Eve held up her badge. “Lieutenant Dallas and Detective Peabody, NYPSD. Inform Ms. Beecham we need to speak with her.”
One moment while your identification is scanned and verified.
… Please wait while the resident is informed.
“Nice place.” Peabody glanced up. “A light just went on, second floor.”
“Yeah, I saw it.”
It took another couple minutes before the door opened.
“Who’s hurt? My family—”
“We’re not here about your family, Ms. Beecham. We’re here about an incident at your gallery.”
“Oh! Someone broke in!”
“No. I believe the building is secure. If we could come in and speak to you?”
“Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry. I was sound asleep.”
For a woman who’d just been roused, Iona Beecham managed to look stunning, with messy waves of black hair tumbled around a face with perfect skin that blended warm brown and rich cream. She had sleepy eyes of blue that edged toward lavender.
Slim and petite in a blue tee and white sleep baggies, she stepped back just as someone called down the stairs.
“Iona? Everything okay?”
She glanced back at the man who stood at the top of the steps wearing nothing but black pants, unfastened, over a build that dreams are made on.
“Yes. Just something about the gallery.”
“Do you want me to bring you some coffee?”
“Oh… Yes, actually. Thanks.”
“And your guests?”
“We’re good.”
Iona gestured to the living space.
“That’s Mikhail. Big date last night.” She eased out a breath. “Really big. Please sit down, tell me what happened.”
Chapter Nine
The walls of the living area hit a color a few shades lighter than Iona’s skin and held art. Like Peabody, she’d chosen with a variety of streetscapes here, all full of movement and color.
She’d gone quieter in the furniture, with a long white couch, another white two-seater, and a pair of chairs in the same blue as the door.
The fireplace held about a dozen white candles. The mantel above it held a sculpture of an elongated metal woman and a dark, deeply carved wooden box.
“Is there any damage?” she asked as she sat on the two-seater. “I should wake up my brother. He and his family have the other half of this building.”
“There’s no damage. A body was found in the gallery’s doorway.”
“A body? A—a person? A dead person!” The color fluctuated in her cheeks as her eyes rounded in shock. “Someone died trying to break in?”
“No. There’s no sign of an attempted break-in. Someone placed the body there early this morning.”
