“What’ll it do?”
“I had it up to two-ten on the straight—road and air. But I’m a better driver than you, so don’t be pushing it.”
“Man, it almost make me jones for a vehicular chase. Well, one day.”
“No doubt.”
“I can tell the bastards in Requisitions to get screwed.” The mere thought of it had her doing a hip-wiggling dance in the drive. “Hot damn! I’ve got to try it out, got to get to work, got to give Requisitions the finger.” She grabbed him again, kissed him again. “Thanks. It’s probably the best favor I’ve ever done for anybody. Catch you later.”
“Yes, you will.”
He watched her climb in, grin when her butt hit the seat. She pressed her thumb to the pad, and the engine rumbled to life.
“Hot damn!” she shouted again, flashed him that grin. And shot off down the drive as if in pursuit of speeding felons.
“Oh well, Christ. She could hit a brick wall in that and walk away whistling.”
“I see the lieutenant likes her new vehicle,” Summerset said from the doorway.
“She does. Ah, God.” He held his breath while she did a trio of 360s, obviously testing the maneuverability. Then went in sharp vertical to drive over the gates instead of through them. “She’s never had her own before. I don’t know why I forget things like that. For a bit, it’ll be like a new toy. Then she’ll settle down with it.”
“Your first, boosted at about the age of twelve, ended up nose down in a ditch outside of Dublin.”
Roarke turned around. “I didn’t think you knew about that.”
Summerset only smiled. “Or that you’d man
aged to hide it in Mick’s uncle’s garage for the two weeks or so you had it before you got cocky and wrecked? You learned a lesson, didn’t you, and were more careful with the next one you boosted.”
“It was a thrill. The stealing as much as the driving.”
“Do you miss it?”
“The stealing? Now and then,” he admitted, knowing Summerset would understand. “Not as much as I thought I might.”
“It would be more, I’d say, if your life lacked other thrills.” When Roarke’s face broke into a grin, Summerset huffed. “Take your mind out of the gutter, boy. I’m speaking of the work you do, of your own and with the police. And this may pertain to one or the other, or both, but while you were showing the lieutenant her new toy, Alex Ricker called. I didn’t want to interrupt, and told him you’d get back to him.”
“That’s interesting, isn’t it?”
“Have a care. Ricker would have enjoyed bathing in your blood. His son may have the same sentiments.”
“Then he’ll be just as disappointed.”
Roarke went in to return the call, and wondered what sort of thrill the day might bring.
12
IT WAS HARD, BUT EVE RESISTED HITTING lights and sirens and smoking it all the way downtown. She didn’t resist doing a seat dance while she threaded through traffic, skimmed around maxibuses, beat out the competitive Rapid Cabs at lights.
Schooling the elation out of her voice, she contacted Webster. She knew the minute he came on the sweet new dash screen of her sweet new ride, she’d rousted him from sleep.
“IAB’s got choice hours.”
He shoved the heel of his hand in his eye. “I’m not on the damn roll today.”
“Like I said. Are you alone?”
“No, I’ve got six strippers and a couple of porn stars in here with me.”