“Interpol and the locals are going through that villa in Sorrento, inch by inch. They’re going to find plenty.”
“I want a deal. I’ll confess to arranging the theft, but that’s all. I want a deal.”
“You hired someone to break into Barrister House. You gave them the security system, the combination of the vault, and you instructed them to take only the Royal Suite. To leave the vault open and the window closed.”
“That’s right. That’s all I did. The thief I hired is Jenna Delaney.”
“We already have her name, and she has immunity.”
More shock. “How could she—”
“She has a moral compass. And she’s one more person, it turns out, who’s smarter than you. Hiring her’s not all you did. Jesus, have you forgotten the conversations, on record, with Joy Barrister?”
“I’ll give you more.” Another tear spilled, and struck Eve as genuine. “I want a deal.”
“You get nothing. Two men are dead, six officers were injured at your big show last night. A family’s lost a husband and father.”
This time when Eve slapped a hand on the table, Magdelana jumped.
“You get nothing. You’ve confessed, on record, for arranging the break-in and theft at Barrister House, a felony. A death resulting fromthe commission of a felony makes you just as responsible as the person who bashed in his skull.”
“I didn’t kill anyone!”
“You planted the seed, you watered it, fertilized it with your particular brand of bullshit. Now reap the harvest. You are on record conspiring to hire an assassin to murder a police officer.”
“You won’t give me a deal like the others because you’re jealous. You’re burned up with jealousy because Roarke loved me, because he had the best sex of his life with me.”
The laugh just burst out. “Yeah, right, that’s it.” She lifted her left hand. “Didn’t put one of these on your finger, did he?”
“He just wanted a cop in his pocket.”
“The lieutenant’s in no one’s pocket.”
“It’s fine, Peabody. She can try to convince herself to believe that. She’ll have the rest of her life to try to convince herself to believe that. You gotta have something to hold on to when you’re doing a couple of lifetimes in an off-planet cage.”
“I’m not going to prison.”
“Oh yeah, you are.” Once more she leaned down, leaned in. “For Nathan Barrister, you’re going to prison. For arranging the theft of the Royal Suite, you’re going to prison—you’ve confessed, on record, of your own volition.”
She stared into Eve’s eyes now with pure hate.
“I should’ve found a better hit man.”
“That’s right. Why didn’t you?”
“We were in a hurry. Tim was handy.”
“Your mistake. And since he’s dead, killed in his attempt to kill me, you’re also on the hook there. You’re going over, Magdelana, and you’re never coming back.”
“I’ll get out, and I’ll do you myself. I’ll kill you myself.”
“No and no, but you can hold on to that, too.”
“I’m adding threatening a police officer with bodily harm to the charges, Dallas.”
“Oh hell, Peabody, give her that one.”
“No, sir. I won’t.”
