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by Robin Jeffrey

Cadence swallowed. Without warning she leaned down and slipped her hand into my breast pocket, a sudden display of intimacy that drew all eyes to us, including Brisbois’ and my fiancé-to-be’s, whose nails dug into my shoulder.

  “I’ve just arrived from Paraesepe; looking for work, a brighter future...” Cadence removed my nix case and helped herself to one, tossing the case back into my lap without so much as a nod. “He and I met on the train.”

  Brisbois rubbed his lips, eyes boring into me like screws. “And he just invited you home, did he?”

  She tore off the end of the nix, rolling the tattered stub between her fingers. “We began talking and it became clear I didn’t know where I was going to spend the night or when I’d be able to find work.” She batted smoke away from her face, grimacing. “Chance was kind enough to offer me his hospitality. Will you need to see my ident papers, Inspector Brisbois?”

  Brisbois watched her for a moment and then, with great care, leaned back in his chair. “Not now, no.”

  He was smiling. Smiling at what was beyond me, but at whom was clear; I began to dislike the man at once. My heart lurched when Cadence returned his sly grin with a full-toothed beam of her own. “Thank you.”

  Brisbois tore his gaze away from her at length, flexing his shoulders. “Right. Well, that seems clear enough. Mr. Hale, where was the necklace kept?”

  My father inclined his head. “On the shelf, just behind you.”

  Brisbois’ stylus flew across the screen. “I assume that you have a standard security system for a house this size; genetic locks on the doors and windows, perimeter sensors, automatic EO call-out, etcetera?”

  “I’d be a fool not to.”

  “Did anyone else know that the necklace was in the house before last night?”

  “The gentleman who sold it to me I suppose.” My father sunk down in his seat, scowling. “But other than that, no.”

  “When did you go to bed last night?”

  My father huffed, tugging at his moustache as he grumbled, “Sometime around 13 o’clock. I was ill, a sudden bout of stomach flu, put me quite out of sorts.”

  “And the rest of you?”

  We shared bemused glances. Solomon was the first to speak. “I think we all turned in around the same time. 14, half past?”

  The inspector nodded, typing away. “When did you all wake up this morning?”

  Minerva rolled her eyes. “Most of us were down by 8 o’clock. Cadence, Felix, and Miss Eydis arrived sometime after; I’m not sure when.”

  “And did you all come down together?”

  “Listen here, Brisbois, I’m sure you know your job best, but–”

  “I do.” Brisbois flicked a speck of lint off his sleeve, olive eyes half-lidded. “But I suspect you’re about to suggest otherwise, Mr. Hale?”

  My father stood, Desdemona’s hand on his arm the only thing keeping him from reaching across the desk and putting his fist in the man’s face. “I am suggesting, sir, that this thief, whoever he is, is probably on an off-world freighter by now with my property, while you sit there asking asinine questions about our timetables!”

  To my right there was a soft clicking sound. I looked up at Cadence, who did not, at first, appear to be any more interested in the proceedings than she had been before. She stood staring out the tempered glass windows, the slightest grimace of concentration twisting her upper lip away from her teeth.

  I doubted that anyone else had heard the muted sound of her tongue popping away from the roof of her mouth, but Brisbois’ eyes flickered up at the sound and found its source with ease. He smiled. “You disagree, Miss Turing?”

  Cadence turned away from the window, face clearing as her eyes met his. “Yes, I do.”

  “With which part of Mr. Hale’s statement specifically?” Brisbois’ smile grew wider. “If, of course, you don’t object to such an asinine question.”

  Oblivious to the power play taking place between the two authority figures in the room, Cadence pushed herself away from the wall, arms falling to her sides. “It’s impossible for the thief to be catching an off-world shuttle.” She glanced around the room, her speech slowing. “Well, since they never left the house.”

  Belinda gasped. “Do you mean to suggest that the ruffian has hidden himself somewhere on the premises?”

  “That’s pretty unlikely, isn’t it, Miss Turing?” asked Henry. “Where could he be hiding?”

  “I think you’ve mistaken her meaning, Henry.” Minerva paled, but there remained a sparkle in her eye.

  Cadence looked around the sea of curious faces and shrugged. “Obviously, one of us must have taken the necklace.”

  The uproar was immediate and loud. My father objected in the strongest terms to the indignity of the suggestion, while Desdemona tugged on his sleeve, begging him to think of his health. Victoria derided the whole idea with sneers and scoffs, while Henry expressed his concern for everyone’s safety, even though his mother seemed quite happy about the prospect of having a thief in the group. Solomon and Dr. Merton tried, in vain, to calm everyone down.

  I stayed silent, staring at Cadence, who in turn said nothing and stared at the inspector, who stared back, smiling.

  My father, face swollen and red, gripped the head of his cane with such force that his knuckles went white. “How dare you suggest that one of us is a thief, you ungrateful creature? How dare you, madam!”

  “I dare,” Cadence smoothed out her wrinkled white pants, “because it is the truth.”

  “She’s quite right, I’m afraid.”

  My father rounded on the inspector with a growl. Brisbois leaned back in his chair, adopting an expression of sincere regret, but holding a quirk in his brows that hinted at something far less remorseful. “It would seem to be the only logical conclusion, sir. Your security is some of the best on Arrhidaeus. From what we can tell, it hasn’t been tampered with. That means that either someone here conspired with an outside thief and let him or her in, or, much more likely, one of you took the necklace for yourselves.”

  “Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” Cadence narrowed her eyes and tapped a finger against her temple. “It’s all about using the little grey cells.”

  “Indeed.” Inspector Brisbois twirled his stylus between his fingers, moving it over and under each digit with practiced ease. “Did you steal the necklace, Miss Turing?”

  Cadence leaned back against the window. If Brisbois’ smile had been disconcerting, Cadence’s was a complete bafflement. “No, sir, I did not. I don’t care much for jewelry.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting that you’d steal the Negrescu Necklace to wear, Miss Turing.”

  “You were suggesting that as a penniless immigrant from Paraesepe I need money and the necklace would sell for a considerable sum on any black market in the system.” She shrugged. “I understand. But I didn’t steal it. Still, I am the most likely suspect, so please feel free to search my room first.”

  Victoria’s nose wrinkled. “First?”

  Cadence slid further down the windowsill and leaned forward, her body forming a sharp ‘L’ as she supported herself on the balls of her feet. “Inspector Brisbois will need to search the entire manor for the necklace; including our rooms.”

  My father broke his uncharacteristic silence to bluster. “That is completely unacceptable!”

  “I understand, sir. Unfortunately, crime is never acceptable, dignified, or respectful and as such, I can rarely be so.” Brisbois turned his attention back to Cadence, nodding. “Thank you for volunteering, Miss Turing.”

  “Anything to help, Inspector.” Cadence drew her hand down her throat, looking much more relaxed than she had a few minutes ago.

  “If you all wouldn’t mind waiting outside, I should have an additional squadron of men here within the next few minutes.” Inspector Brisbois rose from his seat, tapping his screen with one hand to lock it, and headed for the door. “We’ll try to make this as quick as possi
ble, but with a house this large, it may take a few hours to conduct a proper search.”

  “Chance and I,” Victoria stressed my name, casting a pointed glance at Cadence, “are going for a walk.” She crossed the length of the study in three quick strides. “I need to get my walking shoes.”

  Brisbois blocked the doorway with his body, smiling at Victoria. “Certainly, Miss Gad. Daniels!” The inspector called into the hallway and waved inwards. A uniformed Enforcement Officer appeared. “Daniels, please accompany Miss Gad to her room; she’s getting a pair of walking shoes from her things.”

  Victoria examined the white-bearded Daniels with a cool stare, shrugged, and led the way out of the study, the old bloodhound trailing behind her at a respectful distance.

  Brisbois turned back into the room. “Anyone else?”

  “I would like to grab my medical bag, if that’s alright.” Dr. Merton stood, knees bent as if ready to collapse down again at the slightest word. “Mr. Hale is still not feeling well and I should like to have something on hand if it’s needed.”

  Brisbois nodded and called another Enforcement Officer to the study. The inspector inclined his head towards Minerva, staying the doctor for a moment. “Do you need any medications brought from your room, ma’am?”

  “If I can’t survive for a few hours without a pill or an injection, Inspector,” Minerva fixed such a look of disdain upon him that Brisbois stepped back, “I’d rather you let me crinkle up and die in the sun out there, thank you very much. I’ll be fine. Dear,” Minerva wobbled to her feet, offering an arm to Solomon, who took it at once, “walk me out to the patio. I’ll get a proper tan for once and drive all the men in Zahia mad with desire.” She laughed and reached over to squeeze Cadence’s arm. “You should join me, my girl. We could both use some color.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Davers, I’d like that.” Cadence followed the pair out into the hall, sliding past the inspector without a glance.

  I toyed with the idea of going after Cadence and the Davers, unexcited by the prospect of a morning stroll with Victoria in her current mood. However, I feared appearing over eager, or worse, overprotective. Even if that was exactly how I felt. It seemed that Cadence reserved her flirtations for everyone but me; an irritating fact, most particularly because it didn’t affect my feelings for her in the slightest.

  Coming out of the study, Henry’s hand grabbed my elbow, tugging me up the hallway and towards the front door. “Come on. Let’s go for that walk.”

  I allowed him to pull me outside without protest, chuckling despite myself. “You? Voluntarily engaging in physical activity?” I pulled my arm free and draped it over his shoulders. “Please, Henry, haven’t we had enough shocks for one day?”

  “I can be athletic when I want to be.” Henry shrugged my arm away as we trotted down the steps and onto the drive. “Besides, would you rather I leave you in the clutches of the green-eyed monster?”

  I scoffed, resting my hands in my pockets. “Victoria Gad has never been jealous of anyone in her life.”

  “You don’t know her as well as you think you do, chum.” We rounded the corner of the house, taking shelter from the warm morning sun in the shade of the old cherry trees that lined the manor. “You’re not just some handsome young thing she’s playing with, you know, you’re the heir to a fortune, and all the things that go with it.” He knocked my shoulder with his own and shook his finger at me. “You’re her ticket to the fame-filled life of her dreams; don’t think she’s going to risk losing all that now.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Henry! You make her sound positively scheming.”

  “She is.”

  I chose not to press the issue, the atmosphere tense enough without furthering my best friend’s distaste for my intended. He sighed, stopping outside the window to his room and peering in.

  I leaned over his shoulder, grinning. “Oh, any officers going through your unmentionables?”

  Henry snorted. “Not yet, no.” He turned, patting the slim trunk behind him and gazing up into the boughs with a small smile. “You know, it was so lovely last night that I was tempted to climb up and sleep in the trees here like a vagabond.”

  “Blasted thing.” I glared at the offensive softwood in question, kicking it as we passed. “They’re all so full of knot-holes and rot, we should really just cut them down.”

  We spent the rest of the walk in comfortable silence, excepting the odd recital of some poem or monologue by Henry, the landscape transporting him to some other time and place. We were about to turn to the back of the house when my father’s voice reached us, speaking in, what for him, were hushed tones. Henry and I slowed our steps, curiosity aroused, and peeked around the corner.

  “I would consider it a personal favor, Solomon, I really would.” My father paced, waving the end of his cane over the ground instead of using it as the doctor had prescribed.

  Solomon sat on one of the long wooden benches facing away from us; arm slung over the seat’s curved back. “Of course, Felix, you don’t even have to ask. I’d be honored to be your executor. When do you think it will be ready?”

  “By tomorrow morning if I’m left in peace tonight. But that’s why I’m using the library, of course.” My father stilled, bringing his hands behind his back and squeezing them. “I need to come clean about some things, Solomon. I want to be a new man when I marry Desdemona, with none of those secrets from my past lurking around me.”

  “And you think changing your will–”

  “Rewriting it completely; fresh slate.” He swung his cane in front of him and stabbed at the ground. “I need to know that when I do pass on, things are taken care of; that there are no questions about who I was and why I did what I did.”

  “Have you told Chance about these revisions?”

  “In a way, yes.” My father looked up, a scowl cutting through the grey hair on his face like a twisted bruise. I resisted the urge to jump back behind the corner. “Damned fool. Never does listen to me.”

  I chewed the inside of my mouth, unable to look away as my father spat onto the ground. “Your boy may be a bit soft in the head, Solomon, but at least he isn’t useless; spending his days drinking, soliciting prostitutes–” He turned on his heel, grinding the grass underfoot. Something beyond Henry’s or my range of vision caught his attention, and he squared his shoulders, shaking his cane in the air. “–bringing women like that impertinent hussy into my house just to sneer at me!”

  Solomon laughed, but when I looked at him, there was nothing but the ghost of a smile fading on his lips. “You just don’t like it when people disagree with you, Felix. You never have.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, palms up in front of him. “I don’t understand why you refuse to give my proposal a second chance.”

  My father’s frame relaxed. He smiled. “Solomon, Solomon!” Sitting beside his old friend and colleague, he threw his tree-trunk of an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders. “We talked about this. I can’t take any monetary risks on your bouts of scientific whimsy.”

  Solomon’s jaw tightened. “It’s called experimentation and research, Felix. Halcyon Enterprises would hardly be where it is today if your forefathers hadn’t invested in such things.”

  “No, I suppose not.” My father looked up at Cadence, whom Henry and I now saw approaching from the veranda. “Still, we wouldn’t have the animanecron problem if they’d been a little more cautious, eh?” He shook his head and pulled at his beard with his free hand. “I hope they wipe them all out, I really do. Finally remove that blemish from our otherwise sterling reputation for responsible scientific advancement.”

  Cadence turned her head at the remark, blinking and increasing her pace. In fact, she ended up moving by Henry and me at such a speed that her frame lurched forward and back when she skidded to a halt after noticing us.

  “Hello, Chance.” She nodded at my friend. “Henry.”

  “Miss Turing.” Henry bent down and kissed her hand, an affectionate gesture, which
I was sure, was to annoy me. He succeeded. “Did you get tired of my mother so soon?”

  “She was being very flirtatious with one of the young men serving us drinks,” Cadence examined the back of her hand for a moment before refocusing, tapping and rubbing the skin in a distracted way. “I felt that they wanted to be alone.”

  Henry closed his eyes, lips pursing. “Ah. Excuse me, won’t you?”

  He was off like a shot towards the patio, fully intent on saving his mother’s honor, protecting the family from a harassment suit, or both.

  Cadence and I stood where Henry had abandoned us. Alone at last. A crooked smile skittered over my lips. “Hello, Cay.” I leaned forward, brushing my lips against her cheek. “You’re looking lovely this morning.”

  When Cadence wrapped her arms up under my own and embraced me with such force I struggled to breathe, I fell into her with atypical gracelessness.

  “Thank you!” She stepped away, looking me over. “You are very handsome as well.”

  I was about to mumble my thanks when she reached up and tugged at the elbow of my shirt, her head falling to one side. She smiled. “This shirt suits you; it flatters your arms.”

  I leaned back, heat flushing through me. “Oh. Really? Well–”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be taking a walk with Victoria?”

  I shut my mouth with a snap and shook my head, watching her from under my hooded brow. “Yes and no,” I leaned one arm against the brick wall behind me. “What are you up to?”

  “I’m not sure. I seem to be without an activity to pursue.”

  I nodded and grabbed her hand with a tug. “Take a walk with me then. I know the perfect place to go.”

  She pulled away and turned towards the house. “But Victoria–”

  “–will muddle through without me, somehow,” I stepped back and looped my arm through hers, placing her hand on my forearm. “She’ll understand; you are my guest after all.”

  8

  Chapter 8

  Neither of us spoke as we struck out across the back lawn, Cadence’s eyes focused on the ground, a frown of concentration on her face. I didn’t want to break her train of thought, whatever it might be, and contented myself with the opportunity to stretch my legs with such attractive company. It wasn’t until we reached our destination, with the manor a medium-sized smear in the background, that Cadence spoke, staring up at the aspen trees looming over us.