“I hope it is. I pray it is.” Joy rose. “And not just a waste of time and effort.”
“You weren’t aware he had this houseguest during this time period?”
“I’d be the last he’d tell. He knew I didn’t approve of his predilection for young, grasping women. Nathan was more tactful about it, but Dad knew he and Aileen didn’t approve, either. I have to go in. I really need to handle things.”
Eve rose as well. “We appreciate the time. The police artist, Detective Yancy, will be in touch, arrange a time that’s convenient.”
Tyler stood from the table. “I’ll see you out.”
As they left, Eve heard Joy say, “Aileen, if you or the girls need anything while I’m gone, tag me. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“I didn’t pay attention,” Tyler murmured. “She made him happy, and I didn’t pay enough attention. She was demanding and borderline rude, but she made him laugh. He was failing, and she brightened him up.I have no doubt who paid for the contents of all those shopping bags, but—”
“She made him happy. If you remember any more about her—something Henry or she said that might add something, where she comes from, where she was going—you know how to reach me or Detective Peabody.”
“Yes. Uma and I will make ourselves available for Detective Yancy.”
As they got into the car, Peabody looked at Eve. “Fancy Blonde’s in it.”
“If she’s not, it’s a big, fat coincidence. What do I think about coincidences, Peabody?”
“That they’re bollocks.Bollocks, it’s a good word. I should use it more.”
“If anyone can get a face, it’s Yancy.”
“And that’s no bollocks.”
“See when we can get him on this. I need to go back to Central. I’ve got to check in with EDD, then meet with Mira, and there’s that goddamn fucking media conference, and we need to talk to the estate lawyer.”
Peabody pulled out her ’link to contact Yancy. “Why do you figure men go after women half their age—or in this case about a quarter of his age?”
“Because, no matter how old a man is, he thinks with his dick.”
“Oh yeah. There’s that. Well…” She paused before making the contact. “I think it’s more the penis often has, especially in this case, undue influence over the cerebral cortex.”
“Not as pithy but more accurate. Actually, I think, especially after a certain age, being with someone half or more of that stops them from thinking about their mortality. She made him happy,” Eve repeated. “So he wasn’t thinking about death.”
“Okay, that hits, and it’s worth some high-end shopping bags. But not the rest.”
“No. And if she’s involved in the rest, and my gut’s saying she sure as hell is, we’ll get her for it.”
Chapter Thirteen
On the way to Central, she got two tags. She found them a nice distraction from the ad blimps telling her toFall into Style.
As she took them, Peabody eyed the in-dash AC. Eve held up two fingers.
“Okay, Mira has clear time at ten, and that gives me space to check with Feeney, update. Roarke says the lawyer will make time for me at my convenience.”
Peabody passed Eve her coffee. “What kind of lawyer works on a cop’s convenience?”
“He’s Roarke’s estate lawyer, too. And I guess he’s mine, sort of.”
“That explains that. It’ll make it easier to get information. I mean, the family gave him the go to talk to us, but this’ll make it easier.”
“I guess we’ll find out. Ms. Fancy.”
Pausing at a light, she drummed her fingers on the wheel, watched a woman, sleek in black skin pants, jog with a golden-haired dog across the intersection. A man in a business suit talked on his earpiece, briefcase inhand, as he strode after her. Coming the opposite way, a sidewalk sleeper pushed his cart of belongings and talked to himself while a uniformed nanny hauled up her toddler charge to her hip and gave him a wide berth.
