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Redux In Death---Chapter Four
Posted by
pennie1478
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08 October 2012
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What Eve thought was going to be an explosion and what actually happened wasn’t even close to her thinking. As she and Peabody pulled up to Cop Central, the gaggle of press lining the street in front of Cop Central made the front entrance impossible to get into. Peabody took the main garage which was only accessible to police in the building and then they took the elevator upstairs.
Commander Whitney was outside of the Homicide bullpen when they exited the elevator. “We need to talk,” He said ushering her away from the bullpen and into his office. Eve instructed Peabody to start making phone calls, discreetly.
Commander Whitney’s assistant was away from her desk. Whitney opened the door and Eve found his assistant in his office along with another woman. Eve saw a gold shield snapped to her belt buckle when the woman stood.
“I’m Detective Lea Pastor with Missing Persons,” Lea extended her hand to Eve and Eve took it sizing up the woman as they shook. Lea was Eve’s height with light brown hair that curled around a defined jaw. Her golden eyes glowed under naturally tanned skin and she wore a golden cross around her neck.
Lea touched the cross. “It was a going away gift from my father. He wanted me to remember who I was while I was working the mean streets of New York. He’s a Baptist minister in Rhode Island. Pastor Pastor. It was almost like it was meant to be.” Lea dropped Eve’s hand and they all sat down. At a nod, Commander Whitney’s assistant left the office.
“You have press camped out in front of your home,” Lea began. “I spoke to your major domo after I was given the case and he informed me of the press gaggle. I sent two patrol units to your house just to keep things orderly.”
Eve sat up straighter in the chair. “You talked to Summerset?”
Lea nodded. “Commander Whitney assigned the case to me as soon as it went out on the wire. I’ve been familiarizing myself with your husband and his work from the moment I was handed the case. Roarke is a very powerful man. To say he has enemies, would be saying that humans have limbs?”
Eve nodded. “If it’s ransom they want, they can have everything.”
Lea cleared her throat. “When I spoke to Summerset, I asked him about ransom demands. He hasn’t received any calls. What about you?”
Eve shook her head. “Roarke has influence with a lot of people,” Eve explained. “He can sway a vote with one meeting or buy a planet with one word. Anyone could have him?”
“And they know you would pay richly to get him back?” Lea asked.
“I would die for him, if it meant getting him back safely.” The statement was powerful and left silence in it’s wake.
Lea pulled a piece of paper from the file she had in her lap and handed it to Eve. “Besides Roarke’s prints, there were no prints on or inside the Jag you’re husband was driving. There were smudges on the driver’s side door leading me to believe the ambulance driver’s that pulled him out were wearing gloves. What concerns me is the speed in which the ambulance arrived on the scene. They were there before police or firefighters could secure the scene. In fact, Captain Feeney was the first police official on scene for fifteen minutes. I’m going to follow through with EMS to find the driver’s and the bus that was used to get Roarke away from the scene.”
“What about the truck that crashed into him?” Eve asked.
“Nothing yet.” The Commander told her. “I highly suspect, as I’m sure the both of you do, that we’ll find the truck dumped and wiped. Dallas, protocol stipulates that you can’t work the case.”
“I know,” Eve said. “But if it were Mrs. Whitney, would you step back and let someone else work the case?”
Commander Whitney was quiet for that question and Eve knew the answer. She wouldn’t expect her commanding officer or any of the other officers in the building to step back while their spouses or significant others were missing. She knew Roarke and knew that he wouldn’t expect her to stand on the sidelines while he was being held against his will anymore than he would stand aside while she was being held.
“I have things to do in my office.” Eve stood and turned to Lea. “I want to work with you on this. Anything you find, I want to know about. I’ll do the same for you.”
Lea and Eve shook on it and Eve waited to be dismissed before going back to her office.
Peabody was standing outside her closed door when Eve came into the bullpen. “You have messages on your office link.” Eve let Peabody into her office. “I’ve got McNab looking for the ambulance that hauled Roarke away from the scene and I put calls in about any missing MT’s.” Peabody took a seat in Eve’s visitor’s chair. She didn’t mind the crappy chair as long as she was only in it for a few minutes. “What about Commander Whitney?”
“Lea Pastor,” Eve said as she hit her link to play back the messages. “She’s with Missing Persons. Find out about her record. Discreetly, Detective.”
“On it,” Peabody said and threw herself out of the chair and through the office door, closing it behind her.
Eve played her messages on the office link. Caro, probably while Eve was en route to the scene. Nadine, of course. Two other reporters she had never heard of. Nadine, again. Eve grabbed a cup of coffee from her auto chef and called up Nadine on her office link.
“Dallas, any word?” Nadine asked, without pleasantries.
“Here it is, Nadine. Roarke was involved in a hit and run accident this morning between eight and nine a.m. He was abducted at the scene in an ambulance. The driver of the hit and run vehicle is unknown, but vehicle was a white two-door truck. Anything you can get in the meantime. . .”
“Will be yours as soon as I get it?” Nadine answered. “Hang in there, Eve.” Nadine disconnected.
While sipping her coffee, Eve thought of something else she could do. Drawing out her link, she contacted Roarke. His voice mail picked up immediately, meaning his link was off. Did she actually think it would be on? “This is Eve Dallas. I don’t know who you are, but I know you have Roarke. If it’s money you want, I can get it for you. If it’s me you want in trade, you can have me. Contact me at this number.” Eve disconnected the call.
Commander Whitney was outside of the Homicide bullpen when they exited the elevator. “We need to talk,” He said ushering her away from the bullpen and into his office. Eve instructed Peabody to start making phone calls, discreetly.
Commander Whitney’s assistant was away from her desk. Whitney opened the door and Eve found his assistant in his office along with another woman. Eve saw a gold shield snapped to her belt buckle when the woman stood.
“I’m Detective Lea Pastor with Missing Persons,” Lea extended her hand to Eve and Eve took it sizing up the woman as they shook. Lea was Eve’s height with light brown hair that curled around a defined jaw. Her golden eyes glowed under naturally tanned skin and she wore a golden cross around her neck.
Lea touched the cross. “It was a going away gift from my father. He wanted me to remember who I was while I was working the mean streets of New York. He’s a Baptist minister in Rhode Island. Pastor Pastor. It was almost like it was meant to be.” Lea dropped Eve’s hand and they all sat down. At a nod, Commander Whitney’s assistant left the office.
“You have press camped out in front of your home,” Lea began. “I spoke to your major domo after I was given the case and he informed me of the press gaggle. I sent two patrol units to your house just to keep things orderly.”
Eve sat up straighter in the chair. “You talked to Summerset?”
Lea nodded. “Commander Whitney assigned the case to me as soon as it went out on the wire. I’ve been familiarizing myself with your husband and his work from the moment I was handed the case. Roarke is a very powerful man. To say he has enemies, would be saying that humans have limbs?”
Eve nodded. “If it’s ransom they want, they can have everything.”
Lea cleared her throat. “When I spoke to Summerset, I asked him about ransom demands. He hasn’t received any calls. What about you?”
Eve shook her head. “Roarke has influence with a lot of people,” Eve explained. “He can sway a vote with one meeting or buy a planet with one word. Anyone could have him?”
“And they know you would pay richly to get him back?” Lea asked.
“I would die for him, if it meant getting him back safely.” The statement was powerful and left silence in it’s wake.
Lea pulled a piece of paper from the file she had in her lap and handed it to Eve. “Besides Roarke’s prints, there were no prints on or inside the Jag you’re husband was driving. There were smudges on the driver’s side door leading me to believe the ambulance driver’s that pulled him out were wearing gloves. What concerns me is the speed in which the ambulance arrived on the scene. They were there before police or firefighters could secure the scene. In fact, Captain Feeney was the first police official on scene for fifteen minutes. I’m going to follow through with EMS to find the driver’s and the bus that was used to get Roarke away from the scene.”
“What about the truck that crashed into him?” Eve asked.
“Nothing yet.” The Commander told her. “I highly suspect, as I’m sure the both of you do, that we’ll find the truck dumped and wiped. Dallas, protocol stipulates that you can’t work the case.”
“I know,” Eve said. “But if it were Mrs. Whitney, would you step back and let someone else work the case?”
Commander Whitney was quiet for that question and Eve knew the answer. She wouldn’t expect her commanding officer or any of the other officers in the building to step back while their spouses or significant others were missing. She knew Roarke and knew that he wouldn’t expect her to stand on the sidelines while he was being held against his will anymore than he would stand aside while she was being held.
“I have things to do in my office.” Eve stood and turned to Lea. “I want to work with you on this. Anything you find, I want to know about. I’ll do the same for you.”
Lea and Eve shook on it and Eve waited to be dismissed before going back to her office.
Peabody was standing outside her closed door when Eve came into the bullpen. “You have messages on your office link.” Eve let Peabody into her office. “I’ve got McNab looking for the ambulance that hauled Roarke away from the scene and I put calls in about any missing MT’s.” Peabody took a seat in Eve’s visitor’s chair. She didn’t mind the crappy chair as long as she was only in it for a few minutes. “What about Commander Whitney?”
“Lea Pastor,” Eve said as she hit her link to play back the messages. “She’s with Missing Persons. Find out about her record. Discreetly, Detective.”
“On it,” Peabody said and threw herself out of the chair and through the office door, closing it behind her.
Eve played her messages on the office link. Caro, probably while Eve was en route to the scene. Nadine, of course. Two other reporters she had never heard of. Nadine, again. Eve grabbed a cup of coffee from her auto chef and called up Nadine on her office link.
“Dallas, any word?” Nadine asked, without pleasantries.
“Here it is, Nadine. Roarke was involved in a hit and run accident this morning between eight and nine a.m. He was abducted at the scene in an ambulance. The driver of the hit and run vehicle is unknown, but vehicle was a white two-door truck. Anything you can get in the meantime. . .”
“Will be yours as soon as I get it?” Nadine answered. “Hang in there, Eve.” Nadine disconnected.
While sipping her coffee, Eve thought of something else she could do. Drawing out her link, she contacted Roarke. His voice mail picked up immediately, meaning his link was off. Did she actually think it would be on? “This is Eve Dallas. I don’t know who you are, but I know you have Roarke. If it’s money you want, I can get it for you. If it’s me you want in trade, you can have me. Contact me at this number.” Eve disconnected the call.
