Jia and Erik exchanged looks, and it was the former who asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Because of you two, of course.”
“Us?” Jia sounded confused.
“Or what you’ve helped set in motion,” Kandarian replied. “The police aren’t free from corruption, but they are far less corrupt than they were a short time ago. They have systematically eliminated so much crime in the city that certain things become highlighted. Men who could have relied on thugs and gangsters in the Shadow Zone have fewer options. That brings with it a natural increase in their desperation. They can’t hide in the background, and they make more obvious mistakes.”
Erik frowned. “If that’s true, they’ll try again.”
“It’s too late for them.” Kandarian smiled, a bright twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “I’ve already taken steps to relocate the rod. It’s no longer in Neo SoCal.”
“But that’s evidence,” Jia insisted.
“Would you hold a man’s entire home as evidence because criminals targeted it? You have your interests, and I have mine. Considering I’m the victim in this matter, and since I doubt you’ll be able to find the person behind this, I see no reason not to prioritize protecting my interests over you wasting time better spent on other matters.”
The maid re-emerged on the deck with a tray holding small wheels of assorted colorful cheeses and a large knife. Kandarian nodded at her and she approached him, her course taking her past Erik.
A few steps away, she stumbled and pitched forward, losing control of the cheese tray. It plummeted to the ground. The expensive dairy products hit the deck, which was a terrible waste. The real problem was the knife that flew toward Erik. He threw up his arm and grunted as it pierced his left palm. He shook his hand, and the kitchen implement fell to the ground with a clatter.
Jia grimaced. “I can’t even take you to talk to someone without something violent happening,” she muttered.
The young woman’s eyes widened, and she threw both hands over her reddening face. “I-I-I’m sorry, Detective. It was an accident.”
Kandarian sighed, his cool gaze shifting between Erik and the maid. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket and stepped toward Erik with his hand outstretched. “I suspect she was distracted by meeting the famous and handsome Obsidian Detective. I don’t get many visitors like you.”
The maid averted her eyes, her face rapidly turning the color of Mars. She knelt and began collecting the downed cheese.
Erik accepted the handkerchief and wiped the blood off his hand. “It’s no big deal. It’s just a cut. I’ve had a lot worse.” He chuckled. “Besides, you can blow the whole thing off, and it’d only set me back to the beginning. Cybernetic arm.”
Kandarian’s breath caught.
The old man was uncomfortable for the first time in the conversation, but Erik didn’t care. If people had a problem with him because of his implants, that was their problem. Kandarian wasn’t cooperating anyway. The old man wouldn’t be the first rich person Erik had offended since becoming a cop.
“Why wouldn’t you just have it replaced with proper flesh and blood?” Kandarian asked.
“It’s my good luck charm.” Erik patted the arm.
“You lost your arm,” Kandarian observed. “The average person might argue it proves you have poor luck.”
“I survived all the battles after the one where I lost my original arm,” Erik countered. “Didn’t lose any other limbs, either. Seems pretty damned lucky to me.”
“I suppose. Your choice.” Kandarian wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Jia reached into her pocket and handed Erik a medpatch. “If we could return to the subject of the bank robbery, Mr. Kandarian?”
The maid finished collecting the cheeses and the knife and scurried into the apartment, not looking back.
“Don’t worry, Detective Lin,” Kandarian insisted. “This isn’t the first time in my life I’ve been targeted by violent criminals, and it will be far from the last. I assure you that it would be a waste of your time to pursue it.”
Jia frowned. “Two innocent people are dead because of the robbery.”
Kandarian shrugged. “And you have the people who killed them. Trust me, if it were simple to find the people targeting me, I would have destroyed all my enemies years ago.” He sighed. “I grow weary of this. If you uncover additional evidence, feel free to contact me. Otherwise, I have things to attend to.”
“Like looking at the sky on your deck?” Erik asked.
“Exactly.” Kandarian smiled. He looked down, tapping his PNIU. “I’ll have another servant show you out.”
Jia ground her teeth in the driver’s seat of her flitter. She’d been silent the entire walk out of the mansion. She gripped the yoke tightly, this being one of the few times she’d manually flown in the past few days.
“It’s okay to say he’s an arrogant prick,” Erik commented with a shrug. “Because he is, even by the low standards of rich, annoying assholes.”
Jia shook her head. “He annoys me because he represents the part of the world my parents wanted me to join.”
“I’m glad to be able to talk to you again,” Emma broke in, this time through the flitter’s speakers. “Mr. Kandarian’s house boasts significant electronic countermeasures, well beyond the average I encounter. I was jammed the moment you stepped outside this vehicle.”
“Not a huge surprise,” Erik muttered. “The guy said he has so many enemies he can’t even narrow it down, and he’s not even at the top of his game.”
“This isn’t over,” Jia insisted. “Gunter and his gang were just the gun. I want the guy who fired it.”
Chapter Eleven
July 26, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Police Enforcement Zone 122 Station, Office of Detectives Jia Lin and Erik Blackwell
Jia paced the office, her hands clenched into fists. “This is agitating me in a big way. A very big way.”
Erik looked up from his desk. He was surrounded by a half-dozen data windows. “It’s only been a few days, Jia.”
“And we’ve got jack and/or squat. We both know how things go down when the evidence immediately dries up. We’re already looking at a cold case.” Jia stopped pacing and gritted her teeth. “And we can’t get a judge to give us a warrant for Kandarian’s data rod or records.”
“Sure. He’s not the suspect, he’s the victim.” Erik shrugged. “He also happens to be richer than Generous Gao, and I’m sure that’s helping him keep his stuff away from our prying peasant-scum eyes.”
“But that means there’s someone out there who got two people killed over money, and he’s getting away with it.” Jia stomped over to her desk and dropped into her chair, her face red. “And that pisses me off.”
Erik chuckled. “You really are more fired up than usual.”
“It’s not like I enjoy stalling out on cases.”
“Neither do I, but this isn’t the first time we haven’t been able to clear a case.” Erik shrugged. “No one can win every battle. We win most of them, and we’re definitely winning the war here in Neo SoCal. Just remember that.”
Jia let her head loll back. “Just because that’s true, it doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She groaned and muttered something under her breath.
“You’re not him,” Erik stated. “Always remember that.”
Jia blinked and lifted her head. “I know.”
Erik swiped his hand through the air and the data windows vanished. He leaned forward and pinned Jia with his intense gaze. “Do you? Do you really? I’m not so sure.”
Jia sat up fully, her cheeks warm. “He’s an ancient businessman, and I’m a young detective. I’m nothing like him, other than having a long list of enemies. Mine come from stopping crime, not from trying to get ahead in business.” She frowned, not sure where Erik was going.
Erik nodded slowly. “You said it yourself. He represents what you were supposed to be, according to your family. You’re not him, but you coul
d have been him eventually if you’d ended up on that path. That makes you uncomfortable because the bastard obviously doesn’t just have a few skeletons in a closet; he probably has a huge room stuffed full of them, and it’s making you think about what you could have been.”
“When did you get wise?” Jia joked.
Erik grinned. “Hey, I am twice your age, even with my pretty face.”
Jia chuckled, some of the tension drifting away from her neck and shoulders. “You’re right. Sometimes I worry about my family and what they might be hiding. They aren’t that ruthless, but what will happen in a few decades? And I’m very competitive and stubborn, even compared to my family. If I had gone into business, I would have probably been terrifying. I might have made Kandarian look like a child.”
“You’d be Lady Profit instead of Lady Justice?”
“Something like that.” Jia brought up another data window. It contained the statement from the judge on the refusal of the warrant. She skimmed it, hoping to find some loophole to exploit, but she’d already read it five times and found nothing.
“In some of the battles I fought in,” Erik continued as she reviewed the warrant, “we demolished the other side.” He furrowed his brow and looked to the side as if seeing the memories of his life and death struggles replay right there. “Some battles, we got our asses handed to us. There were a lot of terrorists and insurrectionists who got away, even when we blasted the hell out of most of their forces. I learned pretty quickly not to obsess over that kind of thing. All anyone can do is stay alive and prepare for the future.”
Jia stared at him, the irony of his existence intruding into her mind.
Erik’s current life was dedicated to avenging one disastrous battle and uncovering a foe he might never find. He’d done the opposite of letting go, but she couldn’t bring that up. That’d be a slap in the face, and what he’d suffered on Molino was far worse than one rich businessman being arrogant.
She nodded slowly. “What if there is more to this? What if he brought it on in some way? He might be the victim, but he’s far from innocent. We both know that, and two innocent people might be dead because of his games.”
Erik snorted. “Yeah, but even if he pissed off some other rich asshole, that doesn’t mean it’s his fault those people are dead. Whoever hired Gunter and his boys is responsible. Several men died for the crime, and the others are all going to do hard time. The prosecutors have already made it clear they’re only going to shave a few years off any potential sentences. Don’t worry about the fish we didn’t catch. Focus on the ones we caught and are about to fry up.”
Jia sighed. “OK, but I’m keeping this on the backburner in case something comes up. Everything points to there being more to Kandarian’s data rod.”
Erik raised his hand in mock surrender. “Do what you need to do. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Chapter Twelve
Maria swallowed, doing her best not to allow the fear into her voice. This couldn’t be happening. After everything her family had suffered, she couldn’t take the further indignity. She was grateful she was on a call and didn’t have to smooth her features for her conversation partner.
Even though tears were threatening to spill.
“I’m sure you’re mistaken, Agent Timms,” she offered in her most practiced and calm tone. “Those accounts are mine, not my husband’s, and I’m already having money issues. At no point have I been implicated in David’s crimes. You can’t do this. It’s a violation of my rights.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Esposito, but CID investigations have linked some of that money to other illegal activities,” Agent Timms replied, a hint of pity in his voice. “All those accounts will be frozen until we can finish our investigation and ensure the money was not obtained from illegal sources.”
The pity was almost worse than the humiliation.
Maria licked her lips. “How am I supposed to live if you take all my money? What about my children? Am I supposed to snap my fingers for food?”
“I understand this is difficult, but I’d recommend staying with a relative for a while, or a family friend. It might take several months to sort all this out.”
“Several months?” A bitter laugh erupted from Maria. “Family friends? What family friends do you think we have left? No one will return my calls. I’ve been ejected from all my clubs and charitable organizations. My children have been so harassed at their school that they needed to switch. Reporters hound me to ask me insulting questions about my husband. NSCPD and CID destroyed my life.”
Agent Timms sighed. “That’s unfortunate, but your husband committed serious crimes, including being involved in murder. Even if you weren’t aware of what he was up to, it doesn’t change the fact that we have to engage in these investigations. It’s the law, Mrs. Esposito. Without the law, where would any of us be?”
“The law?” she snapped. “If the law meant anything, it would be the CEO in prison, not my husband. This whole investigation has been a farce from the beginning.”
“Need I remind you that your husband confessed to all his crimes? He didn’t implicate the CEO or anyone higher in any of his statements. If he had exculpatory evidence, why didn’t he introduce it?”
Maria scoffed. “You’re not naïve enough to believe that one VP, no matter how important, could pull off all this without the CEO knowing? And that’s assuming David did any of the things you accused him of instead of just agreeing to save the company. He told me that there were others involved, and he was taking all the blame to save our family. You’re making a mockery of his sacrifice with your additional investigations.”
“Let me reiterate that his signed statements don’t mention anyone higher than him involved in his various illegal dealings.” Agent Timms’ tone was frustratingly soothing, like he was talking to a hysterical child. “Even if there was a massive conspiracy and he’s just the fall guy, without him telling us that, there’s nothing we can do. But I do think you need to face another possibility that you’ve obviously been avoiding.”
“What is that?” Maria demanded. “Please enlighten me.”
“Husbands often lie to their wives to make themselves look better. You’ll be able to move on with your life if you accept that your husband is a criminal, and his criminal activities were what destroyed your family, not law enforcement or a corporate conspiracy.”
“No!” Maria yelled. “You CID dogs have convinced everyone that my husband is some sort of depraved criminal mastermind. He’s just another victim, a loyal man who was destroyed for his company. You’ve ground us into dust, and now you’re taking what little money we have left to punish us because you resent us for our success. You’d take food out of my children’s mouths, you monster.”
Agent Timms let out a quiet scoff. It was obvious he was trying to hide it, but the sensitivity of his PNIU was too high.
“How dare you!” snarled Maria. “You’re mocking my family’s suffering now?”
“With all due respect, Mrs. Esposito, you’re not exactly living in the Shadow Zone. You’re not going to starve to death. If your society friends won’t help you, then do what I said. Go find a relative and show a little humility and beg them to take you in, because we’re freezing those accounts, and there is nothing you can do about it. I’ve tried to be nice about this, so now I’ll be blunt. I’m sorry, but it’s your husband’s fault.” Agent Timms terminated the call.
Maria fell to her knees. Relatives? She had almost no relatives left alive on Earth, and certainly no one she could rely on. A few decent cousins lived on Remus, but she couldn’t take her children and relocate to another system. It would destroy them, and they were only barely handling their father’s incarceration as it was.
Agent Timms was wrong; there was no one for her family. Everyone who had feigned respect and friendship before had tossed the entire Esposito family to the wolves as if their mere presence would taint them. She ran her hands through her hair, tugging and desperate.
She turned, her eyes going soft as they stared outside. “I have to tell him.”
David sat at a long table in the prison cafeteria. Some bland nutrient-rich mush they claimed was food sat in a bowl in front of him, along with a slice of what passed for bread.
The taste was always off, with a faint metallic note. He’d complained, but they told him to shut up and be grateful for what he got.
When he’d first arrived at the prison, he’d assumed he just wasn’t used to anything but the best food, but now he’d changed his mind and was convinced they were purposefully screwing with the food printers to inflict unnecessary suffering on the prisoners.
It was a petty blow by petty men he could have bought and sold a year before, until the detectives and CID ruined everything.
He took a bite of his mush.
Bland.
The only thing not bland was the bright red uniform they made him wear. His entire existence was bland. His every waking hour was carefully regimented and monitored, his choices of activities strictly curtailed. The minute he’d entered that prison, he’d stopped being a human being.
David lifted his head, narrowing his eyes at the security drones hovering in the cafeteria. Considering all the cameras they had, the drones were unnecessary. They were just another show of force to cow the prisoners into submission.
He didn’t care. It wasn’t like he could do anything, even if he decided to resist.
In the unlikely event he could fight his way out of the prison, nothing but the cold vacuum of space awaited, and he didn’t know how to fly a ship.
David gritted his teeth. A low growl erupted from his throat.
“Damn, Esposito,” called a voice behind him. “Down, boy. I ain’t gonna take your food. I don’t like that crap any more than you do.”
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