In the Black

by Sheryl Nantus

  Daniel looked around the sparse decorations. “Do you have a workshop, some place where you keep your tools?”

  “Not here.” Jenny motioned upward at the door they’d entered by. “The Belle has small tool lockers spread around so I don’t have to drag wrenches and pliers all over the place.” She stared at him. “You think I killed Halley?”

  “I’m collecting statements right now, that’s all.” He didn’t want to tell her she’d been cleared by the Belle. She was replacing some bad wiring at the approximate time Halley had been killed. “But if you were me who would you suspect?”

  “Ooh. That’s a tough one.” She scratched the back of her head. “I can’t say. I mean, they’re all yelling at each other one minute and the next they’re trading outfits. Not my world, you know? Don’t think I can help you there.”

  “No problem.” Daniel looked up at the hatch. “Time for me to get back to work.” He smiled. “Thanks for the break. You’re a welcome change from dealing with the others.” He pointed up at the ceiling and the courtesans above them.

  Jenny laughed. “It’s a strange world, Marshal. We can peek in and I can wash their sheets and Sam can run the Belle, but it’s something we won’t ever be totally allowed into, you know?”

  * * *

  April Osano answered her door wearing a cream-colored kimono with cherry blossoms sprinkled over the delicate fabric. She waved Daniel to a seat and offered him green tea, allowing him to look around the room as she went through the preparation.

  Osano was a registered BDSM mistress but he couldn’t tell it from the delicate flower arrangement on the table. The items of her trade would be in the back, hidden from plain view.

  She placed the two tiny cups on the table, the teapot between them. A second later she took her seat opposite him, the fabric flowing around her.

  Taking hold of the delicate china pot, April poured out a thin stream of almost colorless tea into Daniel’s cup.

  She filled her own up and placed the pot down to one side, leaving the table space between them clear.

  Daniel studied the cup. Off-white with a tiny pink flower painted on the side.

  “Thank you. Are you feeling up to talking right now?” He startled himself with the sound of his own voice breaking the silence.

  “I’m well enough. It was a shock, I won’t deny it.” She nodded as he placed the black box on the table between them. “And I know my rights, so please—I’m ready to give my statement.”

  “Thank you.” Daniel took a sip from the delicate cup first. “Lovely drink.”

  She bowed her head in acknowledgement.

  This wasn’t the strong British tea he’d drunk with Sean. This was a slightly bitter-tasting tea that reminded him of the aches and pains of life.

  Which was exactly what it was supposed to do.

  No courtesan ever did anything without purpose. Not the good ones, and Osano was a good one.

  She took a tiny sip of tea.

  He almost hated to start the questioning.

  “You’re an accomplished martial artist.”

  It was an understatement. She was a one-woman army according to her resume, and he knew the Guild was a stickler for honesty in detailing their courtesans’ skills. No exaggeration here.

  April nodded. “That’s true. But I wouldn’t ever use my skills to kill another person, much less one of our own.”

  Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, two pale pink chopsticks sticking out. For a second Daniel imagined her attacking someone with them.

  “Halley was... complicated. Youth is wasted on the young, as the saying goes.” April sipped her tea.

  “Do you know anyone who had a grudge against her?”

  She poured the last of the tea into their cups, draining the tiny pot. “Marshal, everyone loves a Mercy girl.”

  “Obviously not everyone.” The dregs of the green tea were even more bitter than the first sips.

  “Obviously. As for whether you should have me on the suspect list or not—I am sworn to not use my skills against another. That includes killing someone.”

  “You found the body. Or you say you did.”

  The mask slipped a fraction. “I came to ask her if she wanted to share lunch.”

  “Your competition? Do you expect me to believe that bullshit?”

  The word seemed more profane in the tranquil atmosphere.

  “What?”

  “Don’t screw with me, Osano. You went to her quarters and killed her before calling for help. What was it—did she steal one of your regulars? Did she decide to expand her expertise and start paddling asses for more money?”

  “What I do—”

  Daniel waved his hand. “What you do is give the client what he wants, I know that. But you’re getting older and Halley was searching for more clients. Maybe she decided to add another specialty to her list and you didn’t like the idea of competition.”

  “Fuck no,” she snarled, letting the mask drop. “That little bitch couldn’t do half the stuff I do and wouldn’t be able to pull it off. All she was good for was straight fucking and number-crunching.”

  Daniel drank the tea, pleased to see her real face.

  April laughed—not a low twitter as he’d expected a few minutes ago but a deep belly laugh. “You got me, Marshal. Got under my skin.” She wagged a finger at him. “But I still didn’t kill Halley.”

  “Why did you go see her for lunch?” Now that he’d gotten past the façade, Daniel felt the truth in her words.

  “Bitch borrowed one of my scarves last week for a new portfolio picture. Forgot to give it back and I needed it. Future appointment had some specific requests and the scarf was part of it.”

  “You’re kidding.” He looked around the room. “You didn’t have something else you could use?”

  The courtesan laughed. “Leather and lace aren’t interchangeable, Marshal. And good preparation is important for a satisfying experience.”

  Daniel swallowed hard, wondering if Sam liked leather or lace. Or nothing at all.

  “So I went to get my scarf back. And have a companion to eat lunch with.” April smiled. “We might fight a lot but we’re all in this game together. I might get pissed off at the bitch but I didn’t feel like taking a break alone.” A shadow fell across her face. “We spend a lot of time alone, Marshal. If I can have company, even hers, it’s nice.”

  Daniel nodded. “Marshals spend a lot of time in transit with no one other than the ship’s AI.” He patted the black box. “I understand what you’re saying.” He cleared his throat. “So you walked in and found her in the back room then—”

  “I screamed.” She covered her mouth and giggled. “I can guess what you’re thinking. How could Belle tell the difference between a scream of pleasure and a shriek of danger and set off the alarm? Especially when these quarters are supposed to be outside of the AI’s monitoring systems?”

  He cocked his head to one side and waited.

  “Belle doesn’t watch or listen inside the private quarters but we each have a code word we can say that sets off the Belle’s emergency systems. I won’t tell you what I said but it was enough to activate the alarm.” She looked at the bottom of her teacup. “The Guild protects both the client and the courtesan that way.”

  “Understood.” Daniel didn’t press her for more details. He knew they wouldn’t be forthcoming.

  April picked at an imaginary loose thread on her sleeve. “I didn’t like Halley but I wouldn’t have wished her ill.”

  “Most people don’t wish anything. Until there’s a dead body in front of them and then they wish for something else.”

  “Marshal.” She got to her feet and reached over to pluck the half-empty cup from his fingers. “I might be a good candidate for killing Halley but I ha
ve clients who will swear I was with them for the time period immediately preceding her death and that I was calm and collected. Hardly the type to go into a wild killing rage.”

  “Clients who would say anything for you.” It wasn’t meant as an accusation, just a simple statement.

  He got to his feet. Whether he wanted it or not, the interview was over.

  She’d handled him like one of her clients.

  “Clients who understand truth.” She led him to the door and tapped the button. “I do hope you enjoyed the tea.” A sly smile tripped across her lips. “And if you ever need your ass paddled I hope you’ll consider me.”

  The door slid shut behind him.

  He shook his head. These weren’t rookies on their first trips out. These were seasoned, intelligent women and men who knew the score. They were also accomplished liars who knew how to hide their feelings.

  He couldn’t also see any of them killing Halley Comet.

  Across from Kendra’s rooms were Bianca Montgomery’s quarters. Halley’s lover and definitely a possible suspect in her murder.

  Daniel floated across the corridor and rapped on the door.

  From the frying pan into the fire, as it were.

  The door slid open just enough to show her face. She was young enough that she should have been hitting nightclubs and gossiping with her peers, not selling her services aboard a Mercy ship. He wasn’t a prude, not by a long shot, but there were some aspects of the job that he didn’t care much for.

  “Marshal.” Bloodshot eyes and streaked mascara failed to detract from her natural beauty. “I’m sorry but I really don’t want to talk to you right now.”

  “I understand.” He stuck his mag-boot into the doorway. “I’m sure there’s never a good time to discuss this, but...”

  He wasn’t going to let her get away. She’d had enough time to deal with the reality and now it was time to get down to work.

  She sniffled, then stepped back, letting the door finish the opening sequence.

  Daniel hesitated. “Can you turn on the lights, please?”

  “Sure.” She reached to one side and tapped what he assumed to be the light switch.

  The small room looked like a paint store had exploded. Brilliant splashes of vibrant reds and oranges filled one wall while the other wore light blue scratches and lime green polka dots.

  Daniel blinked. The large padded chairs reminded him of a mutated beanbag chair. He settled into one as Bianca, wearing a pair of black shorts and black T-shirt, dropped into the chair opposite him. There were no tables, no offer of refreshments.

  He unclipped Etts from his belt. “Do you mind if we tape this?”

  She shrugged, a listless motion. Her gaze went down to her feet, studying her slippers.

  Daniel placed the computer on the ground by his boots.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” He decided to cut to the chase, seeing her emotional state. At any second she could break down and he’d get nothing from her. “You and Halley were more than just friends, correct?”

  She jumped a bit at the statement. “Yes.” Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know that?”

  He didn’t reply to her question. “You were lovers.” He kept his voice intentionally neutral. “It’s not uncommon on Mercy ships. It’s also not illegal according to Guild rules.”

  Bianca sniffled and nodded. “Yes. Yes we were.”

  Daniel put on his best understanding smile. “It’s got to be tough having a relationship under these circumstances.”

  The petite woman gave a feeble nod. “We had our good times and our bad times, sure. Like everyone.” Her face scrunched up again, on the verge of tears. “And now I can’t ever apologize to her again.” She drew shallow breaths. “Ever.”

  He waited for a minute to allow her to compose herself. There was nothing to be gained by rushing things.

  Bianca let out a deep sigh and cleared her throat.

  He took it as a sign to get the conversation moving again.

  “You said you had disagreements. Did you fight recently?”

  “Yeah. Not too long ago, it was—” She cleared her throat. “It was stupid. She wanted to change rooms, get us next to each other. Cut out a door, make it easier to visit without everyone knowing. Sure, we wouldn’t be able to trade rooms anymore, but I didn’t think anyone would give a shit.” Bianca jabbed a finger at the wall. “When the captain said no Halley wanted to call the Guild, get hold of Grendel and file a complaint. I told her to not get all pissy over it, we’d still be able to visit. You have to pick and choose your fights and I didn’t think that was one we could win.” Her upper lip curled. “Bitch captain.”

  “I hear you.” Daniel nodded, encouraging her to keep talking. “Did you know anyone who would want to harm Halley, anyone who had a grudge against her or who she worried about?”

  Bianca rubbed her face on her sleeve. “Kendra. Sam. Sean. That mechanic bitch. Dane.”

  Almost the entire crew of the Belle, in other words. Great.

  “Let’s take them one at a time. Why Kendra?” Daniel crossed his legs and put on his understanding cop face.

  “Kendra, she doesn’t like that Halley was getting more appointments than she was. She, Halley I mean, she knew the men liked having a young woman tell them how to make money. They’d want to see her ’cause she had a nice voice and a nice way of saying anything, everything. You listened to her, you not only made money but you got a voice massage. Kendra doesn’t like women who are prettier than she is, that’s all.” Bianca scrunched her face up, reminding him of a pug. “She’s not very nice.”

  “Hmm,” Daniel replied. He didn’t need a lie detector to tell him Bianca’s statement was full of crap. “And what did Halley think of this? Did she file any complaints with the Guild?”

  Bianca glared at him. “What good would that have done? Kendra’s the old broad on the ship. She’s got the Guild by the short hairs.” One hand dragged through her shoulder-length brown hair. “Fuck, they’re all fixed. All the ships, they’ve all got their spies watching and keeping us in line.”

  Daniel looked up at the giant orange Chinese lanterns hanging over them.

  “Dane Morris.”

  Bianca snorted. “Fucking punk kid. Always trying to give himself a bigger cut of the pie. He’s gotten implants, you know.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Everywhere.”

  Daniel’s brain screamed at those mental images.

  “Did Halley like him? Hate him?”

  The courtesan shrugged. “I don’t remember her saying too much. Other than he kept trying to scam financial advice for free ’cause he wanted to buy out his contract ahead of time. He also kept trying to convince her clients to switch sides, offering discounts for first-timers willing to give him a try. Always looking for a way to get more customers and make more money, legal or not.” She licked her lips. “Most of the time he ended up losing clients to her when they figured out he wasn’t a smooth drive. They’d pay double just to wash out the taste of that jackhole from their mouths.”

  Daniel needed a case of bleach for his brain. “Okay, let’s move on. Why would she have a beef with Sean Harrison? They’re not competing for the same clients, as far as I can see.”

  “Goddamn quack,” Bianca spat out. “Gives you a hard time before giving you a pain reliever. He talked Grendel into making him the Belle’s medic because he doesn’t want to work and still get paid a supplement. Half the time his appointment book’s empty ’cause no one wants to screw around with an old man.” She paused, surveying Daniel’s face. “Not that old men aren’t cute in their own way.”

  He resisted the urge to list off the names of women who would disagree with her opinion and vouch for the skills of older men.

  “So what would Sean have against Halley?” With a crew of six cour
tesans plus Sam and Jenny it seemed unlikely that almost half the crew had a beef with the dead woman.

  “Sean asked Halley for stock market tips, same as Dane, and she told him no, not without paying. She’s not going to give her expertise away.” Bianca swiped at her cheek. “He got all pissy about it, said they were supposed to be working together for the Guild, all that bullshit.”

  “Did he threaten her?”

  One finely manicured hand waved him off. “Nah. He’s all talk and hot air. Probably can’t get it up without his drugs anyway.”

  “And Sam? The captain?” Daniel caught the anger in his voice and hoped she hadn’t.

  “That crazy bitch? First thing she tells Halley when she takes over is to behave herself and not be trouble. Gets all pissy ’cause we’re together and not willing to share.” She let out an angry huff. “Damned captain and damned prima donnas thinking they were better than she was.”

  Daniel settled down in his chair. This was going to be a long, long whinefest.

  * * *

  Back up on the bridge Sam wondered, not for the first time, if she was caught in a black hole that dragged out time. The past few hours had felt like three days as she jousted with the invisible Guild representative.

  She’d gone over every moment from the Belle’s initial contact with Branson Prime to the presentation to the breakfast to finding Halley’s body.

  Three times.

  Then there was the detailing of the reaction of the other courtesans and Jenny, her impression of the marshal, Huckness and Trainer. Every person she’d had contact with who was involved with the case.

  She doubted Daniel was going to get a copy of her statement.

  Grendel’s voice was dry and flat. “If your killer isn’t found quickly clients will think they can attack and kill our members with impunity. I don’t need to remind you of Guild history in that area.”

  Sam stared at the control panel, glad she’d kept the Guild representative on audio only so he couldn’t see her face and vice versa. Not that it made much of a difference. Even when he’d come on screen he’d worn one of his many masks, staying anonymous with a one-name persona.