Chrono Inquisitor (Gods Be Damned)

by Rien Reigns

  “Oh, we were upset. But like I said, that’s business. Besides, don’t they say, ‘time heals all wounds?’”

  “Let me guess,” I said. “The same thing that happened back then, happened with Harlan?”

  Ms. Sawyer sighed and nodded. “I can see now why you’re an Inquisitor and working with the Rangers.”

  “Thanks. So let me see if I grasp the situation. Your boss is of course pissed about the whole situation, but not enough to have actually killed Beit over it, because hey, it’s just business.”

  “That about sums it up. Julius had promised our company the contract behind closed doors, but during the actual presentations and bids, Nora cast her vote for our competitor, Omega Solutions. Most of the board went with her recommendation, so, we lost the contract. My boss was angry with Beit because of the promise, but it was Nora who had actually sided against him.”

  “So what you’re saying is; if he really wanted to kill someone, he would have killed Mrs. Beit.”

  Ms. Sawyer glared at me.

  And I’d been doing fairly well.

  “Shepard wouldn’t kill anyone,” she said. “He comes off as a hard ass, but he’s actually a big softy at heart. Immediately after he learned about Julius’s death, he put the entire company on bereavement leave until further notice in order to mourn the loss of a dear friend to the company, as well as a great man. I’m pretty sure that right now he’s either at one of the resort bars, or he’s hammering the drinks back in his suite. If he hasn’t already passed out, that is. He was really broken up about what happened.”

  “I see. And how did Mr. Cook find out about the death?”

  “I told him.”

  So much for damage control. It was like the entire hotel knew already. I took the last remaining sip of my water.

  Ms. Sawyer turned and approached the island counter with a frying pan and spatula in hand. There were two plates already set out and she scooped half the contents of the pan onto each one.

  I got up from my stool and went to investigate the meal. “Is that what I think it is?” I asked in amazement.

  “I don’t know, what do you think it is?” she said with a slight smile. I guess I hadn’t screwed up entirely.

  “Looks like an omelet. Smells like an herbed omelet. Sage maybe? Are those mushrooms? And cheese?” I asked with increased enthusiasm. Eggs were rare. Okay, not really rare, per say. You could get them easily enough if you wanted to, but they were expensive and not usually worth the cost, plus they had a shelf life. You could get a weeks worth of food for half the cost of a dozen eggs. Of course the consumption of another living being, or the potential for life was generally looked down upon by society as a whole, except I was finding just how much Texas didn’t fall in line with the rest of the Republics. I was starting to give serious thought to setting up a permanent place of residence in Texas.

  Her smile turned radiant as she turned to retrieve something else at the stove. Returning a second later she had another pan. She added its contents to the plates as well.

  I stretched closer, leaning over the steaming contents. I inhaled the vapors and aromas wafting up. I analyzed the new plate decorations with a keen eye. “Potatoes, onions, and are those real peppers? What’s this other thing?”

  “Kielbasa,” she said, forking one of the pieces and bringing it to her lips.

  My mouth was salivating.

  She ate the piece and then said, “Too bad I didn’t know you were coming earlier. I might have been persuaded to make you a plate of your own.”

  “Will your establishment be open for business come morning?” I asked with as much charm as I could muster.

  “Will you still be around then?” she asked coyly.

  “That right there is a damn good incentive to be.”

  I took the opportunity and moved in. I grabbed Ms. Sawyer by the waist and pulled her so that she was pressed up against me. She giggled. I ran a hand from her waist to the small of her back, and then up her spine to the back of the neck. She shivered in my arms and then pressed her body even more to mine.

  I kissed her. She kissed back. I tested my luck even further and parted her lips with my tongue. It worked, and what I found was that enough molecules remained for me to taste the kielbasa she had just consumed. I was having my kielbasa and Olena. Tasting them together in sweet umami bliss.

  When I finally reached the moment of what I considered to be the threshold of appropriateness, I started to pull away. She however, hadn’t been satiated and kept me engaged.

  Sometime later we were interrupted by a clearing of throats.

  Olena and I disengaged and found Ranger-son and Nora Beit standing in the entryway of the kitchen.

  “Breakfast is ready,” Olena said with a smile and red cheeks while she straightened her apron.

  “And it looks like one of us has already had their dessert,” Nora said in a surprisingly amused manner.

  Olena blushed even more than she already had.

  I felt my cheeks grow a little hotter as well.

  Ranger-son wasn’t as amused as Mrs. Beit had been though. “We have work to do,” he said with an angry ‘rip your head off’ glare, and then walked to the exit.

  I took Olena’s hand in mine, kissed it, and bowed. “See you in the morning?” I asked.

  “Morning?” Nora questioned, apparently no longer amused.

  “Mr.,” she paused. “I’m sorry, I don’t actually know your name,” Olena said.

  I started to say it, but Nora beat me to it. “Inquisitor Travis Yan.”

  Olena’s eyes widened a bit. Nora had emphasized my name intentionally and Olena recognized it.

  How could I have been so stupid? It was obvious that they would both know Sam, which meant they probably knew about me in some fashion, probably nothing good, considering Sam and I had been married for most of our lives and the marriage had ended badly.

  I smiled. “Never mind,” I said. “It was inconsiderate for me to assume.”

  I watched her stumble for a reply. Saw the dilemma get tossed around on her face. She liked me. That was clear. But now she knew who I was.

  Was she friends with Sam? They were rivals, but sometimes that forms a friendship. I had to admit, now that I’d had a taste of her, I wanted seconds, thirds, and even more. I wanted to sample her wares in as many ways as that could be interpreted. A part of me felt guilty and ashamed that she could be Sam’s friend, but then an equal part of me felt even more turned on by it.

  “Be here at seven sharp,” she finally said. “And you better show. I don’t make breakfast for just anybody.”

  I caught Mrs. Beit out of the corner of my eye. She was not happy.

  “Seven it is,” I said, and quickly got the hell out of there.

  I rushed out of the apartment and caught up with Ranger-son just as he reached the elevator.

  What the hell had I gotten myself into?

  19: Big Black Bear

  “So, what’d we learn?” I asked.

  “We didn’t learn anything. You’re lucky she even talked to us after you made an ass of yourself.”

  So that’s how it was going to be. He’d blame the failure of the investigation on me. I just couldn’t understand why he wanted the Horsemen to take over. He definitely knew something. That was obvious. Confronting him wouldn’t get me closer to the truth. I decided to play along. For the moment.

  “You want to talk about being an ass. I’m not the one who said ‘good evening’ to a woman whose husband had just been murdered.”

  He looked like he was going to punch me. “It was an honest mistake. I was trying to be polite. Something I doubt you’re even capable of doing?”

  “Hey, I resent that. I knew better than to say good evening. Besides, I tried to make up for your shit mistake.”

  “Yes, and that turned out so well. What in the world made you think it was a good idea to make out with her friend, especially after she told you to leave?”

  “Hey, don’t blame me.
I can’t help it if women find me irresistible. Ms. Sawyer came on to me just as much as I came on to her. Besides, Mrs. Beit was amused.” Or at least she had been.

  Ranger-son wasn’t though. He shook his head and pushed the button for the elevator.

  “So, we didn’t get anything?” I asked.

  “Mrs. Beit gave us a few leads. The first one is a man named Shepard Cook.”

  “Because Beit failed to follow through with his promise of using Cook’s company?”

  “How do you know that?” he asked.

  “I have my sources. I don’t think it was him though.”

  “Do you know the man?”

  “Not personally, but while you were talking with Mrs. Beit, I was talking with Ms. Sawyer, who just so happens to work for Mr. Cook.”

  “And what from your conversation causes you to believe that Mr. Cook is innocent?”

  “That this wasn’t the first time Cook got shafted by Beit.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I don’t think that this recent event was enough of a motivation for Cook to kill Beit. It’s a little petty and too obvious. So what, he lost the contract, his company is still successful. I’m sure there’s plenty of other contracts.”

  “Murder is rarely logical, even when it’s planned. The fact that this wasn’t the first time Mr. Beit disappointed Mr. Cook actually increases the motive for revenge. Besides, at the moment we have no evidence, and with no way to prove that Mr. Cook was responsible, he could get away with it.”

  “True, but I’m still not feeling Cook is responsible.”

  “By your own admission, you don’t know the man, and therefore I assume your intuition stems from a conversation you had with someone whom you were just making out with, and who would appear to have a vested interest in her boss being innocent.”

  “Well when you put it like that.”

  “How about on this next interview, you just be a fly on the wall and leave the real work to me. No more getting so personable with the people involved with the case.”

  “But what if Cook forces himself on me? It would be impolite of me to deny him.”

  Without warning, he twisted and elbowed me in the gut, sending my diaphragm into shock. He then threw me up against the wall and pinned me to it.

  “Consider this your only warning,” he said. “I don’t find you funny. I don’t like you. I never have.”

  Never? We’d only known each other for not even two hours.

  “If I had my way I’d throw you in a pit with your deputy,” he said. “And if you fuck up my investigation, I’ll do just that. Do I make myself crystal fucking clear you piece of shit?”

  While he was throwing me against the wall, I’d slipped my hand into my pocket and palmed my FireAnt wand I always kept on me. It was too bad the only exposed skin on him was his face and hands, but that was his problem, not mine.

  I let my anger get the better of me.

  Time to teach Ranger-son some manners.

  ‹That would not be a wise course of action. I suggest you refrain and cede to his demands,› Kali said, always the voice of annoyance.

  ‹“No fucking way. I’m sick of him thinking he’s superior to me. It’s time I show him that he can’t push me around.”›

  ‹Now would not be a good time to engage him to prove your equal position.›

  ‹“I never said I was equal to this shit head.”›

  ‹That is beside the point. You are supposed to be working together to solve this case. Based on my analysis of his personality, doing what you intend to do, you would not succeed. Rather, it would only make matters worse and would increase the unlikelihood of you finding Mr. Beit’s murderer.›

  ‹“Fuck the case. He’s already sabotaging it. I’ve been pushed around too much lately, and I’m fucking sick of it.”›

  ‹I understand your predicament, and so I suggest a compromise.›

  ‹“Yeah, what’s that?”›

  ‹Let Ranger Stevenson have this moment. Later, when the time is right, I will inform you when to prove your point, and I will assist you in executing it to its maximum potential.›

  She knew me too well sometimes. Knew exactly what to say to make me see things her way. ‹“Fine. And you better fucking follow through.”›

  ‹But of course.›

  “Did you hear me?” Ranger-son asked, pressing me harder against the wall.

  “Clear as glass,” I answered with a forced grin.

  “Good,” he said, and with one last shove, released me.

  Shepard Cook wasn’t actually a shareholder of the resort, so we made our way back to the tenth story of the Quest hotel. We walked in silence, both of us brooding. It turned out that Cook’s suite was directly below mine.

  Maybe dickwad would let me swing by my suite when we were done with Cook.

  When we got to the door, Ranger-son pressed the call button.

  A reasonable amount of time later, after confirming with security that Mr. Cook was indeed in his suite, an incredibly muscled, big, black, bear of a man answered the door.

  “What’s on the horizon, fellas?” the man said with a smile as wide as the sky. It was easy to tell that he’d been crying and was now putting on a happy face to cover it up. It was hard not to catch the alcohol on his breath. His mytes had to have been working overtime just to keep him standing.

  “Mr. Cook?” Ranger-son asked.

  “My friends call me Shep, and I’m friends with everyone.” Mr. Cook said, extending his hand.

  Ranger-son took it without hesitation.

  Fucking asshole.

  “I’m Major Kody Stevenson of the Texas Rangers, but please, call me Kody,” he said with a tip of his hat.

  “Mighty fine to meet ya, Kody.”

  Shep, not wearing a hat, simply nodded his head, and then extended his hand towards me.

  I took it and felt like I was shaking hands with a polar bear, the man’s hand was so big in comparison to mine. Surprisingly though, the shake was…dainty?

  “Name’s Travis,” I said, since it seemed we were all operating on a first name basis.

  “Pleasure to meet ya,” Shep said.

  I smiled and nodded.

  “Now we know each other’s names, and now we’re all friends,” Shep said.

  If only saying it made it true.

  “May we come in?” Ranger-son asked.

  “Of course, of course. All friends are welcome in my abode. Please, won’t ya join me for a drink.”

  Olena was right, Mr. Cook had been drinking and it seemed he didn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

  Shep stepped aside and waved the two of us in.

  “Unfortunately, we’re on duty, all we can accept is water,” Ranger-son said. “The sun is setting. So to speak.”

  “Nonsense,” Shep replied. “Texans are born with a nice cold beer in our blood, and now that we’re all friends, you can’t rightly refuse my hospitality. Unless of course we aren’t actually friends.”

  “A couple of Lone Stars would be welcomed with open palms,” Ranger-son conceded.

  Shep slapped him on the back, forcing him to shift his foot forward for stability.

  “Now that’s what I thought.”

  Minutes later the three of us were seated in Shep’s lounge, each with a beer at least half gone. Though it didn’t matter, because I was on duty, the mytes were eliminating the alcohol the moment it touched my tongue.

  As far as I could tell, Cook’s suite had the exact same floor plan as mine, but they were decorated differently. While my suite had a warm welcoming feel due to its open windows, light amber colored woods with their gold trim, and the straw colored walls; Cook’s suite didn’t have as many windows, and the wood was darker, but not as dark as that of the lobby. Instead of gold, it was accentuated in silver. The walls were also more of a whiskey color. But then that might have been because I had whiskey on the mind. I’d never been much of a beer drinker, preferring the harder stuff.

  “All
right fellas, what can I do ya for?”

  “What’s your affiliation with the Beits and their company Social Arches?” Ranger-son asked.

  “You fellas the Rangers looking into his death?”

  He nodded.

  Again I was surprised that he allowed others to think I was a Ranger as well.

  “Thought so. I’ve known Julius for, oh, I’d say the last fifty-five years. We went to college together. Lost track for a while though. Then met again something to the tune of forty years ago.”

  “And how would you classify your relationship now?”

  “That would be a little hard to categorize, now wouldn’t it, with Julius being deceased and all.”

  I saw a bit of irritation on Ranger-son’s face.

  Serves you right you pompous ass.

  I took a swig of my beer to try and hide my satisfied smile.

  “Pardon my ill choice of words. How was your relationship before Mr. Beit’s passing?”

  “Look, we’re all friends now, so what do ya say we stop beating around the bush. You’re here because I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent hostility I’ve had towards Julius, am I correct?”

  Ranger-son nodded. “We are. Would you mind expounding on the circumstances relating to these recent hostilities?”

  “I wish I could be of more help fellas, but there really isn’t much to say. Julius and Nora’s company won the bid overseeing the construction of the new capital. A couple months ago Julius said that he wanted my company to oversee the safety and security specs of the deal. Of course, things don’t always work out like you want’em to. There’s committees, and boards, and lawyers. Lots of legal bullshit and red tape. Long story short, things didn’t work out. Shit happens. Sometimes life throws you a curveball. Can’t always hit a homerun. Was I pissed? Hell yeah. That contract would have been a huge boon to my business. Money aside, the prestige alone was worth taking the job for free. Not that I would’ve.”

  “We understand that this sort of thing has happened before,” Ranger-son said.

  “Like I said, shit happens.”

  “Have you ever threatened Mr. Beit?”

  Shep paused. “I’m sure I have on a number of occasions, but never seriously. Julius and I, we were good friends. He was like a brother to me. Do you have any siblings Kody?”