“And remembered,” Mira confirmed.
“We don’t know where or when, but we know who the target is, and we know why. Big advantages. We have his face, body type, age range. We know more about him than we did nine years ago.”
She wanted to pace, to move while she talked it through, but Eve considered that inappropriate in Whitney’s office. “He probably has a connection with the Urban Wars, he likes opera, rather than physical means, he uses manipulation and deceit to obtain his victims, and often makes personal contact with them before the abduction. Unlike nine years ago, his victims lived or worked from midtown down. That’s purposeful.”
“He wanted us to get closer this time.” Whitney nodded. “And by using Roarke’s people, he made it personal.”
“But he doesn’t know how much we know,” Peabody put in. “He doesn’t know we’ve concluded Dallas is his end game. That’s another advantage. As long as he thinks she’s looking ahead—I mean that she’s focused on the pursuit, he’ll think he can ease around behind her, bag the prize.”
“Back to an opening. One he can believe he helped make,” Eve said to Roarke. “You’re going to need to go back to work.”
“Back to?”
“To the buying-controlling-interest-of-the-known-universe-one-sector-at-a-time work. He’s not going to move on me if I’m in lockstep with you, or you,” she said to Peabody, “or anyone else. We have to give him a little room. If he knows my routines, then he knows I generally travel to and from Central solo, that I might do a follow-up after shift on my own. We need to crack the window for him.”
“Giving the appearance I’ve gone back to business, so to speak, is easy enough,” Roarke replied. His tone was even, almost casual. But Eve heard the steel under it. “But as long as that window’s cracked I’ll be an active member of this team. This is not,” he continued, and addressed himself to the commander now, “simply a matter of me insisting on having some part in protecting the lieutenant. This man has taken three of my people, and one is already dead. It won’t be back to business for me until he’s apprehended—or as dead as Sarifina York.”
“Understood. Lieutenant, it was your choice to bring the civilian on board. Unless you feel his particular talents and expertise are no longer useful, I believe he should remain active.”
“You can’t stick too close,” Eve began. “If he senses you’re concerned for my safety, he could pull back. So make the appearance a good one.”
“Not a problem.”
“We keep working it, no dramatic shifts in the routine. But we split some of the legwork and interviews.”
“And you go, wherever you go,” Whitney ordered, “wired.”
“Yes, sir. I’m going to set that up with Feeney. I’ll need a homer for my vehicle, and—”
“Already done,” Roarke said, then smiled serenely when she turned on him. “You agreed to that action earlier.”
True, she thought, but she hadn’t expected him to take it on himself before she’d officially cleared it. Which, she had to admit, was stupid. That’s exactly what she should’ve expected. “Yeah, I did.”
“You’ll wear a vest,” Mira told her.
“A woman after my own heart,” Roarke murmured, and his smile spread at the annoyance on Eve’s face.
“A vest’s overkill. His pattern—”
“He’s breaking pattern with you,” Mira reminded her. “A vest ensures your safety and success, should he try to stun or injure you in order to incapacitate you. He’s intelligent enough to know he needs a physical advantage with you.”
“Wear the vest.” Whitney’s voice was clipped. “Set up the electronics with Feeney. I want to know where you are, from this point on, at all times. When you’re in the field, in your vehicle, on the street for any reason, so is a shadow team. It’s not just a matter of keeping one of my people safe, Lieutenant,” he told her, “it’s a matter of slamming that window shut, the minute he comes through it. Work it out, relay the details.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
Roarke ran his fingers down her arm as they headed for the glide down. “A vest isn’t a punishment, darling.”
“You wear one for a couple hours, then say that. And no ‘darling’ on shift.”
“You can call me darling anytime,” Peabody told him, and made him grin.
“I’ve a few arrangements to make. I’ll see you back in the war room.” He started to split off from them. “Later, darling. I was talking to Peabody
,” he said when Eve bared her teeth.
16