Page 136 of Random in Death

He’d have plans, Eve thought.

The professional shopper did well enough to have an apartment on Riverside Drive in a sleek gold tower with a burly doorman who scowled at Eve’s DLE.

Badging him improved her mood, marginally.

“It sits where I put it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got the word.”

Which meant the golden tower belonged to Roarke.

“Nobody dead inside, is there?”

“Not that I know of.”

She beat him to the door and entered a lobby as sleek as the exterior. Muted gold here, veining through the black marble floors. Flowers cascaded in snowy white from an urn on a central table.

A black desk trimmed in gold was tucked into the back wall with a backdrop of water sliding down a reflective surface in glittering streams.

A woman with white-blond hair in a short, severely angled cut smiled.

“Welcome to the Gilded Tower. How may I help you?”

A single, ink-black eyebrow shot up at Eve’s badge.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant, I didn’t recognize you initially. What can I do for you and Detective Peabody?”

“Allisandra Charro.”

“Ms. Charro is a resident. I believe the thirty-eighth floor. Let me check for you, but I don’t believe she’s in at the moment. Yes, 3802. I believe she left this morning just after ten, and as far as I know hasn’t returned. Should I call up?”

“Appreciate it.”

“Happy to help. No, she doesn’t answer. Ms. Charro is rarely in this time of day. Her business keeps her quite busy.”

“Do you have any idea where she went, or when she’ll be back?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t. Occasionally she returns before the end of my shift, at five. But more often I only see her in the morning when she leaves. I do have a ’link number, in the event we need to contact her.”

Save us time accessing it, Eve thought. “We could use that.”

The clerk took a card from her slot, selected a pen, and neatly wrote the name and number on the back.

“In the event you’re unable to reach her and she returns, should I give her a message?”

“Card, Peabody. It’s very important she contact me as soon as possible.”

“I’ll certainly relay that, or see that my colleague does so if she doesn’t return before I leave. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“You did fine. Thanks.”

Outside under the silent scowl of the doorman, Eve pulled out her ’link. She made the tag from the sidewalk as pedestrians swam by.

“This is Allisandra.” She all but sang it.

“Ms. Charro, Lieutenant Dallas, NYPSD.”

“So I see on the display. What can I do for you, Lieutenant Dallas?”