Insight

by Teyla Branton

  Thankfully, Bay was more interested in eating than in what she was doing. With a few hand motions, she started a search on the cropped image of the building showing through the window in her second drawing. She also checked the items on the tables in front of the white-dressed workers. They were definitely not packing readymeals. Too bad she couldn’t show Bay the sketch.

  With a sigh, she pushed the iTeev up on her head and dug into her readymeal.

  The Teev cameras around the building were on alert for Grogovit, so Reese and Bay weren’t overly concerned about watching for him, but after two hours, a flood of employees left the building, and Reese started studying those who passed. She pulled her iTeev back over her eyes to watch them through the darkened windows of the shuttle. Tiny CivID notifications popped up on her holoscreen next to their images. No Grogovit.

  She sighed again and checked on her database search. Nothing. Still no luck identifying the building in the window.

  “You never do like waiting,” Bay said with a laugh.

  “Who does?”

  “I can think of a lot worse things to be doing. Anyway, we might as well read up on him while we wait.” He activated the shuttle’s onboard Teev and brought up everything the enforcer database had on Grogovit.

  “Good idea.” Reese removed her iTeev, folded it into a square, and clipped it back into the holder on her left sleeve. Then she studied the information as Bay’s fingers swiped through images on the holoscreen that hovered over the low dashboard.

  “He’s apparently a huge advocate of the colonies,” Bay said.

  “Of course he is. That’s three hundred thousand captive customers. Even if they’re not paying, someone is.” Reese couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice.

  Bay lifted his gaze to stare at her, his dark eyes curious. “You say stuff like that sometimes, as if you know something about the colonies. I thought you were never stationed in one.”

  She hadn’t shared details of her origins, and as far as she knew, he didn’t have clearance to look at her personnel file. “I don’t know anything,” she said. “But construction on the colonies were started shortly after Breakdown, so they’ve been there for, what, seventy years? I just think that maybe the children aren’t like the parents who were originally put there because they couldn’t or wouldn’t work to support themselves. That’s all.”

  “Well, they should be integrated with society soon,” Bay said placatingly. “It’s not like they’ll be giving them many birth orders, right? Not when so many responsible people are waiting.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” There had always seemed to be a lot of children in Colony 6 when she’d been there. Of course, that was twenty years ago. Who knew what was going on there now?

  More time passed as they read about Grogovit. “Look at that.” Bay brought up an image of a woman about Reese’s age. Her belly was extended with advanced pregnancy, and she was also holding a toddler’s hand. “He’s what, about three? And she’s already pregnant again.”

  “That’s Grogovit’s wife?” Reese had seen the woman in earlier images, but she looked different in this picture.

  “Yeah. Her face is retaining water. They do that, you know.” A hint of anger entered his tone. “They’ve only been married five years. Letisha and I applied every nine months for ten years before we got even one acceptance.” What he didn’t say was that despite claims to the contrary, money and position did have some bearing on who was awarded the birth orders.

  Reese studied the image on the holoscreen. The raven-haired woman was much younger than her husband. Nearly twenty-one years, to be exact, but with many people living well into their one hundred and twenty-fifth years, that wasn’t unusual. In order to maintain the current two million citizens and preserve the scarce resources available after Breakdown, only one birth order was issued for every recorded death. The orders were awarded every three months, with a six-month waiting period between applications, which ironically meant people could apply every nine months. Presumably everyone in the CORE should be able to have one child, and couples two children, but with people living longer, most had to wait years longer than expected before it was their turn, and then they were often allowed only one birth. Any genetic defect in the potential parents’ genes eliminated them completely.

  Bay closed the holo display with an impatient downward motion. “Maybe we ought to go inside and see if he’s still there. If he is, there should be one secretary or night watchman or something holding down the place until he leaves.”

  Reese blew out a frustrated sigh. “I guess so. At least we can ask if anyone’s seen him.”

  Bay frowned. “He might have already left, but incognito.”

  Reese stared at him as something clicked into place, something that made her feel stupid. “You mean since the guy is involved in drugs, he wouldn’t be above illegally masking his CivID when he left the building?”

  “He might be worried enough to go check on his operation. Or even to move it.”

  “If you’re right, he could have left hours ago.” Reese slapped her door in an impatient gesture. “There’s no way we’ll find him.”

  Bay nodded his big head regretfully. “Let’s go in and ask if he’s still in. Better than staying out here all night while he’s somewhere else.”

  Reese’s excitement drained away. So much for following the man and taking him by surprise.

  She pushed her door open. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 4

  THE BUILDING’S FRONT double doors weren’t locked, but it was apparent the regular office hours had ended. A large mechanical cleaner, a boxy affair with gently rounded edges, ambled across the open space, followed by a chubby man with hands thrust into the pockets of his gray outfit.

  The receptionist behind the ornate metal desk stood and began speaking before looking up. “I’m sorry we’re—” She broke off as she caught sight of their uniforms, her face going slack with surprise. “Oh.” It was more a gasp than a word.

  Her name was Belfora, according to her nametag. She was young, probably only a year or two out of a certificate institute. Her black hair was pulled up on top of her head in an elaborate elevated twist. Her eyes were outlined meticulously in thick black, followed by blue glitter eye shadow that reached up to her lacquered brows and ended in a sweeping curl of blue near her temples. Her mouth was outlined in the same blue. The elaborate face paint was a recent craze among the well-to-do younger generation, but with CORE-required updates on all current “looks” for the database, most of the population couldn’t be bothered. A yearly update was pain enough.

  “Is Mr. Grogovit still in his office?” Bay said casually.

  Belfora blinked, recovering her voice and a bit of attitude. “I believe he’s gone home. He usually does before five. Unless . . . do you have an appointment?”

  “Answer the question.” Reese jabbed a finger at the woman’s iTeev lying on the counter. “Or would you like to check our credentials?”

  Belfora let out a barely masked sigh. “Almost everyone has gone home, even those who come in after lunch.” She stared at them pointedly, as if to imply that they were holding her up from leaving as well. When they didn’t react, she reluctantly brought up a holoscreen and typed a few commands. Within seconds, she shook her head. “His iTeev must be turned off, and he’s not answering his office Teev. Like I said before, it looks like he’s gone home.”

  Reese exchanged a glance with her partner. It wasn’t overly unusual that Grogovit had turned off his iTeev, though most people in the CORE never did. Reese powered hers down when she wanted to be sure she was alone. Because more than once she’d seen the division’s Teev Aided Dispatch Alert System, or the TAD-Alert, activate an iTeev without the owner’s permission. Yes, it had been in an emergency situation, but the very fact that it had happened made Reese nervous. Naturally, a rich pus bag like Grogovit could be as paranoid as she was, especially given his side business.

  “Thank you. We’ll try him at hom
e,” Bay said.

  Reese followed him away from the desk, dragging her feet. She doubted Grogovit was at home, not when an advocate just happened to show up to help one of his employees. Grogovit would have been informed, and she knew from her sketches that he was heads deep in this—or at least Cruz believed he was. But if she didn’t find Grogovit and track his path tonight, it might be too late to get anything solid on him.

  “There are likely ways out of the building that aren’t covered by camera,” Reese said as Bay turned to see why she wasn’t catching up with him. “So the cameras not seeing him leave don’t mean all that much. It’s not as if this is public property. And once he’s inside a vehicle, the Teev might not be able to read his CivID.”

  Bay made a face. “True. But if I was leaving to check on my nefarious activities, I certainly wouldn’t leave a trail. And I’d come back here and leave publicly to give myself a good alibi.”

  “Which he doesn’t have now because he’s not here.”

  “Or he’s here and just not answering. Maybe he’s taking a dump.”

  Reese frowned. Bay might be right, but unless cameras eventually did record Grogovit leaving the building, they’d have at least one more reason to question him.

  For a moment neither spoke. They stood watching as the chubby janitor walking near the boxy cleaner reached out and touched some controls on the waist-high surface, most likely redirecting it to a spot for additional cleaning. Reese knew from experience that the man wasn’t really needed for general cleaning, but it was a way that the few mentally deficient people in the CORE could earn a living. Which was why the term “walking with the cleaners” was both a reference to a mental condition and as a comment on a person’s intelligence.

  “Let’s send the receptionist up to physically check if he’s there,” Reese said.

  They turned back to the desk, where the receptionist was still standing, her painted eyes alert. The glitter seemed to shine. “Is there something else?”

  “Belfora, we’d like you to check if Mr. Grogovit is in his office,” Reese told her.

  Belfora’s lacquered brows drew together, causing a deep groove between them. “He’s not or he’d answer.”

  “Please check.” Reese held the younger woman’s eyes until she finally turned back to her Teev display. After manipulating a few controls, she said, “Hi Ceecia. Can you check Mr. Grogovit’s office to see if he’s left? Some enfo—someone wants to see him.”

  The voice answered, but it was low enough that Reese didn’t catch it.

  The receptionist looked at Reese. “Sorry. My colleague verified that she saw him leave three hours ago. I’m sure you’ll find him at home. Shall I call there for you?”

  “No,” Reese said quickly. If Grogovit was there, they might still have the option of following him. At the very least, she wanted to surprise the man.

  Reese was about to leave when another idea came to her, a long shot at best, but it couldn’t hurt to ask Belfora if she recognized the building that was visible through the window in her second drawing of Grogovit. Depending on how long she’d been with the company and what her jobs had been, she might know something.

  “I have another question,” Reese said. “I’m going to show you a holo of a building. Tell me if you’ve seen it before.”

  “Okay, sure.” Belfora said easily enough, but her face was tight, and it made Reese wonder what kind of boss Grogovit was. Cruz had been so frightened of him that he’d confessed to manufacturing drugs. But the receptionist’s attitude seemed to come from genuine loyalty.

  Reese put on her iTeev and pulled up her second drawing. She blurred Grogovit’s face and the objects on the tables, but left the workers and the building framed by the window. “Okay, I’m going to broadcast something to your iTeev and see if you recognize it.”

  But Belfora was in the mood to show off. She pushed a few keys on her holo keyboard and the wall behind her came alive with Reese’s drawing. It was impressive, even if Reese saw larger-than-life screens every day at division. Holo emitters required to create this large of a display weren’t available in most households, and the company having access to the technology was a sign of their prosperity.

  Bay looked up at the image and then back at Reese, a question in his eyes that she pretended not to see. “I got this from an informant a few weeks back.” This was more for Bay’s benefit than the receptionist’s. “We believe the building in the foreground might be owned by Kordell Corp. What I want to know is if you recognize either it or the outside building that is framed by the window. Look closely now and think before you decide.”

  Reese watched Belfora carefully as the younger woman studied the image, but there was no sign of recognition as she finally turned back to them, shaking her head. “Sorry. I’ve only worked here a couple years, and only recently was transferred to the main office. But those workers are dressed like ours, so it could be one of our warehouses.”

  “I know!” The voice came from behind Reese, so close that she almost jumped. She turned to see the janitor standing behind her, his rounded face staring up at the huge screen.

  “You’ve seen this place?” Bay asked him, doubt dripping from his words.

  “I see,” the man said. His face still pointed toward the screen, but his eyes riveted on Reese. “I see. I see all.”

  “Don’t mind him,” Belfora interjected. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying. He used to work for us in another department, but there were some problems.”

  “What problems?” Reese asked.

  “I see. I see!” The janitor’s eyes rolled back to the holoscreen.

  Belfora shrugged, so Reese pushed her for more. “You can tell us here or down at division.”

  Belfora scowled. “You know, financial problems.”

  “Embezzling?”

  “Yeah.” Belfora raised her voice to continue because the janitor was mumbling something else now, louder than before. “He was an accountant and was caught stealing. Several times, in fact. He was convicted and sentenced to enhancement.” The janitor fell silent during the last sentence and her words sounded too loud in the sudden silence. She lowered her voice. “They still let him work here, only now he walks with the cleaners.”

  “My head.” The janitor’s shoulders drooped forward, but his eyes still angled up to watch Reese’s face. “They fixed my head, but I still see.”

  Reese pushed her iTeev up, exposing her eyes to the janitor in an effort to connect. “You know where this building is?” she asked gently, stepping toward the man but keeping a hand on her stunner just in case.

  The janitor shot a look at Belfora and then lunged at Reese. His big hands landed on her shoulder, his grip more heavy than tight. She jabbed her stunner into his side, ready to send him to the ground in agony with the close contact feature, but she hesitated when he froze in place.

  “Elm and First, third building,” he whispered in her ear.

  Bay appeared behind the janitor, ready to drag him away from Reese, but she shook her head. A sketch filled her vision. An image of a three-story building.

  “Elm and First?” she whispered back at the janitor. “You sure?”

  “Third building. Don’t tell!” the man staggered sideways a few feet, then whirled in a surprisingly dexterous move and lumbered back to the still-working cleaner, talking to himself, his shoulders hunched as if expecting a beating.

  “Did he hurt you?” Bay asked, his brow furrowed.

  “No. He’s harmless.” Reese pulled her iTeev back over her eyes, fighting the itch to record the sketch from the janitor’s mind.

  “What did he say to you?” Belfora asked.

  “Nothing intelligible,” Reese said. “Thank you for your time. We’ll stop by Mr. Grogovit’s place and talk to his wife. Or come back tomorrow.”

  “I’ll let him know you were here then.”

  “No need.” Reese started for the door, her gaze sliding toward the janitor, who was hunched over his cleaner. Once again, h
is eyes were angled toward her, but he didn’t appear to see anything. Was he crazy? Or was the building she’d seen in his mind important?

  She waited until she was outside to look up Elm and First Street on her iTeev. The instant the juncture appeared on her holoscreen, she knew it was the same building she’d seen in the sketch from the janitor. Her fingers still itched to draw it.

  “Put on your iTeev,” she said to Bay. “I want to show you something.”

  Her partner did as she requested, and she broadcasted the building to him. “This is the address the janitor whispered in my ear. I’m thinking we need to check to see if Kordell Corp owns the building.”

  “But why didn’t you tell me you had an informant related to our bust?”

  Reese shrugged. “It didn’t seem to mean anything at the time. Nothing identifiable. I just asked them about it on a whim.”

  “Fine. Don’t tell me who your source is. I’m okay with that. I don’t tell you all mine either, but let’s go check out the building. I want to nail this pus bag.”

  “I agree.” Reese led the way to their shuttle.

  On the way to the location, she drew the sketch from the janitor’s mind, and if Bay wondered why she chose to draw the building she’d looked up on her iTeev, he didn’t ask.

  “I only hope if there are drugs at the building,” he said, “that we also find something that links Grogovit to the operation.”

  Reese hoped so too.

  Chapter 5

  AT FIRST GLANCE, THE building looked deserted, but closer examination revealed a faint glow behind the window coverings, as if someone had left an interior light on, perhaps by mistake. Or maybe they were nightlights that came on automatically. But there seemed to be nothing else that indicated human presence.