Innocent in Death (In Death, #24)

by J.D. Robb

His face filled her ’link screen, and those lethal blue eyes burned into hers. “Lieutenant. I didn’t want to disturb you. If you can carve out some time today, I’d like some of it. If it’s not possible—or you’re just too bloody stubborn to make it possible—I expect to have your time and attention tonight. At home. I’ll end by saying this much. You piss me off, and still I love you with everything I am. I’d best hear from you, Eve, or I swear I’m going to kick your ass.” She stuffed the ’link back in her pocket. “We’ll see whose ass gets kicked, pal.”

Eve and Roarke still at odds over Magdelana

“It’s not jealousy. I wish it were. I wish it were that stupid, that shallow, that definitive. But it’s not jealousy. It’s fear.” She dropped down in her chair again as her voice began to crumble. “It’s fear.”

Eve finally admits what the root cause is for her behaviour concerning Magdelana------ fear.

He turned her hand over, interlocking fingers. “There you were, and it all shifted under my feet. You were everything I shouldn’t have, shouldn’t want or need. A cop for Jesus’ sake, with eyes that looked right into me.” He reached out, just a whisper of fingers on her face. And the quiet touch was somehow wildly passionate, desperately intimate. “A cop wearing a bad gray suit and a coat that didn’t even fit. From that moment, the hole inside me began to fill. I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop what rooted there, or what grew. “She put it in me, you filled it. Can you understand that’s part of this—the connection you worry about? Can you understand that whatever it was I felt for her it’s nothing. It’s so pale, so thin and weak compared to what I feel for you.” The tears came now. He watched them drip down her cheeks, wondered if she were even aware they leaked out of her. “She was part of my life. You are my life. If I have a regret, it’s that even for an instant you could think otherwise. Or that I allowed you to.”

He reached out, just a whisper of fingers on her face. And the quiet touch was somehow wildly passionate, desperately intimate. “A cop wearing a bad gray suit and a coat that didn’t even fit. From that moment, the hole inside me began to fill. I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t stop what rooted there, or what grew. “She put it in me, you filled it. Can you understand that’s part of this—the connection you worry about? Can you understand that whatever it was I felt for her it’s nothing. It’s so pale, so thin and weak compared to what I feel for you.” The tears came now. He watched them drip down her cheeks, wondered if she were even aware they leaked out of her. “She was part of my life. You are my life. If I have a regret, it’s that even for an instant you could think otherwise. Or that I allowed you to.”

“When I saw you with her on screen—” “I was saying good-bye to the girl I’d once fancied, and I think, to the man I’d been who’d fancied her. Only that. Don’t cry. Here now.” He brushed her tears away with his thumbs. “Don’t cry.” “I feel stupid.” “Good. So do I.” “I love you. Scary.” She pushed up again, and this time into his arms. “So fucking scary.” “I know.” She felt him tremble when he pressed his face to her neck. “Don’t leave me again. God. God. Don’t leave me again.” “I didn’t.” “Part of you did.” He moved her back, and his eyes swarmed with emotion. “Part of you left me, and I couldn’t stan...

After the punch. Eve knew it was a setup but the need to strikeout was too great. Sucker punched them both.

“My parents’, for God’s sake. They should never have had him in the first place. He was always in the way, and they were always spending time with him when they should have spent it with me. I was the first.” “You pushed him down the steps?” “It was easy.” Rayleen executed a small leap, then picked up her drink again. “Just one shove and he went tumble, tumble, tumble. Snap! And that was that.” On a giggle, she drank—and Eve’s stomach churned. “Things were the way they were supposed to be. I got all the toys that Christmas. All I had to do was cry when Daddy started to put the ones for Trev away. I got them all, and now I always get them all.”

Rayleen tells how she killed her little brother.

“No one’s going to believe you.” Rayleen’s face was wildly red with rage, and not a hint of fear. “My daddy will fix it all.” “Wrong again.” Eve took a firm hold of Rayleen’s arm while Peabody took the other. A few feet away, Straffo stood staring at his daughter like a man still gripped in a nightmare. “Rayleen.” “Daddy! Daddy! They’re hurting me! Stop them.” He took two lurching steps toward her. “He was just a baby. He was just a little boy. He loved you so much. How could you do that, Rayleen, to people who loved you so much?” “It’s lies, Daddy. She’s lying to you. I’m your best girl. I’m…Mommy did it! I saw her do it, Daddy. She pushed Trev, and then she killed Mr. Foster and Mr. Williams. I didn’t want to tell on her, Daddy. I didn’t want them to take her away from us. I—” “Stop. Oh, God.” He covered his face with his hands. “Oh, God.” “Take her, Peabody. Take her, Mira, and the CP agent to Central. I’ll follow as soon as I can.” “You’ll pay,” Rayleen said to Eve under her breath as Peabody signaled a uniform to help her. “You’ll pay, just like the others. I’ll enjoy you the most.” “Spoiled brats don’t scare me. Read her her rights, Peabody, and book her, three counts murder one, one attempted murder. We’ll add on Adele Versy when we have that locked in.” “Daddy! Don’t let them take me away from you! Daddy!” Eve turned away and walked toward Straffo without looking back. “Let’s go sit down, Oliver.” “I have nothing left. I have nothing. That’s my child. She…I made he...

Oliver Straffo comes to terms with what his daughter has done. Rayleen threatens Eve and tries to put the blame on her mother.