Page 66 of Random in Death

“Why her room?”

“I may find something to help find who took her from you, Ms. Dillon.”

“She doesn’t know any killers. You can look all you want. Arlie’s a miracle. My miracle. I don’t mean she’s perfect. I wouldn’t want that for her. Just like I know she and Moses had sex. She’s seventeen. I remember what it’s like. I was twenty-two when I had her. The boy I thought I loved and loved me said we’d get married. I believed him, and we made plans for a wedding, for a baby.

“Then he left. Arlie’s more careful and a lot smarter than I was. She has ambitions, good friends, she’s working hard to try to get scholarships. She didn’t know anyone who’d do such a horrible thing.”

“Sometimes you don’t realize you know something. Did she ever indicate someone pressured her?”

“Not Arlie. She’d have told me. Not because she told me everything, God knows, but because for Arlie, she said when, how much, yes, no. She makes her own choices and doesn’t tolerate bullies.”

She folded her hands in her lap. “I could use that water now, if you don’t mind. Over in the kitchen there. I’m sorry. I should’ve offered you both something.”

“We’re fine,” Eve assured her as Roarke rose to get the water.

“When did Arlie decide to go to the event tonight?”

“It’s been a couple weeks, I think. Moses has a friend whose group made the finals. So once that happened, I think she wanted to go more for Moses than herself, really. Not that she didn’t want to go. Thank you.”

She looked up at Roarke as she took the water. “You look very familiar. Have I tailored for you?”

“You haven’t, no. You taught Arlie your craft.”

“Like my mama taught me. She had the touch, too, and the eye. More, she wanted to design clothes, go to school to learn more. She’d draw and draw her ideas. Sometimes she’d draw something for me or herself and we’d make it. A Dillon original.”

“Ms. Dillon, is there someone I could contact for you? Your mother?” Roarke suggested.

“No, let her sleep. It’ll be hard tomorrow. She dotes on Arlie so. I don’t want anyone right now. I don’t want to talk to anyone, not right now. I need to be alone with her because she’s here and here.” She pressed a hand to her heart, her head. “That’s what I need.”

“If I could give you my contact? You could let me know when it’s best for us to go through her room.”

“All right. But I need to see her. I know her spirit’s flown. I think that’s why my heart hurt. But I still need to see my daughter.”

“I’ve requested that the chief medical examiner take care of her. He’ll contact you tomorrow, so you can go see her.”

“Chief? He’s the best?”

“Yes. In every way.” Eve dug out a card. “You can contact me anytime. If you have questions, if you think of anything, however insignificant it might seem.”

Eve rose. “We’re very sorry for your loss, Ms. Dillon.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Halfway to the elevator, Eve heard the first keening wail.

Despite the hour, when they got home, she updated her board, her book.

“Lieutenant, you need sleep.”

“I need sleep. I need thinking time and I can’t think. I’m sending a request to Mira—she’ll get it in the morning. I need a consult on this. I need a profile, and no one’s better.

“I can’t see him, and I need to. I don’t mean how he looks, but—”

“I know what you mean.”

She sent the request to arrive at eight, then shut down.

“At least it’s not Sunday anymore.” As she rose, she pushed at her hair. “So I can start badgering the lab, have this consult, start working on chem labs, chem students. He’s going to at least look like a teenager or college kid,” she added as Roarke steered her out of the office.

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