“It’s about your son and every other man and woman who died on Mu Arae for me. Don’t worry, I won’t let myself die until we’ve taken out the bastards responsible.”
The colonel nodded sharply. “I’ll push the evidence recovered by Emma’s analysis to CID through backchannels to see if they can do anything with it. It’s not like we can have a rogue AI testify, but we both need to be careful. We already know the conspiracy is willing to murder good men and women.”
Emma put her hands on her hips. “Excuse me. I’m a rogue AI?”
The colonel shrugged. “I keep saying you’re helping Erik because I’m allowing it, but we both know your stubbornness is the main reason you’re still here.”
“Doesn’t matter either way,” Erik muttered. “She’s working with me now, and she’ll help me find the bastards. They keep adding to their tab.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
November 9, 2228, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Bar Remembrance
Erik grinned as he watched Jia sip her beer. If his mouth stretched any wider, the top of his head would fall off. He’d looked like that for the last few minutes.
Jia set her glass back on the table and stared at it. It was just a normal amber-colored liquid. What was his deal?
“What?” she asked, trying to keep any form of accusation out of her voice.
Erik held up two fingers and remained silent, still grinning, and the waitress promptly brought them refills.
“You're particularly inscrutable today.” Jia’s eyes narrowed, her lips firm. “I don’t know if I like it.”
“You’ve improved.” Erik pointed to the empty glass that had held her first beer. “Besides being better at taking down thugs and criminals, you can now handle two beers.”
Jia rolled her eyes, her face softening. “I didn’t realize that.” A light fog had settled into her mind and her cheeks were warm, but nothing serious. “I’ve been out drinking with you fairly regularly. I suppose I was bound to develop more of a tolerance, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to start downing beers like you.”
Erik lifted his chin, a proud look on his face. “Yes, it takes years to reach this level of skill.”
She eyed him over her half-raised glass. “I don’t know if I would call that ‘skill.’”
They both laughed.
Jia stared into her beer, her stomach knotting. There were a few things she wanted to discuss with her partner, but some part of her warned her it would be a bad idea.
“Um, so…” she began.
“So?” Erik’s eyebrows lifted curiously.
“Dates,” Jia finished.
Erik chuckled. “Now you’re the one being inscrutable. Dates? No, I haven’t gone on any since the last one.”
“Not you, me.” Jia’s cheeks heated even more. She gulped the rest of her beer.
For so-called liquid courage, the drink wasn’t doing its job.
“You’re not being all that clear.” Erik smiled behind his beer. Did he know what she was getting at?
Jia held up two fingers in imitation of her partner’s earlier gesture. “I have a second date with Corbin.”
“The Down-to-Earth Businessman?” Erik asked, surprise in his voice.
“Yes, him. I’m going out with him next weekend,” Jia explained.
Erik took another drink and eyed her. “And that’s a big deal?”
“I’m a little nervous. It’s our second date.” Jia shrugged, her instincts again questioning if this was a conversation she should be having with Erik.
She wasn’t sure what her problem was. He was her friend and partner, even if he was a man. She should be able to discuss this sort of thing with him.
They had fought together; they could share information about their private lives.
“And how are you on second dates?” Erik set his beer down.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, twisting her glass in circles making a ring in the condensation on the table. “I haven’t made it to a second date in years.”
“That’s a good thing, then.” Erik smiled. “You’re making progress.”
“Yes,” Jia mused, “I am.” She looked around the bar. Numerous attractive women of different ages sat at tables, most with partners, but some alone.
Maybe she would feel better about discussing dating if she made sure her partner had someone. “You should consider trying again. I know I screwed up last time, but I can find you someone better. I promise.”
“I don’t know. I think I still need to adjust to Earth.” Erik offered her an apologetic smile.
“Coward,” Jia muttered. She wasn’t sure why she was talking this way. The alcohol was the easiest culprit to blame, but there was something else in her, deeper, pushing her forward.
Erik laughed. “What?”
She straightened her back, using her glass to point at him. “A man who would take on a building full of gangsters, a hotel full of terrorists, and a King sentry bot, and he’s afraid of a little date,” Jia mocked. She smirked.
Erik’s mouth was stuck in the “open and going to catch flies” mode. “It’s not like that. I told you, I have to—”
“Get used to Earth again,” Jia interrupted. “I’ve heard that. A lot.” She shook her head. “You’re comfortable enough here to solve major cases in the largest metroplex on Earth.” She leaned forward. “What, would you prefer to have intimate relations with one of your penjing trees?” She jabbed her finger in the air before aiming it at herself, then Erik. “You can’t run. If I can do it, you can do it.”
Erik folded his arms, an amused look lingering on his face. “Are you challenging me, Jia?”
“Maybe I am.” Jia nodded, satisfied with her response. “We should bet on it. See who can go on the most dates in a month or something. If they don’t work out, they don’t work out, but at least you stop running away from living the rest of your life.” She threw up a hand. “And before you feed me anything about your mission, you don’t know how long that’ll take. You’re my partner, and I need to make sure you’re not sitting at home brooding between sphere ball matches and penjing.”
“Fine.” Erik chuckled. “I’ll take your bet, and you’re going to regret it. But we’ll set all the terms once we’re sober. You shouldn’t ask for anything big since…” he did that annoying but cute thing with his eyebrows, “you know, you’re going to lose.”
Jia pointed with her thumb at her chest. “I’m the one with a second date with Mr. Down-to-Earth. I’m going to win this easily.”
“We’ll see.” Erik leaned over the table, mirth painted on his face. “If you haven’t had a second date in years, I wonder how long it’s been since you’ve had a third date?”
Jia shook her finger. “I’ll have you know…” She winced, deflated, and sat back in her chair. “We’re still betting,” she grumbled.
Erik picked up his beer. “Never bet against a man with the Lady on his side.”
“She picks females, too.” She lifted her beer to clink his glass and seal the bet. “How long has it been since you have had a third date, hmmm?”
She chuckled as the glass reached her lips. The look on Erik’s face was…
Priceless.
The Story Continues with Investigating Deceit
* * *
You can’t hide from Justice when Justice has your scent.
Jia and Erik are following up on crimes they run across, providing Erik with more hints that he needs to help track down the killers of his people.
Can Jia provide more support for Erik as he works to uncover secrets the powerful don't want revealed? Or will Erik make a mistake and go too far?
Both want the truth – but is revealing the truth good for society?
---
Two years ago, a small moon in a far off system was set to be the location of the first intergalactic war between humans and an alien race.
It never happened. However, something was found many are willing to kill to keep a secret.
Now, they have killed the wrong people.
How many will need to die to keep the truth hidden?
As many as is needed.
He will have vengeance no matter the cost. She will dig for the truth. No matter how risky the truth is to reveal.
* * *
Pre-order Investigating Deceit for Delivery on January 24, 2020
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
Written October 6, 2019
Thank you for following Jia and Erik as we head into book three, Investigating Deceit!
It is just short of four weeks before the first book releases in this series, and I’m starting to get anxious. Will this series do well? How hard is cracking into the markets on the other platforms going to be? Will the audio sound as fantastic as the piece I’ve heard so far? Will the video ads continue to look cool, or am I going to jump the shark?
(For those Happy Days fans out there, Jump the Shark was named after the episode when Fonzie…well, jumped a shark on his motorcycle.)
I’m about to start the story edits on book 03 in the next couple of days. We ramp up to second-pass edit, then beta read, then final editing, then JIT review for Enlightened Ignorance.
It will release at the end of January.
By the time you are reading these Author Notes, we will have books 04 and possibly 05 complete. Well, 04 (Enlightened Ignorance) finished and pretty far along on 05 (Cabal of Lies) at a minimum.
Remember, eighteen months, twelve books, one story. There is no time to slow down this train. Always rushing ahead as if we need to figure out ourselves who is at the heart of this mystery. Eventually (somewhere around books 04 and 05), we will have a couple of extra weeks in the production schedule for mishaps, and then a few more a couple of books later.
I’ll let my anxiety go by practicing deep breathing exercises (when my Apple Watch pings me) and relaxing my shoulders.
Read on, dear readers, read on.
We only have a few short hints, criminals, firefights, and red herrings to go before we figure out just who is at the top of this criminal conspiracy, so go ahead, pre-order (or buy) the rest of the books and find out what you REALLY want to know…
Will Emma leave with the Taxútnta or stay with Erik?
I’m looking forward to talking to you again at the back of Investigating Deceit – Book 03.
* * *
Michael
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Shattered Truth Page 41