopping for shoes. That girl, she loved to shop for shoes. Right before we went for turn-downs we were saying how we'd go early and get ourselves one of those free makeovers at the beauty counter at the Sky Mall."
    Her thin, exotic face crumpled. "Oh, Mr. Roarke, sir!"
    At the fresh bout of weeping, he merely took her hand, held it.
    Eve picked away for another half hour, and took away scattered pieces that formed an image of a carefree, cheerful young woman who liked to shop, go dancing, and was having her first serious love affair.
    She'd had a regular breakfast date with her boyfriend every morning after shift. They ate in the employee lounge, except on payday, when they splurged on a meal in a coffee shop a few blocks away. Routinely, he walked her to her transpo station, waved her off.
    But they'd been making tentative noises about getting a small apartment together, maybe in the fall.
    She'd said nothing to her best friend, as Sheila claimed to be, about seeing, hearing, or finding anything unusual or concerning. And had wheeled away her cart that last evening with a smile on her face.
    The bell captain, who she interviewed in a lounge for the bellstaff, gave her a similarly rosy picture of Barry. Young, eager, cheerful, and starry-eyed over a dark-haired housekeeper named Darlene.
    He'd gotten a raise only the month before, and had shown anyone he could collar the little gold heart necklace he'd bought for his girl, for their six-month anniversary.
    Eve remembered Darlene had been wearing just such a necklace, playing with it, as she'd waited to enter 4602.
    "Peabody, girl question," she said as she walked between her aide and Roarke