Royalty in Death - an In Death series fanfic (J.D. Robb)

Chapter 13

Eve felt groggy. After getting wasted the whole night with Roarke, she was greeted by a wave of nausea that morning.

"Eve, you have to see a doctor to check your condition.", Roarke said, rubbing her shoulders as she poured almost all of the bile in her system. She pulled a paper towel and wiped her mouth.

"Roarke, this is not the first time I got a hang-over, and hang-overs aren't lethal."

"You barely finished your champagne in the party, and you only took a glass of wine. You got this same episode two days ago. Don't make me – "

"Okay. I got it.", she interrupted, and saw a worried look in his eyes when she cupped his face with her hands. "Just don't make me examined by that scarecrow and drink his concoctions. I'm going to see a doctor today."

"I can go – "

"Alone. I'm not a kid, Ace, and I can manage myself."

"You looked like you're about to pass out."

"Of course I am. I haven't had my morning coffee, and I want it now."

He sighed, resigned, and moved outside the bathroom to fetch her coffee, only to be stopped when she crooked a finger.

"Maybe a company in shower could be enough...probably."

"We'll see it then.", he answered, peeling his dark suits and joined her in the billowing steam of shower.

He made her promised to see a doctor today – and she did.

"Is Dr. Mira inside?", Eve asked the admin, who only jerked a thumb and let her inside.

As she opened the door and entered, another wave of nausea almost hit her throat. She immediately covered her nose.

"Why does the paint's smell still hit my nerves?

Dr. Mira, NYPSD top profiler, noticed her sick expression and assisted her to sit down.

"The office's paintjob was last week, and even I can barely smell the stinky odor. Either you're too sensitive with lacquers Lieutenant, or we're already immune to it."

"Now I'm not looking forward for Renovations and Repairs to do a department cleaning in Homicide."

"We must be thankful that the city allotted a budget for the improvement of our facilities.", Mira chuckled. "We could discuss your case in your office, if you want."

"No, let's do it here. Your dragoness secretary might burn me if I steal you away here while those in queue outside might create a riot.", Eve replied.

When her queasiness was gone, she took a deep breath and steadied her posture. "Have you read my recent updates for Levinski?"

"Yes, and I have transmitted the profiles already in your unit a few minutes ago. You don't need an assistance of a psychologist to evaluate him, Eve."

"He did not kill Amir Howe."

The silence hovered there, but Eve knew Mira was smiling.

"As I've said, you don't need anybody to arrive into that verdict."

Mira crossed her legs as she sipped her Darjeeling tea.

"He was too proud of himself, and was not ashamed to reveal his dirty works to other people, even to intimidate those who were in the law. Coming from a political family, he believes he can be protected by their factions in case something murky stuck on him. He's proud of his image physically and socially. Too much narcissism, too much selfishness. In short, a grown-up spoiled brat."

"If he's behind the killing, he would be somewhere within the vicinity in order to witness the crime. He would probably play as one of the witness, or maybe a survivor. His desire of limelight makes him one of the suspects, but his alibi was tight. Even the computer's probability rejected him."

"But your gut tells you something.", Mira pointed out.

 "He might be innocent in my murder, but he knows something about the other murder two years ago.", she speculated, and then continued.

"He has an oil business in Harmin, owned lots of properties and invested there for years, yet he was able to keep in touch with the royalty two years ago, and then got engaged few months later. He's not surprised when a murder happened in the suite, but he's wary on people surrounding the princess. I don't see it as pure love, or probably it was lust, but I see it as a sort of obligation. Was there a negotiation happened between Levinski and the royal family? Was Petun a sort of payment?"

Mira reached out Eve's hand. She knew she's projecting herself to the princess – how Petun was raised to become a political pawn while Eve was raised to become a commodity, both manipulated by their own set of parents.

"You sent me a copy of Nadine's background report. The murder of the prince and its media leakage downsized the reputation of the royal family, and a diversion like weddings can help regain its strength and image to the public. This has been practiced by several monarchies – example, Queen Elizabeth of UK married Prince Philip as a diversion to the aftermath of WW2. Marriage means celebrations, and this event could uplift the nation's spirit."

"But our killer doesn't want that."

"That's why our dear Levinski does not fit the bill.", Mira concluded. "Our perpetrator is a Harminian citizen, one who knew the royalty and Levinski, but not connected to the murder two years ago."

Eve ogled at her, surprised.

"The attempts to the princess' life before she arrived in New York were calculative, but the last act was impulsive. As you've mentioned, it was a double kill – which was different from those she had encountered before."

"Which means, my murder case was a stand-alone.", Eve muttered.

"Apparently, yes. If the attacker was a country's rebel, Levinski's competitor or someone from the borders, they would aim to the princess first. Instead, the attacker eliminated the witnesses. Have you asked why?"

"Because the attacker wanted to confront her. It was a personal grudge.", Eve answered.

"It's not about politics."

She clenched her fist, cursed silently because her guts were, once again, right.

"The attacker knew the agenda of the meeting – the postponement of the marriage – and never liked it. That's why the set-up was planned."

Mira inserted. "Yet never imagined that your team could trace it, and a simple Q&A to the staffs plus the technological advancement of NYPSD was been underestimated."

"Fuck it.", Eve cursed loudly. "No wonder Nadine quoted this as a crime of passion, because actually, this is a crime of passion! And goddamn chercez la femme, our suspect's a woman!"

Mira reclined from her seat and smiled, "You can be a top-profiler someday, Eve, only if you throw away that badge and take some prerequisite requirements in psychology."

She broke a short laugh.

"I'm good with my..."

Eve trailed off when she stood up and felt dizzy. She immediately grabbed the edge of the seat but it overbalances her.

"Lieutenant?", Mira asked as she rushed towards her. She assisted her to stand but Eve only crouched on the floor and wept. This made Mira panicked.

"What's wrong, Eve? What's hurting you?"

She only shook her head.

She knew what's wrong with her before she came to Mira. She had confirmed it, but afraid to tell anybody about it. No, she's not afraid to tell – not yet – but afraid to admit it to herself.

She's preparing for the worst.