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Redux in Death---Chapter Eight
Posted by
pennie1478
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22 October 2012
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Eve couldn’t help it. A bubble of laughter broke free from somewhere inside her and released itself. Maybe it was the tension of the last twelve hours or maybe it was the fact that a man she thought loved her just admitted that he was going to kill her. Whatever it was, Eve let the laughter out.
“Eve,” Simon studied her, incredulously. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” She said, trying to stop the laughter. “Seriously, I’m---“ And then the laughter stopped and the vomiting began. Eve doubled over on the sidewalk and let go of her stomach contents. Simon reached for her, but Summerset stopped him.
“I have her,” Summerset said with a bony hand around her waist. “Come, Lieutenant, let’s get you inside.” He threw Simon a look. “Perhaps you should come inside as well.”
Simon tipped his imaginary hat. “Thank you very much.” He followed them into the house and closed the door.
Once they were in the warmth of the living room, Eve shrugged out of Summerset’s hold. “I’m fine, scarecrow.” She took a drink of water to wash out her mouth. “Simon, how did you get in here? Tampering with the gate would have set off an alarm that God and the Devil would have heard.”
Simon grinned. “Eve, you underestimate me. I didn’t get to be where I am and who I am by tripping a measly little alarm. I cut the main alarm and fixed the backup alarm before coming over the gate.” He studied his watch. “I’ve been here twenty minutes waiting on you.”
“Waiting to kill her,” Summerset reminded him, which got him looks from both Simon and Eve.
Simon laid Eve’s weapon on the table. “I was told to kill you, Eve. I hadn’t planned on carrying out the hit.”
“Well, thank you.” Eve said and took another drink of water. “Where’s Roarke?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Eve? If you’ve misplaced your husband, that’s on you.”
Eve grabbed her weapon and aimed it at Simon. “I didn’t misplace Roarke. He was taken from an accident scene that was deliberately caused as a way to kidnap him. You show up on my doorstop more than twelve hours later. I’ve connected the dots. Now, where’s Roarke?” Eve purposely showed him that she was raising the level on her weapon to show she was serious.
“You’ve missed a few dots when you were connecting Roarke’s car accident and me showing up here tonight.” Simon poured himself a drink and sat down on the sofa. Eve kept her weapon trained on him.
“Perhaps you should connect them for me. Right. Now.”
“Okay,” He took a sip of sherry. “Two months ago, I was finishing up an assignment when I was sent in to be the errand boy for Magdalena Purcell.”
Eve and Summerset sighed. “Of course, this was Magdalena.”
Simon continued, “She had bilked this old guy out of his money and property after he died and stole a couple priceless paintings from the man’s daughter. She’s worth a couple billion now. Anyway, my boss was brought in after the paintings were stolen. The daughter knew who stole them, but couldn’t prove it. I entered the picture after one of her bodyguards suddenly came down with a broken leg and ankle.”
“Suddenly came down with a broken leg and ankle?” Eve asked.
“Yeah. A mugger accosted him in the park one night and suddenly came down on his fibula and tibia with a karate chop. Then the mugger suddenly dislocated the bodyguard’s ankle.”
“Nice job,” Eve said, taking a seat.
“Thanks. Anyway, I moved in and became Maggie’s guy. I collected information while I did the odd job for her. Then, one day she starts talking about Roarke and how much she misses him. I studied her background while I was undercover with her so I knew she and Roarke were close at one time. Even pulled off jobs together.” Simon finished his sherry and set the glass on the table. “Maggie planned the entire kidnapping, right down to paying two MT’s to be close to the accident when it happened.”
Eve nodded, “Alan Berry and Brad Austin. We have them in custody.”
Simon smirked. “Not anymore you don’t.” He checked his watch. “About now, Mr. Berry and Mr. Austin are being taken out of NYPSD custody. They’ll be hidden somewhere safe along with the driver of the white truck who hit Roarke.”
And the light went on in Eve’s head. “You’re the reason we can’t find the ambulance or the truck?”
There was that infamous smile again. “My boss has them hidden away for when the time comes.”
“What about Roarke?” Summerset asked. “How badly is he injured?”
Simon made a tsk sound with his tongue. “There in lies the problem. That’s why I was sent here to dispose of you, Eve.”
Panic welled up inside Eve and tears burned her eyes. “He’s dead.”
“No,” Simon blurted out. “He’s off planet, but there’s a hitch.”
“What?” Eve said. She wanted to tear Simon apart for being so vague and yet so calm. Roarke needed her. She had to find Roarke.
“Roarke doesn’t remember the last three years of his life which means, Eve."
"He doesn't remember me." Eve's voice was so low it was a whisper.
“Eve,” Simon studied her, incredulously. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” She said, trying to stop the laughter. “Seriously, I’m---“ And then the laughter stopped and the vomiting began. Eve doubled over on the sidewalk and let go of her stomach contents. Simon reached for her, but Summerset stopped him.
“I have her,” Summerset said with a bony hand around her waist. “Come, Lieutenant, let’s get you inside.” He threw Simon a look. “Perhaps you should come inside as well.”
Simon tipped his imaginary hat. “Thank you very much.” He followed them into the house and closed the door.
Once they were in the warmth of the living room, Eve shrugged out of Summerset’s hold. “I’m fine, scarecrow.” She took a drink of water to wash out her mouth. “Simon, how did you get in here? Tampering with the gate would have set off an alarm that God and the Devil would have heard.”
Simon grinned. “Eve, you underestimate me. I didn’t get to be where I am and who I am by tripping a measly little alarm. I cut the main alarm and fixed the backup alarm before coming over the gate.” He studied his watch. “I’ve been here twenty minutes waiting on you.”
“Waiting to kill her,” Summerset reminded him, which got him looks from both Simon and Eve.
Simon laid Eve’s weapon on the table. “I was told to kill you, Eve. I hadn’t planned on carrying out the hit.”
“Well, thank you.” Eve said and took another drink of water. “Where’s Roarke?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Eve? If you’ve misplaced your husband, that’s on you.”
Eve grabbed her weapon and aimed it at Simon. “I didn’t misplace Roarke. He was taken from an accident scene that was deliberately caused as a way to kidnap him. You show up on my doorstop more than twelve hours later. I’ve connected the dots. Now, where’s Roarke?” Eve purposely showed him that she was raising the level on her weapon to show she was serious.
“You’ve missed a few dots when you were connecting Roarke’s car accident and me showing up here tonight.” Simon poured himself a drink and sat down on the sofa. Eve kept her weapon trained on him.
“Perhaps you should connect them for me. Right. Now.”
“Okay,” He took a sip of sherry. “Two months ago, I was finishing up an assignment when I was sent in to be the errand boy for Magdalena Purcell.”
Eve and Summerset sighed. “Of course, this was Magdalena.”
Simon continued, “She had bilked this old guy out of his money and property after he died and stole a couple priceless paintings from the man’s daughter. She’s worth a couple billion now. Anyway, my boss was brought in after the paintings were stolen. The daughter knew who stole them, but couldn’t prove it. I entered the picture after one of her bodyguards suddenly came down with a broken leg and ankle.”
“Suddenly came down with a broken leg and ankle?” Eve asked.
“Yeah. A mugger accosted him in the park one night and suddenly came down on his fibula and tibia with a karate chop. Then the mugger suddenly dislocated the bodyguard’s ankle.”
“Nice job,” Eve said, taking a seat.
“Thanks. Anyway, I moved in and became Maggie’s guy. I collected information while I did the odd job for her. Then, one day she starts talking about Roarke and how much she misses him. I studied her background while I was undercover with her so I knew she and Roarke were close at one time. Even pulled off jobs together.” Simon finished his sherry and set the glass on the table. “Maggie planned the entire kidnapping, right down to paying two MT’s to be close to the accident when it happened.”
Eve nodded, “Alan Berry and Brad Austin. We have them in custody.”
Simon smirked. “Not anymore you don’t.” He checked his watch. “About now, Mr. Berry and Mr. Austin are being taken out of NYPSD custody. They’ll be hidden somewhere safe along with the driver of the white truck who hit Roarke.”
And the light went on in Eve’s head. “You’re the reason we can’t find the ambulance or the truck?”
There was that infamous smile again. “My boss has them hidden away for when the time comes.”
“What about Roarke?” Summerset asked. “How badly is he injured?”
Simon made a tsk sound with his tongue. “There in lies the problem. That’s why I was sent here to dispose of you, Eve.”
Panic welled up inside Eve and tears burned her eyes. “He’s dead.”
“No,” Simon blurted out. “He’s off planet, but there’s a hitch.”
“What?” Eve said. She wanted to tear Simon apart for being so vague and yet so calm. Roarke needed her. She had to find Roarke.
“Roarke doesn’t remember the last three years of his life which means, Eve."
"He doesn't remember me." Eve's voice was so low it was a whisper.
