“I don’t know what the hell you plan to pull out of your sleeve, out of your hat, or out of your ass, Dallas, but it better be good.”
“It’s the best I’ve got.” As they rode down, Eve turned to Reo again.“Tell me this. If he breaks the terms of his bail, will Kopeckne’s firm still represent him?”
“I don’t know.” Weary, Reo ran a hand over her hair. “Their rep is sterling. I can’t see them being any part in aiding him to rabbit on this. And I think if he does—and he damn well will—they’ll be as pissed then as I am now.”
“Good. Mommy’s going to have to find new fancy lawyers.”
As expected, Nadine waited on the courthouse steps. Not alone, Eve noted. Plenty of other reporters lined the way.
Ignoring them, she walked to Nadine.
“I heard. Tough one,” she said to Reo.
“You’ve got five minutes,” Eve said. “Five with me, five with Reo.”
“Hey.”
“Then you need to stay ready.”
Nadine’s cat’s eyes narrowed. “For what?”
“Keep your camera on call” was Eve’s answer. “Make sure you have good transportation. And be ready. Take your five.”
Nadine signaled to her camera, rolled her shoulders, brushed at her camera-perfect hair.
“This is Nadine Furst on the steps of the New York City Criminal Court. I’m speaking to Lieutenant Eve Dallas, the arresting officer of Jonathan Harper Ebersole. Mr. Ebersole is charged with three counts of murder in the first, as well as other charges. Lieutenant Dallas, how do you feel about Judge McEnroy’s decision to set bail at fifty million, and ordering Mr. Ebersole to house arrest?”
“The New York City Police and Security Department gathered substantial evidence, which led to Ebersole’s arrest last night for the premeditated murder of three people, and on record, the attempted murder of another individual. We believe we took a dangerous and violent man off the streets. My personal feelings regarding Judge McEnroy’s ruling don’tmatter. We did our job, and will continue to protect and serve the people and the city of New York.”
She answered more questions, keeping it dispassionate and very restrained, before stepping aside. Reo’s responses held a great deal more passion and fire, and Eve thought that was just fine.
Eve checked her wrist unit.
“That wraps it. Reo, you should ride with us. Nadine, stay ready. Keep your camera on call,” she repeated.
“Tell me something,” Reo insisted as they walked down to the sidewalk. “I need to tell the boss something.”
“I’m going to go through it once, all together. But I’ll tell you, I’m not letting that sniveling, slimy, snickering son of a bitch out of New York. Not today, not tomorrow. Not until he’s on his way off-planet to Omega.”
She waited until she got into the car, got behind the wheel.
Then banged her fists on the wheel.
“The judge is a fucking moron!”
In the back seat, Reo threw up her hands. “Finally!”
“And he’s going to look like one. The Harper Group could piss fifty million in a bucket and not miss it. She won’t wait. She’ll make her move today. She’ll already have everything set up.”
“Who?”
“Mommy,” Eve said, and pulled away from the curb.
“I really want to hear this.” Then Peabody grabbed the chicken stick as Eve hit lights and sirens again.
In the garage, Eve didn’t bother with the elevator, but headed straight up the steps, then out to the glides.
“How about a hint?” Peabody asked. “A clue?”
