"I can handle heat. I don't see why I have to handle morons, too."
"I'm with you there."
"Are you?" Out of the corner of her eye, Eve noted that the camera operator was recording.
"Let me help you out here." Instinctively Nadine smoothed down her hair, hitched her jacket into a perfect line. "Give me a statement, a quick one-on-one to balance things out."
"Give you a ninety-second exclusive, you mean, and bump your rating points. Jesus." Eve turned away before she could do or say something regrettable.
Then Mira's words came back to her. The massive and fragile ego of the murderer. His focus on her—the need for female approval. She wasn't certain if it was impulse or instinct, but she went with it.
She'd give Nadine her ratings boost, all right. And she'd take a nice hard slap at the killer. One she hoped he'd feel honor bound to try to return.
"Who the hell do you people think you are?" She whirled back, let her temper boil over. She had no doubt it would show, in her face, in her clenched fists. "Using your First Amendment rights, your public's right to know, to interfere with a murder investigation."
"Wait just a minute."
"No, you wait." Eve jabbed a finger into Nadine's shoulder, knocking her back a step. "Three people are dead, children are orphaned, a woman is widowed, and all because some self-absorbed piece of shit with a God complex decided to play games. There's your story, pal. Some asshole who thinks Jesus speaks to him is playing the media like a damn banjo. The more air time you give him, the happier he is. He wants us to believe he has a higher purpose, but all he really wants is to win. And he won't. He won't because I'm better than he is. This jerk's an amateur who had a short run of luck. As long as he keeps screwing up I'll have him caged in a week."
"And you'll stand by that, Lieutenant Dallas," Nadine said coldly. "You'll apprehend the killer within a week."
"You can count on it. He's not the smartest I've gone after, he's not even the most pathetic. He's just one more tiny pimple on society's butt."
She turned and stalked off.
"That's going to make great screen, Nadine." The camera operator all but danced for joy. "Ratings through the roof."
"Yeah." Nadine watched Eve slam into her car. "And so much for friendship," she muttered. "Let's transmit it raw to the station. We'll have it on air in time for the five-thirty."
Eve was counting on it. Her man would see it. Maybe he'd stew, maybe he'd explode, but she had no doubt he'd make a move. His ego would demand it.
And this time, he'd come after her.
She headed into Cop Central. She thought it would do her good to work a few hours in her usual environment. As an afterthought, she called home. When Roarke answered himself, Eve's eyebrows shot up.
"Where's Summerset?"
"In his quarters."
"Sulking?"
"Painting, I believe. He thought it would relax him. And where are you, Lieutenant?"
"On my way in to Central for a while. Just wrapped up a press conference."
"And we know how much you enjoy them. I'll be sure to tune in for the five-thirty."
She didn't wince, at least not visibly. "I wouldn't bother. It was pretty dull. Look, I figured you'd be at your headquarters. There's no reason to put your world on hold because of this."
"My world continues to revolve. I can handle details from here for a bit longer. Besides, Ian and I are having such a good time playing with our toys."
"Getting anywhere?"
"I think so. It's slow."
"I'll take a look when I get there. Couple of hours."
"Fine. I believe we're having pizza."