Page 73 of Passions in Death
She shook her head, drank more coffee. “Anyway, everybody’s all mixed and mingling together. Nadine, Peabody, Mavis, Mira, and all that along with the other group. And I’m standing there with the victim.”
She told him.
“There’s truth in there,” he said. “Erin trusted the wrong person, and Shauna would trust the same one. Still trusts the same one.”
“Which makes me wonder, should I worry about her now? Will that trust—or some detail or memory that cuts through it—make her a target?”
“It’s easier to kill a second time, and yet, wouldn’t that risk focusing the investigation even more narrowly?”
Too early in the day to hit him with how he thought like a cop. Plus, he’d brought her coffee.
“There was a lot of luck in that first kill. Planning, yeah, and I think the intent to kill Erin had been in the works awhile. But the opportunity, that just opened right up. And the victim, trusting, opened the door for her killer by handing over that opportunity.”
“Right now, Shauna’s surrounded by friends, family as well, I expect. Getting her alone with enough cover to get away with it? Opportunities would be severely limited.”
“Yeah.”
“But you’ll worry.” He tapped her head. “Because it’s very noisy in there.”
“Some. Thanks for the coffee.”
She got out of bed and into the shower.
Surrounded by friends, Eve reminded herself. It would take more than luck for the killer, who was certainly among those friends, to get Shauna alone, kill her, and come up with cover.
She’d have to keep that worry in the back of her head, as she needed the rest to pinpoint the killer.
After a spin in the drying tube, she grabbed a robe—this one a pale lavender—and stepped out.
He had breakfast under domes, and the cat banished to the floor. Because he still worked on his tablet, she walked over, topped off his coffee, and poured herself another.
“What’s going on with that?”
“Some of this, and some of that. Infrastructure improvement on your cop bar, Off Duty. We’re so well under way that I imagine you can reopen by the holidays.”
“I’m not opening anything. It’ll have to open itself.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Because his response made her think he had ideas, and she didn’t want to spoil her breakfast, she ignored that.
“And some work on guest rooms on the Great House Project. Both sides. Some communications with Peabody’s parents, who’ve let me know their housewarming gifts will be on the way by the end of the week.”
“Partner’s desk and blown-glass ceiling light. She’s told me a half dozen times. More than.” Eve lifted the domes.
Waffles! Never the wrong choice.
“They’re coming, right? The Peabodys?”
“They are, but wanted the desk and light in place, as hopefully a surprise.”
“Not big on surprises right now.” She drowned her waffles in butter and syrup. “But I’ll keep it zipped.”
“They also have gifts for Mavis and Leonardo. A charming little child’s picnic table with benches, and a lovely family sculpture—Mavis holding an infant, Leonardo holding Bella. A thank-you for opening their family to Peabody and McNab.”
“Nice. Seriously on target. We’ve the gift thing covered, right?”
“We do, and they’ll arrive well before move-in.”
