Nothing, really nothing more she could do on that except think.
And thinking needed to wait.
Boosting herself with coffee, she started on her lion’s share of the paperwork.
She never heard him coming, but that was no surprise. The surprise came from carving a good-sized path through the forest of paperwork before Roarke walked in the door.
“Still at it then?”
She looked up with eyes bleary from numbers and words.
“If there’s a hell, it’s being chained to a desk doing paperwork. And the more you do, the more there is. It’s eternal torment.”
“Do you want more time in torment?”
“No, but I need another ten, then I can come in early tomorrow and wipe the rest out. For a minute.”
“Then I’ll go entertain myself.”
She took the ten. Maybe her brain hurt, but the rest of her felt righteous and more than ready to call it a day.
She went out to find Roarke at Peabody’s desk.
“Jenkinson and Reineke caught one five minutes ago. A dispute at happy hour that ended unhappily.”
Which meant, Eve thought, more paperwork, as it would involve overtime. She didn’t want to think about it.
She looked over at Santiago and his hat. “Why are you still here?”
“We closed it, so we did a coin toss for writing it up.” He ended with a shrug.
“First the Cubs, then the coin. Detective, you ought to buy a clue. Or at least rent one.”
“She’s on a streak, but streaks don’t last forever.”
Eve smiled. “Wanna bet? Glides,” she said to Roarke. “The elevators will be jammed.”
“I put the champagne in your car,” he told her as they walked out. “And now I’ll lay a wager of my own you could use some.”
“That’s a safe bet.”
“I’d say an evening with friends in their new, happy home will brighten things up as well.”
“Every time Peabody talks about it, she teeters between teary and delirium.” As they walked, Eve waved her hands. “It’s all teary delirium. Since Jenkinson and Reineke caught one, I can’t use them for grunt workon this tomorrow. Maybe I can tap Santiago and Carmichael, or Baxter and Trueheart.”
“They have a double date, Baxter and Trueheart.”
“What?” Her aching brain tried to process slick Baxter, earnest Trueheart, and date. “With women?”
“Since they’re both straight men, I so conclude. Baxter has a friend who has a friend, so they’re having dinner.”
“Baxter’s a hound dog, and Trueheart’s a teddy bear. Though bears will tear you up if you piss them off. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Trueheart really pissed off. Anyway, I can’t see how this can work.”
“I suppose they’ll find out. Oh, and before he left, Jenkinson suggested I have one of my subsidiaries design and produce novelty ties and socks, perhaps pocket squares as well. He believes I’d make a tidy profit.”
Eve gave Roarke one long and very sincere stare. “Are you actively trying to fry the rest of my brain?”
As they started down the metal steps, he stroked a hand down her back. “I do enjoy your bullpen, Lieutenant. I enjoy it very much. It’s never dull.”
