Page 139 of Bonded in Death

By the time he’d opened the bottles, Summerset led the others in.

“No one goes hungry around here.” Harry started toward the table, then stopped. He walked closer to the board.

“Why, that’s Potter, isn’t it? Bloody hell, that’s some good work he had done, but I’m damned if that’s not the raving bastard Conrad Potter.”

“Which one?” Eve got up, walked over.

“This one here.” He tapped the third. “It’s the eyes. Barely a line showing, and there should be, but I know those eyes.”

Beside him, Marjorie nodded. “With all four up here this way, I can see him in all of them. But I’d have walked right by one and two. The fourth, maybe I’d’ve felt some tingle. But this one?”

“You’d have looked twice,” Iris finished. “I’m not sure I would have, but that’s my lack. I’ve been out of the game too long. I see him now.”

She turned to Eve. “Have you?”

“Yeah, I got a look, but of this one. The third is the work of EDD, the lab, and a police artist. They’ve been using a program and probabilities to go under the mask he wore when he got Rossi.”

“Well done then.” Ivanna laid a hand on Marjorie’s shoulder as she took a long look. “I agree, not only excellent face work, but his eyes. And, in my opinion, how he’d wish to look. Younger, thinner, straighter nose, a bit more cheekbones, the square line of the jaw. Enough of a change it would elude face recognition programs, and more classically handsome than his own.”

“I see the tricks on the others now,” Marjorie added. “Some of which I taught him myself. Change the bite, which changes the shape of the mouth, cheek line, jaw. Add a little flaw, or the perfect touch of gray. Vary eye color, skin color, hair color, style, and length. Fill in lines or add them.”

“You saw him today.”

Eve looked over at Summerset. “That’s right, and we lost him.”

“Have some wine,” Roarke said, “and the lieutenant will fill you in. Eve.” He handed her a glass already poured.

“Fine. Get what you want, then have a seat.”

She took them through it, reminding herself they did have a right to know. And maybe they’d see some angle she’d missed.

Was still missing.

“Using the Realtor, someone legitimate, as cover.” Ivanna nodded. “Yes, I can see that. He’d have killed her if she’d gotten in the way or if his ruse with her had cracked.”

“He wanted to be alone to watch us die,” Marjorie added. “No reason she couldn’t stay, be shocked with him—and smarter that way. But he wanted to savor in private.”

“He was lucky with the rain. A pity.” Summerset stared down into his wineglass, then lifted his gaze to Eve’s. “You pursued.”

“We pursued. It was necessary to clear 3-C, which Peabody did. And to clear the basement level, which Detective Carmichael did. I had the lead, so I pursued. He did, in fact, exit by the emergency door, then fled west. He drew an old-school handgun and fired.”

Ivan, quiet in a corner, blinked. “He shot at you.”

“I was wearing protection, which I assume he realized. He then aimed at a pair of female civilians.”

“Yes, of course he would.”

Eve narrowed her eyes at Summerset. “Elaborate.”

“He had no issue with collateral damage. The mission, he believed, took priority over lives. Any lives,” he added. “All lives.”

“Enemy blood, allied blood, innocent blood, same color, and to win the war, you’ll have to spill some.” Harry nodded. “He said that to me once over a pint. Seems like I pointed out we were fighting to save lives, and he just said, added a shrug to it, ‘War kills, and the big picture? Win the war. Whatever it takes, whoever it takes.’”

“Were they injured?” Iris asked. “The women?”

“No, but the tactic worked, and I lost him. We canvassed the area—”

“Eve.” Roarke spoke softly. “You shouldn’t censor your report.”

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