"Seems a shame to waste the performance," she said to Roarke. "d.a.m.n it." She scowled at Peabody's voice in her ear. "They're ordering another drink. Maybe they're not going to bite after all. Stick with them," she ordered Peabody, then answered the com again. "What?"

"Movement at the Moriarity house. I t's the droid, Dallas, the same droid we have going into the Frost/Simpson house."

She shook her head in wonder. "G.o.d, they are idiots. They didn't destroy the droid, and odds are he'll bring them the weapon. I want a team on that droid. I want to know where it goes, what it does. When it's clear of the house, move in. All locations."

She rubbed her bare foot. "They bit."

"I believe they did," Roarke commented.

CHAPTER 22

EVE TRIED TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT FEENEY and Roarke were talking in e-geek. That was bad enough, but on the other side of her McNab and Peabody snuggled up together like a couple of sleepy puppies, and she was pretty sure the murmurs and giggles were some sort of s.e.x talk.

I f she didn't get out of the d.a.m.n van soon, she'd commit ma.s.s murder. She'd use the ice-pick heel of one of the arch-throbbing red shoes to skewer geek and puppy brains.

They'd make a good weapon, she considered. With the right force, the right angle, you probably could skewer brains.

Maybe that's why women wore them, as a just in case I have to kill somebody tool. That, at least, made some sense. Except it would make more sense to wear them on your hands where they'd be right there if you needed- Her homicidal thoughts scattered as Carmichael spoke in her ear.

"Subjects entering the theater."

"Copy that. Keep eyes on them."

"On them now. They're heading straight to the bar. Ordering a bottle of champagne for their box. Making a big show of it, a lot of loud, hearty laughter, drawing attention. They're heading in now. Staff's scrambling to get it up to their box before curtain."

Establishing the alibi, Eve thought. "Take positions. One of them goes to take a leak, you're with them."

"I think I 'll leave that to the new guy. Out."

"Cutting it close," Eve said. "Getting there five minutes to curtain, ordering champagne. The bartender will remember them, and so will the servers and some of the people milling around."

Idiots, she thought, but not completely stupid.

"They'll need to wait until the performance starts to make any move. Wait until people are watching the stage, the house is dark. But soon. I t has to be soon. Cut it out." She gave Peabody a shove. "You're making my eye twitch."

"We're just sitting here."

"I know s.e.x giggles when I hear them."

"I wasn't giggling."

"Not you. Him."

McNab just grinned at her. "Those were manly chuckles."

"You're cops. Be cops."

She shifted, scowled. "What are you smiling at?" she demanded of Roarke.

"Why don't you sit here and I 'll tell you." With a sparkling look in his eyes, he patted his knee. "And I might produce a manly chuckle of my own."

"Stop it. You're embarra.s.sing Feeney."

"I 'm past it," Feeney muttered and kept his head down. "Surrounded by a bunch of giggling, twitching, chuckling fools when we're on an op looking to take down a couple of crazy thrill killers."

"Didn't I tell them to cut it out?"

"You give them any attention you just encourage them." He said it mournfully, raising his gaze to hers. "Now I 'll start twitching because you chipped the wall."

"What wall?"

"The wall I build in my head so I don't hear the s.e.x giggles. Now you chipped it, and I 'll hear them, and I 'll be twitching."

"So it's my fault? Your wall's weak, that's what it is, if I can chip it just by mentioning-Shut up," she ordered, snapping to when her 'link signaled.

"Everybody zip it." She looked at the display, and then she smiled. "Showtime."

She scrubbed her fingers in her hair to disorder it, slapped her cheeks to pink them up, then brought the 'link close to her face. From Dudley.

"The f.u.c.k you want, a.s.shole?" she demanded, slurring her words.

"Lieutenant Dallas, thank G.o.d. You have to listen to me. I only have a few moments."

"Screw you."

"No, no, don't cut me off. I need your help. I t's Sly. I think ... dear G.o.d, I think he's mad."

"Speak up. I t's noisy in this place. I can barely hear you."

"I can't risk speaking any louder." He continued to use dramatic hisses and whispers. "Listen to me, listen! I think he killed Delaflote, and poor Adrianne. The things he said after you left Lionel's ... I can't believe it. He was so angry, and frightened, too. He said ... I can't tell you all this over the 'link. He's drinking, too much. I think I can get away, soon. Make an excuse, or hope he pa.s.ses out and get away to meet you. I need to tell you .

. . please, you have to meet me."

"Where the f.u.c.k are you? I 'll call it in, slap his drunk a.s.s in restraints."

"No, no! What if I 'm wrong? He's my oldest, dearest friend. Have pity. I 'm asking for your help. Yours, Lieutenant, because you'll know what to do.

I f I 'm overreacting, you'll know, and Sly won't be embarra.s.sed. And if I 'm right, you'll solve these horrible murders tonight before he ... You'll be a heroine, again. You'll be credited for stopping this madness. You alone. I don't want my name involved. I t's ... painful. Please, please. I 'm at the Strathmore Center. I can slip out. I can't go far. I 'll have to get back before intermission in case ... Our Lady of Shadows. I t's only a block away."

Inside, her smile spread even as she scowled into the 'link. "A freaking church?"

"I t's close, and we can talk without being interrupted or overheard. I have to trust you. I have to trust you'll know what to do. I 'll be there in twenty minutes, and then I 'll tell you everything I know. You're the only one I can tell."

"Yeah, yeah, fine. I t'd better be good, Dudley. I 've had a s.h.i.tty day."

She cut him off, tapped the 'link against her palm. "They do think I 'm stupid."

"p.i.s.sed-faced and stupid," Roarke added. "They'll double-team you."

"Absolutely. Feeney."

"I 've got it."

"McNab, take the wheel while I bring in the teams. I want street level and I want no more than two blocks from the target site."

"You got it."

"What are you doing on that thing?" Eve asked as Roarke worked on his PPC.

"Bringing up the floor plans of the church again. You'll want to refresh your sense of the place."

"He thinks like a cop," she said to Feeney. "He hates when I say that, but what're you going to do? Dudley said twenty, so he'll be there in fifteenor sooner. I 'll need to hoof it in those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds for a block, from the east, in case one of them's watching for me. Dudley's using," she added. "His pupils were the size of dinner plates. Moriarity's likely had a few hits, too."

"Don't think that makes them less dangerous," Roarke said.

"No, I don't. But it's what's making them careless, what's pushing them as much-more, I guess, than the show we put on for them earlier." She took the PPC from Roarke, studied it. "Okay, as we laid out when Baxter's team reported the droid's movements, we put men here and here."

She looked at Peabody, got a nod. "Second team outside, covering the exits. I want them kept back until we know both subjects are inside, and I don't want anybody breaking cover until I give that go. Clear?"

"Yes, sir. I 'll go in now, take this position. McNab-"

"I 'll take the other."

Peabody started to speak, but subsided when she saw the look in Roarke's eyes.

"All right. The two of you take the inside positions." Eve would have offered Roarke her clutch piece but she knew d.a.m.n well if Summerset had gotten the change of clothes for her, he'd have gotten a weapon to Roarke. She didn't want to know how he'd gotten one through security.

"I want inside, Dallas."

She glanced up at McNab as he maneuvered the van to the curb. He could irritate the h.e.l.l out of her, but she trusted him to the bone. "You take position with Peabody. I 'd better not hear any s.e.x giggles."

She tapped her ear. "Copy that. Dudley's on the move. Stay where you are, Carmichael, until Moriarity makes his move. Give him room. T eam A better get its a.s.ses to church."

Roarke leaned to her, spoke with his lips against her ear. "Think twice before you let them put a single mark on you if you want them in one piece and conscious for your arrest."

Before she could speak, he turned his head, pressed his lips firmly to hers. "T ake care of my cop," he told her, and jumped out the back after Peabody.

Eve reached for the shoes, met Feeney's bland stare. "What?"

"I didn't say a word. We got some body armor if you want it."

"Makes me look fat," she said and made him laugh.

"Wouldn't help anyway if they try a head shot. Here." He reached in one of the drawers, pulled out a bottle.

"Christ, Feeney, I 'm not going to drink that, and I 'm sure as h.e.l.l not going to drink before I run this op."

"You're going to swish it around in your mouth and spit it out." He held a gla.s.s out along with the bottle of I rish. "You want them to think you're drunk enough to fall for this c.r.a.p, walk into their half-a.s.sed trap? You should smell drunk."

"Good point."

She took it, swished it, and while swishing dabbed some on her throat like perfume to make him laugh again. Then spat. Leaning forward she huffed out an exaggerated breath in his face. "How's that?"

"You'll do. Are we having cow meat burgers tomorrow?"

"Probably."

"I could go for a fat one. How about pie? Is there going to be pie?"

"I don't know."

"Lemon meringue pie. That's what you want at a summer barbecue. Maybe strawberry shortcake."

"I 'll get right on that-as soon as I avoid being murdered."

"My granny used to make lemon meringue pie. I t got these little beads of sugar on the meringue. She could bake a G.o.dd.a.m.n pie, my granny."

"Yum. Dudley's heading toward the church." She rose, practiced pulling open the jacket, pulling her weapon. "That'll work. All teams hold positions. Dallas, on the move."

"You ought to wobble some, in case they get eyes on you."

She stepped out the back. "That's no problem in these shoes."

"Good hunting."

She shot him a grin as she shut the door.

She took her time, played her att.i.tude in her head. She spotted her cops, but she knew where to look. She staggered into the church.

He'd lit some of the fake candles, she noted, so the light shifted and swayed. She took a couple more unsteady steps until she stood in the aisle formed by the back pews. "Dudley, you a.s.shole." Her voice echoed. "You better not be wasting my time."

"I 'm here." His voice shook. She supposed he hoped it sounded fearful, but she caught the edge of laughter. "I-I wanted to be sure it was you.

That he didn't follow me."

"Don't worry, I 'll protect you. I get paid to protect the city's a.s.sholes."

"I t can't be enough." He eased out of the shadows at the far end of the church.