Page 31 of Random in Death

At least not emotionally, she considered. Or if it was an adult using a kid to kill.

A Mira question, which had to wait until the next day.

He knew how to get in, knew how to get out. Nothing impulsive there.

If they didn’t know each other—and she couldn’t yet nail that as firm—how did he pick her?

Her face, her body, the way she moved, her outfit? Because the kill hadn’t been impulse, either. He’d waited, timed it, to near the end of the set.

He’d had a timetable, an agenda, and a target.

He’d had plenty of time during the event to pick his target—if he hadn’t chosen Jenna previously. What made her the one?

She swung her boots down as Peabody’s clomped toward her office.

“Jake and Nadine are here. I can throw myself on the sword and block Nadine.”

“No need. She may have seen something she didn’t think of last night.”

“Good, because I hate throwing myself on the sword.”

“Why would anybody do that?”

Peabody hiked her shoulders. “Death before dishonor?”

“Death ends you. You can come back from dishonor. Let’s do this in the lounge.”

When she went out, she saw Jake had washed the blue out of his hair. Shadows dogged his eyes, and he had the look of a man who’d had a very rough night.

She imagined he had.

Beside him, Nadine stood camera ready in a black suit. Though the makeup hid most of it, Eve saw shadows there, too.

“Working?” she said to Nadine.

“It leaked, which we had to expect. I went into the station, did a quick in-studio on it. It would help if we could do a one-on-one. It’s not for the damn ratings, Dallas,” she snapped at Eve’s cool stare.

“Come on, Lois.” Jake took Nadine’s hand, leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

“I’m aware of that, Ms. Lane. Like you’re aware there’s not much I can say about an active investigation, especially at this stage. Add the fact we have a relationship, and I know Jake.”

“Anything. Anything to take some of the pressure off. Hell, Dallas, the media’s even got his mother’s house staked out.”

“It’s okay.” Jake gave the hand he held a squeeze. “She’ll handle it. We’ll handle it. Somebody else’s mom lost her daughter. This is nothing.”

Not comparable, Eve thought, but not nothing.

“Let’s take this to the lounge. When we’re done, you can have a brief—very brief—one-on-one with Peabody.”

“Peabody and I have a relationship,” Nadine countered. “Peabody knows Jake.”

“But she’s not the boss of this division or the primary in this investigation.”

“Valid, and thank you.”

“Let me say this,” Eve continued as they walked. “Jake, you’re not a suspect. You’re a witness. Evidence clears you absolutely.”

“I wasn’t worried about that. Wasn’t thinking about that.”

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