Read Online Loyalty in Death by J. D. Robb - Free Book Online

tugged it out. “Dallas.”
    “Lieutenant.”
    “Peabody. I figured you’d have your brother out on the town.”
    “Try vice versa.” On-screen, Peabody rolled her eyes. “I’ve already been to the top of the Empire State Building, taken the glide around the Silver Palace twice, gawked at skaters in Rockefeller Center — ” Not under the tortures of hell would she admit she’d strapped on skates herself. “And I walked my feet off in two museums. He’s dying to do the Fly Over Manhattan tour. It leaves in fifteen.”
    “Tons of fun,” Eve commented as she made her way to the elevator that would take her down to her car.
    “Zeke’s never been to the city before. I’ve had to stop him from talking to every LC and beggar on the street. Jesus, Dallas, he wanted to play three-card monte.”
    Eve grinned. “Good thing his sister’s a cop.”
    “You’re telling me.” Then she sighed. “Look, this probably doesn’t mean anything, but it’s weird, and I thought I should let you know.”
    Eve stepped out of the elevator into the garage. “What?”
    “You know how Zeke said he came out because he had a commission? Building custom cabinets and stuff? Well, it turns out his commission is from B. Donald Branson.”
    “Branson?” Eve pulled up short. “Branson hired your brother?”
    “Yeah.” Peabody studied Eve out of unhappy eyes. “What are the odds?”
    “Low,” Eve murmured. “Pretty low. How’d Branson hear about Zeke?”
    “Mrs. Branson, actually. She was out in Arizona at some spa and was shopping, saw his work in one of the artists’ co-ops. Zeke does a lot of custom work, built-ins, furniture. He’s really good. She asked about the craftsman, and they put her in touch with Zeke. One thing led to another, and here he is.”
    “It sounds normal, logical.” She slipped into her car. “Has he been in touch with them since he got in?”
    “He’s calling now. Their name just came up, and I told him. He thought he should call Mrs. Branson and see if she wanted to put off the work.”
    “Okay. Don’t worry about it, Peabody. But let me know how they handle it. And if he hasn’t already spilled it about having a cop for a sister, tell him to keep that little bit of data to himself.”
    “Sure. But it’s not like the Bransons are suspects. We’ve got the killer.”
    “Right. Let’s just be cautious. Go play tour guide. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    Coincidence, Eve mused as she drove out of the garage. She really hated coincidence. But no matter how she played the information through her mind, she couldn’t come up with anything off about the family of her murder victim hiring Peabody’s brother to do carpentry work.
    J. Clarence had been alive when Zeke had been hired. Neither of the Bransons were involved in his death. There was no way to stretch it into anything shaky.
    Sometimes coincidence was just coincidence. But she pushed the information into a corner of her mind and let it stew there.
    There was music playing softly when Eve walked in the house. Summerset entertaining himself, she decided as she stripped off her jacket, while he went about doing whatever the hell it was he did all day.
    She tossed the jacket over the newel post as she started upstairs. He would know she was home, she thought. The man knew every damn thing. He also hated to have his routine, whatever it was, disturbed. It was unlikely he would bother her.
    She turned, walked down the corridor to the tall double doors of Roarke’s weapon room. Frowning a little, she hitched her bag on her shoulder more securely. She was aware that only Roarke, Summerset, and she could gain access to this room.
    Roarke’s collection was legal — at least it was legal now. She had no idea if every piece had been obtained by legal means. She doubted that sincerely.
    Eve laid her hand flat on the palm plate, waited while the cool green light shimmered on to take her print, then stated her name, and finally used the key code.
    The