“Well, I think we should do it some time. You, me, Mavis, maybe Nadine and Louise. And Trina—she could do our hair and—”
“If Trina comes on this mythical nightmare, I get to drag her naked over jagged glass. That’s my bottom line.”
“You’d have fun,” Peabody muttered.
“I would, I probably would. I’d feel bad about dragging her over jagged glass ten or twenty years later, but at the time, I’d have fun.”
Giving up, Peabody huffed out a breath, took out her PPC, and began to do the checks and runs.
2
IT WAS INTERESTING, BUT NOT SURPRISING, THAT Anders Worldwide’s New York headquarters were housed in the sleek black tower on Fifth. Roarke Enterprises’ New York headquarters also housed its base there and owned every inch of that sleek black tower.
“Do you want to stop by and see—”
“No.”
Peabody rolled her eyes at Eve’s back as they stepped into the huge, glossy lobby with its rivers of flowers, its moving maps, its busy shops. “I just figured since we were right here—”
“Why are we right here, Peabody? And if you roll your eyes behind me again, I’m going to poke them out with a stick.”
“You don’t have a stick.”
“There’s a tree right over there. I’ll get one.”
Peabody sighed. “We’re right here because we’re investigating a murder.”
“And do we think Roarke killed Anders?”
“No.”
Eve stopped at Security, started to badge the guard on duty. And he smiled toothily. “Lieutenant Dallas. You can go right up.”
“I’m not going there. Anders Worldwide.”
He tapped his computer screen. “Twenty-first and-second floors. Reception on twenty-one. You’ll want the first bank of elevators. Do you want me to call up?”
“No, thanks.”
Eve called the car, stepped on, ordered the twenty-first floor.
“Do you think Roarke knew Anders?”
“Probably.”
“Could be handy.”
“Maybe.” Eve had nearly reached the point where having Roarke know so many damn people wasn’t completely annoying. “The run said Anders is worth about half a billion including his controlling interest in Anders Worldwide.” Hooking her thumbs in her pockets, Eve tapped her fingers on her thighs. “That’s a lot of motives for murder. Add sex, you’ve pretty much got it all. Greed, jealousy, gain, revenge.”
“The guy was practically asking for it.”
Eve grinned. “Let’s find out.”
Her face sober again, she walked through the open elevator doors.
Behind a long red counter, three receptionists wore headsets and appeared very busy. Even so, the center one, a dark-skinned brunette, offered a beaming smile. “Good morning! How can I help you?”
“I need to see whoever’s in charge.”