Judgment at Proteus

“Yes, I am, and no, I didn’t do it,” I said. “But you have to admit, there’s a certain charm in this kind of consistency.”

Minnario finished reading the transcription on his display and then looked at Wandek. [I’ll speak to my client alone, if you please,] he said firmly.

“He has not yet made an official statement of his activities this night,” Wandek countered, just as firmly. “He might as well speak it to both of us together.”

[The requirements of the law—]

“That’s all right,” I interrupted. “I have nothing to say that Usantra Wandek can’t hear. Besides, it’s a long story, and I’d hate to have to tell it twice.”

Minnario’s conical mouth puckered, but he nodded. [Proceed,] he said.

“And in that same vein,” I added, “we might as well have Bayta in here, too.”

This time it was Wandek’s turn for a puckered mouth. Clearly, I wasn’t making anyone happy tonight. “She is not necessary to this conversation.”

I folded my arms across my chest and remained silent. His blaze did its mottling thing, and then he half turned toward the door. {Bring the Human,} he called.

For a moment nothing happened. Then, one of the Jumpsuits appeared in the doorway, with Bayta and Ty following close behind. The Filly led her to Minnario’s side, took one look at Wandek’s thunderous expression, and beat a hasty retreat.

“Are you all right?” Bayta asked anxiously.

“I’m fine,” I assured her. “Okay, here’s how it went down. I was awakened about twelve o’clock by the message light on my computer. The message said only that the way was clear and that I needed to go.”

“What does that mean, the way is clear?” Wandek asked.

“Good question,” I agreed. “Unfortunately, I really don’t know. Even more unfortunately, since the message was unsigned, I didn’t have any way to write or call back and see what it was all about.”

“You should have called the patrollers,” Wandek said severely.

“What, to report a confusing message?” I scoffed. “Because at the time I thought that was all it was. Since it was in English, and since I gather not a whole lot of people aboard Proteus are fluent in the language, I just assumed the sender had garbled the translation.”

“The computers aboard Kuzyatru Station do not make translation errors,” Wandek said stiffly.

“I’m sure they don’t,” I said. “But the station’s computers weren’t involved. Computer translations are always tagged, and I know what the Proteus mark looks like—I saw it when I was looking up restaurant listings. No, whoever sent the message typed it in just the way I got it.”

[So if the message was mistranslated, what did you think it was supposed to say?] Minnario asked.

“I didn’t know then, and I really don’t know now,” I told him. “But since the reason I came to Proteus was to watch over Ms. German, I assumed it had something to do with her. So I got dressed and headed for the medical dome to see if something was going on that I should know about.”

[Did you speak to her doctors?] Minnario asked. [What did they say?]

“Nothing, because I never got to any of them,” I said. “The building was completely dark, so I figured everyone was down for the night. I was heading toward one of the other buildings, one of the ones that was showing lights, to see if someone there might have sent me the message, when I saw the body.”

“Why did you not use your comm to signal an emergency?” Wandek asked.

“Because my trained response to such things is to first check them out myself,” I said. “Who was he, anyway?”

“One of the techs from Building Eight.” Wandek cocked his head. “The building in which Terese German is being treated.”

I felt a shiver run up my back. So this hadn’t been just some random killing of some random person. Whoever had set me up had done a good job of paying attention to the details. “Was he on the night shift?” I asked.

“His position and rank are irrelevant,” Wandek said. “So you then approached the body—”

“Excuse me, but the victim’s life and particulars are very much not irrelevant,” I put in. “If he was night shift, he must have gone to Building Twelve for some reason. What reason? If, on the other hand, he was day shift, what was he doing in the dome at night? Was he lured there the same way I was?”

For once, Wandek seemed at a loss for words. He looked at Minnario, then at Bayta, and finally back at me. “Yes,” he said, his voice subdued. “Yes, I see what you mean. Perhaps…” He trailed off, and did another glance around at Minnario and Bayta. “Please continue.”

“That’s basically it,” I said. “I went over to see what had happened, but before I could do more than confirm he was dead and start to call for help, the door opened and someone started screaming. Ninety seconds later the place was crawling with Jumpsuits, half of them trampling the crime scene while the other half hauled me up here.”

“They did not trample the crime scene,” Wandek growled, the momentary introspective mood having apparently passed. “They were attempting to resuscitate the victim.”

“Well, whatever they were doing, the scene looked to be pretty well demolished,” I said. “So that’s how I spent my evening. Where do we go from here?”

Wandek seemed to brace himself. “You were found at the scene of a killing,” he said. “You must be processed and formally charged with that crime.”

For a moment I considered asking how he thought I could have pulled off a cold-blooded murder with my station-issue conscience Doug at my side. But given that both Doug and Ty were presumably supposed to be sticking close to me, and given the fact that only one of them was actually there with me in my cell, I decided it might not be the wisest thing to bring that up. I still didn’t know what this tag-team game was that the watchdogs were playing, but I didn’t want to draw any attention to it until I had a few answers of my own. “Understood,” I said instead. “What about the rest?”

Wandek frowned. “The rest of what?”

“The rest of the suspects,” I said. “I figure the list includes everyone who works in Buildings Twelve and Eight, plus the night crews in the other buildings—oh, hell, let’s just make it everyone in the medical dome and be done with it. Plus all the victim’s friends and enemies, of course.”

“Do not mock me,” Wandek warned darkly. “You are the one who was found with the body.”

“Which either makes me the dumbest murderer in this half of the galaxy or else makes my story true,” I countered. “But suit yourself. If I were you, though, I’d get that autopsy up and running as soon as possible. There’s this thing we Humans call the 24/24 rule: the most important part of a murder investigation are the twenty-four hours immediately before the crime, and the twenty-four hours immediately afterward.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Wandek said with an edge of sarcasm. “In the meantime, you will stay here.” He turned a glare onto Minnario and Bayta. “The discussion is over. Return to your quarters.”

I looked at Bayta, noting the fresh tightness in her expression. “Bayta will be staying here,” I said quickly.

“What do you say?” Wandek demanded.

“I want her here with me,” I told him. “Which part of that didn’t you get?”

Wandek turned to Bayta, his blaze going into full mottle mode again. “That is ridiculous,” he insisted. “She is charged with no crime.”

“No, but since you haven’t yet charged the real suspects with the crime, it’s got a sort of weird yin/yang to it,” I said. “She can bunk down in the other cell.”

“No,” Wandek said firmly. “Keeping her here could be construed as an unstated charge, permitting the possibility of counteraction against Kuzyatru Station. I cannot permit it.”

[There would be no such liabilities if the cell door was left open,] Minnario spoke up. [If her actions aren’t hindered, there would be no construing that she was under charges.]

“She could even sign a contract waiving her right to counteraction if those parameters are met,” I added.

Wandek bit out a phrase that had somehow been missed in the Westali language classes. But contracts were king, queen, and the whole royal flush in the Filiaelian Assembly, and now that I’d invoked that magic word he would have a hard time turning down my request. “I will prepare the contract,” he said reluctantly. He turned a baleful eye on Bayta and raised his voice. {Lieutenant of the Guard? Come at once and open this cell.}

One of the Jumpsuits hurried forward. He reached for my cell door—{The other one, fool,} Wandek