Shadows In Still Water

by D. T. LeClaire

  Aurelia sat with her eyes staring ahead, still muttering.

  “Aura, snap out of it,” whispered Millie as she struggled to pull a shift she had found hanging on the rack, over Aurelia’s head. “You’re not helping me at all here.”

  There was a knock on the door and Zimbin called, “Do you need help, Millie?”

  “No!” She sat back on her heels. She knew Aurelia would loathe having anyone see her in this condition. She heard a couple of other people call out and suddenly grew exasperated.

  Stepping into the main room, Millie stage-whispered furiously, “If you people don’t go to sleep now you won’t wake up in the morning! That’s a promise.” For a moment she thought she was going to have to make good her threat but the room soon quieted.

  The outer door opened just then admitting Jak but no one in the room said a word. Millie motioned him into the bathroom.

  “She’s completely out of it,” Millie whispered as Jak knelt beside Aurelia and took a bruise reducer from the bag he had brought with him. Turning it on, he held it to her swollen jaw.

  “Millie, give her a shot of xillonex, 3 cc’s,” Jak instructed.

  “That much?”

  “Yes! You know it practically takes a mohan dart to knock this woman out. It’d be nice to have her unconscious for twenty-four hours but I’m not counting on it.”

  Digging into the bag, Millie pulled out a syringe gun and vial of xillonex. Loading the vial into the gun, she pressed it into Aurelia’s arm and pulled the trigger. The doctor flinched once then went limp. Millie scanned her vital signs and nodded at Jak.

  He finished taking care of Aurelia’s jaw then picked her up and carried her into the other room. Placing her on the only empty bed, he covered her with a light, clean blanket and followed Millie out of the dome.

  Under the moonlight, Millie could see Jak’s antennae drooped completely flat to his head. Gently putting a hand on his arm, she led him to one of the logs around the still glowing campfire and made him sit down. His clothes felt wet so she knelt down to coax a flame. Looking up at Jak, she asked, “What happened?”

  He told her. From the last disappointing moment with Co-Lanen when he had walked out the door and headed toward the river to the moment when he had pulled Aurelia out of the water.

  Millie watched his face and said nothing until he finished. Then she prodded gently, “So what’s bothering you? Heroes don’t usually look so depressed.”

  “I’m not a hero. I just happened to be there.” He got up abruptly, shoving his hands into his pockets and stood kicking at the dirt around the fire. “She called me a half-breed,” he finally blurted out. “Practically called my grandmother a colo!”

  “Who? Co-Lanen?” Millie asked in surprise.

  “No! Aurelia.”

  Millie stared. That was not like Aurelia. Not at all.

  “You’re kidding? Maybe you just misheard what she said.”

  One antenna waved. “Nothing wrong with my hearing. I always thought I had her respect at least.”

  “When did she say this?”

  “On the shore, after I pulled her out. That’s gratitude for you.”

  Millie shook her head. “Jak, she was upset. She probably didn’t even know what she was saying.”

  “I saw the hate in her eyes. What am I, some kind of private joke between her and Meng all these years?”

  “I’m sure she didn’t mean a word she said. You said it yourself, you just happened to be there. She would have yelled at whoever. You know Aurelia.”

  He whirled around to face her. “No, I don’t! I don’t know her at all. And I don’t want to.” Turning he stalked away into the night.

  Millie let him go. His voice had been filled more with pain than anger. Usually the one to hand out advice, she was at a loss for words. In some ways Jak was almost more difficult to understand than Aurelia. The chief surgeon had certain walls and boundaries you simply didn’t cross, but Jak often had mood swings when it was hard to judge whether to try and talk to him or not.

  Oh, what a strange day and night, Millie thought, standing to stretch her arms above her head. Three more hours to sunrise and I’m wide awake. I don’t suppose a walk by the river would be such a good idea. She smiled to herself in the dark and rubbed her still sore neck. The Talax seemed to be claiming all kinds of victims.

  She put out the sputtering fire then, stepping carefully, she moved among the sleeping bodies, pausing to look down on Steve Miller. His color didn’t look good but his breathing was soft and even. Come to think of it, Jak hadn’t told her how Steve had come to be drowning in the river in the first place. And Aurelia! Millie had suspected for some time now that Aurelia was terrified of water. So what had she been doing in the Talax?

  Millie’s stomach growled. She remembered she hadn’t eaten much besides the chili. There had been a small, 26-hour grocery store at Linden Court, so she decided to walk into town. She stepped briskly as the air was still chilly. About ten minutes later, winding her way through the exam booths strung across the court, she paused to peer at a figure just ahead. That looked like...Yes, it was! She would know that profile anywhere.

  “Neil! Neil Sanders!” She laughed as she called out his name.

  He turned to look and grinned, jogging toward her. “Mahealani!” His deep voice echoed through the quiet court.

  Millie reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, exclaiming as she did so, “But what are you doing here? It’s so good to see you.” She caught the light musk scent of Rhapsody, her favorite aftershave and felt her heart begin to thud against her chest.

  Pulling back she looked up into his face with a questioning look. She had the sudden urge to touch her hand against the blonde stubble on his chin and hastily tucked both hands behind her back. What are you doing? she thought to herself, her mind swirling like a kaleidoscope with emotion.

  “I guess I’m checking up on you, Mahealani.” Neil smiled, his voice low and warm. He seemed to realize his hand was still on her waist and dropped his arm to his side. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

  “Uhhmm, Yeah. I was just about... I was just getting something to eat,” Millie said. She looked around, still confused by his sudden appearance. “We could sit in the booths... I guess. Nobody’s around. I’ll buy breakfast.”

  Neil nodded and followed her into the little grocery store. Millie had no idea what she bought. Her heart had calmed but she still felt as if her feet might leave the ground if she gave them the chance.

  When they were outside again and picked out a booth, Neil asked, “Why are you up, anyway, Millie? It’s early for you isn’t it? I came in on an Oralanite freighter so I’m still running on their time.”

  She had completely forgotten Aurelia and wondered fleetingly if she should check on the doctor but decided Aurelia would still be asleep. “I had a rather interesting night,” she told Neil. “Please don’t mention this to anyone else but our chief surgeon almost drowned in the river tonight.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “Physically, yes. Emotionally, I don’t know,” Millie shook her head. “I’m sorry I don’t feel I can give you the details.”

  “I understand,” he said quickly and reached for her hand. “I bet you’re a great nurse. You know I never had the chance to see you in action.”

  Millie smiled, a warm tingle running along her spine at his touch. Goodness, had it really been so long since she had enjoyed a man’s company or was her pleasure at his presence just because having him here seemed like having a piece of home? “How are things at home?” she asked out loud.

  “Fine. I saw your Dad about three weeks ago.”

  “How is he?” Millie asked eagerly, although she and her father called each other quite often.

  “He looked great. He was with a woman-a red-head.”

  “Oh. Sally I presume.”

  Neil looked amused. “You don’t like her?”

  Millie lifted her
shoulders, “It’s difficult to get to know someone over a comm-link. It’s just that she...forget it I won’t say it. I trust Dad’s judgment. What about you? Why are you here?”

  Neil’s face grew serious and his grip on her hand tightened. “After your call, I got digging into Althan Tahk’s background as you asked me. Millie, how do you know him?”

  “I met him on Davis. Wait a minute, you came all the way out here for me?”

  “I don’t want to scare you but when I saw this guy’s record I got concerned about you and why you wanted to know about him.”

  “Just idle curiosity really. Is he that bad?” Her heart was beating fast again.

  “Worse. I hope you don’t meet up with him again.”

  Millie’s eyes widened, “But he’s here.”

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Pulling her head in from the window, Bridget sat back in her seat to ask Miguel, “Do you know what was going on last night?”

  Miguel shifted the flitter into a lower flight pattern. “No,” he replied. “What happened?”

  “You didn’t hear all the commotion?”

  “Not a thing. I was in Dome 4.”

  “Oh, of course. Some of us less fortunate people had to sleep outside.”

  “Can I help it if I’m lucky?”

  “Oh, right. I saw you negotiating with Zimbin.”

  Miguel grinned. “Great guy isn’t he?” Shifting again, he banked the flitter to the right around a large hill. They were following the trail along the Talax, heading west. “So tell me what happened.”

  “I don’t know but I heard Dr. Rialus and Millie whispering then Millie got up and she never came back. And none of them, Rialus, Millie, or Dr. Aurelia were around this morning.” Bridget frowned then sat up as the flitter cleared the hill and rocky shore stretched ahead of them. “Oh, stop here, Mig. This is perfect,” she said.

  Miguel eased back on the control stick until the flitter came to a stop, hovering inches above the ground and held up by a thick green cloud of bilexin gas. The vehicle bounced slightly as they collected the things for their breakfast picnic and climbed out.

  Picking her way across the rocks, Bridget chose a spot and spread out a plastic sheet which was really the inner liner of one of the equipment crates. The day had already warmed to 32 degrees Celsius but the breeze off the river was cool and the smell was not quite so obnoxious as it had been the day before.

  “We better not take too long,” Miguel said as he brought the food over. “Lak Zanin was telling me that phinotheria vaccinations have to be done soon.”

  “I like her but sometimes I can’t figure out what she’s talking about,” Bridget said.

  “I know. I want to turn on my translator but I don’t want to be rude. Say, I wonder if they got the bay doors working.”

  “I hope so. I need a change of clothes.”

  “Yes, you do.” Miguel said, making a face. Bridget threw a pebble at him. Laughing, Miguel unwrapped a sandwich.

  Bridget watched the rock bounce off his chest and roll beyond him on the ground. It had unusual orange swirls running through it and she stood up to retrieve it for a souvenir. “Hey, what’s that?” she exclaimed, pointing down the shoreline. Miguel turned to look.

  About twenty yards away a large black bag with white splotches lay among the rocks and appeared to be moving slightly. “Looks like a body bag,” Bridget said. She caught Miguel’s eye and then they were both running toward it as fast as they could.

  The smell reached them halfway there and they slowed their pace then stopped. Definitely a body bag and moving but not from the body within. Thousands of small white crustaceans clambered over the bag, digging into the plastic with sharp pincers.

  The top portion of the bag had ripped open and Bridget peered in cautiously. She almost gagged. The tiny crabs covered the face and filled the open wound in the chest. Miguel put his hand on her shoulder and drew her back.

  “We better call somebody,” he said. She nodded and slipped her hand in his as they walked back to the flitter.

  “Remind me not to be a medical examiner,” Bridget spoke as Miguel reached in for his comm-link.

  Miguel smiled and patted her cheek, “You did all right in the cadaver lab.”

  “Yes, but those were nice and neat. Four O is the local operator number,” she informed him. She watched him tap in the numbers and tried not to think who that might be lying on the beach behind them.

  A long moment of confusion reigned after the operator’s voice came on speaking in Jidalian until Bridget reached over and pushed the translate button to the right setting. Even then it took some time for Miguel to explain the problem. Finally they were told to stay where they were and wait for a patrol. Miguel signed off and stuck the comm-link in his belt.

  “Now we’ll probably have to wait for hours. I’m hungry,” Bridget declared and led the way back to their picnic.

  “Sure you can eat?” Miguel asked.

  Patting her hips ruefully, Bridget replied, “I’ve rarely had trouble eating.” Miguel laughed but she did make him sit so she couldn’t see the body.

  They were just cleaning up when a black cruiser came speeding toward them from over the water. It passed above them and slid to a stop inches from the flitter, which bounced against the airwaves. “Hey, that’s rented!” Miguel yelled.

  They watched the gull-wing doors fly open and a huge Berellian who made Zimbin look like a midget in comparison stepped out. His fur was black and curly and he wore a gray outfit like a uniform but without insignia. Bridget found herself unable to take her eyes off his biceps which seemed almost as big around as a California redwood.

  “Whoops. Hope he didn’t hear that,” Miguel muttered.

  The Berellian reached them with about three steps and, after looking them over, growled, “Where’s the body?”

  Tipping her head back to see his face, Bridget found his frown intimidating especially as the tips of his sharp incisors jutted out of his mouth. But his brown eyes were full of keen intelligence and what she thought might be a sense of humor.

  “It’s right over here,” she said, leading the way to the bag.

  The Berellian stamped his foot several times frightening the crabs away from the body and crushing a few underneath. Bridget jumped back to avoid the stampede as the creatures scrambled for hiding places in the rocks and sand.

  Poking the bag open farther, the Berellian squatted down to examine the corpse. Silent for several minutes, he finally looked up and asked, “You two kill him?”

  Taken aback, Bridget stammered, “No! Of course not!”

  “Hmmm.” He looked at the body again. A moment later, he glanced up at Miguel. “Know who he is?”

  “No,” Miguel replied and added, “sir.”

  “What’s your names?”

  They told him. Then Bridget, pressing her hands tightly together, asked, “Could...could we have your name?”

  She couldn’t tell if he was grinning or baring his teeth as he replied, “Radif.” He stood up then. “I want you two to sit over there and stay there until I say,” Radif said, indicating some rocks close to their picnic area.

  They obeyed, finding a large, relatively comfortable boulder to sit on. They watched Radif talk to someone on his comm-link then walk around the body, taking measurements. “What do you think of the local police force?” Bridget asked in a whisper.

  “Hired help but he’s Berellian so he takes it seriously,” Miguel answered whispering back.

  “What do you mean hired help?”

  “Well, the Jidalians let a lot of different people live here, so they probably hire guys like Radif with a high respect quotient. Not exactly a mercenary but not exactly a cop either.”

  “Can he arrest people?”

  “Oh sure,” Miguel nodded. “But under Intergalactic Law. A murder investigation like this must be a real mess.”

  Bridget opened her mouth to ask why but shut it
again at sight of another black cruiser coming toward them. This one actually bumped their flitter and Miguel jumped to his feet in frustration. “Can’t these guys drive,” he muttered.

  As the doors flew open Bridget was reminded of a clown car at a circus as five more Berellians emerged, all of varying shades and sizes but none as large as Radif. The early morning quiet disappeared as the sounds of their deep voices and heavy feet invaded the beach. They clustered around Radif and the body for several minutes then spread out to search the shore, calling out to each other every few minutes.

  A brief flurry of excitement occurred when they all crowded around a gray-furred Berellian then Radif came out of the crowd walking toward Bridget and Miguel. He stopped in front of them and held up a boot of soft brown leather. One side of it had been cut down to the ankle.

  “But that looks like...” Bridget’s voice faltered to a stop.

  Radif gripped her arm. “What do you know about it?” he asked.

  Bridget threw a glance at Miguel then back at Radif. “It’s just that...well, our chief surgeon wears a boot like that. Is that the left?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t know why she has it cut like that. She limps on that leg though.”

  Nodding, Radif released her arm. “All right. I want you both to give your statements to Biluk. He’s standing over by the cruiser. Then I want you to take me to see this chief surgeon of yours.”

  Obeying they headed toward the cruiser. Miguel asked, “Do you really think Dr. Aurelia might have killed someone?”

  Bridget, chewing her lower lip, answered, “I don’t know. Something did happen last night. And I wouldn’t doubt that she’s certainly capable of killing someone.”

  “But why? And are you sure about that boot?”

  “I can’t be absolutely sure it’s hers but her left boot is cut like that. Haven’t you ever noticed?”

  He shook his head, “Never paid any attention.” He stopped and looked down as his receiver beeped. “Number three. That’s Millie isn’t it? Should I tell her?”

  Bridget shrugged helplessly, “I don’t know. I guess so. She’ll find out soon enough anyway.”