He pulled back to look at her. "Know what?"
"The graduation present that the Institute gives to all of its fellows is a sterilization." Lilia saw his shock and dismay. "The idea is that we might not manage to make impartial assessments of our own offspring. I guess I'm proof positive of that."
He frowned. "So the price of saving Delilah was sacrificing your chance to ever have another child. Did you know?"
Lilia nodded. "I couldn't just let them have her. I couldn't let it be."
He held her tightly again but she sensed a difference dawn in his mood. He seemed preoccupied.
"What's the matter?"
"You haven't heard anything since?"
"No. The commune moved three or four times in rapid succession and then disappeared." Lilia corrected herself. "Well, that's not true. Raphael said he'd give Delilah my greetings. He promised to protect her."
Montgomery was surprised. "He did?" At her nod, he smiled. "Good." Good?
Lilia held Montgomery's gaze and the words didn't fall easily from her lips. "Can angels be trusted, Montgomery?"
She wasn't just asking about Raphael.
Montgomery smiled slowly, warmth filling his gaze. He bent and brushed his lips across hers lightly, then slid a fingertip across her cheek.
"Absolutely, Lil," he said with a quiet force that filled her with new confidence. "You have my word on it."
Montgomery's palm pinged. He checked the message and his mood became grim. They might have been taking a break, but the killer showed no such inclination.
"What's going on?" Lilia asked.
"You're not going to like it."
"Show me." She straightened and looked determined.
"Another shade. Do you know this one?" Montgomery flashed an image of another eviscerated shade.
Lilia grimaced and looked away to compose herself. "You need to stop doing that to me," she complained. "Can I just see the shade's face?"
Montgomery tapped, editing the image, then displayed it again.
Lilia leaned against him as she examined it. "That's the shade who followed us, the one who bit me. She worked at the hotel, on the front desk. Now she's been killed too?"
Montgomery nodded.
"It's really bad luck to follow me, that's for sure." Lilia fingered her earlobe.
Montgomery figured there was no point in evading the truth. "She was left in your hotel room, shot in the head with your laze."
Lilia was outraged. "But I don't even have my laze! That security guy confiscated it at the hotel."
Montgomery tapped his palm. "He swore an affidavit to Dimitri that he returned the laze to you when you departed from the hotel last night."
"Liar!" Lilia was livid. "I never got it back. He's lying."
"There's a full alert out for your arrest, given that you're a violent person who is a threat to society at large."
Lilia paled. "Me? I didn't do it, Montgomery. I would never cut a living person like that. I couldn't."
"That's not what the system thinks."
She bit her lip and looked away.
"Lil," he said softly. "I know you didn't do it. I know you didn't have your laze last night, because you would never have used mine otherwise. And there's nowhere you could have hidden it without me finding it."
She looked at him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "It would have been nice if you'd just trusted me."
Montgomery smiled. He did and she already knew it. "Maybe this would be a good time to tell me how you cheated in Dissection and Vivisection."
All the fight went out of Lilia's shoulders. "You've guessed."
He spared her a knowing glance. "You can't even look at the image of a corpse. How could you possibly be responsible for these savage killings? There's no way you could have even shown up for those classes."
Lilia smiled that he had seen through her so well. "I couldn't tell you before. It was just my word against the databanks."
"Fitzgerald." There was no doubt in his tone.
Lilia nodded.
"He helped you pass the core courses because he was crazy for you. He knew that you wanted to find your child, and you needed to graduate to have access to the files."
Lilia nodded again. "But I don't understand. How did they find a corpse in my unit?"
Montgomery grimaced. "Someone complained anonymously about the smell." He stood and got dressed. "So, there's only one thing to do, the way I see it."
She glanced up, a question in her eyes.
"You're under arrest, Lil."
Lilia leapt to her feet and backed away, her expression outraged. "I don't think so!"
Montgomery was untroubled. "It's for your own safety."
"That's what they all say."
"We need evidence. It's in the old city. We're not going into the old city without pseudoskins. Mine is in the precinct and yours, I'll assume, is in your hotel unit. So, the plan is that I arrest you, we go to the precinct, and then return to your hotel room to confirm your story."
"I'll go alone ..."
"No." He shook his head. "There's a guard posted at the hotel, looking just for you, and every cop in the city has received this all-points bulletin. You're considered armed and dangerous, by the way, and the bulletin is marked shoot to kill." He looked at her, wide-eyed, naked, and vulnerable. "You'll never get into the old city without me, Lil. So, are we a team or not?"
She smiled that mischievous grin. "You're irresistible sometimes, Montgomery."
He sighed with forbearance. "Only sometimes? I'll have to work on that."
Lilia leapt at him and gave him a triumphant kiss. "I can help."
XX
The only good thing was that Lilia had been busted in black lycrester. She looked like a million creds at the precinct, even securobanded to Montgomery's desk.
She lounged, as if she had all day, and wished Montgomery would get it in gear.
She could hear the other cops chatting in their cubes and eavesdropped shamelessly. Unfortunately, the cops were talking politics, always a yawn-fest for Lilia.
"I'm telling you," one said to the other. "You shouldn't waste your vote on Matheson. That Maximilian Black-stone is the man we want in New D.C."
Lilia's ears pricked up.
"No. No. I don't like his style."
"I don't like that we'll end up in another global conflict if President Matheson is reelected."
"He just negotiated a new treaty with China!"
"The last official trip before the election? The timing is too good and the deal was made too fast. He wanted to get out of there and they wanted to be rid of him so they agreed to agree for the moment. Nothing will come of it."
"You're too skeptical."
"You believe too much of what you're told, Thompson. There'll be another war. You'll see. Matheson shouldn't have even gone to China, but no, he had to chase all that positive vid." The first cop snorted. "Never mind what it cost us to fly him and his entourage and all the vid boys from the press halfway around the world. Wasteful, that's what Matheson's administration has been. They deserve to be thrown out on their ..."
Fly. Lilia thought of Hiroshima and an airplane delivering a payload.
They wouldn't.
Would they?
The other cop laughed. "And you think Blackstone will be better? You're the optimist."
"At least Blackstone hasn't learned how to milk the system yet. We've got a chance to get a few good years out of him."
Although Lilia tended to agree with the first cop's skepticism of politicians, he was totally wrong about Max and his ability to work the system. Max could coax blood from a stone, if it meant more comfort and wealth for Max himself. Lilia was tempted to contribute that tidbit to the conversation.
Truth be told, it was part of what she'd liked about Max. He was so self-motivated that he was completely predictable.
"Hey, you gonna watch the president's return tonight?"
Thompson snorted. "I thought you disapproved of waste, D
imitri."
"It's my kid, he's fascinated with planes." The cop chuckled. "He's got the course of Republic One all traced out and we'll watch it all on the vid."
"How can he trace the course? The trajectory is classified."
"Ah, he guesses. Who knows if he's right, but every time the president goes anywhere, he's figuring out the range and the likely refueling stops. Can't be bad for him to be doing extra math. He's gonna go places, that kid. You'll see."
"Only if he's right." Thompson laughed.
Dimitri didn't laugh. "You watch. He says they'll refuel in Estevan tonight."
"Twenty creds on it, Dimitri."
"You're on."
Estevan.
Lilia's heart pounded.
Was it just a coincidence?
The most efficient way of delivering a nuke, after all, was from an aircraft. The Republic had been hampered in recent wars by the expense of fossil fuels and the shortage of aircraft big enough to carry a heavy payload like a big bomb.
But the president's plane was the biggest one in the air.
Lilia reminded herself that Republic One wouldn't be a bomber, fitted to deliver a payload like a nuke. There were a lot of reasons why it was a crazy idea.
But it made a compelling kind of sense.
Montgomery, however, would demand proof.
They needed to know just how heavy this year's shipment of oranges were. Breisach and Turner's paper file had ended in 2070. She was sure that any electronic record had been destroyed or disguised.
Unless it had been pirated.
Maybe by Y654892.
They had to get his palm immediately, if not sooner. Lilia stood and pulled at the securoband just as Montgomery came back into his cube. He looked harassed as he freed her from the desk. She left the precinct in his custody, knowing from his expression that she shouldn't say anything.
Montgomery spoke when they were in the midst of a crowd. "I've persuaded Tupperman to deport you to the Frontier, but his decision can be overridden." He spared her a dark look. "Given your recent run of luck with the system, that could happen at any time. I can get you into your unit; get changed ASAP. We have to hurry."
"We do," she agreed firmly.
"What's up?"
"I think I know the plan," she whispered. "If I'm right, the president's life is in danger."
Montgomery started. Lilia told him about her suspicions and he was as skeptical as she'd expected.
"We haven't got a shred of proof."
"Y654892's palm. That has to be what he wanted to share. It explains everything."
"Not necessarily. Someone else has to know the inside story, Lil," Montgomery muttered. "Someone has to be willing to talk."
"Dr. Liam Malachy," she said, knowing a brilliant idea when she had one. Montgomery glanced her way. "Not only was he Gid's research advisor, he might have pointed Gid in the direction of these findings. Plus he lost the love of his life in the attack on Gotham."
"If the Society executed that hit and he found out about it, that could put him against the Society," Montgomery mused.
"I thought he had had some regrets. I thought he wanted to say something else." She gave Montgomery a smile. "Maybe, after thirty years of silence, he's ready to confide in somebody."
"It's worth a try," Montgomery agreed. "But be careful."
"Prudent," she said with easy confidence. "That's me."
It said something about the man's perceptiveness that he didn't appear to be convinced of that.
Rotten luck: Dimitri was guarding the crime scene.
Montgomery remained with him outside Lilia's hotel unit. There was no concern with her disturbing evidence as there'd be no homicide investigation.
"So, that's our shade killer," Dimitri sneered. "Maybe we shouldn't be stopping her."
"She's being deported to the Frontier," Montgomery said in his impassive tone.
Dimitri snorted. "Is that the way you handle crime in Topeka? You let someone else solve it for you?"
"It was Tupperman's decision." Montgomery wasn't surprised when she reappeared, either by her choice of clothing or by her expression. She carried a bag and he assumed her helm was in it.
She had to be wearing her pseudoskin under her street clothes, which perfectly adhered to the S&D regulations. He caught a glimpse of her heavier boots and smothered a smile, knowing that little with this woman followed expectation.
He left Dimitri standing sentry at the door and escorted Lilia to the front desk.
Once checked out, Lilia proceeded from the front desk to the security counter. The way she smiled with all of her charm told him that the security guy was in for a surprise.
Montgomery eased close enough to overhear but not intervene.
"Excuse me?" Lilia asked sweetly. "I was wondering if you could give me your name, please."
"Marvin," the security guy replied. He had the wits to be wary, at least.
"Just Marvin?" Lilia's smile broadened. "You must have a surname, otherwise you wouldn't adhere to the Naming Convention."
"Marvin Gregorivich."
Lilia typed something into her palm and Marvin looked uneasy. Montgomery was sure that Lilia was enjoying herself a great deal.
"Thanks!" She started to turn away, sparing Montgomery a quick conspiratorial wink.
"Hey, wait a minute," Marvin called. "Why do you ask?"
Lilia hesitated and Montgomery knew she had planned this in advance. "Oh, it's a long story. You wouldn't be interested."
"Of course I am," Marvin said with annoyance. "I want to know why you typed my name into your palm."
"It's a free country." Lilia grimaced. "Well, depending upon how you define your terms. But I can type what I like into my palm."
"I don't think so." Marvin was right beside her, looking antagonistic. "Why did you want my name?"
"Well, I could tell you, if you insist."
"I do."
Lilia took a deep breath. "You see, technically I'm agnostic, but since making that religious choice, I've seen a lot of things and met a lot of people, and it just seems to me that there's something missing from the agnostic equation."
"Like what? God?" Marvin snickered, proud of his joke.
Lilia watched him. "No. Accountability." Marvin's grin disappeared and he looked wary again. "There are a lot of people who do immoral things yet profit from them, people who lie and deceive and get away with it. So I decided that I'd start keeping a list, not just in my palm but in my head too." Lilia leaned closer to the security representative.
"You and I both know that you lied, Marvin. It looks like you're getting away with it, but I've got your name on my list, so fair's fair."
Lilia pivoted to walk toward Montgomery, Marvin fast on her heels. He spared an anxious glance at Montgomery, then touched Lilia's sleeve. "What are you going to do with that list?"
"Nothing," she said lightly. "For now. But one day I'm going to die, Marvin. And when I get to wherever I end up, I'll turn over my list. 'Here' I'll say 'Here's a few souls who should burn in hell for all eternity, just in case you missed them.'"
Marvin gaped at her.
"You know how bureaucracies are," Lilia continued. "I'm sure a few souls and their dirty deeds just slip through the cracks in some kind of clerical error. It never hurts to have an independent audit report." She smiled, obviously enjoying his uncertainty of what to do. "I figure I'm just doing my part for the betterment of the species. It's in the job description, after all."
Marvin started to sputter. "Officer! Did you hear that? She threatened me."
"With the possibility of eternal damnation?" Montgomery arched a brow. "If that were a Republican offense, sir, we'd have to close all the churches."
Lilia gave Marvin a cheerful wave. "Bye now! Have a great day, Marvin!"
"He won't recant his sworn affidavit," Montgomery whispered to her. "It might affect his reputation."
"I know that. But maybe he won't be so quick to lie in the future."
> "That's good enough for you?"
"It's all about the greater good, Montgomery. You should know that." She cast him a sparkling glance, one that made his heart skip. "By the way, I'm not joking about my 'Reserved Seating for Hell' list. Behave yourself."
"Message received, Lil."
"There's Dr. Malachy," she said, staring at an older gentleman with a cane who was entering the main ballroom. "I need a last word with him, urn, to deliver Gid's last message."
"There was no last message."
She leaned closer. "You know that and I know that, but your partner has no idea."
Montgomery nodded. "The beverage bar in thirty."
"I'll be there."
It had to be synchronicity to see Dr. Malachy right when she needed to find him. Lilia caught up to him quickly.
"Dr. Malachy!" She put her hand through his arm as they walked together into the big ballroom. Another buffet was being spread for the conference attendees. "Just who I've been looking for."
The professor looked briefly alarmed, then summoned a smile. "And why is that, Lilia? I have no ability to appeal your ejection from the Society."
"Oh, never mind that. I wanted to talk to you about something important."
He arched a scraggly gray brow. "More important than your Society membership?"
"Yes." Lilia looked him in the eye. "I want to talk about Gid."
"There are counseling services, my child . .."
"I want to talk about his last research project. The one you sent him on."
"That was between Gideon and myself."
"It was once. I know what he found."
Dr. Malachy frowned and glanced around the pair of them. Thanks to Lilia's status, there was an even larger gap around them than the previous day. He lowered his voice when he spoke. "Just what do you know about Gideon's research?"
"Everything," Lilia asserted. "Gid left me his data."
Dr. Malachy's nostrils flared and Lilia knew that he knew not only what Gid had been doing but its import. She'd found an ally. "And who else has seen it?" he demanded in a whisper.
"No one." Lilia shrugged and smiled, ever the competent liar. "I couldn't make sense of it. It must be his final results."
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