Free In Death Collection: Books 16-20 by J.D. Robb Page A

collapse in a sweaty heap beside him on the floor. He could hear, as the roaring in his ears began to subside, her wheezing gasps for air.
    It was good to know he wasn’t the only one who’d been knocked breathless.
    “It’s gone dark,” he managed.
    “Your eyes are closed.”
    He blinked, just to make sure. “No. It’s dark.”
    She grunted, and still wheezing, flipped to her back. “Oh yeah, it is.”
    “Funny, with all the beds in this house how often we end up on the floor.”
    “It’s more spontaneous, and primitive.” She shifted to rub her butt. “And harder.”
    “It’s all of that. Should I thank you for doing your wifely duty?”
    “I object to any term that contains the word ‘wifely,’ but you can thank me for fucking your brains out.”
    “Yes, indeed.” His heart was still knocking, but he nearly had his wind back. “Thanks for that.”
    “No problem.” She stretched, luxuriously. “I’ve got to go grab a shower, and put in some time on the case I caught today.” She waited two full beats. “Maybe you’d like to give me a hand.”
    He said nothing for a moment, just continued to contemplate the ceiling. “I must have looked fairly pitiful when you came home. I get sweaty, burn up the carpet sex, and now you voluntarily decide to ask me for help on a case. What would be another word for ‘wifely’?”
    “Just watch it, pal.”
    When she sat up, he ran a hand affectionately up her back.“Darling Eve. I’d be happy to give you a hand in the shower, but then I’ve got some work of my own to see to. This business today’s put me behind. But maybe you could tell me about it before we go our separate ways for the next couple hours.”
    “College girl, part-time clerk at a 24/7,” she began as she rose to gather up scattered clothes. “Somebody killed her with a single stab to the heart late last night, and crammed her body into a recycle bin on Delancey, across from where she worked.”
    “Cold.”
    “It gets colder.”
    She told him of the images, the tip to Nadine, as they went upstairs to shower. It helped, she’d discovered, to run through the steps and stages of a case out loud, particularly with an audience who picked up on the nuances.
    Roarke never missed a nuance.
    “Someone she knew, and trusted,” he said.
    “Almost has to be. She didn’t put up a fight.”
    “Someone who blends at the college,” he added, grabbing a towel. “So if he or she was seen loitering, nothing would be thought of it.”
    “He—or she—is careful.” Out of habit, she stepped into the drying tube and let the warm air swirl. “Methodical,” she added, raising her voice. “Tidy. A planner. Mira’s going to tell me, when she profiles, that the killer probably holds a job, pays bills in a timely fashion, doesn’t make trouble. Has a knack with imaging, so I’m betting it’s either a serious hobby or a profession.”
    “There’s something you haven’t said,” he added as Eve stepped out of the tube. “You haven’t said he’s already looking for his second.”
    “Because he’s not.” She scooped a hand through her hair as she walked into the bedroom. “He’s already picked number two. He’s already got the first images locked.”
    She chose ancient gray pants and a sleeveless tank. “The data club might be a trolling spot. I’ll see what I find on the security discs and the employee files.” She glanced over her shoulders. “You don’t happen to own Make The Scene.”
    “Doesn’t ring,” he said easily as he put on a fresh shirt. “I’ve a few data clubs around the city, but most of mine are close to schools or on campus. More traffic, i.e., more profit.”
    “Hmm. Did you ever go to college?”
    “No. School and I had a poor relationship.”
    “Neither did I. I can’t relate. It’s like another planet. I’m worried I’ll miss something there, if there’s anything there, because I can’t relate. I mean, take this professor. Why is she teaching