up. “This is C. J. Morse reporting. As the clock ticks away the seconds, it appears that the heroic Lieutenant Cunt will not arrive in time to save her fellow bitch from execution. Though it has long been considered a sexist cliché, this experiment has proven that women are always late.”
He laughed uproariously and gave Nadine a careless backhanded slap that knocked her back on the bench where he’d put her. After one last, high-pitched giggle, he controlled himself and frowned soberly into the lens.
“The public broadcasting of executions was banned in this country in 2012, five years before the Supreme Court once again ruled that capital punishment was unconstitutional. Of course, the court was forced into that decision by five idiot, bigmouthed women, so this reporter deems that ruling null and void.”
He took a small pocket beam out of his jacket before turning to Nadine. “I’m going to key into the station now, Nadine. On air in twenty.” Thoughtfully, he tilted his head. “You know, you could use a little makeup. It’s a pity there isn’t time. I’m sure you’d want to look your best for your final broadcast.”
He walked to her, laid the length of the knife at her throat, and faced the camera. “In ten, nine, eight . . .” He glanced over at the sound of rushing feet on the crushed stone path. “Well, well, here she is now. And with seconds to spare.”
Eve skidded to a halt on the path and stared. She’d seen a great deal in her decade on the force. Plenty that she often wished could be erased from her memory. But she’d never seen anything to compare with this.
She’d followed the light, the single light that beamed a circle around the tableau. The park bench where Nadine sat passively, blood drying on her skin, a knife at her throat. C. J. Morse behind her, dressed nattily in a round-collared shirt and color-coordinated jacket, facing a camera on a slim tripod. Its red light beamed as steadily as judgment’s eye.
“What the hell are you doing, Morse?”
“Live stand up,” he said cheerfully. “Please, step into the light, Lieutenant, so our viewers can see you.”
Keeping her eyes on his, Eve stepped into the circle.
She’d been gone too long, Roarke thought and found himself irritated by the party chat. Obviously, she’d been more upset than he’d realized, and he regretted not dealing with Angelini more effectively.
Damn if he’d let her brood or take on blame. The only way to make sure she didn’t was to amuse or annoy the mood out of her. He slipped quietly from the room, away from the lights and music and voices. The house was too big to search, but he could pinpoint her location with one question.
“Eve,” he said, the moment Summerset stepped from a room to the right.
“She’s gone.”
“What do you mean gone? Gone where?”
Because discussing the woman always put Summerset’s back up, he lifted his shoulders. “I couldn’t say, she simply ran out of the house, got into her vehicle, and drove off. She did not deign to inform me of her plans.”
The nasty twisting in Roarke’s gut sharpened his voice. “Don’t fuck with me, Summerset. Why did she leave?”
Insulted, Summerset tightened his jaw. “Perhaps it was due to the call she received a few moments ago. She took it in the library.”
Turning on his heel, Roarke strode to the library door, uncoded it. With Summerset at his heels, he stepped up to the table. “Replay, last call.”
As he watched, listened, the twisting in his gut turned to a burning that was fear. “Christ Jesus, she’s gone for him. She’s gone alone.”
He was out of the door and moving fast, the order shot over his shoulder like a laser. “Relay that information to Chief Tibble—privately.”
•••
“Though our time is short, Lieutenant, I’m sure our viewers would be fascinated by the investigative process.” Morse kept the pleasant, camera smile on his face, the knife at Nadine’s throat. “You did pursue a false lead for a time, and were, I believe, on the point of charging an innocent man.”
“Why did you kill them, Morse?”
“Oh, I’ve documented that extensively, for future broadcast. Let’s talk about you.”
“You must have felt terrible when you realized you’d killed Louise Kirski instead of Nadine.”
“I felt very bad about that, sickened. Louise was a nice, quiet woman with an appropriate attitude. But it wasn’t my fault. It was yours and Nadine’s for trying to bait me.”
“You wanted exposure.” She flicked a glance toward the camera. “You’re certainly getting it now. But this is putting you in a spot, Morse. You won’t get out of this park now.”
“Oh, I have a plan, don’t worry about me. And we have just a few minutes left before we have to end this. The public has a right to know. I want them to see this execution. But I wanted you to see it in person. To witness what you caused.”
She looked at Nadine. No help there, she noted. The woman was in deep shock, possibly drugged. “I won’t be as easy to take.”