Page 75 of Bonded in Death

“The name kept trying to click, then when I did the background, the scientist, the murder of his wife and daughter, it did. It’s a cold case now because we identified him, but we never found him.”

“Because I let him go. I didn’t tell you at the time, as I didn’t see any reason for you to take any blowback, if it came, for my decision. I let him go,” she repeated. “Now I’ll tell you why, and you’ll need to decide if you can respect that decision. Not only because I let him go, but because he’s coming back.”

“He killed the woman, a paid assassin, who killed his wife and daughter.”

“That wouldn’t have been enough for the decision I made. Couldn’t have been enough. The courts decide that, not us. The system decides that, and we’re only part of the system. But in this case, the system would never have held up. He’d have been dead or abducted before it could.”

She laid it out, every detail, from the moment she’d walked in and found him in the parlor with Roarke and Summerset to when she’d walked away.

At the end, Peabody looked down at the hands she’d folded on her knee. “If that got out, you’d have been off the force and charged with accessoryafter the fact. You risked that to save his life. He saved lives on the ferry that day. If that bomb had gone off— He saved lives, then put his in your hands. And you saved his.”

She looked up now. “I hope I’d have the courage to do exactly the same.”

“It wasn’t courage—”

“Oh, bullshit!” Temper sparking, Peabody shoved up from the chair. “It was fucking courage, and integrity. It was the heart of the goddamn job, and it was right! If I hadn’t come to the same decision, I wouldn’t deserve the badge.”

“That’s not—”

“You could’ve told me.” Wound up, Peabody kept going. “You could’ve trusted me.”

“Peabody, trust had nothing to do with it. Absolutely nothing. If I didn’t trust you, I’d’ve come up with some bullshit story because I knew the name would click for you sooner or later.”

That didn’t dull the anger, or the hurt blended with it, in Peabody’s eyes.

“You were protecting me, but I don’t want that. Standing up for me, having my back, that’s different. I’m your partner. It matters. It has to matter.”

“It does matter. I’m not going to say you’re wrong, but I did what I thought I needed to do at the time. I made the decision, and didn’t give you a choice in it. I’m your partner, Peabody, but I was responsible. You weren’t. I’m telling you now because, from this point, we’re both responsible.”

“Good!” The single word snapped like a whiplash. “We’re both responsible. That’s how I want it.”

“Want it or not, that’s how it is. According to the law, when we meet with him, you should arrest him.”

“Then I guess I’ve got enough courage, because I’m sure as hell not going to do that. And I’m pissed off you’d think I would.”

If knowing she had to deal with Draski again had kindled a headache, Peabody’s outrage sent it flaming.

“You can stop being pissed off about that, because I don’t—I didn’t. But we’re partners, and you need to have the choice.”

“Good!” A second lash. “Choice made. And you’re just—just stupid if you think there’s another detective in that bullpen who wouldn’t make the same choice. Not for you—or not just—but because they know the heart of the job.”

Eve gave it a moment. “I’m not stupid.”

“Okay then.”

“Have you finished swearing and snapping at—not only your partner, but your lieutenant?”

“I think so.” The hot color fury brought to her cheeks ebbed. “Yeah, pretty much done.”

“Then let’s go meet with this bunch of spies.”

Peabody waited until they’d reached the garage.

“Quilla asked to interview me for her school project, about our current investigation.”

Eve said, “No,” and got behind the wheel.

“I already told her no, that I couldn’t discuss with her details of an ongoing investigation. I said she could pick any closed case I’d worked on.”

---