Judgment in Death

Judgment in Death
Judgment in Death 2nd Edition US Cover
Book Number	11
Release Date	September 2000
Publisher	Berkley Mass Market
ISBN	ISBN 0425176304
Publication order
Previous	Witness in Death
Next	Betrayal in Death

Plot Summary

From Publishers Weekly: The story opens in the upscale nightclub Purgatory, where Dallas discovers the brutally slain body of a fellow officer; another cop is murdered soon thereafter. Both men, it appears, were on the take, and both were connected to elusive criminal Max Ricker. Dallas's investigation, which exposes crime and police corruption, puts both her reputation and life in danger. To make matters worse, Purgatory is owned by her own millionaire husband, Roarke--a business associate of Ricker's before turning legitimate--and the overlap of professional and personal lives adds extra fireworks to an already tempestuous marriage. Robb's plotting is precise and fast paced, creating a satisfying mystery full of lively, credible twists. Secondary characters--a troubled female police captain, an Internal Affairs cop with a leftover crush on Dallas--are as well-drawn as Dallas herself, a tough but endearing 21st-century woman. Sexy, surprising and often funny power struggles between Dallas and Roarke are the tasty icing on this extremely well-made fictional "cake," which is just the right confection for lazy late-summer reading.

Map

Please reference the Judgment in Death Map for locations or approximate locations of sites listed here.

Timeline

Spoiler warning! This article contains plot details about an upcoming episode.

Approximate Story Start Date: April, 2059

Day 1

Chapter 1

• First Murder: Det. Taj Kohli occurs in Purgatory; a club currently owned by Roarke and formerly by Max Ricker. Time of death 0400. Cause of death massive head and body trauma including multiple broken bones. Left behind at the scene were 30 coins, scattered around the body and the murder weapon: a solid metal, weighted bat approximately 2 feet.
• Purgatory is currently owned by Roarke Entertainment for the past 4 years and is managed by Rue MacLean.
• Eve meets Captain Roth and Detective Clooney from the 128 and they interview Kohli's wife.

Chapter 2

• At Cop Central Rue MacLean awaits and is interviewed. She states that Kohli had given his prior work as 'security' and that that had checked out. However, when she called the same number today, she found out that the number had been disconnected.
• Eve runs probabilities. Peabody informs her that Kohli was involved in the bust of Max Ricker that was subsequently dismissed on a technicality. Eve orders her to dig some more on that.
• Eve reports to Commander Whitney.
• On her way home Eve sees a screen advertising Mavis when she is contacted by Webster who requests a private meeting. Webster warns her off the Kohli investigation 'unofficially.'

Chapter 3

• After arriving at home and finding Eve sitting on the front steps, Roarke tells her of his dealings with Max Ricker. They took place 10 years ago and happened early in his career; he tells her he dealt in illegals from time to time but never killed for him and they didn't part on the best of terms. Later, doing computer runs, they find $500,000 in Kohli’s bank accounts.
• Roarke expresses to Eve his misgivings about her meeting Ricker and wants to set up the meeting for her; she is equally determined to keep Roarke out of this matter. Roarke is troubled by Ricker being tied to the Kohli case. Roarke tells Eve what he knows about Ricker (see Character Profiles), including that Ricker's mental health is in question and may be causing Ricker trouble in his businesses.

Day 2

Chapter 4

• Eve contacts Lt. Alan Mills. He and his partner, Det. Julianna Martinez, worked with Kohli on an investigation to bring down Ricker. They arrange to meet at the scene in 20 minutes.
• Roarke tags along under the pretense of wanting to estimate repair costs.
• Roarke is amazed how Eve gets into the killer's head and sees the crime.
• Mills and Martinez arrive at Purgatory and they talk. Eve suggests that Kohli may have been on the take. Mills gets angry and leaves. Martinez tells her that she doesn't believe it because she saw Kohli as a straight arrow.
• Eve has Feeney do runs on both Mills and Martinez.
• Eve muses on the case: “Illegals…Blood on the shield. Overkill. Strippers. Missing security discs. Vice. Sex? Money. Thirty credit chips….can figure Kohli stands for Judas. But who’s standing as Jesus?”
• Eve and Peabody visit and talk to the stripper Nancie Gaynor.

Chapter 5

• Eve decides to concentrate further investigations on Max Ricker.
• Eve delegates the questioning of over 600 potential witnesses to the entire detectives squad.
• After doing a computer run on Ricker, she goes to Ricker’s Connecticut compound. Eve senses Ricker’s fear of Roarke. She questions him with his 6 hologram attorneys present. She asks him of the charges 6 months prior regarding Illegals distribution. The case never went to trial: Ricker made a deal to have the higher charges dropped, evidence went missing, and data was corrupted. Eve catches Ricker’s slip of knowing where Kohli’s murder took place–the information was never released–and he covers by saying collecting information is a hobby. Ricker brings up Eve’s past including the rapes and how she came by her name. Ricker has Eve followed when she leaves.
• Eve is making it seem as though she is trying to evade her pursuers but on crossing the state line into New York she arrests the 4 goons.

Chapter 6

• McNab walks into Homicide and talks Peabody into dropping by his place after shift. He is surprised by Whitney, who orders him back to EDD.
• Whitney demands a report from Eve on her interviewing Ricker and arresting his men. Whitney is very pleased with her work.
• Eve advises Whitney of Roarke’s prior dealings with Ricker 10 years ago and that Ricker still harbors a grudge about their parting.
• Eve interviews Lewis, one of the goons, whose lawyer, Canarde, does all the (slick) talking. She thinks this one will flip on Ricker so she wants to interview him again the next morning before the hearing.
• When Eve arrives home Summerset is arranging flowers in the bedroom. When she finds out they were sent by Ricker, Eve orders Summerset to get rid of them and quickly and not to tell Roarke. Summerset tells Eve to be careful where Ricker is concerned.
• Eve tries to sidestep the bruises on her arms and the flowers when Roarke questions her about both. He gets angry with her when she lies to him; he asks what she’s afraid of and she says it's him (because she fears what he might do when he finds out). Rourke deduces that she went to see Ricker and that he's the one who's put the marks on her and rushes out. Eve asks him not to go after Ricker because that is what he wanted. Roarke tells her that "sometimes you ask a great deal" and she knows it.

Chapter 7

• Eve tells Roarke everything that happened with Ricker and asks him not to make it personal, not to play Ricker’s game, that playing it will hurt them; Roarke responds if Ricker crosses the line, he will finish it; that he’ll need that.
• While they are still working on resolving the situation Eve gets a call from Dispatch. Lt. Alan Mills was found in his vehicle on George Washington Bridge, eastbound, level 2.
• Roarke insists on tagging along and when Peabody arrives on scene she has McNab in tow.
• Captain Eileen Roth from the 128th arrives on scene and demands an update; she and Eve get into it. When Roth is about to get unprofessional Detective Clooney manages to calm her down.
• Eve inspects the body and when she releases the seatbelt the cause of death becomes apparent when his guts slither out. The abdomen had been sliced open from chest to crotch.
• Peabody and several other cops are sick but when Eve orders McNab to take over recording the scene, Peabody pulls herself together.
• Roth and Eve come to an understanding and Eve tells Roth she’ll keep her up to date on the investigation.
• Morse [sic] arrives on scene.
• Eve lets McNab in on the investigation and orders him and Peabody to get the surveillance discs from the toll booths and for Peabody to do a standard background on James Stein, who found the body.

Day 3

Chapter 8

• After dealing with Mills, Eve goes to Webster’s apartment to confront him about IAB's involvement and what information they had on Kohli and Mills.
• Feeney informs Eve that Mills was dirty; he had $2.5 million in different accounts set up under the names of deceased relatives.
• After discovering that Mills’ car had been set on auto, Eve deduces that the murderer had to have had the code or clearance and that means he might have been killed by another police officer. But she orders Peabody to keep this to herself for now.
• Eve talks to Lewis again and shakes him enough to get him to agree to a deal.
• Eve goes back to her home office and finds Roarke has engaged the lock between their offices.
• She orders McNab to freeze and enhance every vehicle from the time Mills' car passed to the time the area was blocked off. Then she calls Mira's office to set up a conference for the next day.
• She makes a call to the Commander and asks that Martinez be put under surveillance because she is either connected or a target. She asks if he is aware of an IAB investigation in anyone involved in hers but he is not.
• Eve calls Nadine Furst and offers her exclusive information in trade for using her to leak a story.
• Feeney confirms a police code was used to activate Mills car so they run the cops involved in the Ricker operation.
• Summerset tells Eve she was right in trying to keep Roarke from knowing and getting involved.

Chapter 9

• Eve meets Nadine for a live one-on-one, then walks with her to court giving her some unofficial info.
• She has just cleared the security check when all hell breaks loose. On the second level, Lewis has collapsed on the way to court. At the uniform's report, Eve deduces that he was assassinated by a blonde female, in her early 20s with blue eyes and a fair complexion.
• Eve interrogates Canarde, Ricker’s attorney, regarding Lewis’ murder.
• Eve speaks to Commander Whitney about the Lewis matter and they come to the conclusion that information was leaked to Ricker; Whitney tells Eve if the case goes beyond Kohli and Mills, IAB will have to be brought in and gives her 24 hours.
• Eve then contacts Martinez and learns the 128 thinks Eve is covering for Roarke. Martinez realizes her previous case against Ricker fell apart due to a corrupt police officer.

Chapter 10

• Inspired by Mavis's billboard Eve visits her old apartment, where Mavis Freestone and Leonardo live, to get some advice and talk about her fight/disagreement with Roarke. Mavis and Eve get drunk on Screamers then Mavis concludes Eve’s not telling Roarke about Ricker hurt Roarke’s ego and tells Eve to use sex, to seduce Roarke to solve the problem.
• Upon returning home Eve finds Webster at the house gates. She agrees, reluctantly, to speak to him and takes him up to the house. He tells her she’s infringing on an IAB investigation and he’s been told to order her off Ricker. Eve realizes Kohli was clean and IAB had been using him undercover to reveal corrupt cops. Webster tells her he shouldn’t even be there talking to her, he’s there to warn her IAB will either remove her from the case or throw her to Ricker. He tells her she matters to him and he tries to kiss her.

Chapter 11

• Roarke walks in on Eve fighting off Webster's advance and a very physical altercation occurs between the two men. Eve fires a stun-shot between Roarke and Webster to try and break up the fight. Roarke drops Webster; Summerset removes the unconscious Webster. Roarke confronts Eve and it ends up with them making love, albeit a bit roughly; it is Roarke’s way of reasserting his place in Eve’s life.

Day 4

• Eve wakes up alone realizing that they hadn't resolved anything and wonders if they had fixed anything or only damaged it further.
• Eve informs Peabody of IAB’s investigation and the fact that she’s pulling the murder investigations closer and that no information is to be given to IAB.
• Webster visits Roarke’s office where he admits Roarke had every right to pound him and that nothing happened between him and Eve. Webster doesn’t want Eve to suffer because of his actions and emotions. The two come to an understanding.
• Eve sees Whitney and reveals IAB’s investigation but not her source; Whitney tells her he plans to confront IAB. Eve tells him she’ll be working out of her home office.
• Eve learns from Detective Carmichael that Kohli met with another cop matching the description of Capt. Roth. When showed a picture of Roth, a waitress confirmed it was her. Eve orders Peabody to start digging on Roth.
• Eve goes to the 128th and confronts Roth about her visit to Purgatory to see Kohli. Roth denies it and Eve threatens to take Roth into a formal interview. Eve wants to know what Roth is hiding; Roth admits having a drinking problem and that it was having an effect on her job. Eve asks about the “substantial deposits” made into Roth’s husband’s accounts. Roth tells her that her marriage is falling apart and her husband has drained their joint accounts and funneled the money into his own. Finally, Roth tells Eve at the time of Kohli’s murder, until midnight, she was at an AA meeting in Brooklyn and she went home about 2 a.m.

Chapter 12

• Eve returns home for a consultation with Charlotte Mira; Mira notices Eve seems to be troubled.
• She agrees with Eve, the killer is most likely another cop. He is "avenging…sees himself as dispensing justice. He wants his victims marked as Judas, wants their crimes to be revealed.". She tells Eve the killer believes the system and its punishments aren’t enough. She believes the victims knew their killer.
• Eve tells Mira Kohli was innocent and was working for IAB looking into corruption; she asks Mira what the killer will do/feel when he learns about Kohli. When Eve asks who he will turn on, Mira says that she can't tell. He might rage against the system who tricked him into killing an innocent man, or go after those in IAB or perhaps even Eve.
• Eve asks how to direct the murderer onto herself; Mira replies she wouldn't tell her how even if she knew, and believes the killer has already chosen the next victim. He may go after Ricker, after cleaning his own house.
• Eve attempts to end the consult, but Mira demands to know what is bothering Eve. She tries to evade and Mira tells Eve she cares for her: "…I look on you as a kind of surrogate daughter.". Eve says she can’t talk about it and Mira reasons the problem lies with Roarke.
• Eve finally tells Mira everything: she talked with Mavis who suggested sex, to which Mira agrees. She tells Mira of the fight, not revealing Webster’s part, of how she and Roarke made love when they were both so out of control and how she (Eve) would have let Roarke do anything and how she felt that that was wrong. Mira tells Eve that relishing what happened was healthy. Mira explains her theory about Roarke’s behavior: he was angry at Eve for protecting him with herself and then he walks in on her with another man -- two punches to his ego. Eve admits she wouldn’t want him to ignore that.
• Mira finishes that Eve should take the time and go talk with Roarke; Eve confesses the mother-daughter talk was weird but nice.
• Eve runs a probability scan on Roth. New information about Roth’s visit to Purgatory and her alcoholism. Probability is 80.1%. During the run, Martinez calls telling Eve records regarding Ricker differ from her own; she also tells Eve she is being followed. Eve warns her not to trust anyone.
• Eve goes through Peabody’s results on the review of the 128th and finds three more potential corrupt cops. Det. Jeremy K. Vernon has $300,000+ in numbered accounts outside New York. Eve then has McNab run Vernon’s financial records.

Chapter 13

• Eve goes to see Roarke at his offices, where she walks in on a meeting, surprising him. He tells her they’ll talk at home; she replies she’s making time so he’d better. Roarke asks for a few minutes and has Caro take Eve to a conference room. The two women have their first real conversation regarding Roarke’s business. Caro tells Eve she surprised Roarke and that’s not easy to do.
• Roarke and Eve both say they’ll not apologize for their argument about doing their jobs. Eve takes the argument to the fundamentals: "I was afraid for you. Why isn’t that allowed?" They discuss Webster’s actions and the fight between the two men; Roarke couldn’t believe Eve pulled her weapon on him. In regards to the sex they had after his fight with Webster, he tells Eve it was more enjoyable than slugging her. She asks him why he wasn’t there that morning and why he hasn’t touched her like he usually does. He admits he thought the love making had reminded her of her father. She is shocked by Roarke’s thoughts and explains to him the difference between what happened in her childhood and the love she shares with him.
• Eve is summoned to Chief Tibble’s office for a meeting with Capt. Roth, Boyd Bayliss from IAB, Whitney, and Feeney.
• Tibble is angry at IAB for its investigation into the 128th because he and Whitney were not notified and that exceeded IAB’s authority. Bayliss explains due to security it was agreed amongst IAB officers to keep the investigation quiet.
• Tibble, even angrier, asks if Whitney and himself are under investigation. Tibble asks Eve’s opinion about IAB’s movements and the homicides she’s working. IAB says they’re not connected and Eve says they’re wrong and IAB is compromising her cases.
• She in angry because IAB violated code when they gave her false information about Kohli. She goes on to say IAB is just as dirty as those it hunts.
• Bayliss comes back with Roarke’s connection to Ricker and therefore Eve’s. Whitney comes to Eve’s defense: "…you can only aspire to achieve half the integrity Lieutenant Dallas has."
• Whitney recommends to Tibble that Bayliss take a leave of absence while the information IAB belatedly provided is analyzed and confirmed and a decision is made whether the investigation should be continued or aborted; also Bayliss should face disciplinary action because he overstepped his authority. Tibble agrees.
• Tibble orders Roth to write a report regarding the 128th and the status of said house. He also orders Eve to divulge the name of her informant; Eve refuses. Tibble acknowledges his defeat to Whitney, who had bet him that Eve wouldn't give up the name.
• They discuss Eve’s case and her theory that the killer is on the police force. Tibble asks Eve about Roarke’s connections to Ricker and if the department should be concerned. She admits Roarke had business with Ricker 10 years prior but not currently; she also says Ricker holds animosity towards Roarke but it shouldn’t concern the department.

Chapter 14

• After the meeting, Eve is warned by Feeney to watch her back with regards to IAB and Bayliss.
• On the way to meet Peabody at the Kohli residence, Eve is cornered by 4 of Ricker’s men. They take a small boy hostage in an effort to get Eve to go with them. She out-maneuvers them; Webster shows up to help, wanting to talk, to apologize to for his behavior. He admits he never got over her and wants in on the investigations. Eve tells him she’ll think about it.
• At the Kohlis', Eve confronts Patsy Kohli who is angry, believing Eve is spreading lies about her husband. Eve tells her she’s found that her husband was clean and was working undercover to expose “corruption in depth” and “His death was, in my opinion, in the line of duty. And that will be stated in my official findings.” Sergeant Clooney is there trying to calm Mrs. Kohli and he tells Eve that Patsy received a phone call from Jeremy K. Vernon telling her (Patsy) of Eve’s investigation into her husband.

Chapter 15

• On her way to question one of Ricker’s men, Elmore Riggs, Eve is stopped by Vernon, who threatens a lawsuit if she keeps up with her humiliation. Eve counters that Ricker will be worrying about how to plug his holes and the cop killer is after dirty cops and he’d better watch out.
• Riggs is apologetic and extremely well mannered; he even cooperates. He divulges nothing, claiming that he was tricked and knows nothing of Ricker and is willing to accept his punishment in the matter.
• Leaving Central to head home, Eve finds her car trashed in the department garage. Baxter calls for the bomb squad while Eve wants answers to how they gained entrance; she finds security failed to notice a break in audio and video surveillance. Baxter follows Eve home.
• Eve arrives home, trades insults with Summerset, and takes a swim. She meets Roarke coming out of the elevator as he was going into the bedroom. He notices her limping and she tells him about her knee. Roarke slips a blocker into her wine which Eve figures out and Roarke literally pours it down her throat. He warns Eve he himself will go after Ricker for going after her no matter how she feels about it. Eve asks him to work with her on getting Ricker; she says each can get Ricker in their own way. He tells her he will think on letting Ricker live out his days in a cage rather than doing things his way, depending on how things work out. He’s willing to settle for it for Eve. He tells her that if her way doesn’t work, he’ll do it himself his way. He gives Eve details about the break between Ricker and himself, he took some of Ricker’s business.
• While Eve and Roarke work on research and runs, Ricker has a fit that none of his men seem to be able to get at Eve. He wants the remaining 3 to be killed and Canarde, his lawyer, says two injured would be alright but Riggs would be bad for morale. Ricker finally agrees that Riggs can be dealt with at a later date and blames his preoccupation with Eve for his rash behavior. Ricker tells Canarde he will bring down Roarke and his cop.

Chapter 16

• Eve has Roarke run Roth and they find Roth is in financial ruin due to her husband draining her accounts. She asks him to help her connect Vernon to Ricker. She needs him to trace the funds; she also asks him to run Rue MacLean. She tells him MacLean should’ve known what was happening at Purgatory and she knows he already thought of it. He admits to doing a search on MacLean and shows Eve the results; he hasn’t found anything that really bothers him but will talk to MacLean. Eve also asks Roarke to do a run on Webster and finds he already had. Webster is clean and is supporting his sister who attending medical school, he occasionally gambles, has season tickets to arena ball and pays too much for bad suits. Webster also doesn’t save for the future and makes twice what Eve does. She tells Roarke that Webster wants in on the case and asks if it will be a problem; she tells him if it is she won’t let Webster in but Roarke tells her it won’t be a problem. Eve continues doing runs on the names Patsy Kohli gave her: Detectives Gaven and Pierce, Officer Goodman and Sergeant Clooney. She finds them all clean.
• Eve calls Webster for his take on Bayliss; he tells her that Bayliss is fanatical about his job and his tactics makes him uneasy. He believes Bayliss has files on every cop and is angry at the sanction regarding Sgt. Myers in the Ricker case beforehand--he handled the evidence. Eve wants Webster to check on Myers to see if he’s alright and tells him she’s going to obtain a warrant for Bayliss’ files and she’ll be in touch.
• Roarke asks if Eve is going after Bayliss and informs her he can get into Bayliss' files. She tells him she wants everything by the book. He informs her Vernon is dirty; he followed the money trail and connected Ricker’s company to Vernon through Ricker’s attorney, Canarde. They made it look like he won the money.
• Contacting Whitney, Eve asks for Bayliss to be brought in; Whitney is reluctant and Eve tells him that by bringing him and acting quickly may save his (Bayliss) life. She also asks for Vernon to brought in as well.
• Eve, along with Peabody, are informed at the Bayliss residence by the house droid that the Baylisses are out. They also learn that Capt. Bayliss had been home earlier but left with a suitcase. Eve orders Peabody to get Bayliss' other addresses and to get Feeney to go through Bayliss' computer and for Peabody to go through the house while she goes to the Bayliss' Hamptons residence.

Chapter 17

• Roarke takes Eve to the Bayliss beachfront home in his new Air/Land Sports Streamer, a prototype. Arriving, they find water on the steps leading into the house.
• Third Murder: Captain Boyd Bayliss, found dead in his Hamptons beachfront home. Death occurred in bathtub, victim strapped down along with 30 coins in the tub. They find his badge on the floor with blood on it. “Cause of death appears to be drowning. Single laceration in left wrist is potentially life-threatening…No visible hesitation marks. Victim is wearing a gold wedding ring and gold wrist unit. A strong adhesive tape has been used to strap the victim to the tub at throat, left forearm chest, torso, waist, hips and on both thighs and ankles. No defensive wounds are evident.”
• Eve finds in her examination of Bayliss that the killer took his time and Bayliss has a head wound that possibly stunned him; Bayliss' skin shows signs he struggled with/against the tape.
• After Peabody arrives at the Bayliss' beach house, Eve orders her to go through the house looking for files as Feeney and McNab start with security and 'links. Roarke takes Eve to Bayliss' office; he tells her security hadn’t been bypassed, the killer had a code and there was no record of anything after 7 p.m. He tells her to look at the discs as she’s recreating in her mind the confrontation and murder. He tells her to watch the disc, already finding a message to Eve from the killer. The message says he regrets his actions towards Kohli but not for killing dirty cops. The killer states he’s read Bayliss’ file on her and she has 3 days to clear her name of the accusations and he will not kill anyone during this time and she’d better take down Ricker or the killer will take her down. Eve realizes even with the connection to Ricker, Ricker is not controlling the killer, and she’s after a rogue cop.

Chapter 18

• Meanwhile, Roarke returns to the city and Purgatory. He confronts Rue MacLean. After telling her the club will reopen in 3 days he asks, very nonchalantly, how Ricker got to her. Roarke knows Ricker has been using the club to do a little business. Rue tries to brush him off, but finally breaks down under Roarke’s considerate treatment. She reveals she was taken to Ricker, told how things would go. She resisted until Ricker mentions her mother. That if she went along, her mother “…wouldn’t be raped, tortured and disfigured.” Roarke says he’ll make certain her mother will be safe. MacLean is shocked Roarke would keep her in his employ; he replies he understands why she did what she did, that she should’ve trusted him and he doesn’t blame her. Rue: “He (Ricker) doesn’t just want you dead. He wants you ruined.”
• Eve visits Dickhead and bribes him with 2 tickets, much better than he had, in front for Mavis’ sold out show if he gets the lab results in an hour.
• Eve contacts Bayliss’ widow. She (Eve) thinks she’s looking for someone in the 128th and runs a scan for anyone connected to the 128th for the past three years and for any cases or investigations connected to any officer or precinct regarding Ricker and anything where Canarde was the attorney. Eve runs Vernon and Dickie contacts her with evidence: a piece of fingernail in the Seal-It the killer used. They found it on the underside of the adhesive tape--no DNA match to Bayliss but it belongs to a male Caucasian.
• Eve has a nightmare/memory flash tying her father to Ricker.

Day 5

Chapter 19

• Eve gets summoned to the Towers while waiting for Vernon. She arrives at Tibble's office to find Roarke there; Tibble has made Roarke a temporary attaché in regards to the Ricker matter and her murder investigations. Eve objects, saying the Ricker matter is secondary to the murders and Ricker will have to wait. She and Tibble have a heated discussion until Roarke steps in with his plan. He reveals he'd found Ricker was conducting business in Purgatory and had someone on the inside. Eve deducts it's Rue MacLean. Roarke states that it's Ricker's intention to connect Roarke to Ricker's illegals business and that he (Roarke) can get Ricker for the police department. Between Eve and Roarke they inform Tibble and the others assembled that Ricker probably tipped off IAB who sent Kohli in to set up the killing; they also conclude that the previous case on Ricker was solid and Mills was the one who caused it to fail.
• Roarke tells Eve he can get Ricker for her so she can concentrate on the murder cases. He says when Purgatory reopens, Ricker will be there to do business with him, the pretext being Roarke is concerned for her safety and is looking for some excitement. Roarke believes his head game with Ricker will work because Ricker needs it to be true–that he has beaten Roarke. Whitney steps in and informs Eve they'll have men in the club and Roarke's security will record everything. Eve balks that Roarke is too close and not trained and Ricker may do physical and legal harm to Roarke. Whitney responds Roarke has been given immunity to cover everything past, present, and future that comes from the operation and Roarke can handle himself physically. He also tells her what Roarke is willing to do will save the department hours of labor and funds. He asks for and receives Eve’s admission that she can do her job. He dismisses the meeting with the order to "bring his (Ricker's) goddamn head on a plate."
• Eve briskly tells Roarke to meet her in her home office with all the information he has regarding Purgatory including layouts etc.; she tells him she doesn't want to talk to him now. Their confrontation almost becomes physical; she can't believe what he is willing to do and he says in effect there's nothing he wouldn't do for her. She tells him he has no right to interfere in her job and Roarke angrily asks/infers it's only when he comes in handy or is asked to help. He tells her they'll finish this and when she swallows her pride to not choke on it and leaves.
• In interview with Vernon, Eve gets physical with him after he takes a swing at her; since they haven't started the formal interview and recording, it's her word against his. She uses this to get Vernon to talk instead of throwing him in lock-up for assaulting her. She informs him she's charging him with "corruption, misuse of authority, accepting bribes, collusion with suspected members of organized crime and to top it all off with conspiracy to murder." She tells him he'll be safer in custody because Ricker will learn he's talking and she has a warrant for Canarde; Vernon gets desperate and tells he knows more and can help her-he has information all the way to the mayor's office. Eve agrees to deal and asks for immunity for Vernon, not including murder, in exchange for his information. He reveals Captain Roth is clean and too trusting and gives Eve names, transaction, dates, etc. He also tells her he's heard talk of Ricker and Kohli's murder but can't confirm Ricker ordered it; he says Ricker's behavior has gotten more erratic and Ricker is addicted to illegals. He also tells Eve of Jake Evans who told him of Ricker playing games with IAB and Ricker wants to cause trouble at Purgatory, of how Ricker was playing mind games with one cop who has personal problems and how Ricker is using his man in IAB to send information on Kohli to the other cop. Vernon says he doesn’t know who in IAB belongs to Ricker. Eve orders Vernon to the safe house and tells Feeney to bring Canarde in quietly.

Chapter 20

• Eve goes home surly and overhears Roarke on the 'link dealing with matters concerning the Olympus Resort. She realizes he’s tired and the fact he never is. Her anger disappears but she covers that fact. She informs him of Vernon’s interview and the information Vernon gave which ties Ricker loosely to the homicides. Eve also tells Roarke of her concern for him about his meeting with Ricker telling him anything he says is admissible and even though he has immunity, damage may be done to his reputation and thereby his businesses. He asks her if she thinks he can’t weather this. She responds she knows he can, that he angered her by not coming to her first about his plan to get Ricker but “not for the reasons you think.” She’s fearful of what may happen. “I don’t want him close to you. I don’t want what he is to touch you.” She also admits he was right about him getting involved in her cases, and his plan for getting Ricker is a good one but she’d rather have found another way. She finishes by asking Roarke for one hour away and they go to a holo created beach to relax.
• After their hour, they return to Eve’s office and she reveals Ricker knew her father; she’d had a flashback about a meeting between her father and Ricker and that Ricker knew about her. The meeting so scared her father, they packed up and ran to Dallas.
• Eve asks Roarke if Ricker could know about her past; he answers Ricker knows Lieutenant Eve Dallas. She then asks him if he himself could find out about her past--could he get the information. He says he could if she wants to know.
• Both Eve and Roarke return to Central to give the briefing. Eve informs the team she is pursuing the murders and Ricker together as they are connected; the information regarding the cases are in the files to be read and she and Peabody will bring in the murder suspect quietly. She tells them DNA should match the fingernail found at the Bayliss crime scene. Eve wants to do this personally and quietly due to “Sergeant Clooney’s years of service to the department, his exemplary record, his emotional state and the circumstances that built and were built around him….” (Page 306) Eve is hoping Clooney will confess; Dr. Mira will be on call. Eve runs down how she thinks the whole Kohli matter started: it was Ricker’s way of getting out from underneath the charges six months ago. Clooney’s son was part of the team who took Ricker down; Ricker was nervous about the son’s digging and had him killed during a staged robbery. The officers who responded to the robbery call were on Ricker’s payroll and took 10 minutes to respond and the ambulance took an additional 10 minutes–all carefully orchestrated to make an example of Clooney’s son. Eve has discovered that the two officers who responded to the call were found dead, 30 coins scattered at each scene–Clooney’s been executing dirty cops to avenge his son’s memory.

Chapter 21

• Eve orders Roarke to go over security to make sure there are no holes while she goes after Clooney. She runs into Webster, who takes Peabody’s place. On the way to Clooney’s, Webster tells Eve he’s not Ricker’s man in IAB and he did go through her files.
• At Clooney’s, Webster saves Eve from Clooney’s knife attack; Clooney escapes. Webster receives a wound running from shoulder across his chest.
• After seeing Whitney at the hospital, where she takes the blame for Webster and Whitney absolving her, she goes home to be comforted by Roarke who tells her he’s sorry for what has happened. All the while Roarke is thinking it could have been Eve. He shares a bath in an effort to soothe her. She tells him Webster saved her and Roarke tells her he owes him for that.

Day 6

• Eve awakens to Roarke and coffee. He tells her he’s already contacted the hospital and Webster remains in critical condition and more surgery was done overnight.
• Eve and Roarke go to Purgatory where she checks the security set-up. Roarke informs her a weapons scan can pick up the usual and other measures will pick up anything including explosives. He tells her a booth has been set up to transmit audio and video.
• Rue MacLean arrives and Eve greets her briskly. Rue tells Roarke she has seen Ricker; Ricker was physical during the meeting and Eve’s feelings soften. Rue informs them Ricker was in a good mood after she informed him like Roarke planned. Roarke’s information to Ricker via MacLean: strained relations between Eve and Roarke, his worry about Eve and her investigations, Roarke pushing Eve to resign, arguments between the two, Roarke being on edge--he’s tired of living and working clean, Eve crying, their marriage is shaky. “And you figured you might kill two birds by going to Ricker and making a deal. A nice quiet business association, the high side of profit for him and he leaves your wife alone. You’re going to get her off the force, but you want her in one piece while you work on that, You’re stupid in love with her, but damned if she’s going to castrate you and keep you on a leash. I agreed with you, then offered to talk to Ricker for you.” Both Rue and Roarke believe Ricker believes this because he wants it to be true and Ricker wants power over Roarke.

Chapter 22

• Eve speaks with Clooney’s wife; she tells Eve her husband hasn’t been the same since their son was killed. That nothing is the same. She reveals her husband has moved out, stopped going to church and “…that he has to set things right before he could be a husband to me again.”
• Mira gives Eve her profile on Clooney: he can’t change his plans and will stay close and focused. His attack on Webster was impulse and self defense. She concludes Clooney means to die.
• Eve visits Webster at the hospital where she half-heartedly admonishes him. Roarke finds her there and reassured her that everything is fine.

Day 7

• At Purgatory, Eve worries about not having enough police and other security matters. Martinez sees Eve and thanks her for bringing her in on the operation and tells Eve if she ever need a favor she’ll have it. She also tells Eve that Captain Roth is on a six-month probationary period and has been ordered to get counseling.
• When Ricker arrives, Roarke takes him to his booth. Ricker’s men attempts to check Roarke for weapons but Roarke stops him with a threat. Eve watches from a control booth and asks Feeney if Roarke’s system will override Ricker’s weapons scans. Feeney assures her it will, saying that it did with police scanners. Eve assigns each of her team to each of Ricker’s men.
• The meeting between Roarke and Ricker continues and once pleasantries are done with, they move to the topic of Eve’s safety. Roarke puts on the act of a scared and desperate husband and asks Ricker what he wants to guarantee Eve’s safety. Ricker counters that he enjoys hurting Eve and Roarke pleads. Ricker answers $10 million USD and he will terminate the contract he has on Eve. The money must be transferred by midnight. Roarke warns Ricker he should be careful about putting a contract on a cop. Roarke then tells Ricker he’s interested in more than protecting Eve, that he has some funds and is looking for other investments--that he’s tired of the straight and narrow path. Ricker says Roarke’s gone soft because of Eve; he threatens to kill Roarke and Roarke says he’ll gain nothing by that.
• Roarke then starts pushing Ricker’s buttons by mentioning the end of their association years before which angers Ricker. He tells Ricker they can help each other, offering his (Roarke’s) contacts at the NYPSD. Ricker replies he has his own. Roarke counters they’re not Eve and that he (Roarke) could convince her to work for Ricker. He tells Ricker he’s working on getting Eve to resign that he “wants a wife, not a bloody cop.” Ricker tells Roarke he can make Eve’s resignation happen if Roarke will turn over Purgatory and for taking some inventory for another $10 million. Roarke answers he doesn’t deal in illegals. Ricker loses control which makes Eve ready to move in. Roarke asks for time to think, realizing Ricker is indeed insane; he asks how Ricker intends to arrange Eve’s resignation without it having it come back to him (Roarke).
• Ricker says he can ruin Eve’s career within a week. Roarke plays into Ricker’s delusion saying Eve will apologize and Ricker is in control. Ricker tells Roarke “…misinformation, skewed data in the right computer. It works.” Roarke pulls out of Ricker that he’s (Ricker) behind the cop killings, that he planted the idea, that it’s just a game. Ricker says it only took months for his plan: “Only a few months. It’s simply a matter of selecting the right target. A young cop, too stiff-necked to play the game. Eliminating him is simple enough, but the beauty is how it can be connected, how it can be expanded upon by planting the seeds in the heart of the grieving father. The I simply sit back and watch a once-dedicated cop kill. Again and again. And it costs me nothing…I can do it again, any time I like. Murder by proxy. No one’s safe, certainly not you. Transfer the money and until the wind changes, I’ll protect you. And your wife.”
• Roarke reconfirms Ricker’s terms of $20 million and with Ricker’s agreement, Roarke pulls a gun on Ricker and turns the tables on Ricker telling him he has been set up. Ricker replies that he and Eve are as good as dead. Eve approaches and is backhanded by Ricker; she fires her weapon at Ricker. Roarke confronts Ricker with the gun and Eve warns Roarke that killing Ricker would be for nothing. He hands the gun to her and takes hold of Ricker and reminds Ricker of who took him down and to not touch what’s his. “Listen to me now, and carefully. Touch her, put your hand on what’s mine again, and I’ll follow you to hell and peel the skin from your bones. I’ll feed you your own eyes. I take an oath on it. Remember what I was, and you’ll know I’ll do it. And worse.”

Chapter 23

• Taking Ricker into custody and Canarde as well, Eve makes duplicates of her files on the Purgatory operation, not wanting the case to be compromised. One copy to be kept at Central, one copy in her home office.

Day 8

• Eve awakens at 7 a.m. to Roarke saying Webster is awake and asking for her. On the way to the hospital, Roarke and Eve discuss the Purgatory operation; Eve tells Roarke he's very scary, asks if the gun he had was loaded, informing him she’s going to have to do some explaining and finally asks about his wanting her at home. They discuss Ricker's metal instability; finally Eve asks Roarke if he can put off his business at the Olympus Resort so she can go with him. Shocked, he agrees.
• They visit Webster where Eve rails into him for getting hurt. Roarke thanks him for saving Eve. They tell him Ricker is in custody. Webster says he's over Eve and asks if she came before to see him.
• Leaving Webster it hits Eve where Clooney may be; she notifies Peabody and has Roarke take her to Sunlight Memorial Cemetery. Arriving, Eve remembers it was in a similar setting where she first met Roarke. She approaches Clooney at his son’s grave. She informs him Ricker is in custody and Ricker will go "...down for your son, Sergeant." Eve uses Clooney's rank to remind him of his being a good cop.
• Clooney tells Eve of his grief and guilt over Kohli. When he makes a move to kill himself, Eve asks him if that's what his son would have wanted. He tells her he's sick at the thought of his son dying for money. She replies those involved are going to pay and Ricker too for "...playing them all like puppets. He played you too. Played on your love for your son. Your grief. Your pride. Will you let him keep pulling your strings? Will you dishonor yourself and your son by letting him win?" Eve tells him "...do what Thad would expect of you. You can face it."
• Eve: "...Harder to live, Sergeant, and balance the scales. Let the system make its judgment on you. That's what we believe in, people like us, what we work for when we pick up the badge. I'm asking you to do that, Sergeant. I'm asking you not to be one of the faces I see in my sleep."
• Clooney agrees to turn himself in and tells Eve he's glad she came. He also asks her if she ever thought the faces she sees in her sleep are thanking her.
• Roarke and Eve leave the cemetery hand in hand.

Memorable Quotes

Judgment in Death, Page 96:

• Eve: “The flowers were just a dig at you. He wants you to come after him. He wants it”
• Roarke: “And why shouldn’t I oblige him?”
• Eve: “Because I’m asking you not to. Because taking him down is my job and if I play it right, I’m going to do that job.”
• Roarke: “There are times when you ask a great deal.”
• Eve: “I know it. I know you could go after him. I know you’d find a way to get it done. But it’s not the right way. It’s not who you are anymore.”
• Roarke: “Isn’t it?”
• Eve: “No, it’s not. I stood with him today, and now I’m standing with you. You’re nothing like him. Nothing.”

Judgment in Death, Page 181:

• Mira: “The fight reasserted his ego. Territoriality, Eve. This woman’s mine.”
• Eve: “That’s what he said.”
• Mira: “Naturally enough. You are. Just as he’s yours. Then you stand there, holding your weapon on him…So he, metaphorically speaking, drew one of his own…Both of you reacted as natural for you, engaged in a bout of rough, sweaty sex that no doubt satisfied you…The man loves you with everything he has, everything he is. Eve, that means you can hurt him.”

Judgment in Death, Page 304:

• Eve: “It’s a circle, a circle. Link to link. Ricker to my father, my father to me. Ricker to you. You to me. I don’t believe in stuff like that. But here I am.”
• Roarke: “They won’t touch you through me…They’ll never get through me to hurt you….We’ll break the circle. We’ll do that together. I’m more inclined to believe in such things as fate.”

Character List

List of Main Characters Appearing in this Book

• Eve Dallas
• Roarke

List of Secondary Characters Appearing in this Book

• David Baxter
• Ryan Feeney
• Mavis Freestone
• Nadine Furst
• Leonardo
• Ian McNab
• Charlotte Mira
• Morse [sic]
• Delia Peabody
• Laurence Summerset
• Jack Whitney

List of Recurring Characters Appearing in this Book

• Dickie Berenski
• Detective Carmichael
• Caro Ewing
• Charles Monroe
• Harrison Tibble
• Donald Webster

List of Minor Characters Appearing in this Book

• Boyd Bayliss
• Canarde
• Carla
• Art Clooney
• Mrs. Clooney
• Fumi
• Nancie Gaynor
• Officer Harmon
• Chad Kohli
• Patsy Kohli
• Lewis
• Loreen
• Lucy
• Rue MacLean
• Marta
• Detective Julianna Martinez
• Alan Mills
• Sheriff Reese
• Max Ricker
• Elmore Riggs
• Eileen Roth
• Jeremy K. Vernon

List of Peripheral Characters Appearing or Mentioned in this Book

• Mrs. Bayliss
• Lucius Breck
• Charmaine
• Thadeus Clooney
• Dottie
• Elliott
• Jake Evans
• Freida
• Detective Arnold Gaven
• Officer Thomas Goodman
• Ines
• Jim
• Joey
• LaDonna Kirk
• Jilly Kohli
• Taj Kohli
• Miriam
• Murdock
• Sergeant Matt Myers
• Detective Jon Pierce
• Alex Ricker
• Leon Ricker
• Michelle Ricker
• James Stein
• Barbie Thomas
• Mitzie Treacher
• Richard Troy
• Mrs. Vine
• Nester Vine
• Wilhimena
• Yawly

Deaths

Victim	Cause of Death	Weapon	Perpetrator
Det. Taj Kohli	blunt trauma to head	metal baseball bat	Sgt Art Clooney
Lt. Alan Mills	chest cut, from neck to stomach; disembowelment	knife
Cptn. Boyd Bayliss	drowning	taped-down to bathtub
unnamed former NYPSD officer (pre-book)	hanged	originally ruled self-termination
unnamed NYPSD officer (pre-book)	drowning after slipping in bathtub	originally ruled accident
Lewis	unknown drug	pressure syringe to heart	unknown female assassin
'Clarence Haggerty' Yawly	exsanguination	unspecified	unnamed (ordered by Max Ricker)

Other Covers

Additional covers here

US neon edition cover	UK edition cover	German edition cover	German Book Club edition cover	BR edition cover
US neon edition cover	UK edition cover	German edition cover	German Book Club edition cover	BR edition cover	Brilliance Audio unabridged edition cover

YANNI

• Mitzie Treacher is called Mitzi by Rue MacLean, but Mitzie by Nancie Gaynor more times.
• Number of security cameras in Purgatory:
  • "How many [security] cameras?" Roarke took out his pad, checked data. "Eighteen. Nine on this floor, six on two, and the other two on the top level for full scope." (Correct answer: 9+6+2=17)