by Sam Sea
“We will listen,” Irk said immediately before Silent could even open her mouth. “We’ll do whatever you ask…And I will not do any other jobs without prior consulting with you.”
“Well, good then.”
“So, what do we do now?”
“You…you two can relax, and I…I’ll pay a visit to the man who hired you. Hopefully I will be there before police does.”
“Why?” Irkoniss wanted to know.
“But to dust his brains, of course.” Mikka said as she was already pulling her rifle out of her bag.
Chapter 5 – The ECI Call
Val set in front of a kitchen patio door, sipping the last of his morning coffee and looking at the ducks landing on his lawn. The nearby pond will soon be overrun by them, and he was debating if he should do something about it. He was happy how the ship testing was progressing and felt very confident that it will be ready to fly in a days time.
“I have a message for the Emperor’s Chief Investigator Valticus Dan-“ he suddenly heard the voice coming from the other room and turned his head around.
“If you just give me a second, sir, and you can give ECI Val the message yourself.” His housekeep was swiftly approaching him caring Val’s communication pod in his extended hand.
Val thought if he really wanted to talk to anyone, and if the reason for leaving his pod in the other side of the house was because he subconsciously did it because he actually didn’t.
Not having a functional communication implant proved very much to his liking during the last few weeks, so much that he decided he won’t have a new implant after all. But now, he had to keep his pod next to him at all time which proved to be another type of a drag.
“This is he…What is the message?” he said, half upset.
“The Chief Commissioner Viliko would like to speak with you.”
“Sure, pass him on.” Val could not deny that call. Hopefully it had nothing to do with appropriating a space ship without any compensation.
“No, the Commissioner has been actually wondering if he could talk to you in person. He was thinking if you would like to meet him at Obo Restaurant today, at your earliest conveniences.
“Sure.” He can have a breakfast there. He knew the place, classy, yet relaxed, with a lot of private space and a good fresh produce from the local farms. “I can be there in an hour.”
“I will forward that message to the Commissioner. He should be waiting there for you in an hour.”
***
Val was certain that the reason for the meeting must be about the recent destruction of the TK-120 transporter he was investigating. Although he found out what exactly destroyed it, the investigation was far from over.
He probably has more questions about the report I forwarded him a few days ago. Or maybe has something to say about how to proceed with further research…Might be something he doesn’t want to be transmitted over the air. Might be something he wanted to share with me concerning Klickers. Val thought. But he was wrong.
By the time he got to the restaurant, the commissioner was already there, seated in one of the secluded boots. Relaxing string music was mixing with the sound of the small waterfall which served as one of the walls. Val carefully set down on a big blue cushions with the stream of greenish liquid running next to his feet. He took a wooden cup from the table and dipped it in the stream, feeling it half full.
It was the only place in the Capital which had a half decent Running Verot.
"I am glad you approve," the commissioner greeted him with a firm handshake and a half smile on his face. "Although it does not compare to the one found on AXilia..."
"Commissioner, thank you for your invitation. What can I do for you?" Val didn't want to waste time. Sooner he knew and finished this unusual meeting, sooner he could go back to his estate and fixing up the ship.
"I've already ordered some venison sausages for us... But if you would rather have something else?"
"No, that is fine, Commissioner. Venison is good. So..."
"Well, first of all, I want to tell you how impressed I was at the job you did concerning the transporter. We were all very pleased how you dealt with the whole project. We hope that your reinstitution of the rank is pleasing as well as all the other requirements that you asked for..."
He wants something, Val thought, Why being so nice, why bring all of this up like that? Must be big…
"You understand the investigation is far from being completed..There are a lot of questions needing answers. I still have a lot of loose ends to tie-“
"Yes, yes, yes...I am aware of that. And I feel very confident that you will succeeded yet again. On our side, I wanted to inform you that we have already contracted Emperor's Engineering Department so that our spaceport scanners can include biological imprints of those beasts, per your recommendations, so no such incident can repeat...Thanks to you, the space travel should become safe again, and hopefully will swiftly return to its normal routine.
“Also, your discretion, in the whole matter, has been highly appreciated, as you probably are aware of that…”.
So it is not about the investigation...
"It is about that sense of discretion you exhibited, your feel for the situation and its sensitivity… that makes me very...how can I put it right, very indebted as well as very confident in you and your abilities. You seem like a truly very trustworthy person, and I really appreciate that...
This is going to be heavy, very heavy…What does he want? Val started to feel nervous.
“You are starting to make me nervous now, Commissioner, Can you just please tell me how can I help?”
"I would like if you could do a job for me..." The commissioner started unsure of really how to continue.
"Go ahead, Commissioners-“
“Please, call me Viliko, just Viliko…”
“Okay, Viliko…you can share with me any information you want. I promise to continue being...’discrete’ as you said it."
"Well, okay... All right… I have a special favor to ask from you. I want you to run a murder investigation."
The commissioner waited for the words to sink in as Val's surprise seemed all too obvious. He waited for Val’s objections, but none came.
“It may not be something that you would normally do…”
"In my hundred and twenty years of being ECI, I probably have conducted thousands of murder investigations...All you have to do is ask for it. It is that simple. Why do you sweat over it, Viliko?"
"Well, this one is special."
"How so?"
"It involves...someone who used to be very close to me."
"Yes?"
"Well, my younger brother Teri was murdered last night."
"Horrible, my sincere condolences, Commissioner...Viliko, I don't know what else to say."
"Yes, I, myself have been very shocked, to think I will never see him again, talk to him, shake his hand...I think I am still shocked, still unable to think straight…"
Val decided again to be silent and waited for the commissioner to compose himself.
"His whole life, existence, taken away from him…."
"My whole family is of course completely stunned and crushed, my parents, our sister..." Val didn’t need reminding that commissioner’s family, the DiAmon family, was one of the most reputable in the whole empire. Some said that it was also one of the oldest around.
"I cannot express how sorry I am, for you and for your whole family..."
"Well, you understand, he has been somewhat of a rebel. He and I had a certain differences years ago which we never seem to overcome, and now, now it seems we never will..."
"Who is leading the investigation?"
"Right now, the case is in the hands of the Capital Police Department...he was more of a scientists, not much about politics, you understand…”
"Still, he is connected with you, and you are just a step below the Emperor himself, so, we at the ECI, take those things seriously." Val wasn't really interest
ed in taking this case. His mind was somewhere else, away from the Capital already.
Two weeks ago, he started to plan a trip to the outer plants, an expedition that was going to take a lot of organization and effort to complete. The best lunch window was in the next forty-eight hours, and he really didn’t want to miss it.
"Why haven't you requested EI to handle it?"
"Well, before I do that, I wanted to know if you would take the case."
"I know, I know you have a right to turn it down..." the commissioner continued as Val was remaining stone silent. "...I am aware, your ranking allows you to select cases you want to run, still...You have my trust, and it would mean a lot to me if it was you…"
"Commissioner, before I even seriously consider taking this case, I need to ask you. Did you have anything to do with it? Please answer it truthfully since you know in the end I will find out anyway."
Val was surprised to suddenly see the commissioner suddenly relax, almost produce a smile. Then he understood why. He knows I will take the case, Bastard.
"No, I have nothing to do with this."
"Okay."
"Do I understand that you will take this case?"
If he doesn’t, if he turns down the commissioner, he will lose possibly one of his top allies in the Capital. Who knows, the commissioner might even resent him for it. So, he takes the case and then what...? If he finds something the commissioner doesn’t want to be found out, what then? Damn, it would have been better if I left the Capital already. Now, there were just no good choices to make.
"You understand, I cannot, nor do I plan to, interfere in your investigation in any way whatsoever..." The commissioner Viliko continued seeing exactly how profoundly conflicted Val actually was at deciding what exactly to do.
"I can only offer you help, nothing more..."
"And what about if I investigate, are you sure you want everything related to your brother’s death to be found out?"
Now the commissioner became silent.
"Yes, I think so...The family pride cannot not supersede the truth. That is the type of society we work and fight for. And the Emperor himself knows that.”
"Okay, okay then..." Viliko really didn’t need Val. He could have leaned on the local police. They would have jumped as high as he asked them to. Why ask for me? He knows I do not compromise well.
"Okay…I’ll do it, so first of all…”
Don’t look so damn grateful, you do not know where this may lead…I’ll be glad if you don’t hate me by the time I am threw with this.
"When was the last time you talked to your brother?”
“The last time…Definitely not during the last few months. I guess…really would have to think about it to tell you the truth. My family had reunion about few months ago…I guess I saw him then.” Memories seem to burden him.
“How was he killed? Do they know yet?”
“He seems to be shot at his home…by a sniper…”
“A professional hit…Do you have any idea why would anybody want to kill your brother?”
“No, I really don’t. He was not involved in business or politics. For all that I know, he was not involved into anything that may result in him being murdered.
“All right…I know this must be difficult for you…but I need to know… what kind of person was he? ”
“He was highly intelligent, but very honest. We didn’t share same views on number of issues, but…”
This is not going anywhere, the man seems obviously too burdened…
“Who, in your family was the closest to him, the one that he would communicate with the most, someone who can tell more about him?”
“It was most definitely my sister...They shared the same passion for number of things, including jetter racing...stuff like that.“
“What was his last job?”
“He worked as a dean of the History Department at the East Central University…I think he had that position for the last ten, fifteen years…”
“That seems uneventful enough…Still when you have time, can you forward me the list with all the profession you know your brother did during his lifetime….it doesn’t have to be now….”
Who am I kidding? I need to leave soon…
“Actually, if you can send me all the information you seem viable by the end of today, would be great…I also need to know of his personal relationships you are aware off.”
“I know you cannot know, but if you had to guess, why do you think he was killed and by whom?
The commissioner was silent, thinking…
“Think about that…that is what I need from you…fights he might have had, disagreements with people you might know off…Think about it all…More info you give me, faster I can find who is behind this...and stop it from happening to anybody else….Because whoever killed your brother most likely will not stop from killing until he…or she is stopped.
The commissioner Viliko nodded his head.
“I understand that this is an extremely delicate situation for you and your whole family...rest assure that I will proceed with the outmost sensitivity...the same one you know you can expect from me.
"As well, rest assure, Commissioner, I will do everything in my power to find all I can about what happened to your brother, and bring the guilty ones to the justice."
Val padded his badge. He knew that a person who killed the commissioner’s brother will never be send to jail or Pluk. Val will catch him, judge him, and execute him himself. In a way, that’s why he had a badge in the first place.
He didn’t want to tell the commissioner about his previous travel plans. He considered investigating the disappearance of the senator Sulivaro a rather private matter, and he certainly didn’t want to even hint that he was looking into it.
He knew he needed to go on a trip as soon as possible… Every day he waited raised the possibility that, if the senator was still alive, he would not be for very long.
Whatever I do, it will have to be done within 48 hours. Val thought. That is when I get all the equipment I need for the trip, and that is when I leave.
Chapter 6 – The New Investigator
Val didn’t want to waste any time since he had none to waste. Right after he finished with the commissioner, he ordered an air-taxi to take him to the place of crime.
"This is ECI Val, I would like to talk to the police captain Crill," he spoke in his communicator as the taxi took him to the sky.
"Just a second sir, I will forward your call right away."
Seconds later, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Hi Val, how is it going?"
"Fine... And I don’t need to ask you how you are since I am sure you are fine. But I’ve got some news for you, and I am not sure if I would classify it as either good or bad…"
"Oh, yeah? .If you ask me, all the news are bad news. Nobody ever calls me to tell me how happy and fortunate they are, and how great their families are doing…"
Val chuckled. "Well, in that case, this may just be an exception… exceptionally good news.”
“Really…What? You will finally buy a round at Sertiko’s? Or are you getting married again? I don’t know if that can be considered good news though…”
“No, no… No I am not getting married… And I think you already had too many rounds at Sertiko’s…”
“Screw you…”
Val chuckled again. “I am to take a case off your lap..."
"Teri DiAmon, the commissioner brother’s case?” The captain’s both eyebrows suddenly got raised as a huge wave of relief washed over him.
Val nodded.
"Oh, thank you, you are right…That is a good news. As soon as I saw it, I knew I didn’t want it. I knew this case is for EI's not us...”
“Commissioner asked me personally to see it done…”
“Commissioner himself? Well, well, well, now you are buddy with the head commissioner? Not even I get to see that man more than once every five years… No wonder Sertiko’s hasn’t se
en your face lately. It seems we are just not good for you anymore.”
Val could not surpass a smile.
“So you want us to toward you all the files we have?" the captain offered readily.
"That would be nice. Have any suspects yet?"
"Of course not... But it seems to be a professional hit. This case is going to raise a lot of dust. It certainly is not to my taste, if you know what I mean."
"Well, it is not up to my taste to tell you the truth, but I just could not turn down the request...”
"I understand. By the way, I heard of your recent promotions. Congratulations. You deserved it, every bit of it. Get your ass downtown and we will celebrate it right, buddy.”
“Sounds good.”
“I tell you, if I had two cops under my command as good as you, I would not have to do a thing."
"Who you kidding? You don't do a thing anyway."
The captain laughed. "I will not be here for the next few days, but still you know you can always reach me, so let me know if you need any help of any kind, Val. You know I would do anything for you…"
Val chuckled. Running away from the storm, huh? He thought but only smiled ironically and said, "Thanks, I’ll remember you said that…" before he signed out.
***
Teri DiAmon lived in type of a neighborhood which very few people get to see. The whole area was composed of oversized estate homes, a stone throw from the Capital City itself. The whole area had a air-tight security, and as soon as the taxi crossed in, the police was there to check Val’s credentials.
He landed next to the red-roofed house, on a lawn where few sheep’s were still grazing on, unfazed by heavy police presence.
As soon as Val got out, the woman stepped out of the police cruiser and approached him. Her brunet hair could hardly be seen under the fancy black hat she wore. Eyes as dark as space pierced right through him as he watched her long, thin body wrapped in a red-stripped leathery suite move toward him.