Page 94 of Bonded in Death

Summerset rose, walked closer to study the image. “We were all trained, and well, on the art of disguise. But this? This man is in his fifties. Even with face work, even with expert makeup, you can’t drop a quarter century, not face-to-face. And Gio was face-to-face.”

“We’re working on that.”

“I wish you, sincerely, good luck. Are we done?”

“For now.”

He walked to the door, turned back. “Thank you, both, for your service.”

Then walked away.

Chapter Thirteen

Eve picked up her tube, drank again.

“We’re both going to write all this up. Different takes maybe. You can do that at home. I’ll get you transpo.”

“Really? Can I check with McNab? If he’s still at Central, they can drop me there. Or pick him up if he’s ready.”

“Whatever.”

“This was a lot, but I think this was the way to do it. Interview one after another. You got overlaps, and that’s what everyone remembers. Then you have what one remembers, or some byplay with Potter, what someone else focuses on. Yancy does it with faces, Mira with profiles. But we’re sort of building a person. His interior.”

“It’s a good day’s work. It might strain the brain, but it’s a good day’s work. I’ll get your transpo. Go home, take a break, get a meal, then write it up from your angle. I’ll write it from mine.”

“French restaurants,” Peabody began as she rose. “Theater boxes, fitness equipment, barber shops.”

“Yeah, we’ll hit on that and more tomorrow.”

With Peabody off, Eve walked down to her office.

She turned in, stopped, and blinked at her board.

Roarke stepped through the adjoining door.

“You updated my board.”

“As best I could. I had the time, and you certainly didn’t. So take a moment now.” Walking over, he put his arms around her. “You’ll have a glass of wine.”

“I’ll have a glass of wine.”

He kissed the top of her head, then walked over to choose a bottle. “And a meal. Take the time to let it all settle.”

“Some of it’s hindsight with them, but I wonder if some of it wasn’t British manners. But they’re not all Brits, are they? European manners? They tolerated what they disliked about him. Plenty to dislike.”

“Intense and urgent circumstances. You’d need to put personal feelings aside for the greater good.” He brought her the wine.

“Summerset twisted his naked dick and threatened to break it. That’s pretty fucking personal.”

Now Roarke blinked. “That’s… I can’t quite think of the word.”

“Scary Roarke tactics—maybe you got some of that from him. Anyway, he didn’t mention that in his initial interview. I got it out of him today. Potter put moves on Alice, Alice handled it, and Summerset polished it off.”

“If you have more revelations like that, I think we should sit down. I’ll get the meal.”

“Where’s the cat?”

“Busy being fawned over by our guests.”

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