Page 87 of Bonded in Death

Peabody’s response was “Coffee?”

“Yeah. Coffee.” Scrubbing her hands over her face, Eve walked back to the windows. “He’s good at this, that’s clear. Every one of them had training. They were wired to be suspicious, on guard, to look for tells, but they never saw him for what he was.”

“We know what he is.” Peabody handed Eve her coffee.

“He’s whoever he needs to be in any given situation. That’s a skill. But the arrogance… Even back then, the arrogance did him in. He’s played both sides, and successfully. He has intel from both sides, so he knows what’s coming. The burn-it-all-down cells are losing at this point. The risk of one of his contacts on the other side getting captured, flipping on him is growing. Instead of doing the smart thing, taking the money and whatever else he’s got and slipping away, he can’t resist one more big game.”

“And he wanted them dead.”

Eve turned to Peabody. “You’re damn right. The Underground team, and people he’d worked with in that Dominion HQ. But not just dead, dead because he’d outsmarted all of them. And then he could slip away, be whatever he wanted, whoever he wanted as long as he wanted.”

“You were looking for me, Lieutenant?”

Eve turned to Roarke as he came in. “We’re taking a break before the last interviews. You’re down there with them, and it’s your first time meeting most of them. I wanted your impressions.”

“They’re a fascinating group who’ve all led interesting lives. And the glue still holds. They’re bonded, still a unit, no matter how much time’s passed. It’s disturbing for them,” he added, “to know Potter’s still alive, and responsible now for the deaths of three of their number.

“But the glue holds.”

Since he didn’t want a cup of his own, he took Eve’s coffee, had a sip, then handed it back.

“How can I help?”

“Feeney’s running on deadline for a search. The prison doctor. I don’t want to step on his toes, and it isn’t urgent. I can’t see Potter sharing any plans with somebody he let live. So we’ll either find him, or he’s dead.

“Potter’s got a place. House, townhouse, fancy apartment. I lean toward the house—more room, more privacy. You’d want both after a few decades in a cage. But fancy apartment? Something like what Nadine has? You’ve got all the amenities. He likes the finer things, so finer. Problem is he could’ve had the place for years. Or he could’ve taken it a few weeks or months ago.”

“He’d live alone,” Roarke put in.

“Definitely. If he has domestic help, it’s droids. No matter how long he’s been there, he has a cover in place. Has to have a garage somewhere. Had to stash the limo somewhere, somewhere he could make his alterations.”

“We don’t have his face,” Peabody said. “DeWinter’s team can work up a good aged image, but if he’s had work—”

“And he has. No question he’d do alterations there, too. Feeney’s got some super e-geek working on the driver’s face. You can’t knock off twenty years or more with face work without it showing some. And there’s no way he showed us his real face. He’s arrogant, but he’s not stupid.”

“You’re sure it was Potter and not a hire?” Roarke asked.

“He had to do it himself. That’s who he is. He had to look at the camera and smirk knowing I’d look back.”

“I can contact Feeney and, without stepping on his toes, ask if there’s anything I can do to assist the super e-geek.”

“Maybe, if—” She pulled out her ’link when it signaled. “It’s Feeney. Dallas,” she said. “What you got?”

“I got Mason James Pettibottom aka Martin J. Pierce.”

“Seriously? He went with ‘Pettibottom’?”

“I figure he wanted to keep his initials. Maybe he had some shit monogrammed. He’s living it high in Costa Rica. Got himself a big-ass house, a big-ass boat, a fancy car. Damn good background and ID. Don’t know as I could’ve done better myself.”

“Give me a visual.”

“Coming. Had some face work, got a snazzy goatee. But it’s him.”

When the ID shot came on her ’link, she nodded. “Yeah, it sure as hell is.” She shoved the ’link at Roarke. “Put that on-screen, will you?”

“Hey, Roarke.”

“Feeney. Excellent work, by the way.”

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