Investigating Deceit

by Michael Anderle

  “Sounds like you really hated the guy,” Erik suggested.

  “A lot of people hate him.” Tomlinson smirked, raising an eyebrow. “I bet his ex-wife hates him a lot.”

  “We already talked to her,” Jia admitted.

  “That’s true,” Erik continued. “But the thing is, Kevin, hatred works as a motive. One that explains why you might have stolen from the lab, and you might have threatened him after being fired. Think about it from our perspective. You get let go, and you just ranted to us about how much you hate the guy who is receiving threats. Come on, we’re not idiots.”

  “I might not be a fancy detective, but I know a thing or two about the law,” Tomlinson countered, his face twisting. “You can’t work security at a big corp without it, and we always had to worry about the corporation. You know what I’m thinking, based on all that?”

  Jia squared her shoulders, her fists coming together. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re thinking, Mr. Tomlinson? I’m sure it’s going to prove very enlightening. Educate us.”

  “I’m thinking the kind of cops who take on terrorists and go after companies like Ceres wouldn’t waste time asking some fired security guard questions if they had any evidence at all. I think you figured you’d swagger in here and get me to wet my pants because you’re the Obsidian Detective,” he nodded at Jin, “and his partner.” Tomlinson licked his lips. “And I signed an NDA. I shouldn’t even be talking to you. 46 Helix already screwed me once. No reason for me to offer myself up a second time, certainly not to help Chen. Screw him. I hope a new Leem King shoots him.”

  “NDAs don’t hold in the case of criminal activity,” Jia retorted. “And what you just said could be considered a threat.”

  “If 46 Helix doesn’t say I’m a criminal, then I’m not. They’re supposed to be the victim, right? And I know that cops don’t arrest every person who says someone else might be better off dead. Most of Earth would end up in prison or transported.” Tomlinson shrugged. “I’ve got nothing else to say to you, Detectives. Too bad for Dr. Chen. It couldn’t have happened to a more arrogant prick. I’ll buy a nice bouquet for the funeral if he gets killed.”

  Jia stepped forward, her lips pressed together, but stopped when Erik shook his head.

  “This isn’t over, Tomlinson,” Jia muttered. “You should have cooperated when you had the chance. Now we have no reason to play nice.”

  “Good luck finding your guy, Detective.” Tomlinson smiled. “He’s a real hero as far as I’m concerned.”

  Jia pivoted and stomped toward the front door. She slapped the access panel. Erik followed her out of the apartment.

  “He smells guilty,” Jia announced after the door slid closed behind them.

  “He’s a punk, for sure, but we need more evidence.” He looked down the hall. “Tomlinson admitted to a motive. It’s thin, but it is a motive. I think with a little push from the captain, we could get a more expansive warrant. This guy’s seething. He wants to admit he’s the guy, which means he’s probably been sloppy somewhere. We can take advantage of that.”

  Jia took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Do you believe me about him, or do you think I’m seeing assassins in shadows?”

  “I think you’re smelling something real because I smell it, too.” Erik frowned. “It might just be he’s afraid of 46 Helix, but if he is, he might have a good reason to be. Let’s get back to the flitter. We can call the captain on our way back to the station about getting a broader warrant.”

  Erik was surprised by how quickly things moved along in Neo SoCal now. The detectives had had to push their previous captain hard on everything, but an hour after talking to Captain Ragnar, they had a new warrant, one that allowed them to spy on any calls Kevin Tomlinson made or received.

  That made it hard not to grin several hours later in their office when Emma announced, “Detectives, Kevin Tomlinson just made a call you might be interested in. You rattled him more than he let on.”

  Jia shot out of her chair, her body almost hidden by the half-dozen text-filled windows surrounding her. “He did? What did he say? Did he admit to it?”

  “He wasn’t that foolish, but he was close.”

  Erik dropped his feet from where he had them propped up on the desk. His current method of reviewing data was more relaxed than his partner’s. “What’s up, Emma?”

  “I’ll play the call,” she replied. “That would be more efficient than attempting to summarize things.”

  “Do it.”

  A few seconds later, a hollow voice came from Erik’s PNIU. “Golden Bowl Pet Supply.”

  “It’s me,” replied Kevin Tomlinson. “I need to buy some better food for my dog.”

  “Why? The food we supplied is healthy and nutritious.”

  “Because some neighbors have been complaining about how much he barks,” Tomlinson replied, his voice tight.

  “Fine. We’re open tomorrow. Come at noon.”

  The call ended.

  Emma appeared in the center of the office, scowling. “I know it’s taken me time to get used to certain metaphors and coded ways of speaking, but that was painfully obvious, and I didn’t see or hear a dog at his place.”

  Jia’s breathing quickened. “What about this Golden Bowl? Do we know anything about them? Are they a gangster front?”

  “It’s a small local company, one whose owner died six months ago, shortly before the company’s complete failure. The owner was a terrible businessman. All of the employees were laid off two months after that, according to official records. My initial high-level public and police record searches can’t connect them to any major corporations or criminal organizations.”

  Erik scratched his cheek. “He’s up to something, and it doesn’t sound like he’s working alone. Things just got more complicated.”

  Jia nodded. “That’s consistent with him being able to send the messages without getting traced. He might have paid for decent help. From the sound of that conversation, he might be going to pick up some new equipment, perhaps a hacked PNIU or similar device.”

  “That means these guys might be more the professional criminal types,” Erik observed. “I think we should bring a few of our friends tomorrow. We can’t be sure he’ll be going to the company’s listed address, but we’ve already got drones on him. It’ll be easy to follow him and track his transponder.”

  Jia dropped into her chair. “Good. Time to take down that arrogant piece of trash.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  January 28, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Commerce Tower 45

  “All camera feeds to the target area have been rerouted,” Emma announced to Jia and Erik. Despite her existence being an open secret among the 1-2-2, she still spoke almost exclusively to the two detectives, especially on raids. It cut down on operational confusion.

  “They shouldn’t see us coming,” Erik reported to the men and women following him. He jogged through the wide metal tunnel with his TR-7 in hand, extra magazines jostling in his pockets with each step. “But keep alert. They might have some guy standing in front waiting for us.”

  Jia patted her tactical vest and took a deep breath.

  She and Erik led a column of a half-dozen officers through back cargo tunnels that led to the abandoned zone that had once served as both a warehouse and corporate headquarters for the now-dead Golden Bowl Pet Supply company. There was no way to empty an entire level of a commerce tower without causing mass panic and tipping off Tomlinson and his contact, so the police had sent two teams to raid the area.

  Erik’s and Jia’s team entered through a cargo loading bay and quickly made their way to the target area. The other team was standing by, some out of their flitters, and others remaining in them, ready to pursue fleeing suspects. The total number of police assigned to the raid was modest, but then, they had no evidence that Tomlinson was involved in a major terrorist or criminal operation. Without that, they couldn’t justify a large number of officers or TPST involvement.
>
  Jia was slightly surprised the captain had agreed to the raid based on the modest amount of evidence, but she hoped his restraint wouldn’t hurt them. Tomlinson’s contacts might not be ready to go down easily.

  “I’ve got basic access to his PNIU,” Emma announced. “I’m routing it through local systems, but I can’t get audio without risking detection. I have the same issue with the camera. The local systems are surprisingly robust, given the nature of the business.”

  “It’s fine,” Erik replied. “We’ll open the box soon enough to see who’s inside.” They closed on two massive doors separating the tunnel from the storage bay. “You can open those when we need it, right?”

  “Easily,” Emma replied. “But that will obviously tip off everyone inside.”

  “Yeah, I figured.” Erik grinned. “For now, give us the audio feed. Send it to everyone. Let’s see what our boy is up to.”

  “…told me the cops wouldn’t come calling so soon,” shouted Tomlinson. “They showed right up. What’s the point of the fancy stuff you gave me if the cops are showing up?”

  “I said no such thing,” replied another man calmly, his voice hollow-sounding. “I told you that as long as you kept your composure, the police would lack the evidence to link you to anything. Your overreaction to being questioned makes me dubious about your involvement in this matter, even if your motivation is unusually strong.”

  “That bastard Chen always looked at me like a bug,” Tomlinson snarled. “I was supposed to get my revenge. Why does that huge company care about a few things missing here and there? He pretended he couldn’t remember my name, and then he insisted I get fired. He’s got everyone fooled, even the cops. He even lied about some of the stuff I took. Sure, I grabbed a few things, but if that was bad enough, why did he lie about it? If the company had reported me, I might have end up transported or in prison for taking a few things! That’s not fair, just because I’m not a fancy researcher. Screw Chen. Screw 46 Helix. And screw you.”

  “Calm down, Mr. Tomlinson,” the other man murmured. “As long as you remain cautious about all this, we can still salvage this situation. You can get your revenge and benefit handsomely from it as well, but that requires you to demonstrate some small measure of emotional discipline.”

  Jia frowned. Had Chen lied? It didn’t make sense. From what Tomlinson was saying, he was a thief, and even minor theft would have been grounds for termination. If Chen believed Tomlinson was the one harassing him, he would have no reason not to tell the police, especially since he had brought them in against the company’s orders. There was something they were missing, and Tomlinson and his friend could fill in the gaps.

  The second man sighed. “The real problem, Mr. Tomlinson, is more fundamental.”

  “What’s more important than the cops sniffing around?” Tomlinson asked.

  “You didn’t hold up your end of the bargain,” explained the man. “That makes me question if you will.”

  “What are you talking about?” Tomlinson snapped. “You said I didn’t have to do it right away.”

  “Yes, but you were supposed to have taken care of Chen already, not waste time playing these stupid harassment games. You’ve drastically increased the risk of discovery through your idiocy.”

  “What’s the point of killing the bastard if he doesn’t suffer first?” yelled Tomlinson. “You said you understood, but you’re no better than him.”

  “You’re not demonstrating good emotional discipline. I think we’re going to have to handle that.”

  “Prepare to open the doors, Emma,” Erik ordered as he raised his rifle.

  Jia’s stun pistol hummed quietly as she turned off the safety. The other officers readied their stun pistols as well.

  “Mr. Tomlinson.” The other man sighed. “It was a mistake on our part to use you as a resource. I’m afraid we’re going to have to end our relationship. This is unfortunate, given the investment we have already made.”

  “We’re done when I say we’re done, freak.” Tomlinson laughed, the sound dark and bitter. “And if you think you can toss me aside, I’ll go straight—” A strangled yelp and a gargle followed.

  “Open the door,” Erik shouted.

  A loud rumble echoed through the hallway as the doors separated. Towers of crates and metal pallets stacked in neat rows filled the tall storage bay. Large cargo drones half the size of the MX 60 hung from the wall, their multiple arms folded against their squat, circular bodies. They were like a twisted mix of bats and spiders.

  Erik and Jia rushed between the moving doors. The other officers hurried after them, but the doors slammed shut, nearly crushing one of the officers, and leaving their backup on the wrong side of the door.

  “Are we having fun yet?” Jia asked, looking around.

  Erik raised his TR-7. “I think we’re about to.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Erik stared at the closed doors. Even if he had two cybernetic arms, he couldn’t pry open them open. If someone had trapped them inside, they had a reason, and it wasn’t chatting.

  “What’s going on, Emma?” Erik asked as he rushed toward a stack of crates. “I thought you were in control of the system.”

  “This entire area is being locked down,” she explained. “I was unprepared for the level of anti-hacking defenses that activated after I opened the door.”

  “You were unprepared?” Erik frowned. “How does that happen? I thought you were the most advanced AI in the entire UTC, and some freaking pet supply company’s system beats you?”

  Emma scoffed. “This is far more than a pet supply company, judging by the system. The attack is well beyond what I would have expected from even a group of well-funded gun goblins or well-prepared terrorists. I’m currently having to exert an unusually high level of effort to defend against the system.”

  “Meaning what?” Erik peeked around the corner. “Did we run into another special AI?” He looked up and around before glancing back around the corner. “All that crowing about being unique might have backfired on you.”

  The evenly spread rows of the large crates prevented the storage bay from being a true maze, but the large width and length, combined with the dim lighting, meant there were plenty of places to hide. He could have hidden an entire platoon in exoskeletons in the bay.

  Erik considered investing in tactical eye gear. Smart lenses had their uses, but they couldn’t provide low-light vision. Emma had bridged the gap for them before, but he’d never anticipated she would be taken so thoroughly by surprise.

  There’s always a better weapon out there, he thought. I had that truth shoved down my throat on Molino.

  “I’m currently engaged in efforts to repel extremely sophisticated electronic warfare systems,” Emma explained. “Not self-aware AI like me, but the level of attack is something one might expect from the Defense or Intelligence Directorates. I’m initiating countermeasures, but I’ll have to be cautious so as to not be overwhelmed. This whole thing is rather irritating. By the way, we’ve also been cut off from outside communications.”

  Erik grunted.

  Jia hissed in anger and surprise.

  The AI might admit issues with understanding jokes or the occasional human behavior, but confessing she might lose in a cyberbattle wasn’t something they could mock or ignore. This was one of the few times she’d been seriously challenged.

  A possibility immediately sprang to mind.

  Jia’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “Could it be them?” she whispered, voicing Erik’s concern as if she were a telepath.

  “Maybe,” Erik replied, shooting a quick glance toward the door. Being careful to bring backup hadn’t helped, but they weren’t doomed yet. Any idiots who went up against him in a battle while he had his TR-7 were asking to die. “That might explain why someone pushed this case onto us, but it doesn’t change things. Actually, it simplifies things because we don’t have to go looking.” He switched to four-barrel mode. “And we’re well past concern abo
ut collateral damage now. They thought they were trapping us in there with them, but they forgot that goes both ways.”

  A cargo drone dropped from the ceiling with a loud clank and a whir, its arms and clamps spreading out as it dove toward Erik. It juddered and shook as it descended, the flight pattern uneven.

  “Nice try.” Erik opened up with the TR-7. Bullets sparked like fireflies in the twilight. The drone spun and smashed into the ground with a loud crunch a few meters in front of him. A sharp piece of debris slashed his cheek, and he grinned. “This is kind of fun. Too bad I didn’t bring disruptor rounds, but these are cheaper.”

  “Fun’s a matter of perspective, and sometimes I hate being right.” Jia shoved her stun pistol into its holster and drew her other gun. “I’d promise a little something extra for Tomlinson, but I doubt he’s still alive after what we heard.”

  More drones detached from the ceiling. Erik shot one down as Jia carefully blasted the thrusters out of another, sending it spiraling into a third killer machine. The wrecked drones slammed into crates, launching several of the huge containers into the air. Erik rolled out of the way as one headed toward him. It hit the ground and slid for several meters, throwing out sparks.

  “Death by cargo drone,” Erik mused as he stood up. “I don’t think I could live that down.”

  Jia was expressionless. “I don’t think anyone can live down their deaths.”

  “You know what I mean.” Erik grinned. “It just lacks a certain…something.” He slapped in a new magazine. “At least a security bot’s combat-adjacent. That wouldn’t be a complete embarrassment.”

  “Can’t you do anything, Emma?” Jia complained as more cargo drones launched, their metal clamps snapping as if eagerly anticipating crushing the stubborn gun-toting humans.