“You think Francis and John are the only businessmen with power here in the Bay?”
“I think John is one of the most powerful, and the most feared.”
“He has his enemies too,” she whispered, looking away again.
“If someone wanted to get at Francis, they would’ve killed you, Myki. Not Devon. They drugged you, but they left you alive. You weren’t the target. Devon was. You could’ve been collateral damage, but you weren’t. Because Francis protected you. That’s why you’re here living with him now, because he can protect you… I think Francis couldn’t stop what was going to happen to Devon, but he called in a favor to let you live. Either he reached out to John Dorant to speak with whoever ordered the hit, or Dorant got wind of the hit and warned Mellon. Either way, you know what that tells me?”
Myki looked back at her.
“You probably know who it is,” Salvi said. “You know these people, these circles. As a favour to Mellon or Dorant you were spared. We know you were at Diabolique the night of his death. That’s where you had the Flyte. Was it intentional, Myki or did they force it upon you?” When Myki didn’t answer, Salvi continued. “Who gave you the drug in Diabolique, Myki? Whoever did, they did it intentionally. They knew you’d eventually black out so they could hit Barker. That’s why they drugged you, so you wouldn’t be a witness to it. You know who did this.”
Myki shook her head again as more tears silently fell from her eyes. “That’s just it… I don’t.”
Salvi studied her a moment, then raised her wrist and brought up the holo-image of the half-ghost on her iPort. “This man on the edge of this photo. Who is he?”
Myki looked at him and shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You’ve never seen him before at the clubs at parties?”
She shrugged again. “It’s just an outline. He’s like a hundred guys I’ve seen before.”
“Do you think Francis might know him?”
“You would need to ask him that,” she said wiping her face, “but I’m pretty sure he’ll tell you the same thing.”
Salvi stared at her. “Why are you all protecting this man? Are you that scared of him?”
Myki didn’t answer. Salvi pulled the second image up; the one where Caine had been erased. “What about these guys? You know them?”
Myki looked at the image, then glanced quickly away. Salvi saw recognition in her eyes. And fear.
“Who are they?”
“Who are they to you?” Myki asked.
“They’re the men seen with one of our detectives before he was killed.”
Myki dropped her folded arms. “Then maybe you should go talk to them.” She waved with her arm back to the gate, motioning at Salvi and Mitch to leave. “That’s all I have to say.”
“Myki,” Salvi said, “you can’t stay here locked up in Francis’ house forever.”
Myki stared at her with eyes as empty as the day they’d first met. “Goodbye.”
Mitch turned and began to head back to the gate. Salvi sensed he was leaving them for a moment alone. She raised the image of the four men with Caine again. “Were you with these men in Diabolique? Do you know where I can find them?”
Myki looked at her, tears rimming her red, fearful eyes. “They’re everywhere.”
And with that Myki turned and walked up the steps to the house and disappeared within.
Salvi stared after her, with a sinking feeling in her gut. She sighed and followed Mitch back outside the gate.
Mitch, studying something on his iPort, looked up at her. “Waste of time?”
“I’m not so sure,” Salvi said, stepping toward him.
“Why?”
“Myki was scared of those guys with Caine, and I don’t know why. I’ve met Tom and he was just a young guy, like any other, but what if one of the others is the ghost without his mask?”
“You think one of them is the ghost? They all look kinda young to wield that kind of power, don’t you think?”
“Maybe,” Salvi said. “But Myki recognized them. They’re regulars on the Ceiling and no doubt regulars in Diabolique. If they were hanging with Caine the night he died, they might just know who killed him.”
Mitch nodded in contemplation. “What if Caine’s murder is separate from the neural tech and the drugs?”
“There’s only one way we’re going to find that out. I need to find Tom again. Let him hit on me and take me somewhere quiet so we can talk.”
“But if Chaney made you?”
“That was Chaney. Just because he looked into me doesn’t mean the clientele know what’s going on. Chaney was all about discretion, remember? And I would be an embarrassment, a stain on his reputation. He wouldn’t tell anyone about me. I need to go back into the club. Undercover.”
“How? It’ll be shut down any moment, once Ford gets the relevant sign-off.”
“We’ll stop her, get her to buy us some time.”
“You’ll need a pass to access the Ceiling,” Mitch said.
“Chaney’s lawyer can help us with that, if he wants to clear his client’s name and find who did this.”
“You think he’ll cooperate after we effectively got his client killed?”
“We won’t give him a choice.”
“You can’t go in alone, Salvi. Someone just killed a couple of Narcotics cops and Hinde, and tried to kill Beggs.”
“I know,” she raised her hand to calm him. “I’ll go in with Kara and Bronte. They’re familiar faces in the club and as far as we’re aware, Kara hasn’t been made and only Chaney knew of a link with me and Bronte. The three of us will go in together and watch
