Page 37 of Bonded in Death

But she turned those cat eyes on Eve’s board.

“Giovanni Rossi, out of Rome. Cause of death not yet determined.” Then shifted them to Eve. “But it has been, hasn’t it?”

“I need to know if anyone’s been in contact with you, or attempted to contact you about me.”

Nadine’s eyebrows winged up. “I have the bestselling true crime book in the country at the moment, and you’re the lead investigator in it. Of course people contact me about you. I’m adapting the screenplay for a major film based on that book. The last one won me an Oscar. I talk to the Hollywood people, and you do come up, at least once a week.”

“Well, shit.”

“That’s your card on the board.”

“No, it’s one whoever killed Rossi made to look like my card.”

“And this message?” Nadine moved closer. “The Wasp? I’ve never seen anyone who looks less wasplike. He looks jovial. What happened to him?”

Eve waved that off. “Any contacts or attempts regarding me from someone you don’t know, or didn’t check out?”

“No. I get communication from readers, fans of the books, the vid. Andyeah, sure, some of them—a lot of them—ask about you. Or Roarke, or Peabody, and so on. I’m careful, Dallas, I can promise you, on how I respond, or have Quilla or my assistant respond. There’s nothing personal.

“Are you a target?”

“No.” Of that, at least for the moment, she was sure. “But they picked me, specifically, left my card and the message, for a reason.”

“And you wonder if it’s the notoriety from the books, the vid. It could be. It could be your reputation on the job. It could be you’re married to the richest man in the galaxy. And it could be,” she added, “a combination of all of the above.

“Which you’d have considered.”

“I’m considering.”

Nadine pointed at the AutoChef, got a nod.

“If I had to pick,” Nadine continued as she programmed two cups, “I’d go with the second, and consider elements of one and three in there. What’s phosphine?”

“What killed him.”

Nadine passed Eve her coffee, sipped her own. “Like a gas? Toxic gas? It’s dated 2024.”

She frowned now. “That’s nearly forty years. Since I’ve heard nothing about the driver’s death, I’m going to assume he not only survived but is your number one suspect. Not in custody?”

“No. Rossi worked with the Underground in Europe, Urbans era. An e-man.”

“Oh.” Nodding, eyes narrowed, Nadine sipped again. “2024. That’s about the end of the Urbans, isn’t it? I’d need to check to be sure, but weren’t things largely settled by then?”

“Here, yeah. I did check. In Europe, it took a little longer, and some pockets still had trouble longer.”

“You weren’t even born yet. Me, either. I’m sticking with choice number two. The killer’s challenging you. I can put some researchers on it.”

“No. Nobody.”

“All right. I can do some research on it. You already are, but you never know. A bioweapon. That’s a big risk, isn’t it? A big risk with a long, long, ugly history. There’d be a reason to use it.”

If a crime beat reporter didn’t think like a cop, Eve decided, she wouldn’t last long.

“I want to break this when you clear it. Your card left with the victim, so that’s a one-on-one, very least. A live onNow’s even better.”

And if Nadine didn’t know how to push, she wouldn’t be at the top of her game.

“I’d like to catch him first, and I’d like to do that before there are seven more people on this board.”

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