Page 176 of Bonded in Death

“Thank you, sir.”

He turned, shook hands with The Twelve. “Again, it was an honor and privilege to meet you.”

As he left, Whitney stepped to Eve. “Go home, sleep. I’ll write it up.”

“Sir, I—”

“That’s an order, Lieutenant. Don’t make me punch you.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you. It’s just that—”

She stopped herself when his eyes narrowed.

“Thank you, Commander. Before I go off duty, I would like to contact Mr. Rossi’s widow and inform her and her family. I’d like to break down my board.”

“Go ahead, then get out.”

“Lieutenant Dallas. Eve.” Marjorie reached out for Eve’s hand. “We owe you.”

“You don’t. You were part of it, all of you. We wouldn’t have wrapped him so quick or so tight without you.”

“Can I say you ladies kicked his ass in there?”

Eve nodded at Harry. “You can say that.”

“We’d like to stay tonight,” Ivanna told her. “If you’d allow us to impose on your hospitality one more night. We’d like to stay together one more night. We’ll leave tomorrow for Giovanni’s memorial.”

“It’s fine. No problem. Roarke, I’ll be maybe another hour. You can go home with them.”

“I’m with you. But I’ll see to their transportation.”

“Have a drink with us at least before we go tomorrow.”

“Sure,” she told Cyril. “I’ll see you back at the house. I need to finish up.”

She stopped in the bullpen first. “Good work,” she told her squad. “Excellent work.”

“He screamed like a girl. We could hear him.”

She jabbed a finger at Jenkinson. “Don’t insult girls.”

In her office, she stood, looked at her board. “It didn’t go unanswered.”

She started to sit to contact Rossi’s family, then stopped when she heard footsteps. Not familiar in her hallway.

Then frowned when Summerset came to the doorway.

“A word, please.”

“A quick one. I’ve got orders.”

“I want to thank you.” He sighed a gust of air. “Don’t put on that face.”

“It’s my face. I’m always wearing it.”

“I’m not thanking you for doing your job, which you would dismiss. I’m thanking you for what you said at the end of your interview about my wife. About Alice.”

“I said what was true. Truth doesn’t need thanks, either.”

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