She went for water because the coffee in the lounge was revolting. And settling down, let Peabody run it.

“We really appreciate you coming in like this, Laina. Lieutenant, Laina came down on the subway. I told her we’d have her driven home. That’s all right, isn’t it?”

“No problem.”

“Laina, would you like to tell Lieutenant Dallas what you told me?”

“All right. I moonlight for Hallie sometimes. I know she told you, and that I’m not really supposed to. But the money helps, and Hallie’s been very good to me. She told me you’d spoken to her, and what was said.”

“Why don’t you tell me, Mrs. Sanchez?”

“Yes.” Laina nodded. “First I wanted to tell you that we did meet in the kitchen that morning. We had coffee, talked awhile about some menu changes, and just…well, we just talked, as friends do.”

Now she shifted, laying a hand on her bump of belly. “Hallie told me you’d asked about Mr. Williams, and if he’d…if there had been anything personal between them. Of course Hallie’s not interested in men in that way. But we also talked about what she didn’t tell you, because she’s my friend.”

“There was something personal between you and Mr. Williams?”

“No.” Laina flushed and closed a hand over the little silver cross she wore around her neck. “No, no. I’m married. This means there are lines that aren’t crossed. For me and my husband, this means there are lines. For Mr. Williams, the lines are less defined. He flirted with me. It was uncomfortable because of our positions, but, I thought, harmless. Then he touched me. He put his hand on my breast.”

Eve waited a beat. “And?”

“I hit his hand with a spoon,” Laina snapped out, full of indignation. “Very hard. He thought it was funny. I didn’t tell my husband. He wouldn’t have thought it was funny. I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want to lose my job.”

“Did he continue to harass you?”

“Mr. Williams asked me to dinner, and asked me for drinks, and asked me to bed. He touched me again, and that time I slapped his face. He wasn’t discouraged. I should’ve reported him, I know, but when I said if he didn’t stop, I would, he just shrugged. He’d been there a lot longer than I had, and he’d be believed before I would. He’d say that I approached him, and I’d be fired.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing. I’m ashamed to say I did nothing. He left, and I kept working. I cried. I couldn’t help it. And Craig came in, and found me crying. He asked me what was wrong. I didn’t tell him, but I think he knew. He would have passed Mr. Williams going out, so I think he knew. And Mr. Williams never bothered me again after that. I think Craig told him to leave me alone.”

She let out a sigh, drank some water. “I should have told you, Detective Peabody, all of this when you talked to me that day. But I didn’t think of it. I was only thinking that Craig was dead. He was such a sweet man, and he was dead. I never thought of that day.”

“When did this happen? The day Craig found you crying?”

“It was before the holiday break. Weeks and weeks ago. So I don’t see that it means anything. But Hallie said I should tell you. That you should know everything. I wish you wouldn’t have to tell my husband. He’d be angry with me for not telling him, and angry with Mr. Williams. He’d cause trouble at the school.”

“There’s no reason we need to tell your husband, Mrs. Sanchez, but let me tell you something. If you were sexually harassed by Williams, you should report it. If he did this to you, he’s done it to others. He shouldn’t hold the position he does, and he shouldn’t get away with it. You could get yourself a lawyer and sue his ass on top of it.”

“Who’d believe me?”

“I believe you.”

Eve sat where she was another moment while Peabody took Laina out to arrange for her transportation home. Williams, she thought. Despite no evidence of violence in his MO, he was a sexual predator. Not such a big leap from that to murder.

Either way, the son of a bitch deserved to have the shit kicked out of him.

She stood just as Baxter headed in her direction. “ Dallas,” he began, then studied her with a cocked head. “Sister, you look like something the cat wouldn’t bother to drag in.”

“That’s Lieutenant Sister, and bite me.”

“One good chomp would probably do it the way you’re looking. Anyway. We got hot on the Barrister case.”

“Tourist from Ohio, right?”

“ Omaha. Same difference. The concerned citizen Trueheart’s escorting out has come forward as a wit.”

“That mope one of your weasels?”

“Yeah, he’s on my roll.” Baxter got comfortable, planting his ass on the table. “Thing is, he saw it go down, scratched his butt over it for a day or so, then tagged me. Vic went down the underground, under Broadway and Thirty-eighth. Hell’s Fire. You know the joint?”

“Yeah. S-and-M theme, lots of party favors. Mock human sacrifices nightly. I like to drop in to relax after a long shift.”

Baxter grinned. “Just your style. So the vic strolls in, flashy wrist unit, shiny shoes, big attitude. Rents a slave, pays for the deluxe bondage package.”

“Deluxe?”

“That would be your chains, whips, ball gag in your choice of colors, mini-Taser, leash, and collar. Three-hour rental.”

“What, no costumes?”

“Costumes are the super deluxe pack. But he sprang for one of the display cubes so he could put on a show for the crowd.”

“Nice.”

“He wants to score before he gets his rocks off, so he zeros in on Sykes.” Baxter, not as fussy about coffee as Eve, walked over and keyed in his code on the machine. “You want?”

“No. I can live without drinking mud made from dirt and horse piss.”

“He wants a free sample-can you beat it-wants a freebie before he pays. Sykes tells him to fuck off, but the guy hounds him. He’s got plenty to spend, but he wants a taste first. Pokes at Sykes, flashes a wad. ‘Gimme a taste and if I like it, I’ll buy a full bag.’ So Sykes, who’d had a free sample or two himself, says, ‘I’ll give you a taste, fuckface, see how you like this.’ And proceeds to stick him a couple dozen times with his buck knife.”

Eve waited until Baxter planted his ass again. “He got the point across.”

“Har. After said point is made, Sykes hauls Barrister’s dead body up, carries him out of the club, and dumps him at the bottom of the stairs on the passage down on Broadway. Where he was subsequently tripped over by a couple of idiot college kids who thought they’d like an underground adventure.”

“An urban fable. You know where to find Sykes?”

“Got a couple of haunts in addition to his last known. I figure on trying the last known first. Try to keep my kid above the sidewalk. It’s a jungle down there.”

“Either way, close it up.”

“I thought I’d let Trueheart take the lead on the interview once we have Sykes in the box. Give him some play.”

Eve thought of the baby-faced Trueheart. It would probably be good for him, and Baxter wouldn’t let it go south. “Your call. Notify Illegals after you close it up. They can tag on whatever charges they want to pick from the menu. But sew up the Murder Two first.”

“That’s the plan. Oh, and break a leg.”

“What?”

“That’s what you say to somebody before a performance, which seems pretty damn stupid to me. Now. Nadine.”

“Christ,” was all she said, and stalked out.

She found Peabody at Vending just down from the bull pen. Peabody ’s face was a study in concentration as she scanned the offerings. “Energy Bar or Goo-Goo bar. The Energy Bar is, of course, nutritionally balanced, but the Goo-Goo is delicious and will provide me with great joy until the guilt sets in. Which should it be?”

“You’re going to go for the fake chocolate and sugar. Why torture yourself over it?”

“Please, Lieutenant, this is a process. The torture is part of the process. Goo-Goo it is. You want?”

What she wanted was the candy bar she’d hidden in her office, but that was not to be. “Yeah, what the hell.”