The In Death Collection: Books 26-29 by J.D. Robb

the piece with it.”
    â€œThanks.” Eve clicked off, glanced over as Peabody clomped in with an armload of food.
    â€œWe got your pretend-I’m-turkey wraps, soy chips, and these cute little tubs of veggie hash. I got you a tube of Pepsi.”
    Eve watched while Peabody set food on her desk, tidily organizing debris to make room. “What are you angling for, Peabody?”
    â€œAngling? Just making sure you don’t forget to eat. You’re always forgetting to eat, which is why you’re skinny as a snake. Which looks great on you.” Peabody’s gaze darted up and away while she added a napkin and plastic fork. Then her breath huffed out as Eve continued to give her the fish-eye. “Okay, okay. Maybe I was hoping, if we’re not on the tail of some hot lead or whatever, you could find it in your big, generous heart to—”
    â€œCut the crap.”
    â€œI want to leave early, take an hour’s personal time. McNab and I have a date.”
    â€œYou and McNab live together.”
    â€œYeah, well, see, that’s kind of the point.” Peabody dragged the visitor’s chair over, picked up her wrap, and chowed down. “We realized we didn’t want the cohab thing to take the romance out of things. The spark. So we instituted Date Night. Tonight’s the first, so I really want to get home in time to buff myself up. Special, you know? Kick him in the balls special.”
    â€œIf you want to kick him in the balls—and I often want to myself—you should stay home.”
    â€œDallas.”
    â€œYeah, yeah, yeah. Take the hour, buff and polish, kick him in the balls.”
    â€œThanks. We’re going to this club, and not one of those bump-and-fuck joints,” Peabody added, gesturing with a soy chip before popping it into her mouth to crunch. “But where you actually go to listen to music and dance with each other and stuff. I really want to look extreme, so you know, need that hour.”
    â€œFine. You’ll be making it up tomorrow. You need to report to Nadine’s studio at Channel 75 at seventeen hundred.”
    â€œWhafo?” Peabody asked with a mouthful of veggie hash.
    â€œShe’ll interview you on the Anders case, so make sure you’re—”
    â€œWhat? On the air? Me?” She choked, whistled out a breath while her eyes wheeled, then glugged down Diet Pepsi. “No.”
    â€œYou’ll be representing the department, and this division, so don’t screw it up.”
    â€œBut…But people watch Now . Practically everybody. I can’t—”
    â€œScrew it up. Exactly.” It was small, it was mean, but Eve couldn’t deny Peabody’s reaction made the pretend turkey almost tasty. “Nadine has respect for cops, and for the process, but she’s still a reporter. She’s sneaky. Don’t forget that. You give the facts I’ll clear you to give, and the feel, your own take, but when she presses you—and she will—on investigative details, you block. Standard, I’m not at liberty.”
    Faintly green now, Peabody pressed a hand to her belly. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
    â€œYou boot on my desk, I’ll throw your gagging body out my window. You won’t have to worry about going on screen.”
    â€œCan’t you do it? You’re used to it.”
    â€œNo, I can’t do it, and you need to get used to it.”
    â€œI don’t know what to wear.”
    â€œOh sweet, suffering Christ.” Eve pressed her fingers against the twitching muscle beside her eye. “Window, Peabody. Headfirst.”
    â€œYou couldn’t fit me through that stupid window.”
    â€œLet’s find out.”
    â€œOkay, okay, okay. Now my head’s all screwed up.”
    â€œUnscrew it. We’ve got a few matters just a smidge more important than your date night and on-air debut. The vic was tranqed twice