Sheriff.'
Sharpe moved to leave, but Jen raised a hand to forestall him. 'Can you hang around a minute? Something kind of funny happened that you might help me with.'
Sharpe nodded. 'Of course, ma'am.'
'Have you worked with special agents much? The guys in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service?'
Sharpe frowned, but nodded again. 'Yes, ma'am. Mr. Sinclair and I were just talking about that, as a matter of fact. I'm a cop, they're cops.'
'I just had a long meeting with some of them. About the Maury.'
'Your ship?' Sharpe eyed her. 'They interviewed you about that?'
'They didn't call it an interview. They just said they wanted to meet with me. But… it was weird.' Paul noticed Sharpe's expression grow more intent as Jen continued. 'First they made a lot of small talk. Then they finally gave me something to sign before we really talked about the Maury. They said it was all routine and no big deal. I told them I was an engineer and I didn't sign anything without reading it.'
'What'd it say?'
She glanced from Paul to Sharpe. 'The part I really focused on was where it talked about waiving my rights to counsel. I asked them what that was about and they said it was all routine. Then they started asking why I thought I needed a lawyer.' Sharpe began frowning. 'I don't like that kind of pressure. I gave them back their form and told them I wouldn't sign it. They didn't get upset, seemed not to care, but they started asking a bunch of questions.'
'What kind of questions, ma'am?' Petty Officer Sharpe seemed more concerned every time Paul looked at him.
Jen shrugged, her expression aggravated. 'Why I'd gone aft before the explosion. I told them I'd been ordered to do that. Then they asked who ordered me and I said the chief engineer. I told them it was all in the official statements I'd provided. Then they wanted to know if I had any witnesses to that. Witnesses! Of course not. Everyone who witnessed it is dead.'
She shook her head. 'They asked why I'd gone aft, and I told them about the power coupling acting up. They asked about records on that, and I pointed out they'd have been in the engineering logs which were destroyed by the accident.'
Paul let his puzzlement show. 'But all they'd have to do is examine the power coupling. That'd show what was wrong with it.'
'No, it wouldn't.' Jen bit her lip. 'It showed… shows… what is wrong with it. After the shock of the explosions that ripped through the Maury. I never got to the coupling before that happened. I don't know if what's wrong now is what was wrong then.'
Sharpe seemed to be chewing on the inside of his cheek. 'Anything else, ma'am?'
'Just a lot of unconnected stuff. How was my relationship with my father, was work on the Maury really stressful, how things were going with my boyfriend.' She glared at Sharpe. 'Like I was going to talk about things like that with them! Then they asked if I had any ideas how someone could've caused an explosion like that if they'd wanted to-'
'Did you answer that one, ma'am?'
Jen frowned, then shook her head at Sharpe's question. 'No. I just said it would've taken a tremendous amount of overloads to cause that strong an explosion.'
'And they asked you about your love life, ma'am?'
'Yes. I told you they did. And I told them it was none of their business.'
Paul looked over at Sharpe. 'Sheriff, why were they asking Ms. Shen questions like that? What are they driving at? You seem to know.'
Sharpe licked his lips, his face uncertain for the first time Paul could remember. 'Yes, sir, I know what they're driving at. At least, I know what I'd be driving at if I asked questions like that, and tried to get my subject to waive rights to a lawyer.'
'What?'
'Sir, I'd like some time to look into it.'
Jen leaned toward him. 'Sharpe, you've got some idea. Tell me.'
'Ma'am, I'd really rather-'
'Tell me. What's up with those guys?'
'They think you were involved in some way. In the explosion.'
Jen's face twisted in confusion. 'Involved? What-?' The confusion shifted, transforming into rage. 'They think I caused it?'
'Maybe, ma'am.' Sharpe took a step back, as if worried what Jen might do.
Paul shook his head, unable to believe what he'd heard. 'Sheriff, why the hell would they believe that?'
Sharpe eyed Jen with concern as he spoke. 'Meaning no disrespect to Ms. Shen, sir, and not implying I believe this is right, but what it sounds like is they think maybe someone caused the explosion, because if I've heard right they're ruling out other causes? So I'm guessing what they're thinking is that maybe somehow someone caused the explosion. Since Ms. Shen reached safety just before it blew, they're looking at her. From what Ms. Shen says they were asking her it looks like they're also trying to find a motive.'
'Why would they reach that kind of conclusion? That's insane!' Paul felt anger flaring within him and fought it down, knowing he'd have to keep Jen from blowing her own top.
Sharpe bit his lip. 'Some guesses, sir. If they can't find a mechanical or software reason for the explosion, they'll look for a human agent. Something must have caused it. If they think they've ruled out hardware, that means they'll look for a sailor. Someone who deliberately or accidentally screwed up. And anyone who escaped while everyone else bought it.' He looked straight at Jen. 'Ms. Shen, it does sound to me like they're investigating whether you did it.'
Instead of erupting into further anger, Jen sat still, her red face growing pale. 'OhmyGod. Paul? How can they?'
Paul grabbed her shoulder. 'They can't and they won't. Sheriff, can you talk any sense into those guys?'
'They won't be doing this on their own, sir. They'll be following the lead of someone higher up.'
'It's ridiculous! No one who knows Ms. Shen could ever believe it.'
Sharpe nodded. 'Yes, sir. I agree with you, sir. Ms. Shen would've had to have gone totally insane to do something like that, and she sure looks to me like she's always looked. I'll talk to them. No guarantees, you understand. They don't work for me, and some special agents look on masters-at-arms like me as uniformed Deputy Dawgs. But I'll try. Even if they don't listen to me, I'm sure whatever they're finding out will show them they're barking up the wrong tree this time.' He paused. 'I'm real sorry, Ms. Shen. I know how this must feel to you. They're trying to do their jobs. They've got to check out all the angles. Sometimes cops just go off on the wrong tangent.'
'Why would they pick this tangent?'
'Like I said, sir, they've looked at possible causes for the explosion and come up empty-handed so far. Now they're looking at other possible causes.'
'This isn't a possible cause. It's impossible.'
'I agree, sir. I'll talk to them.' Sharpe paused on his way out of the hatch. 'By the way, Ms. Shen, you did right not signing that paper. Don't sign anything else without a lawyer checking it.'
Jen stared at him, looking like she had when Paul had first seen her after the explosion on the Maury. 'I won't.'
'Get them to shut this down, Sheriff. I can't believe they're doing this to her.'
'I'll try, sir. No promises, but like I said, I'm sure when they've looked into it a bit they'll realize Ms. Shen couldn't have done something like that.'
Fogarty's felt oddly subdued for a hail and farewell party. Lieutenant Sindh moved among the officers of the Michaelson 's wardroom, chatting politely. With Jen standing duty at the barracks where the Maury 's crew had been billeted, Paul sat alone in a corner and mostly watched. Kris Denaldo's on duty on the ship, and I don't really feel like getting happy drunk with anybody else, and I don't feel like getting morose drunk at all. And Sonya, God bless her, isn't the partying type. I think she's only having this hail and farewell because it's traditional.
