“I really hope to make him realize that sooner, but I’d take it. Do you want me to contact the victims, tell them we have him?”
“Anyone we spoke to on the potential target list. That would help. Olsen and Tredway should tell the Patricks in person, and the Brinkmans. I’ll take Daphne Strazza.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Reo squeezed Eve’s arm, then walked away to do her part of the job.
Eve waited while Mira came out with Roarke, held up a finger and moved to speak to Olsen and Tredway.
“Fried him up like a kielbasa,” Tredway said.
“I’m never going to be able to eat one of those again, but, yeah, he’s fried. His ego and entitlement made it pretty damn easy. It’s not going to be easy on the Patricks.”
“No.” Olsen shook her head. “It’s going to gut them.”
“It should come from you. They have a closer connection with you. The Brinkmans, too.”
“We’ll take them,” Tredway agreed. “We’ll handle it. Damn good working with you again, Dallas. Feeney’s got a hell of an eye.”
“Let’s get this done before it leaks. Then you and me, partner?” Olsen tapped a fist to Tredway’s arm. “We’re going for a couple of brews.”
“I hear you.”
Eve stepped away, up to Mira and Roarke.
“I guess you caught some of the interview,” she said to Roarke.
“Most, I think. You played him perfectly.”
“He wanted validation, wanted his dick stroked—so to speak. It was easy to see that, and to give it to him. We had him without it, but it’s tied in a bow. He’s not insane,” she added, turning to Mira.
“Sick, delusional, sociopathic, psychopathic, but no, he’s legally sane. It wasn’t easy to give it to him, but by doing so, you tied that bow.”
“That part’s done. I could use you—or Daphne could use you. I need to tell her face-to-face.”
“I cleared time. When can you leave?” Mira asked.
“Pretty much now if that works. We found her,” she said to Roarke. “I think—unless Mira says otherwise—it would be good for you to be there, too.”
“I’ll take you both.”
“I’m going to let her know we’re coming. She might want her family there. The Patricks and Brinkmans have each other. Give me five minutes. I’ll meet you in the garage.”
When Eve strode away, Mira laid a hand on Roarke’s arm. “She has you. This has been brutally hard for her in many ways, but she has you.”
“And you.”
“Yes. And the next victim.”
*
Eve thought of the next victim as she rang the buzzer on the door of Daphne’s suite.
Tish answered, eyed all three. “Daphne’s in her room. Has there been another? You said there hadn’t, but—”
“No, there’s not going to be another.”
“You caught him.” Tears sprang to Tish’s eyes. “Why didn’t you say so when you tagged us? God, God, what a relief. Our parents are out. We talked them into going out, taking a walk in the park, but—”
“I really need to speak to Daphne.”
“Sure, sorry. God, thank God. Are you Dr. Mira?” She asked as she gestured them into the parlor area. “Daphne described you.”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad you came. She feels—says she feels—calmer with you. You’re Roarke. I recognize you. I know you found her, helped get her to the hospital. I’m her sister. Please, everybody sit down. I’ll get her. This is going to help her so much.”
She started toward a bedroom, stopped. “Shit, sorry. I should offer you something. We’ve got a nice little kitchen area.”
“Why don’t I make some tea?” Mira took off her coat as she spoke. “Daphne may like some.”
“I’m for popping some champagne, but, yeah, tea. Thanks. We’ll be right back.”
Eve went to the window, looked out. “I love New York. Despite the fact that people like Knightly inhabit it, I love it. It’s helped make me what I am. It gave me my place.”
“You’re still sad.”
“In Dallas, those last days in that awful room, I could see out the window. But there was nothing real, nothing I knew or understood. My world was that room, and my world was a nightmare. Even after I got out, after I killed him and got out, it wasn’t my world. It was like something on screen. Sometimes he let me watch screen. It was like that, and sometimes there were monsters on screen, just like in my world. We’ve got monsters here, but I know them. I’m not afraid of them.”
She closed her eyes a moment. “When this is done, can we—I know it’s cold—but can we go home and take a walk? Just walk in the cold and snow for a little while?”
“I’d love to take a walk with you.”
“If it’s dark—”
“We’ll turn on all the lights.” He walked to her, laid his hands on her shoulders, kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be our world.”
She reached back, laid a hand over his. Let it drop when she heard the bedroom door open.
She turned her back on the city she loved.
Epilogue
Daphne’s lips trembled, tears gleamed in her eyes, but she moved straight to Eve, gripped her hands.
“Tish said you caught the devil—the man. You caught him. Did you?”
“Yes.”