The In Death Collection: Books 26-29 by J.D. Robb

It’s a jacket. It’s just a damn jacket. I don’t care if it goes with the pants.”
    â€œPity then, as it goes very well. I was thinking how stylishly professional you look, which is probably a happy accident. But nonetheless.”
    â€œStylishly professional.” She sniffed, leaned over to steal a wedge of melon from his plate. “I’ve got to get my stylishly professional ass to work.”
    â€œEat.”
    â€œI’ll get a bagel or whatever in my office. I need to hit those financials, since somebody interfered with police business last night.”
    â€œI should be arrested.”
    â€œPal, that goes without saying.” She leaned over to kiss him. “Later. Oh, nearly forgot. Peabody’s going on Now tonight.”
    â€œIs she? She must be…” He thought of Peabody. “Terrified.”
    â€œYeah. She’ll get over it.”

    I n her office, she tackled the financials. She remembered the bagel, then forgot it again. When she heard the clump of Peabody’s winter boots, she rubbed her already blurry eyes.
    â€œYou take over here.”
    Peabody stopped, blinked. “Take over where?”
    â€œThese stinking financials. Give them another fifteen minutes, then we’ll take Ava.”
    â€œOkay.” Peabody draped a bag over the back of Eve’s sleep chair.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œIt’s an outfit. For tonight. In case I spill something on what I’m wearing, or in case what I’m wearing’s stupid. McNab liked it, but he wears Day-Glo half the time.” Peabody pulled off her outerwear to reveal a ruby-red suit with small silver buttons running down the front. “What do you think? Does it look right?”
    â€œWhy are you asking me?”
    â€œI don’t know. I really don’t know.” Nerves pumping, Peabody brushed at her hair. “And I got stupid hair day going. They fix that, right? They fix that sort of thing. Nadine hired Trina to do hair and makeup so…” Peabody trailed off, pursed her lips. “You look all good and everything today. Seriously up.”
    Eve shook her head. Gray pants, white shirt, navy jacket over her weapon harness. What was the deal ? “If we’ve finished our fashion consultation, maybe you could spare a minute for the damn financials.”
    â€œOkay. What do you think about the earrings?”
    Eve gave the silver drops a passing glance. “About you wearing them, or about me ripping them off and stuffing them up your nose?”
    â€œOkay,” Peabody said again, and hotfooted it to the desk.
    â€œThe computer hasn’t popped out anything from standard searches,” Eve told her. “One more shot, then I’m thinking to pass it on to Roarke. He popped something straight out of the widow’s in about ten minutes last night.”
    â€œHe’s got the knack.”
    â€œHe popped Charles out.”
    Peabody’s head jerked up. “Our Charles?”
    â€œIn a manner of. Ava’s been a regular bimonthly client of our favorite LCs for a year and a half.”
    â€œShit. We’re going to have to interview him.”
    â€œWe went over there last night. He is, as expected, coy about the details. We need Ava to clear him for that. But he did tell me that she was a referral.”
    â€œIf she was fooling around with a pro it might go to motive.”
    â€œIt might. Hitch is she wasn’t hiding it, at least not well. There were straight payments out of her personal debit account. No cover.”
    As she considered, Peabody played with one of the short dangles at her ear. “So, she doesn’t think to hide the payments. The husband finds out, they go around about it. Fight, divorce is threatened. And she kills him, sexual overtones.”
    â€œShe was out of the country.”
    â€œRight. Hired hit?”
    â€œToo elaborate.” Just too damn fussy, Eve thought. “Unless, it plays