Portrait in Death by J. D. Robb

from a public comp at one of those dance, drink, and data joints. Transmitted it just after six hundred hours, but he shot it out earlier, with a hold. Shot it out about two. Straight job-he didn't bounce it around. Either he doesn't know how, or he didn't give two shits. Those places are crawling that time of night. Nobody's going to remember some guy who popped in for a brew and used a 'link."
    "We'll check it out anyway. Location?"
    "Place called Make The Scene."
    "Pop."
    "Mean something?"
    "It's a club she frequented. Thanks. Quick work."
    "That's why we're the elite, and get danishes."
    "Bite me," she muttered and cut him off.
    She swung into the bullpen. There were no danishes, she noted. There weren't even crumbs. She'd have to settle for a Power Bar from vending or take a chance on the food at the data club.
    Surely it couldn't be worse than a Power Bar.
    "Peabody, we're in the field."
    "I was just about to have this sandwich." She held up a wrapped lump.
    "Then you should be thrilled to be able to demonstrate those multitasking skills. Eat and roll."
    "This is bad for the digestion," Peabody replied, but she stuffed the sandwich in her bag, grabbed her tube of OrangeAde.
    "EDD's got the location of the transmission to Nadine."
    "I know. McNab told me."
    Eve pushed through the crowd on the elevator and studied her aide's face. "I just got off the 'link with Feeney, his superior-as I am yours. So why is it my aide and his detective are chatting about the information in my investigation?"
    "It just happened to come up-between kissy noises." She smiled, pleased when Eve's eye twitched. "And sexual innuendos."
    "As soon as this case is closed, I'm putting in for a new aide-one who has no sexual drive whatsoever-and transferring you to Files."
    "Aw. Now that you've hurt my feelings, I'm not inclined to share my sandwich."
    Eve held out for ten seconds. "What kind is it?"
    "Mine."
    It was also some sort of fake ham drowned in fake mayo. Eve was forced to shift to auto on the trip, then grab Peabody's tube of OrangeAde to try to wash down the two bites she scrounged. "Christ, how do you drink this crap?"
    "I happen to think it's refreshing, and find it goes very well with the shortbread cookies I have for dessert." She took the tiny package out of her bag and made a production out of opening it.
    "Give me a goddamn cookie, or I'll hurt you. You know I can."
    "My fear is almost as great as my love for you, Lieutenant."
    Eve found a slot on the second level, curbside, and zipped up the ramp at a speed and angle that had Peabody's lunch lurching dangerously in her belly.
    Delicately, Eve brushed cookie crumbs off her shirt. "Smartasses always pay."
    "You never do," Peabody said under her breath.
    Chapter 4
    In the daylight hours, the action at data clubs whittled down to the geeks and nerds who thought they were living on the edge by hanging in a joint that offered a holoband and sports screens.
    The stations were silver, and so small, so crammed together that even the shyest nerd was virtually guaranteed a free feel of a neighboring butt during peak hours.
    The holoband was in mellow mode, with soft guitars and whispering keyboard with the vocals going for plaintive croon. The girl singer was dressed in black to match her glossy skin. The only spot of color was her stoplight red hair that fell over most of her face while she murmured something about broken hearts and minds.
    The clientele was primarily male, primarily solo, and since no one looked distressed or interested in Peabody's uniform, Eve figured a sweep of the place wouldn't net an Illegals hound enough of a cache to fill a dwarf's pocket.
    She made her way to the sluggishly circling central bar.
    There were two servers, a human male and a female droid. Eve opted for the one that breathed.
    His dress was trendy-the loose shirt in sunset colors, the small army of multicolored loops riding up the curve of his left ear, the crop of spikes in the crown of his ordinary