Spotting Afef was not difficult for Eve. He was sitting solemnly on the corner wearing a white chino and dark pants. The man slowly stood up as if acknowledging her presence, and that time she was able to analyze his dark eyes, white hair, and bony structured body.
Like somebody I used to know, she bemused.
He might be sensible and controlled but Eve saw the different emotions swirling in his eyes. At first, there was a shock, followed by amazement, until it flickered to indifference.
"Lieutenant Eve Dallas-Roarke.", he greeted with a very thick accent.
It was a bit rare for her to be called using her complete name. Since she deemed it useless to flash her badge to the man, she decided to sit on the chair facing him then placed her recorder visibly on the coffee table.
He gave it a side eye. "I am not obliged to follow your country rules here, Lieutenant."
"I never recited a Revised Miranda on you, and I am not dim-witted not to know some international laws, Afef."
His lips pursed when she went on a first-name basis. He knew it was her usual tactic of intimidation.
Eve was fuming that his pruned face reminded her of him.
"You are a witness to a crime in New York so no matter who you are or what planet you came from, you have to abide the rules for civil liability. Why are you on that floor, Afef?"
"Mr. Howe informed me that he will be on the premise for a short meeting. It was none in importance so I prioritized Royal Highness' necessities first before I addressed his request. When I walked in there, I immediately saw the grotesque scene. So I called Mrs. Dwight about it."
"Did you enter the room?"
"I don't think so. Possible. I forgot."
"You don't strike me as a forgetful type."
"I am only but a mere human, Lieutenant. I may be conserved but I do have flaws."
"Such as?"
"I don't think you're here to discuss such mundane matters."
He was right.
"What did you see inside the room?" she asked, trying to gain the momentum of their conversation.
"Mr. Howe and the lady Mathilde. We stayed here for almost a week, just enough for me to have interactions with these pleasant attendants. I did not touch their bodies."
All of his answers were delivered in a calm and concise manner, and Eve didn't like it.
"So you didn't enter the room then."
"Perhaps yes. When they called the police, I retired to my bed and took a soother to ease my mind. I let myself open for communications in case there will be a need for my statement, which I believe, is what I am doing right now."
She stood up. "Okay then. I will need your Royal Highness' statement."
Before she could retrieve her recorder from the table, an ebony hand stopped her.
"I will never allow it!" he fumed. "You're an impertinent to our Royalty for accusing her of some blasphemy!"
"I never said that you did." she wrung her hand away as she grabbed the recorder. " Do you know what an alibi is, Afef? It is essential to know whether you are lying or not."
Eve moved closer until her face hovered over his. "You might pull some piece of shit you call sovereignty to me but I will do everything, anything to tear it off like a piece of junk. Two of New York's citizen have been killed with a missing one yet to be discovered, and it's an insult to my profession to allow that son of a bitch escape. I might be a lowly Homicide, but the red tapes on this? It can cause media and federal frenzy. You don't like that, do you?"
The fear was evident on his ashen face. "Is this - is this a tip-off?"
"Tip-off?" she scoffed indignantly. "Ha. I'm busy now so why don't you pull that stick out from your ass and use it to hit your head eh?"
She hastily left him for another prey.
Three middle-aged women were inside the security personnel area. They were visibly shaken when Eve showed up for an interview.
"Who among you here was assigned to the reception area yesterday around 1900?"
Woman One and Woman Two turned their heads to their left and pointed Woman Three who merely raised her trembling hand. She flinched when the Lieutenant gave her dead-set eyes.
"Did you book the reservation on the 58th via call?"
Woman Three shuddered and broke heavy tears. "I-I-I did not book it, Ma'am – er, Lieutenant! I-I-I don't have me-memory reten-retention bu-but I am familiar wi-with the-the things I-I have bo-booked!"
"Are you telling me that it popped like magic?!" Eve wasn't aware that she was snarling. "Your name was logged in the encoder system and God-forsaken knows if someone overwrites it externally."
"I-I swear to my father's grave I'm innocent!" Woman Three defended fervently, and when she eyed her companions for help they simply averted her gaze.
Feeney was hunching on the corner, furiously shaking his head while fiddling on the monitor screens and memory boxes. The Go-cup that the security personnel drank was still there untouched, so Eve bagged it immediately for possible fingerprints.
She patted the Captain's back. "You might grab those cameras on the crime scene, maybe we can retrieve some images as well as the surveillance within seventy-two hours."
"I know what to do," he grumbled without sparing her a glance.
"Get the blueprint of the hotel, especially their sprinkler system will you? Especially the units in the reception area - maybe there's a mild tampering."
"I said I know what to do!" he lashed out and met her burning rage.
Eve left him without saying a word.
She went to her vehicle that was parked in the VIP slot then poured her anger by kicking its rear several times. Though it took her a while to calm herself down, she was still not ready to deliver the bad news.
She pulled out the data of Amir Howe's next kin and felt like the whole world collapsed.
She immediately dialed Louise Dimatto, the best physician she knew. Her link suddenly filled with Louise's image as she answered her link'.
"What can I do to the city of New York, Dallas?" she greeted.
"Very much. You might be hailed as a hero and have your own bust in the Greenpeace Park after this. Listen, can you go to a certain location that I am going to transmit to you and be there in thirty? I'll be on my way to meet you there."
As Louise read the transmission, Eve told her about the situation.
"That's so horrible. Awful." was the doctor's reply.
"That's how I uphold my world-renowned title. Bitch cop."
"I feel so sorry for this, Dallas. I'll meet you there.", Louise said then hang up.
Both arrived on time. When Eve pushed the buzzer, an old lady slightly opened the door.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Lieutenant Dallas and this is my consultant, Dr. Louise Dimatto. We are here for Mrs. Howe.", Eve introduced as she showed her the badge. After scanning and verifying it, they were admitted inside and led to an anteroom filled with pastel-colored decors.
Eve gulped loudly when Lianna Howe went downstairs. Her right hand was on her back while the other was on her basketball-sized stomach.
"You're Roarke's cop! Oh my, it's my pleasure to meet you finally!"
Before Eve could react, Lianna cupped her head and kissed both of her cheeks. She wasn't aware how the cop stilled when her stomach brushed her torso.
"Isn't it funny that our husbands are having their early meeting today? My Amir told me proudly how he conned Roarke to abide his biddings, and of course, your husband had to treat his sore spot. He can easily get his losses with a snap so there's no reason for him to be pissed off. Besides, it's a win-win dealing! Oh, and they have a 'secret' agenda for the approval! Did Roarke tell you about that?"
"Erm, Mrs. Howe, I –"
Eve was about to say something but Lianna bombarded her again.
"Oh gosh, you never told me you have a companion! Risa, Risa! Could you prepare some refreshments for us here?"
"It's fine, Mrs. Howe," Louise interjected with a smile. "The Lieutenant has something to say for you."
Eve was used to having Peabody fill that role so she was very thankful that the doctor fits the bill.
Lianna gaped and stared at them in disbelief when Eve told her about Amir's death. She didn't believe them at first, but when she confirmed the information and received a deafening silence, the pregnant widow wailed and cried like an injured animal.
Eve almost fainted on the spot and felt queasy when Risa rushed to her mistress' side. The maid whispered sweet nothings on her while Louise injected something that calmed Lianna down.
The last thing Eve wanted to see that day was a popping baby.
She remained on the couch unmoved when Risa and Louise ushered Lianna to her room. It was then that prompted her to bolt out and emptied her stomach on a nearby sink.
"Premature labor shook you terribly, Eve. Are you alright? You're white as a sheet."
"Nah, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy but it'll pass."
She turned around with her butt rested on the sink tile and her hands supported her body. Louise offered her some blockers but she obligingly took it after knowing that it was safe.
"It slapped me really hard to give that kind of news to a fellow...wife.", Eve was about to say something but stopped herself. She might run a test first before she could ask some professional help.
"Do all knock-ups have some episodes of hyperactivity like they just took up Zoner?"
"It depends on their hormones. Others tend to have temper tantrums. You don't have any plans to tell me about what happened."
Eve sighed exasperatedly. "Code Five, Louise, and in a few hours the media will sniff on this."
She bet that her other friend, Nadine would hunt her on this. She was looking forward to the kind of bribe she would offer in exchange for a scoop.
Louise chose to stay on Howe's and called Lianna's ob/gyn on her personal link'. When everything was settled, Eve decided to leave the house. She was just outside the gate when her link' beeped.
"Dallas."
"Lieutenant. Be here at Central and report to my office 1200 immediately for a briefing.", Commander Whitney's image filled in her screen.
"Sir, I appealed to make it 1300 instead. I have to conduct one interview before I can swing there."
"Will it make a difference if you skip that one?"
The question hovered in the air for a while before Eve could answer.
"Yes, sir."
"Well then, I'll inform them of the changes." he prompted before he disconnected the call.
When Eve curbed her way towards the intimidating skyline of Roarke Industries' headquarters, a beaming smile from the security greeted her.
"Good morning, Lieutenant. I'll park your vehicle in the slot and return it here when you're about to leave.", the security said as she gave her codes to him.
"Uh, thanks.", she said then went inside. The receptionist showed the same level of enthusiasm as she led her to the glides going to the top floor. She wanted to stall for a while, so she struck a conversation.
"How long have you been working with Roarke?"
"Almost three years now, Lieutenant.", the receptionist answered with confidence.
"I see. Any complications on the job?"
"None at all, Lieutenant. Roarke gave us higher incentives and benefits than any regular jobs out there. I really enjoyed working here"
"Good to hear that. I'll let him know about you."
When the glide doors swung open, Caro, Roarke's loyal secretary, was waiting for her.
"It's a pleasure to see you here, Lieutenant.", Caro said as Eve went outside the car. She might be looking ahead of her but the Lieutenant saw the gleaming tears from the young receptionist's eyes as the glide's door closed.
"Likewise, Caro. Is Roarke available?"
"Just finished another set of meeting and on his lunch break. Would like me to prepare something for you, Lieutenant?"
"Don't bother. I'll let Roarke know."
"Of course."
Ever since Eve solved her daughter Reva's case, her relationship with Caro turned warmer. The secretary left her when she reached the door to Roarke's office.
"Eve, it's a pleasure to see you here.", Roarke said as he swiveled his chair and looked at his wife.
"You're the fourth person who told me that.", she answered as she walked towards him.
He knew her quite well, not only her gestures but also her tone of her voice.
"Have you eaten yet, Darling? I'll send some of your favorites."
"No, Roarke, I did not come here to have some lunch.", she quipped. Hell, she had lost all of her appetites and no doubt, his might follow afterward.
She set her recorder on the table between them. His eyes hovered there for a moment then flickered towards her dangerously.
"Don't say a word, Roarke. I am here to read your rights."