Origin in Death Read Free Page A

and I grabbed it so I didn't fall. If I tell, he'd kill me."
    She paused, closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't know if I thought that then, or later, and I don't know if it's true. I think-"
    "Lee-Lee, that's enough."
    "No, Charlie. I'm going to have my say. I think ..." she continued. "When I look back now, I think maybe he was done. Maybe he was finished hitting me, maybe he realized he'd hurt me more than he'd meant to. Maybe he just meant to mess up my face some. But at that moment, when my own blood was choking me, and I could hardly see, and my face felt like someone had set it on fire, I was afraid for my life. I swear it. He stepped toward me, and I ... the knife block was right there. I grabbed one. If I'd been able to see better, I'd have grabbed a bigger one. I swear that, too. I meant to kill him, so he didn't kill me. He laughed. He laughed and he reared back with his arm, like he was going to backhand me."
    She'd steadied again, and that emerald eye stayed level on Eve's face. "I ran that knife into him. It slid right into him, and I pulled it out and stabbed him again. I kept doing it until I passed out. I'm not sorry I did it."
    And now a tear escaped, ran down her bruised cheek. "I'm not sorry I did it. But I'm sorry I ever let him put his hands on me. He broke my face to pieces. Will."
    "You'll be more beautiful than ever," he assured her.
    "Maybe." She brushed carefully at the tear. "But I'll never be the same. Have you ever killed someone?" she asked Eve. "Have you ever killed someone and not been sorry?"
    "Yes."
    "Then you know. You're never the same."
    When they were finished, Lawyer Charlie followed them into the hall.
    "Lieutenant-"
    "Reverse your thrusters, Charlie," Eve said wearily. "We're not charging her. Her statement is consistent with the evidence and other statements we've documented. She was physically assaulted, in fear of her life, and defended herself."
    He nodded, and looked slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be required to jump on his expensive white horse and ride to his client's rescue. "I'd like to see the official statement before it's released to the media."
    Eve made a sound that might have passed for a laugh as she turned and walked away. "Bet you would."
    "You okay?" Peabody asked as they headed for the elevators.
    "Don't I look okay?"
    "Yeah, you look fine. And speaking of looks, if you were going to go for Dr. Icove's services, what would you pick?"
    "I'd pick a good psychiatrist to help me figure out why I'd let somebody carve on my face and/or body."
    The security to get down was as stringent as it had been to get up. They were scanned to ensure they'd taken no souvenirs, and most important, any images of patients who were promised absolute confidentiality.
    As the scans were completed, Eve watched Icove rush by, then key into what she saw was a private elevator camouflaged in the rosy wall.
    "In a hurry," Eve noted. "Somebody must need emergency fat sucking."
    "Okay." Peabody exited the scanner. "Back on topic. I mean, if you could change anything about your face, what would it be?"
    "Why would I change anything? I'm not looking at it most of the time anyway."
    "I'd like more lips."
    "Two aren't enough for you?"
    "No, jeez, Dallas, I mean plumper, sexier lips." She pursed them as they got on the elevator. "Maybe a thinner nose." Peabody ran her thumb and forefinger down it, measuring. "Do you think my nose is fat?"
    "Yes, especially when you're poking it into my business."
    "See hers." Peabody tapped a finger on one of the automated posters lining the elevator walls. Perfect faces, perfect bodies, modeled for passengers
    "I could get that one. It's chiseled. Yours is chiseled."
    "It's a nose. It sits on your face and allows you to get air through two
    handy holes."
    "Yeah, easy for you to say, Chiseled Nose."
    "You're right. In fact, I'm starting to agree with you. You need plumper lips." Eve balled a hand into a fist. "Let me help you with that"
    Peabody only grinned