The air had a septic quality that would be foreign in the Lower City. A whiff of someone’s dinner whispered to my nose, but it lacked the spicy allure that could be found on The Floor and went almost ignored. The purified air also lacked the thick cloud of dust that caked the nostrils and clothes of those who lived under The Street.
I really wasn’t paying the attention I’d have liked. I was too busy reading the investigator’s report of Keith Moss’ death. It had been written by Jackie Wynn from the Thirty-third Precinct. She was a tough, competent sergeant who’d bedded more women than Rick had. I liked her. She was a good cop. I couldn’t think of a better compliment.
The report opened with some background on the vic: he was from The Lower City but lived topside. He worked as an apprentice code writer for a company that made simulator booths for hotel and resort chains in The Upper City. If he was attached enough to Lenny to love her, he sure left her in his wake. It created some interesting questions. He was also three weeks dead when Lenny walked out of Allyssa’s pleasure palace.
There really wasn’t much to go on. That was pretty standard in gang killings. No one wanted to incur the wrath of The Lunatics. I looked over crime scene holos. Moss had been mauled. He was a total mess. The Lunatics Berserker is an orgy of violence that leaves a victim barely recognizable. It’s what they do to enemies of the gang.
This wasn’t some spur-of-the moment ass-whipping gone wrong. This was an ordered hit. A message was being sent, but to whom? There was more to this story, but there was no one alive who would likely share it.
“Hello?”
I cleared my pReC but didn’t speak. She came to the door behind me. She was wearing another of those classy but sexy dresses. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
I looked over my shoulder at Allyssa. “You need to keep a more regular schedule. I was expecting you hours ago.”
She smiled and moved toward me. “You, of all people should know how flexible, I need to be at times.”
I didn’t take the bait. “I was hoping you could help me figure some stuff out.”
The playfulness was gone. “Ok.”
“You said you think industrial espionage might have been a motive, that Lenny might have been a plant.”
“That was a theory. Not mine, if you remember.”
I looked out at the crescent Earth. “Simon.”
“Yeah,” her voice was all business.
“So, what’s the theory? Does he think she was recruited after coming to you? Does he think The Lunatics are in on this one? I got to thinking about those questions, you know, after turning your mattress into the trampoline of love.
“Like how the hell could some outsider-with-a-grudge know that this girl from a street-level brothel would ever step foot in Katsaros’ home? And, I decided something: it would have to be an inside job. Any conspiracy, any espionage, she would need a handler, someone to put her in a position to end up spread-eagled in Katsaros’ bed. That’s not even counting how she’d know where to look for this heirloom.”
I looked her full in the face.
“That must’ve created some tough questions for you, huh?”
“You, too?”
I looked back out at the city. “What do you want me to think, Allyssa? You told me yourself that you were the one that hand-picked these girls.”
“Yeah? You know what my criteria is? Young, barely broken in with dark hair and pale skin. Certain talents are a bonus, but sometimes he likes ’em…” her voice trailed off. I could see disgust in her face.
“Inexperienced,” I said.
She couldn’t look at me. “Yeah.”
Several horrific moments passed between us.
“Anyone who knew his tastes could’ve planted that girl,” said Allyssa. “But, I still think it’s a bullshit theory.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve been doing this awhile. Because she didn’t strike me as a plant. Because I—I liked her. She didn’t belong in this place.”
“Do any of them?”
She frowned.
“Ok,” I said. “Let’s go with your theory: you think, what? That this was a crime of opportunity? That she took this as some kind of insurance?”
“It’s pretty thin, but something like that. Yeah.”
“All right, but she still needed help getting out. So how did she communicate? How did they time this? And how the fuck did she walk out the front door with Simon’s goons everywhere?”
“Maybe passing notes to someone inside?”
“Ok,” I said. “Candidates?”
Allyssa shook her head. “Simon looked hard, believe me. Some of those people will never walk the same again.”
I thought of E-Rod and was suddenly less proud of myself.
“One of Simon’s guards was incapacitated by a homemade stun gun shaped like a dildo,” she said. “We found it laying on his belly. The back door he was guarding was wide open.”
I paused a moment to admire the shrewdness of the plan. “So that could have been lying around for weeks.”
Allyssa nodded.
“Camera feeds?”
“Disabled by a virus. The whole system was smashed.”
I thought about Lenny’s dead code-writing boyfriend. Maybe there was a connection. I’d just add that to my list of things to do. “How is it that Katsaros hasn’t had Simon toss you off this balcony on principle alone?”
She shuddered. “I ask myself that every day.”
“I need you to do something but it’s not likely to do much for your standing with Katsaros.”
*******
The Olympian was a blur of neon and flashing lights. It was a throwback to casinos on Earth, but not much really changes in this business: keep ’em drunk, keep ’em fed, and don’t let ’em know the time. Every detail was researched with meticulous precision. Every machine, every table, every aroma, and light was designed to relieve the hotel ‘guests’ of their money. It worked with the precision of a fine-tuned machine.
I’d ripped the sleeves off of my white t-shirt. I wore pants without knees. My ass hung over the waistband. I had dark wraparounds on my face and a black cap that I’d turned backwards. Yeah, I was going to make a real nice addition to these rich-kid-touristy-types and their families. Security wouldn’t let me get far.
“Excuse me, sir,” said a voice from behind me.
I ignored it.
“Excuse me,” the voice was iron. So was the grip that seized my arm.
I stopped and turned to face the guard. They were never small. He was head and shoulders taller than I was and half again as wide. He wore a nice silver coat and pants with a black crew neck t-shirt. There was no jewelry, no tie, nothing that could be used to manipulate him or cause unintended harm in a physical altercation.
“I’m here to see Angelo Katsaros.”
He managed not to laugh in my face. “Mr. Katsaros isn’t receiving guests.”
I stepped forward and pushed my nose into his chin. It took some doing. “I’m not a guest, I’m an employee. He’ll receive me.”
The man glared in a way that promised Katsaros had better see me or my exit from this place was going to be painful. We stood staring at each other for several long seconds. He must have received something on his pReC. “I don’t know about Mr. Katsaros, but someone wants to see you.”
Simon was waiting in one of the back rooms. It was blank. There was nothing in it, just white walls. He waited for the big man to leave before speaking.
“The fuck are you doing here?”
“I need to speak to Katsaros.”
“Mister,” he emphasized the title, “Katsaros isn’t to be disturbed by some has-been private eye.”
“Is that right? You know, I couldn’t figure out why Katsaros wanted me, a dead-in-space has-been cop, to come find your m
issing girl, but the more I think about this one the more obvious it is: you’re under suspicion.”
Wounded pride dominated Simon’s features.
“He doesn’t know if he can trust you. Isn’t that right?”
He no longer looked wounded.
“He must’ve had a lot of questions for you. Like how the fuck does a fifteen-year-old prisoner walk out of that sex prison with your hired guns in every corner and all-seeing electronic eyes in every room? How asleep at the switch could you be?
“That doesn’t even begin to address the issues of how she could steal his ‘heirloom’ right out from under your nose, here on his home turf. You know, I’ve been investigating crimes for a long time and this one has screamed ‘inside job’ since that very first moment at Allyssa Ramacci’s playhouse.
“That’s why I’m here. Because when you can’t trust your friends, sometimes the only one you can turn to is a stranger.”
“What the hell are you supposed to be?” Katsaros stood in the doorway.
“An attention-getter.”
Katsaros didn’t seem amused. “I hired you to do a job, not create a scene in my casino.”
I glanced at Simon. “You want me to find your girl, I need some info. Something hard.”
Katsaros just looked at me.
“I need some info on her Johns, the regulars. The ones she’d been with more than once. Probably one of the last ones she was with before disappearing. It would be nice if I could know exactly what she took, too.”
Katsaros looked at Simon and gestured. He left the two of us alone.
“You know about my politics.”
“I know you’re a guy who spends a lot of time rubbing elbows with politicians.”
“I don’t rub elbows! I pull the goddamned reins!”
“Ok.”
“So, I had this party. Heavy-hitting campaigners’ special party.”
“Sex party.”
He held me in his gaze for several long seconds. “There were people there. The names aren’t important, but I assure you, you’ve heard of them. This bitch was part of the entertainment. We like a good cross-section of entertainers. You know, different strokes and all.”
I waited.
“She had a camera hidden in one of her sex toys.”
I broke into laughter.
Katsaros’ face darkened. “That’s not very goddamned funny!”
“You let a fifteen year old record you and your buddies at an orgy! Classic!”
“Fifteen!?”
I tried to read deceit in his face but the shock seemed genuine. “Yeah. Even Lunatics can be persuaded to talk with the right—encouragement.”
Did I see admiration cross his face? I didn’t really care about impressing this asshole. “I’d like to have the IDs on those Johns. That might be your insider.”
“I hear you’ve thoroughly vetted Miss Ramacci.” He smiled at my surprise. “You’re not the only one who does his homework, Mr. Parker. The fire alarm was a nice touch, very clever.”
I nodded.
“Simon’s getting you some hard copies of the ones she saw in the last two weeks.”
He stuck his hand out to shake my hand. I took it and felt filthy doing it.
“You get that video back for me, and she can live her life in obscurity, no hard feelings.” I don’t even think he was trying to make the words sound genuine.
“I’ll get your video.” I stopped and turned back. “I’ve depleted my expense account. Any chance of getting a bigger one?”
*******
I took the envelope from Simon and was escorted to the door. I pulled out the pics and tossed the envelope into the nearest trash receptacle. I turned onto the first street I came to and walked. Two blocks later I entered a hotel run by one of Katsaros’ competitors. I walked straight through and crossed the street. This time I walked six or seven blocks, weaving from one block to another.
I kept a close eye on the air traffic. I didn’t think there was anything following me, but drones could be pretty small these days. I ducked into another hotel. I rode the elevator ten floors to the lower skyway, a network of elevated walkways for pedestrians who wanted to go from one hotel to another without going all the way to the ground floor.
I looked down at the pedestrian street below. Nothing. I continued my journey and walked six blocks on the skyway. I ducked into another hotel and waited out of sight by the bank of elevators. No one followed. I saw no drones. I walked out the other side of the building and took the walkway towards my goal. It was on the other side of town.
I walked into ManaTech’s first-floor lobby. I was greeted by a holographic AI. I hated these things. They were a poor substitute for real human contact. The image was a young bronze man with sandy-blond hair.
“Can I help you?” The voice oozed sincerity in a way that made you think it couldn’t have cared less.
“Yes,” I said. “I’m looking for Jessica Kingsley.”
The AI gave me a plastic smile. “Of course, please scan your identification.”
“Just tell her it’s an emergency.”
The smile never broke. “Security protocol requires positive identification.”
I held my arm out and used the Arthur Anders ID to appease the software.
“Stand by.” The AI stared at me, that plastic smile still on its face. I moved towards the door and watched the crowd. One of the passers-by seemed to stare at me just a moment too long. She turned her head and kept walking. I tried to follow her with my eyes, but she was gone.
“Mr. Anders?”
I turned. “Yes?”
The AI continued to smile. “The elevator will take you to her. Have a great day!”
I stepped onto the elevator and rode to the fifth floor. Jessica Kingsley was young, not even thirty. She was shaped like a pear and had orange-red hair that had to be as natural as it was curly. She had a headband and wore spectacles. Her blouse was white, her pants black, and shoes flat. She didn’t offer a hand. “May I help you?”
“Yes ma’am. Miss Kingsley?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry about the pretense, ma’am. My name is Parker. I’m looking into a missing person, a woman I believe might have been romantically involved with Keith Moss.”
Pain mirrored in the woman’s eyes.
“I’m sorry to approach you this way, but my investigation is delicate.”
She nodded and led me out of the elevator lobby. We set up in a tiny office. There was a desk. Chairs stood on opposite sides. Kingsley took her side and I took mine.
“This is about—” She stopped to clear her throat. “Keith?”
“Yes ma’am. I’m looking for a woman he was romantically linked to.”
“I—” She looked at the door behind me. “Are you sure he was—involved with her?”
“There’s some pretty strong evidence.”
“Like what?”
“Interviews with friends, relatives.”
“You a cop?”
“Yes.” That was still technically true.
She took a deep breath and looked at the door. A pair of massive tears glistened over her eyes. She reached for a tissue and placed it over her mouth. “I suspected. She lived in The Lower City. Right?”
“You were—together?”
She nodded. “I made myself so sick after he was killed I thought I might be pregnant.”
I looked at the floor. “I’m sorry. We knew he worked here, but…”
“It’s ok, officer.”
“Detective.”
“Detective, he’s gone now,” she said. “How can I help you with this girl?”
How did I ask this question now? “A virus was used to defeat a security system when she was taken. Do you know if Keith was talented enough to write these viruse
s, or had any friends who could?”
She looked at me. “You know what this place is, right?”
I nodded.
“He could have done it himself, but I don’t think anyone here would have helped him.”
“He wasn’t popular.”
There was something self-deprecating about her laugh. “No. He was something of a bad boy. Kind of a jerk, really. I was the only one who liked him.”
The picture was coming into focus, but there was no need to stomp on this woman’s self-esteem. “So no one here would be willing to help him deliver a virus or take this girl.”
She dabbed her eyes. “Not here, detective.”
I thanked her, stood and left.
*******
I walked from the elevator and left the lobby the same way I’d entered. I paused outside the threshold, and took a moment to scan for the girl who’d seemed so interested in me in the lobby. There was no sign, and I didn’t want to be conspicuous. I had some time to kill. I was waiting on word from Allyssa and didn’t want to head home until she got back to me.
I decided to find a hotel: The Bartholomew. It wasn’t owned by Katsaros and I needed a place to bait my trap. I walked in, drew some cash out of my pocket, and approached the bell hop. “Someone may ask about me. I’m in room fifteen-twenty-two.”
The man looked at me, his face contorted with suspicion. “And what name will she have, sir.”
I thought about that. She didn’t feel like one of Katsaros’ goons. I had to take a chance. “Bitch had better not know my name. It’s easier that way. You feel me?”
He smiled and nodded. “I understand completely, sir.”
I stopped and looked back. “Oh,” I said. “Don’t let her know I know she’s coming. She’s really playing the hard-to-get angle. Don’t wanna spook her.”
The man chuckled. “As you say, sir.”
I took the elevator all the way to the fifteenth floor. I stepped off and moved down the hall. I walked the floor and found fifteen-twenty-two. I poised myself in the closest stairwell and waited.
Lunatic City Page 10