The In Death Collection: Books 26-29 by J.D. Robb Read Free Book Online Page B

for Anders Worldwide—Chicago base, where she relocated after her divorce. Then she transferred to the New York office in 2041. She and Anders married in ’44. She currently serves as the company’s goodwill ambassador, serving on the board of Everybody Plays, Anders Worldwide’s organization founded to provide facilities, training, and equipment for children, ah, worldwide. And serving as chairman of Moms, Too, a program that offers educational seminars, workshops, networking opportunities, and so on to mothers of kids in Everybody Plays. No criminal on her either, and she’s worth about ten million in her own right.”
    Peabody lowered her notebook. “I could give you Greta Horowitz, but everything she told us runs true. I was about to start on Leopold Walsh, but I must find food. I can find you food, too.” Peabody smiled hugely. “How about a nice sandwich?”
    â€œHow about we find out where the hell some of the reports are, and why they’re not on my desk? I want—” Eve broke off as her computer signaled an incoming. “Morris comes through,” she murmured.
    â€œAnd while you’re singing the praises of our ME, I’ll go hunt and gather.”
    â€œComputer, display incoming on screen, copy to open file, and print.”
    Multitask acknowledged. Working…
    As the computer hummed, Eve scanned the toxicology report. “Well, Jesus, Tommy,” she stated, “you didn’t have a snowball’s chance, did you?”
    While it printed, she engaged her ’link to harass the sweepers for a preliminary, and because her mind was elsewhere, answered her ’link when it signaled a few minutes later.
    â€œDallas.”
    â€œYou don’t call, you don’t write.”
    â€œNadine.” Eve didn’t bother to curse herself as she stared into the sharp green eyes of the city’s hottest reporter. The fact that they were friends made it convenient—or inconvenient, depending on the circumstances. “Gosh, I’d just love to chat, but I’m about to do lunch. Then maybe I’ll have a manicure.”
    â€œThat’s so cute. You caught a hot one, Dallas, just the kind of case we love to spotlight on Now . Tomorrow night. You’ll lead off, a full ten-minute segment.”
    â€œAgain, gosh, but I have to have my eyes put out with a hot poker tomorrow night. Otherwise…”
    â€œThomas Anders’s murder is big news, Dallas.”
    â€œWe haven’t determined or announced the death as murder.”
    â€œThat’s not what I hear. Strangled, in bed, with considerable kink attached. If not murder, was it accidental death during sex games?”
    So the trickle was already a flood, Eve thought. “You know better, Nadine.”
    â€œA girl’s gotta try. He was a nice guy, Dallas. I’d like to cover this right.”
    â€œYou knew him?”
    â€œI did a few features on him, his wife, his nephew over the years. That’s not really knowing someone, but what I did know, I liked. Tabloid media—and a lot of other media—is going to pump up the sex, you know this. I can’t avoid it, but I want to be evenhanded. So help me.”
    â€œNot this time. But I’ll give you Peabody. You won’t screw with her, or the investigation. And she needs to develop her media chops. So you help her.”
    â€œThat’s a deal. I’ll have my people get in touch with her, but tell her I need her here, at the studio, by five tomorrow.”
    â€œNadine, in five words or less, sum up your take on the relationship between Anders and his wife, and Anders and his nephew.”
    â€œWith the wife, affectionate and proud. The same for the nephew, but even more so. I remember asking Anders what he considered his finest accomplishment. He turned a photo around that he kept on his desk—one of his nephew. ‘You’re looking at him,’ is what he said. I ended