EDD: Find the auction and the person or persons holding it.
She rubbed at the headache climbing up from the back of her neck, and looked at her board. At where she’d writtenFancy Blonde.
Yancy: Get a face, a face that leads to a name.
Put those together, she’d find the killer, the thief, and the fucking emeralds.
She needed to bring justice to Nathan Barrister and his family. And goddamn it, she needed to protect the man she loved. Her badge prioritized the first; the ring on her finger symbolized the second.
She couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t find a way to do both.
When she heard Peabody’s cowgirl boots, she rose.
“Sorry, Dallas, nothing on the blonde yet. And it’s time to get down to the media center.”
“Yeah.”
When they walked out, she paused in the bullpen.
“There’s half a brownie on my desk. If it’s not there when I get back, I’m writing up the whole damn bunch of you. Check it.”
“Nadine brought enough for the whole class,” Peabody told her when they strode to the elevator.
“Like that would stop them.”
“Point taken. Did Nadine have anything to get or give?”
“Abernathy’s coordinating with a task force that’s looking into the original thefts.”
“Yeah?” Peabody’s voice went flinty. “I guess he didn’t think the NYPSD needed to worry about that.”
“He’s about to find out otherwise.”
She tolerated the stops and starts of the elevator, of the people gettingon, getting off, even the chatter inside the car that added fresh blooms to her headache.
She wanted time, just a little more of it, to settle. She needed to talk to Roarke alone, in private. She needed his reassurance no investigation would turn up anything on him.
Did she know she’d get it? Yes. But she needed it anyway.
Kyung waited for them. Tall, lean, smooth dark skin, slate-gray suit, perfectly knotted deep blue tie, he looked the part of media liaison.
“Just this way, Lieutenant, Detective. Chief Tibble and Commander Whitney have just arrived. Inspector Abernathy is on his way. I’d like to be able to tell you we can keep this brief. I understand you have important work to do, but I want to be honest with you.”
And that, Eve thought, was why in addition to looking the part, Kyung wasn’t an asshole.
“How long?”
“I’d judge an hour, minimum. Chief Tibble will give a statement, as will Commander Whitney. The commander will introduce the inspector, who will also give a brief statement on Interpol’s involvement and the coordination with the NYPSD. If you’d also like to give a statement—”
“No.”
“I thought not. We will open for questions. You can expect the majority of them to deal with the contents of the vault.”
“Right.”
“All investigative parties have agreed that no details on what, if anything, was taken from the vault or the home will be disclosed at this time.”
“Understood.”
