Page 107 of Fury In Death

“The local authorities determined accidental. A climbing accident where she fell to her death. My sources, and my reach, can’t get me the official report.”

Nadine paused with a feral look in those cat eyes.

“Yet. But my sources both claim they heard the fall had busted her up beyond recognition. And that’s before the animals got to her.”

In the passenger seat, Peabody let out a soft Oog.

“She had no family,” Nadine continued, “so the company arranged for her remains to be cremated in Spain. My sources still have some friends in the company, and that’s the dish. Also that, so far, she hasn’t been replaced, though whatever’s going on in there still remains active.”

“You’re right. I did want to hear this.”

“I’m also told she wasn’t well liked. Cold, unfriendly, prone to berating colleagues and other staff. And though Lawrence Chu was director, if Delgato snapped her fingers, he came running.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Thanks back. Before this is done I’m going to have a hell of a story. I could send you the background data I have on her, but since Peabody’s already doing that, I’m getting back to work.”

“Me, too. Later. Peabody.”

“Lucia Delgato, age fifty-nine at the time of her death. Female of Spanish, Italian, and Mexican origins. No marriages, no cohabs, no sibs or offspring. Parents died when she was thirty—small plane crash. Lots of educational stuff.”

“Skip that for now.”

“Started working for Banner-Wyst, based in Madrid, at the age of twenty-five. Bioscience and engineering, specializing in environmental studies, climatology. Transferred to the New York offices as project chief/manager in January of 2048.”

“She’d have worked with Redman, at least a few months. What was she doing in the Pyrenees?”

“Apparently falling off a mountain. Or, you’re thinking, and me, too, getting tossed off one.”

“He hunted her down there. He killed her first. I figured he killed Chu first because they were friends, or Redman thought they were. But he took her first because she was in charge, brought in to take charge maybe. Because whatever it was, he held her directly responsible.”

“Still digging,” Peabody muttered, and only glanced up for a minute. “Hey, we made it to Long Island.”

“Keep digging. He killed her first. He went out of the country to do it. Look for a connection, any connection, to Cruz.”

“You think . . . huh. I’ll get a bigger shovel.”

While Peabody dug, Eve fought Long Island traffic and thought about it all.

Why not wait to kill her until she’d come back to New York? Why risk that kind of travel, and the expense?

Maybe she wasn’t coming back, or not soon enough.

Nadine’s sources didn’t name Redman, but she’d bet her badge he’d had access to that restricted area thirteen years before. And something in there, something he knew, found, heard, set the whole thing off.

“We’re there, or nearly. Pick it up when we head back.”

“Happily. My eyes are crossing.”

Eve pulled up to a gate. Not an iron gate, but a solid white wall. Centered on it were Banner’s initials, JB, in black.

“Talk about closed in and all secret,” Peabody commented.

The walls, about eight feet high, held security cams every few feet. No doubt, she thought, someone watched them now, was already running the plates on her DLE.

She had to get out of the car to step up to the security plate, and there held up her badge.

“NYPSD, Lieutenant Dallas and Detective Peabody. We need to speak with Calvin Banner regarding investigations into the deaths of two of his employees.”