Free Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb

innocent young girl killed on his property, under his employ would work on him.
    The price Roarke would pay was personal. And if the motive had been personal as well... Yes, that worried her.
    Her motivation for bringing Yost to justice was twofold now. Justice for Darlene French. Answers for Roarke.
    At her desk she studied Yost's file again. No family. No known associates. No known address. No nothing, she thought in disgust. For the first time in her career she knew the identity of the killer, had a solid case of physical evidence, every i dotted toward conviction, all within twenty-four hours of the crime.
    And had not a single string with which to tug him closer to hand.
    No leads. No avenues.
    "Where do you sleep, you son of a bitch? Where do you eat? What do you do with yourself when you're off the clock?"
    She pushed away, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes.
    Low-key, she thought, letting the image of his face, his eyes, his mouth, form in her head. Nothing to grab attention. You're a loner. Nice quiet homes in nice neighborhoods. Gotta have more than one. You're a traveling man. Personal transpo? Probably, probably. But nothing flashy. Solid, dependable, discreet. Classic. Like the music you kill by.
    But if you drove into New York, you didn't use the garage facilities at the hotel.
    Meat and potatoes, she thought, remembering his hotel meal. Basic, expensive. The clothes he'd worn, in and out, had met the same criteria. As had his luggage.
    Luggage.
    She sat up, ordered the file disc that contained his check-in.
    "Yeah, yeah, one business traveler's wheel-on. Basic and expensive. And new. Looks brand-spanking-new to me. Computer, enlarge sector twelve through twenty-eight, magnify twenty percent."
    Working...
    The portion of the image that showed the suitcase standing tidily at Yost's feet popped. She could see no sign of wear on the heavy-duty black leather, none of the flaws that showed after even minimal trips through the rigors of handling or security checks.
    "Enlarge sector six through ten, this image."
    Working...
    And when the image popped this time, she read clearly the fancy brass tag of the manufacturer. "Cachet. Okay, what does that give us? Computer, identify model of baggage on screen, manufactured through Cachet."
    Working... unit identified as model number 345/92-C, marketed as business elite and available in leather or cloth. Unit measures fourteen by eight by six and passes FAA and PAA carry-on requirements for all air and space transportation. 345/92-C is a new model, available since January of the current year, Cachet is the tradename of a division of Soloar Lights, Roarke Industries Corporation.
    "Who didn't know that," Eve muttered. "Out since January. There's a nice little break. Computer... No, never mind." She shifted to her inter-department 'link and snagged McNab.
    "Cachet, luggage. Their model 345/92-C, called Business Elite. Get me a list of where that model was sold, in black leather, since its intro in January of this year. I want locations, and from those locations, I want names. Who bought the bag?"
    "That's going to take -- "
    "Time," she finished. "Did you run out of that substance?"
    "No, sir. I'm on it."
    "So am I," she murmured, then rose. She grabbed her jacket, her files, then strode out to Peabody's cubicle in the bull pen. "I'm heading home to run some data. I want you to check on the hair."
    "Hair, sir?"
    "Yost's hair. No way that was his. Just doesn't fit his face, and it's too damn fussy for his style. So it's a rug, a good one. And my hunch is he has a collection. Start off with the one he's wearing on the security tapes, check salons and beauty suppliers, top-level ones, major cities. He doesn't fool around with second line. And start with stuff that's natural fiber and non-allergic or whatever it's called. He likes things clean. He carries a leather suitcase rather than the lighter, man-made cloth."
    Peabody opened her mouth, but Eve was already striding away so