Page 62 of Passions in Death
“Then make it quick.”
“I slept in. I went over to the restaurant for lunch, hung out with the family awhile, then went home. I’m working on a fresh act. Worked on that, did some yoga, had some dinner, cleaned up, changed. I walked to the D&D, got there just before the storm hit. Maybe ten.
“Is that it?”
“That’ll do for now. Thanks for your time.”
“We got lawyers in the family. If you want more, go through them.”
She pushed out of the booth and walked away.
“Interesting,” Eve murmured, and pulled out a ten for the table.
“It was,” Roarke agreed. “She’s very angry.”
“Tall and strong.” Eve slid out of the booth, walked with Roarke to the door. “Enough to fit. Angry, and she doesn’t like Shauna.”
“More logical, wouldn’t it be, to dispose of the one she doesn’t like?”
“Not if you’re looking for payback.” Outside, Eve started back the way she’d come. “Erin cut off that part of their relationship, and she meant more than our stripper wants to admit. Revenge sex with Erin’s studio mate, that’s a tell.”
“Revenge sex is a long way from murder.”
“Dating’s a long way from marriage. In a little over a year, Erin and Shauna went from one to the other. Nearly got there. Maybe you think, all right, it’s just a phase. It won’t last. She’ll get tired of this ordinary person and we’ll pick things up where we left off. Then they’re doing that—what is it—china pattern thing, and it hits, it’s not just a phase. You won’t be picking things up where you left off. She’s rejected you and chosen someone else.”
“And you think her outline of her day gives her plenty of room.”
“Plenty of room to get the case, the swipes. Possible she had a swipe to the studio—between sex rounds, posing. Plenty of room to get the case in there, then party, party, party. And try this.”
She paused at the corner, glanced over at him. “She keeps the privacy room swipe, tells Erin how she’ll help her change for the big surprise. Good friend, lending a hand, so she slips into the room and waits.”
“Very cold and calculating. She seemed more hot and angry.”
“Now,” Eve agreed. “Now it’s done, and she can’t take it back.” Eve gestured. “That’s her place, grandmother next door, then the restaurant.”
“And they also own the other townhouses there. Are you interested in tortillas for dinner?”
“I thought about it, get a look at her family at work, but no. If it’s her, it’s her, not likely them. Plus, they look packed, so not a good time to try to squeeze out any information.
“I’m parked a couple blocks from Crack’s. I cleared him to open tomorrow. Rochelle was in there cleaning the bar. He did the crime scene himself. Wouldn’t hire it out.”
“It’s his place. It’s personal for him.”
“It’s all personal with this one. I was in the victim’s studio today, and saw some of her work. It looked good to me. She’d done a painting of Polumbi’s, the pizzeria where I had my first slice. Her artist friend—the one who was in Baltimore—said it was one of their hangouts. She got it, she really captured it. And she painted a figure at the window counter. It took me right back.”
He took her hand, kissed it. “Why don’t we go there now? I’ll call ahead, get us a booth.”
She started to say no, they should just go home. Her board, her book, the case.
“Yeah, let’s do that. I could use that place, the pull back to that time, not to mention the pizza.”
It worked its magic, the smells, the light, the energy. She sat so she faced the front, and the memory.
Roarke ordered a carafe of the house wine, and pizza.
“I did a lot of walking around New York today,” she told him. “Downtown anyway. And it struck me how much it’s mine. And that painting… I’d never felt what I felt when I sat on that stool at that counter looking out at the street. I never felt that freedom, and more, honest-to-God, like home. Mine. Never tasted anything half as wonderful as that first bite of pizza.”
“Whenever I think of buying the place—” He held up a hand before she could object. “Whenever I do, I understand no, no, it would change what it is for you if it was ours in that way. But you should buy the painting.”
