Page 72 of Random in Death

“It’s not how they look, but what they are. And where.”

“In a crowd,” Peabody put in. “And when? At night, in a crowd. A loud, crowded area.”

“With a lot of teenage girls to choose from. The victim only has one parent in the mix. Her mother. No sibs.”

“Ah.” Morris let out a sigh. “More pain. I’ll contact her when Arlie’s ready. I don’t expect Arlie to tell me any more to guide your way, Dallas. But if she does, you’ll know when I do.”

“I’m going to hit the lab, see if I can squeeze something out there.”

“I’ll wish you luck,” he told her as she and Peabody started out. “With nothing linking them but method and murderer, we all worry we’ll stand here like this again tomorrow. Or soon after.”

She didn’t worry, Eve thought, because if they didn’t find more, she had no doubt they’d stand there again.

Peabody trotted to keep up. “McNab headed straight in to work on the club feed.”

“Good. Unless the bastard got in the same way he got out, he’ll be on the feed somewhere.”

“Shit! You think he came in through the window?”

“Not impossible. But it’s riskier than just sliding in with a group. And harder,” she added. “The way the window tilts, harder to squirm in, and time it so nobody’s in there when you squirm.

“He’s on that damn feed.”

She slid behind the wheel, tapped her fingers on it. “Lab first. It’s early, but that gives us a jump on nagging Dickhead, and we can nudge Harvo.”

“Did you get anything from the mother?”

“Enough to tell me the two victims didn’t know each other. It’s not impossible, but again unlikely, the killer knew them both. I sent everything to Mira, asked for a consult.”

That would help clarify angles. It always did.

“I think he needs attention—that’s part of it all. He killed the first during an Avenue A performance. They’re a big deal, and that’s going to generate media.”

“Last night’s event? Another big deal,” Peabody confirmed. “Draws a big crowd, with whole lots of bunches of people live streaming it. A lot of publicity.”

“I bet he recorded it. And I’d bet your month’s pay and mine he’s done the same with all the media on the murders.”

“I really need my month’s pay. We bought a new bed and it’s— I’ll get to that later. But I really need my pay, because new bed, and this cocotte I want so ultra bad. Plus, we have to outfit our new, amazing powder room. We have a powder room! And stuff. But since it sounds like a sure thing… Except sure things can be sucker bets.”

Winding down, Peabody frowned.

“This is why I don’t gamble. How do you know a sure thing from a sucker bet?”

Simple, Eve thought. “They’re all sucker bets. Just ask Santiago’s cowboy hat.”

That got a laugh.

“Then I’m a sucker because I’m laying my month’s pay on the line with yours, because yeah, he’s watching the media on this. He’s swimming in it.”

Since she had Roarke’s cash in her pocket, Eve turned into a lot near the lab.

“Why?”

“Why is he swimming in it? Well… He couldn’t hang around and watch them die, right? This is the next best thing. And if he didn’t know them, which probably not, he gets to know them. The reports lay all that out. And it’ll all be how tragic, how horrible, and he’ll swim in it because he made it happen.”

“All bets are sucker bets, but your money’s safe because that’s absolutely right.”

“I’m going to say I just doubled my money and buy that cocotte.”

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