*****
Investigator Townsead was overjoyed to get out of headquarters and away from the paperwork for a while. Besides, this was the first time working as an Investigator. She grabbed her weapons belt before she remembered she was in plainclothes now since her promotion. She locked her gun belt away and put a small laser and holster in her belt at her back. Her stunner was carried openly as much of the population did. Anyone could carry a stunner but only senior law enforcement officers were allowed and encourage to carry small lasers. She grabbing an aircar from the pool and headed to Mercy Hospital where the Captain said she was to meet Sgt. Yagoslav. When she got there Tracy saw the Militia officer standing on the dock, obviously waiting for her.
“Sgt. Yagoslav, how is Professor Ja’haal?” Tracy asked after climbing out of her aircar.
“Headquarters said for me to wait here until you arrived. The Physician in charge said that Ja’haal is in a deep coma from all the blood she lost and she may never wake up or if he does no telling if his memory was damaged. He said the hospital would notify us if he wakes. I am going over to where he was found and look around. Do you want to come?”
“I sure would, Yuri. The Captain has assigned me to this case to handle any OSI involvement. Can I leave my aircar here and go with you?”
“Yes, and I will bring you back when we are finished. It is not too far away, it’s over in the industrial area.”
“What in the world was she doing there,” Tracy asked as she slid into John’s aircar, “there are no hotels or any type of lodging in that area?”
“We will see. The Hospital just had the location where she was picked up. No other information. The EMTs were long gone by the time I got to the hospital so we start with a clean sheet.”
“What did the hospital say about her injuries?”
“Apparently she had several deep cuts on her right leg. It looked like the attacker was trying to cut her femur artery. Why they didn’t stab her in the heart if they were trying to kill her, I don’t know. No, there were defensive cuts on her hands and arms and one cut low on her stomach. Apparently she had lost so much blood her heart stopped twice while they were hauling her in. If we don’t find anything significant at the scene we will go talk to the EMTs.”
“Ok, what do we know so far?”
Sgt. Yugoslav put the air car on auto and screened his notes,
“Dispatch received a comm at 10:23 reporting a someone bleeding in an alleyway, in the industrial area behind a warehouse building. The closest officer was dispatched as well as EMTs from Mercy. The officer arrived at 10:31 and the EMTs a minute later. Officer Jameson remained on scene to secure it while I flew to the hospital. If Dr. Ja’haal was able to talk that would be more important than the crime scene. But alas, we are going to have to do it the hard way.”
“Are you sure it is Dr. Ja’haal from the research team?”
“That was the ID she was carrying. She also had some papers from the University of Montevideo on Terra. I have a comm to Spaceport Central asking for a copy of her entrance papers. If nothing else we will have DNA to match.”
“How do you think this matches with the murder of Dr. Pierson and the disappearance of the rest of the research team, Yuri?”
“I am sure there is a connection but what? I just hope we don’t find the rest of the team dead or dying.”
“I was in the office when Dr. Blake came in to talk to the Captain about Dr. Pierson’s disappearance. Believe me, she is one tough lady. I pity whoever attacks her.”
By the time they had reached the scene, a forensic crew had arrived from Headquarters and Yuri showed Tracy how Dr. Ja’haal was lying when he was found. The was a large pool of drying blood on the concrete and a small trail of drops leading to where he had been placed in the EMT aircar. They both spiraled out from the blood pool but there were no other indications of blood, and if the knifing had taken place there on the concrete there was no indication. Yuri spoke briefly to the Militia forensic team and then indicated to Tracy that he was ready to leave.
“I will put some officers to cruising nearby buildings for possible witnesses, but I don’t expect much. Early morning, middle of the day, evening, you will see employees out on the street going to or from work. But ten to ten thirty, not a chance. Also, very few of these buildings have outside windows. We have to give a try, you never know, but I need those officers soonest to get back to looking for the remaining team members. This encourages me to think they are still in the City, and it is a big City. We will go to the hospital and see how Dr. Ja’haal is doing and you can pick up your flyer.”
“Let me know what you find if anything. When I get back I will start a file on Dr. Ja’haal with a cross check with Dr. Pierson’s.”
Tracy started collecting all the information she could on Dr. Pierson and Professor Ja’haal. Yuri had said he had contacted Spaceport Control regarding Professor Ja’haal’s arrival on planet but Tracey wanted that information on all of the team members so she also sent a request. Then, as it was the weekend and she hadn’t been working weekends lately, she commed a friend, Sandra and met her at Raymond’s Bistro for drinks and dinner.
*****
“Everything go right in the City, Vera?” asked her second in command.”
“As well as expected, I guess. That asshole Ja’haal insisted that she go with me to meet our other partner. During and afterwards she started showing yellow for the project. Our partner hinted to me on the sly that Ja’haal was going to be trouble so as soon as we got outside I cut her up, so to speak. That should stir thing up a bit. Is the next incident set up.?”
“For sure. It is going to be bloodier. Probably Firstday.”
“Excellent. Remember the props”
“We won’t forget.”
*****
Professor Smithe finally found the notation he was looking for. For about the hundredth time he made a mental note to check into a better retrieval system. Although he knew he wouldn’t do it. His current system might be an antique but it was compact and he like it. The thought of changing over to a new system just didn’t appeal that much. Besides, he traveled so much that one more piece of anything to carry around was not a happy thought. With a glance at his chrono, he decided that he had better start dressing for his dinner date with Captain Santos. Originally his intent was only to check out the law enforcement agencies to determine if either or both were involved in his assignment. He had spent some time talking to Captain Carlos and some of his officers and did the usual intensive background check. At this point he was assured the City Militia was not involved singly or a group. He was pretty sure the same could be said of the OSI; he really did not need to talk to Captain Santos again, but it wouldn’t hurt to combine business with pleasure. Besides, there was something about her that really attracted him. He had never married, in part because he did not feel it would be right to leave a wife at home while he traveled all over the place. Additionally, while there had been some minor attachments, he had never found a woman that he could live with, much less love.
With a sigh, Liam finished putting on what was considered a semi-formal suit for this planet and got ready to leave. He had rented a small but sleek aircar, which would go on his business expenses, and flew sedately to the address Amanda had given him. Liam found himself a little nervous, surprising the hell out of himself. After all, he was forty-five years old, certainly no spring chicken. All the same, when Amanda greeted him at the front door in a scoop-neck creation of a dark green shantung silk, or at least what is was sold as, he felt a little tongue-tied.
“You look great this evening Amanda, that dark green goes well with your red hair,” Liam said somewhat hesitantly.
“Why thank you, Liam, I must say your outfit looks very nice too.” Amanda stepped firmly out of the house before Liam had a chance to wonder if he was going to get asked in.
“I would ask you in for a moment but while my two daughters are out of sight, if I asked you in they would appear by magi
c to be introduced, and then the questions would fly.”
“I wouldn’t mind answering their questions.”
“But I would,”
On their short walk to his aircar Amanda glanced back once to see two pair of green eyes following their every step from an upstairs window.
The Continental Hotel was built about half way up the side of the one hill in Atlanta City. The hotel itself was upscale but it was their dining room that was considered the best in the City, if not the whole continent. Their table was set upon a glass and silver balcony that allowed guests to view a good ninety percent of the City and some thirty miles of the Washington River. The sun was just beginning to set as they were shown to their table. High thin clouds in the sky to the west turned orange, red, and then purple herringbone in the sky. For several minutes they just sat and watched the light show.
“So how did you become interested in cultural anthropology?” Amanda asked after they had placed their drink order.
“I guess you could say I fell into it. During my undergraduate years I studied languages, of all things. However, during the last semester I had an English language Instructor who I didn’t get along with very well. When I turned in my final paper, in which I had spent countless hours, my Professor returned it, and told me I would have to redo it or take an incomplete, that my paper didn’t answer the question that was proposed. At first, I was going to have it out with the Professor, but that would only have made matters worse. In any case I was not going to redo my paper that I needed to graduate. I did not know what to do so I went and talked to my Counselor. She looked at my school records and told me if I changed my major to anthropology I had enough classes to graduate. I had taken quite a few classes in the general area of anthropology during my undergraduate years. My father was a Professor in ancient cultures which was what got me so interested in the first place. So graduate school followed and here I am.”
“What about your mother?”
“She died when I was four. Don’t know what from, my dad would never talk about her and in truth I think he was quite happy to study and teach. I had a series of nannies: none of them pleased my father for very long and in-between nannies he would take great care of me. I think my last nanny was when I was twelve. My father just never found one he liked to hire after that.”
The Continental was never known for speedy service, but by and by a waiter appeared to take their order.
“Having never eaten here before I have no idea what is. Do you have any suggestion, Amanda?”
“I have eaten here only once, and that was several years ago. As I remember, any of their dishes that have a fish base are good. Unfortunately, with so much ocean on the planet, the ocean fish are totally inedible. There are two dishes with fresh water salmon that I think would be good.”
“What say we each pick a different salmon dish and compare them afterwards?”
“Sound fine to me, Liam.”
“And maybe a white wine to go with it?”
“I know very little about wines. I heard one time that any cheap wine is grown on-planet, and any fancy and expensive wine is from off-planet. That is all I know.”
“I certainly don’t know anything about local wines, but I have a pretty good idea about off-planet wine. Traveling around from planet to planet I have tried to learn a little about the wines of each planet. Tasting wines were often my only entertainment when not working. I think we will have a bottle of Shemmer loft. It will go well with salmon. It comes from the planet Glotmeyer. Most wines do not travel well but this is one that does.” As Liam poured the wine, a heavy-set, middle-age man, dressed in the height of fashion, a very expensive height, stopped as he was passing Amanda and Liam.
“Amanda, I haven’t seen you here before. Your police job must pay a lot more than I thought.”
“Good evening, Jacob. Let me introduce Liam to you. Liam, this is Jacob Erikson, the head of the Traders Association. Jacob, this is Professor Liam Smithe. He has been on-planet studying the various cultures that we have here.”
Jacob shook Liam’s hand, a custom carried down from the dark ages of Terra history. If you shook hands with someone, then they didn’t have a knife, at least in that hand. Made greetings oh so much safer.
Erikson stood for a minute with a sour expression on his face and then said “I must be going, Amanda. I have a traders meeting tonight. I would like to talk with you about the caravan attacks tomorrow if possible.”
“Certainly, Jacob. I probably will be there early if you want come by about 8:00.”
“See you then, Amanda,” Jacob said, living the table without speaking to Liam.
“Correct me if am wrong,” said Liam, “but I would guess that our fellow Jacob was a little jealous of me just now.”
“Í don’t know, Liam. There is some old baggage between Jacob and me that I might tell you one day.” The worlds were barely out of her mouth when Amanda realized that she had just said she expected to see Liam in the future. After all, he will probably leave Edge World before long.
“I have told you how I got into anthropology, now tell me how you got into law enforcement.”
Amanda told Liam about her early days with a caravan, her four years spent on Terra gaining an education, and how she took the best high paying job available after the twins were born with tribal father dead before they were born. They talked and talked until eventually the waiter nudged them out the door. During their ride to Amanda’s home, she told Liam about her girls.
“It was really nice this evening, Liam. One advantage to talking so long is that the twins will be asleep when we get there.”
“I really enjoyed the evening Amanda. I would like to see your kids some time. They sound great.”
“That probably won’t be too hard. They will be pestering me until they meet you. I warn you in advance, they are a handful.”
“Does that mean I can see you again?” Liam teased her.”
Amanda laughed. “I certainly will have to consider it,” she said.
When they arrived, Amanda was thinking of inviting Liam in for a few minutes, but she saw that same two pair of green eyes that were supposed to be asleep, peering out of an upper window, and decided not to. She also wondered of Liam would kiss her, but he didn’t.
“I had a very good time tonight Amanda, and I hope to see you next week.”
“Good night, Liam,” she said in reply.”
Amanda had a great deal of trouble going to sleep that night. She kept going over things she should have said to Liam, or should not have said. After tossing and turning for half the night, she got up and decided to review the caravan incidents in an attempt to stop thinking of Liam. They made no more sense than before. Finally, Amanda tried again to sleep, knowing that the next day was going to be very stressful. It was getting close to dawn when she finally dropped off to a series of-half awake dreams and nightmares. She woke up late, exhausted. The twins were astonished that their mother let them go to Charlies to feed and water the sorties without checking that they had finished their homework. After calling headquarters to tell them she wouldn’t be in the office till afternoon she went back to bed. She knew that Jacob was coming to see her first thing in the morning, but she didn’t care. He could just come back later. Amanda knew that the week was going to be hard, but she just dived back into bed to sleep.
Chapter 7
Captain Santos expected an irate Jacob to be waiting for her when she reached Headquarters that afternoon, but he didn’t appear. The Control Center did give her a comm from Jacob, but it just said that an emergency was taking him out of the City today, and he would try to reach her when he got back. With no Jacob to see, Amanda started in on the dreaded weekend reports. Investigator Townsead reported that there was nothing new on the Pierson/Ja’haal’ murders. Sgt. Thomas reported that all available Militia officers were coaming the City for Dr. Blake and the remaining members of the research team. It now was suspected that they were involved in the two murders and wer
e most probably still in the City. There was another comm from Captain Carlos requesting any available OSI officers be assigned to the search. That one Captain Santos tossed in the disposal pile. Other than Investigator Townsead she had no available officers. She had sympathy for Carlos. Atlantic City had a very low crime rate compared to its size, and so there were no extra officers when serious crimes occurred. Several of the Counselors used this statistic for trying to cut the Militia budget each year. The OSI budget was almost ten times as large, but then they had most of an entire continent to police. Even that was not enough in Captain Santos’ opinion. Captain Santos skimmed through the rest of the reports, finding nothing that required her assistance. That indicate that Lt. Owens was settling into his position as night supervisor. She felt restless and on edge this morning. On one hand Amanda wanted to call Liam and see when they could get together. On the other hand, she wasn’t even sure that she wanted to see him again. There was also the question regarding who he was, really. Liam wasn’t telling her any lies, but he cleverly was not answered several question Amanda asked him about what he was doing on Edge World. Her first impression was that he had been working with jungle tribes for most of his professional life, although only a week with the equatorial tribes on Edge World. That could possible explain his unfamiliarity with Edge World’s tribes but expertise in jungle tribes in general. But there were other things too. She decided again to request a full entry declaration from Control Center at the spaceport with the hope of actual doing the request this time. With that off her mind she started in on the detested organization forms again. Before she really got started Sgt. Lanos requested to speak with her.
“Good afternoon,” Sgt. Lanos, “What do you have for me?”
“I have my team on one of the caravans. I put eight officers in the Sutherland caravan traveling north from Swenson. Considering one attack was in the north, the other one was more or less in the middle. If the attackers are gradually moving south, this would be a likely victim next.”
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