"I'm devastated."
"Oh, shut up. I'm taking you home," she said over the next bite. "And you're staying out of my way while I talk to Summerset."
"If you'll listen to the recording, you'll see that the man Kevin described wasn't Summerset."
"Thank you for your input, but I'll just muddle along here. The chances of me getting the commander to take the word of a seven-year-old kid—who no doubt had chocolate breath—over hard evidence is just slightly less likely than me dancing naked in Times Square."
She started off at a loping stride. "If Times Square intimidates you," Roarke began, "perhaps you could practice the naked dancing at home."
"Oh, bite me."
"Darling, I'd love to, but you're on duty."
"Get in the goddamn car." She jerked a thumb at Peabody, who was currently doing her best to pretend she was deaf and blind.
"Please, Eve, these public displays of affection must stop. I have a reputation."
"Keep it up, ace, and I'll give you a public display of affection that'll have you limping for a week."
"Now I'm excited." Smiling, Roarke opened the front passenger door, gestured to Peabody.
"Ah, why don't I sit in the back?" Where it's safer, she thought.
"Oh, no, I insist. She probably won't hurt you," he murmured in Peabody's ear as she ducked in front of him.
"Thanks. Thanks a lot."
"Just be grateful I don't put up the cage," Eve snapped when Roarke settled in to the backseat.
"I am. Constantly."
"Was that a snicker, Peabody?" Eve demanded as she pulled away from the curb.
"No, sir. It's, ah, allergies. I'm allergic to marital disputes."
"This isn't a marital dispute. I'll let you know when I'm having a marital dispute. Here." She shoved the last of the chocolate stick at Peabody. "Eat that and keep it buttoned."
"You bet."
Still fired, Eve's eyes met Roarke's in the rearview mirror. "And you better hope Summerset has an alibi for this morning."
• • •
He didn't, and all Eve could do was pull at her hair. "What do you mean you went out?"
"As usual I rose at five a.m. and went out for my morning constitutional. As it was market day, I then returned, took one of the vehicles, and drove out to the Free-Agers' market for fresh produce."
Eve sat down on the arm of a chair in the main parlor. "Didn't I tell you not to leave the house, not to go anywhere alone?"
"I'm not in the habit of taking orders on my personal routine, Lieutenant."
"Your personal routine is going to include group showers where even your bony ass will get plenty of attention if you don't start listening to me."
His jaw muscles fluttered. "I don't appreciate your crudeness."
"And I don't appreciate your bitchiness, but we're both stuck. This morning at approximately nine a.m., the body of Jennie O'Leary was discovered, hanged at a location on West Forty-third."
The high color fury had brought to his cheeks drained. He reached out blindly for support when his knees buckled. Through the buzzing in his head, he thought he heard someone swearing bitterly. Then he was being pushed into a chair and a glass was pressed to his lips.