Dominance

by Niall Teasdale

  ‘Yes. Fox, there is another interesting thing about this location.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘This may, of course, be pure coincidence, but Sherman Wayden has a house at the southern tip of this lake. It’s about eight kilometres away, due south.’

  ‘Oh really?’ Fox stared out across the icy water. The land around it was almost as flat as the water, but there were trees down on the southern shore to give a bit of shape. The light was going, adding to the gloomy view. ‘Too late to go look now, but what do we think of coincidences, Kit?’

  ‘We don’t like them, Fox. I admit that I really do not like this one.’

  ~~~

  Now that she had time to be bothered to look at it, the hotel suite was quite nice. Someone, it seemed, had been through and modernised the entire building, and the suite was fitted out with all the modern conveniences. Well, for a given value of modern. Modern as of five years earlier, which was probably good enough for most people, and Fox was a walking, cutting-edge piece of technology anyway.

  The bathroom was fitted with a whirlpool bath with sonic heads, and a large shower with dryers built in. It also had a wall screen for those without implants, and was v-tagged to provide whatever form of entertainment the guest wanted.

  The entertainment facilities were replicated in both the lounge and the bedroom. The lounge was equipped with enough seating for a squad of soldiers, a fireplace which was faked but could still put out respectable heat as well as giving a warming glow, and a drinks cabinet which charged automatically to the room when you used it. The bed was big enough to host a foursome, and you could lie in it while watching a drop-down screen if you wished. The pay-per-view porn selection was extensive.

  ‘I don’t think business hotels have changed much since last century,’ Fox commented as she stepped out of the shower and put on the silk wrap she had brought with her. The supplied, very-fluffy bathrobes were tempting, but not tempting enough.

  ‘I don’t believe hotel suites at the turn of the century had cable ports for computers,’ Kit replied.

  ‘No… Were they still mostly on modems and stuff back then? I think they might’ve been. They were right on the edge of ubiquitous wireless networks, but direct optical connections were decades away. I think. Network history isn’t one of my strongpoints.’

  ‘I could look it up, but somehow I don’t think you really want to know.’

  Fox flashed her PA’s foxy avatar a grin. ‘Not really.’

  ‘When are you going to call Naomi? I shouldn’t imagine there will be much in the way of productive work you can get done tonight.’

  ‘Oh, uh, she said at night.’ The lounge had an entire wall of west-facing windows looking out across the city and Fox had not bothered to close the drapes. It was dark outside, aside from the glow of streetlights and the light from the half of the Moon which was in sunlight. ‘It’s night, but I kind of think she meant later. Like, at bedtime.’

  ‘Mm, yes. I expect she did. Remember it’s an hour later there.’

  ‘That still means it’s like, quarter past seven there. Have we got anywhere with the financial information for the audit guy, Meier?’

  ‘I’ll check. Why don’t you sit down and relax for a while?’

  ‘Because I’m terrible at relaxing in hotel rooms! I like my rooms. I’m going to go over the reports on Killian again and tomorrow I will find out what there is to do for fun around here. There has to be something I can occupy myself with without coming over as a workaholic.’

  ~~~

  Fox called through to Naomi at twenty-three twenty. She had been going to call earlier, but then she remembered that they had midnight prayers, assuming that Naomi was in the chapter house. She figured that, if she was calling too late, she would call in the morning and make her apologies, but the connection went straight through and Naomi’s avatar, in uniform, appeared in front of Fox who was sitting on one of the lounge sofas with the flickering firelight providing the only illumination in the room.

  Naomi smiled and glanced around. ‘This is nice. You’re not screening your avatar?’

  ‘There didn’t seem much point. You are?’

  ‘I’m in bed. I was just about to do a little reading before going to sleep, but I did hope you’d call before I turned in.’

  ‘Uh, well, I figured I’d call after midnight prayers. Is this too late?’

  Naomi shook her head. ‘That you called is important, not when. Now is, actually, a rather fine time. I can relax in your company for a while. How is Fargo?’

  ‘Ha! Cold. I don’t think you’d like it. Not in uniform anyway. I don’t really notice it, but the locals are all wrapped up warm when they go outside.’

  ‘Is there snow?’

  ‘Some. The roads and sidewalks are mostly clear, but there’s snow elsewhere. It’s been clear today, but it’s below freezing so I guess it doesn’t melt.’

  Naomi smiled. ‘I wish I could see the view, but the cameras don’t cover the windows.’ The image Naomi was seeing was put together from Fox’s sensory data and the room’s cameras, but the latter were trained on the room, not the view out the window.

  Fox got to her feet and started toward the window. ‘There’s not that much to see, but I can… There.’

  ‘Oh!’ Naomi’s exclamation seemed to come from right behind Fox’s left ear. ‘I’m looking directly out of your eyes?’

  ‘Uh-huh. I’m software on a cyberframe, remember? I can redirect sensory data more easily than you could. I’ve been learning to run whatever system I’m in better for the last few months. I figured, if I’m going to be a ghost in a frame, I should get good at it.’ Fox stepped up to the glass. She still had not drawn the curtains and the view of Fargo’s eastern side continued to be an array of lights from twenty storeys up. Just to the right was another block, this one belonging to some banking organisation, but that was dark now, a black mass in the darkness.

  ‘You’re right,’ Naomi said, ‘it’s not really that exciting. How high are you?’

  ‘Floor number twenty. Right at the top. I could show you this in some alternate spectrums. That might make it more exciting. Though I kind of doubt it.’

  Naomi giggled and Fox felt a little flutter in her stomach, and wished briefly that she had Kit’s ability to analyse her own thought processes so that she could find out what that actually was. ‘I know how to make it more exciting,’ Naomi said.

  ‘How?’

  ‘Untie your robe.’

  ‘I’m standing in front of a window, Naomi.’

  ‘Yes. Do you trust me, Fox?’

  There was the tiniest pause and then Fox said ‘Yes’ and untied the belt of her wrap.

  ‘Good. Now slide it off your shoulders. Let it drop to the floor.’

  Fox’s heart was not hammering in her chest and her throat was not dry, but her nipples were stiffening as the silk slipped past them and she knew that she was beginning to get wet. No one could see her. She was a dark shape in a window twenty floors up in the air. Anyone looking from below would be blinded by the streetlights and there was no one in the bank building. Still, she felt the sense of naughtiness as she obeyed Naomi, stripped for her, where someone might see her.

  ‘You’re beautiful, Fox,’ Naomi said, her voice a whisper in Fox’s ear. ‘Call me again tomorrow night. Goodnight, my pet.’

  ‘Goodnight,’ Fox said, or thought she did, and then the connection was gone. ‘Kit, did I pack a vibrator?’

  ‘I don’t think so, Fox. No.’

  ‘Damn. That’s something else to look for tomorrow then.’

  19th January.

  ‘Are you happy with your purchase?’ Kit asked as Fox exited an adult store she had managed to locate not too far from the hotel. ‘To be honest, you seemed to do perfectly well last night without–’

  ‘I am happy, thank you,’ Fox said, fingering the little lipstick vibrator in her pocket. ‘It should do nicely. Anything specific on the calendar?’

  There was a smirk i
n Kit’s voice when she answered. ‘You have a lunch meeting with Lizette Delvalle at midday.’

  ‘Lunch meeting?’

  ‘At the Delvalle Country Club. I would suggest an alternate outfit. I looked the club up and it is quite a prestigious establishment.’ Several images appeared, sliding through Fox’s sensorium, showing a relatively modern but upscale building, large and single storey, and set in grassland with a large fountain in front of it in the middle of a wide driveway. The interior shots showed ornately decorated rooms, men in suits or smart casuals, and women in evening gowns or a variety of smart daywear.

  ‘Great. Looks like I’m going to need a dress. Find me a local fabricator that does fast orders and you’d better order a cab to take us to this country club. Country club? Seriously? In Fargo in the middle of winter?’

  ‘Miss Delvalle is a socialite,’ Kit replied. ‘And her family does own the club.’

  ~~~

  The Delvalle Country Club was just as grand in person as it was in the images Kit had found, but the people outside it were dressed a little differently. There was an eighteen-hole golf course behind the grandiose building with its thermal-glass frontage and statuary, and people were setting out to play followed by caddie-bots. It was several degrees below freezing, and people were off to smack a little white ball with a stick. Fox figured they had to be wearing heated undersuits beneath their bright golfing outfits.

  Then again, Fox was in a little black dress and she got one or two surprised looks as she stepped out of her autocab and walked calmly across the tarmac to the front entrance of the clubhouse. She had gone to the trouble of adding a little light make-up, and her pistol was hidden away in a clutch purse. She looked like a lady about to lunch, aside from the fact that the sub-zero temperatures were not bothering her in the least.

  Inside, the country club continued to impress, if you were into that kind of thing. The architecture and decoration had to be twenty or thirty years old, but it borrowed a lot from European palace fashions and so was both always in and always out of date. Fox walked up to the reception desk, which was staffed by humans, and was about to speak when the woman in front of her smiled and got in first.

  ‘Captain Meridian, welcome to the Delvalle Country Club. Miss Delvalle is expecting you in the Solar Lounge.’ The receptionist pointed to her right, Fox’s left, and Fox looked around to see a sign over a doorway which proclaimed that the Solar Lounge was that way.

  ‘Thank you,’ Fox said. ‘Very efficient.’

  ‘The Delvalle Country Club strives to meet all our guests’ requirements.’

  ‘And they have an excellent dental plan it would seem,’ Kit said as Fox headed for the lounge. ‘Her teeth could blind someone at twenty metres.’

  The Solar Lounge was a restaurant, or maybe a tea room, set on the south-eastern side of the clubhouse so that it would, theoretically, catch the sun. The entire outer wall and ceiling were insulated glass, but it was not that bright a day so the light was being enhanced with lamps set along the structural elements holding the glass up. The place was full of round tables with dainty tablecloths. The chairs, all with ornate decoration from some design style out of the English countryside, looked comfortable at least.

  ‘Which one’s Delvalle?’ Fox asked.

  An ID image appeared for Fox to check out and, a second later, a figure sitting at one of the window seats was highlighted. Lizette Delvalle was a pretty woman. Not especially tall, she did have long legs which were neatly crossed and shown off by the short, rose-coloured tank minidress she was wearing. The dress also showed off her bust well; though she did not have a substantial chest, the dress was working it well. There was plenty of skin on display, but Delvalle had hose on and there was a jacket over the back of her seat. As Fox closed the distance, her software detected no signs of modification: this was a natural beauty. Long, blonde hair fell to the small of her back and her eyes were a clear blue. Her features were small and quite delicate. There was an upturned nose, high cheekbones, and a dainty chin below a small mouth with full lips. And when she spotted Fox approaching, the rather bored expression on her face changed to something like glee and she bounced up onto her four-inch heels, beaming.

  ‘Tara Meridian, as I live and breathe. I was so excited when your PA asked for a meeting. Are you investigating something exciting? Oh! Am I a suspect? That would be really amazing!’

  Fox smiled and took the offered hand. ‘No, Miss Delvalle, I’m looking into the death of your ex-fiancé.’

  ‘Please, call me Lizy. Everyone does. Which ex are we talking about? I’ve had three.’ Delvalle dropped back into her seat, still smiling. ‘No, wait, you must mean Kent because the other two are still alive, more’s the pity.’ She had an Upper Midwestern accent, though not a massively strong one; the vowels sounded more European than American.

  Fox took the seat opposite her hostess. ‘Kent Killian, yes. I was hoping you could give me some background on him.’

  ‘Kent…’ Delvalle pursed her lips. ‘Do have something to eat.’

  Fox smiled. ‘I don’t really need food these days.’ She leaned forward and picked up a coffee pot which was in the middle of the table. It was noticeable that Delvalle was drinking something which Fox’s olfactory systems suggested was a martini. ‘I’ll take some coffee, however.’

  ‘Oh, of course. Apologies. I did know you liked coffee. And I knew about the food thing but it’s just that actually seeing you, it’s very hard to believe you’re…’

  ‘Not human? Thank you. It’s always nice when people forget. Kent Killian?’

  Delvalle took a sip of her martini. ‘Oh, yes. Kent was an absolute asshole. I’m sure you’ve had your PA go through the gossip columns, so you know neither of us was faithful. Neither of us was in it for love, you understand. My family thought he was “a proper marriage prospect,” and he wanted the association with the Delvalle name. We agreed that seeing other people was not a problem, so long as we told each other about it.’

  ‘And he didn’t?’

  ‘He couldn’t! He’d bang anything without the legs to run away. Oh, he tried his hardest to be discreet about it. The reports on the gossip streams were the tip of the iceberg. I’m almost positive he got most of his vote delegations through screwing the right people.’ She gave a little shrug. ‘The truth is that he really didn’t think of women as anything more than… disposable. We were all just animated masturbation tools, except for the few who were useful for his politics, and he didn’t respect them either.’

  Fox raised an eyebrow. ‘And you were still planning to marry this guy?’

  ‘I was going to be engaged for however long it took for me to persuade my family what a bastard he was. I won’t say I was sorry he died. I thought the manner of his death was a little… extreme? If you’re looking for suspects, I’d imagine the boyfriends and fathers of half the deflowered virgins of the Agri-Zone would have liked to gut him.’

  ‘That would, in a way, fit,’ Kit said into Fox’s mind.

  ‘If it wasn’t for the other three bodies we’ve got,’ Fox replied. Aloud she said, ‘Did you meet the people who came in for the policing fact-finding tour Mister Killian organised with Sherman Wayden? This would be last May.’

  ‘Oh, that. Neither Kent nor Sherman did any of the organising. Some efficient young woman from Detroit did it all.’

  ‘Julienne Abbot? Julie?’

  ‘That’s her. Cute little redhead. Only had eyes for Sherman, unfortunately, though why I don’t know. The man’s little better than Kent was. None of them were much better, actually. Let’s see, there was Steve.’

  ‘Steven Deloit.’

  ‘That’s him. Probably the best of them. He propositioned me a couple of days in, but he seemed to take my refusal quite well. Walker was just sort of strong and silent. Didn’t really talk to him. Thom gave me the creeps. He looked at me like… Like a serial killer or something. I can’t quite explain it, but he never said anything. Barry Ashburton was a total sleaze. No
, I tell a lie, because there was another one with them, uh, Davy?’

  ‘David Neiman.’

  ‘Yes! He gave a bad name to slime. He asked me twice if I’d like to… have sex. He didn’t put it like that. He carried an expensive-looking video camera around with him. Everywhere he went. And he asked if I’d…’ Delvalle faltered and it became apparent that there were at least some things which could make her blush. Her voice dropped. ‘He wanted to video me. Naked. And… doing things to myself.’

  ‘He produces and directs adult videos and sensies,’ Fox said. ‘I’ve spoken to him.’

  ‘Yes, well, compared to him, Barry was a complete gentleman, but he propositioned me twice at the party.’

  ‘Party?’

  Delvalle nodded. ‘It wasn’t a bad party. To be honest, I met the group a few times while they were in town, but I tried to stay away as much as possible. But the last night they were here, that would be the third of June, they had a party at Kent’s place. It went pretty well, I think. I think Kent got a couple of local girls, professionals, in to, um, make things interesting. Davy was wandering around with his camera. I got drunk, so I must’ve been having a good time. I don’t generally get drunk. It’s not like me.’

  Fox watched as Delvalle took a large sip of her martini. There were stress indicators: tightening around the eyes, furrowing of the brow, tugging at the corners of her lips. The woman was troubled about something. ‘You don’t seem to remember the details.’

  ‘Like I said, I got drunk. I woke up on the lounge carpet, would you believe?’

  ‘It can happen.’

  ‘Are you thinking that they…’ Kit began and trailed off.

  ‘Cupie would explain a lot,’ Fox replied. ‘I doubt she remembers those girls she said were prostitutes well enough to be much use in a court either.’

  ‘But Mister Neiman was filming the entire thing.’

  ‘Yeah…’