Transilience

by Kevin Bragg

  ‘Glad to see you didn’t forget about me,’ I said with very little kindness as he sat down.

  ‘Spare me your indignation, Helm. You made me look like a chump by not coming straight here.’

  He placed a MIX11 between us – its blank screen reflected the ceiling lights – and continued.

  ‘What’s in the car?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ I can play 20 Questions, too.

  He sighed. ‘You seemed a tad antsy back at the scene but I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. Now I’m thinkin’ I should’ve hauled your ass down here in the back of my cruiser. So again, I ask what’s in the car?’

  ‘Nothing. Your field techs went through it pretty thoroughly, John—’ He cut me off.

  ‘Right now, it’s Detective Ashdown.’

  ‘Anyway, like I said, Detective, they went over the entire car with a fine tooth comb and they didn’t find anything suspicious. But I suspect they already told you that. I don’t have anything to hide except an irrational love affair with a car. Sue me if you’ve got a problem with me wanting to get it fixed up as soon as possible.’

  ‘Maybe not sue you, Helm, but I’m sure that we could get some obstruction charges levelled against you,’ he replied, and then stopped short. I don’t think he wanted to get into a shouting match. ‘Don’t tread on any more favours I do for you, Helm.’

  ‘Yeah, sorry,’ I said, starting to feel like an ass. ‘Is that all? Another statement to sign on your tablet?’

  ‘Where were you Saturday night?’

  The question caught me off guard and I just looked at him for a moment.

  ‘Saturday night,’ he repeated.

  ‘Out on a date. We went to DKY for dinner and then back to my place.’

  ‘You were at your place the entire night, then?’

  He gave me a cold hard stare. I felt like I was sitting in front of my dad, getting a telling off. The anger that had somewhat abated flared up again. I crossed my arms defensively and I noted the faintest glimmer of a smile pull at the corner of his lips.

  If I was a lesser soul – and by that I mean someone not used to a cross-examination – he would have had me dead to rights. He was playing me pretty good and I’d say that within five minutes I’d have said something that I shouldn’t have said. Fortunately, I knew my way around this game as well as he did. I kept up my defensive posture but tried to use it to my advantage.

  ‘Yeah, I was at home the entire night. My date can confirm it. Her name is Erica Green. I don’t have her number off the top of my head, but she lives at 422 West Willis, Res 2.’

  Ashdown glanced up at a video camera and then back to me. A signal to check her out. Erica was going to get dragged into this. Time to see if she could sell a lie to a veteran member of Metro Police. I had my doubts and in the process lost all sense of reason.

  ‘What’s this all about? Is it about the break-in at MARA Corp late Saturday/early Sunday?’

  ‘Who said anything about a break-in?’ He tensed because he smelled a mistake on my part. I turned up the crazy.

  ‘MNN reported the break-in into a “high-tech facility”.’

  ‘There are a lot of high-tech facilities in this city, Helm.’

  ‘Not a lot with a security team swarming around them on Sunday like a pack of determined bloodhounds. It doesn’t take genius-level deductive skills to make the connection. Anyway, why are you asking me about Saturday in a very accusatory manner? The article said an arrest had been made.’

  ‘Because someone smarter than the half-wit we scooped up last night did have something to do with the break-in, that’s for sure. The job was way too sophisticated for him and there aren’t a whole lot of people with the type of training required to infiltrate a facility such as MARA Corporation undetected.’ He leaned back in his chair with the MIX in hand. The glow from the screen reflected off his face. ‘But you do from your service days.’

  ‘Was anything taken?’ I asked trying to deflect the conversation away from me.

  ‘No,’ he answered, without conviction.

  ‘So if that’s the case, then was he caught trying to break into MARA Corp? I ask because I’m trying to understand why you arrested a man you don’t think is connected to the break-in.’

  Ashdown waffled. He couldn’t lie here because the news article said the arrest happened this morning, and I already established that I had read it.

  ‘Fine,’ the detective replied on the back end of a sigh. ‘The perp was found in possession of stolen goods from MARA Corp.’

  I crossed my arms. ‘I don’t understand why you’re asking me where I was, and what I was doing last night. Whether you believe it, or not, you have your guy. Seems to me like an open-and-shut case.’

  ‘Because the guy insisted that he found the stolen property in an alley in Res 3. And, like I said, he isn’t exactly the criminal mastermind type. He isn’t lying. I’ve been in this business long enough to know when I’m being lied to.’

  ‘Has he named any accomplices?’

  ‘No. He’s sticking to his story about finding the item in question in the alley. The guy has no record. No reason to lie. I think someone put it there, and he found it.’

  I shook my head and affected a chuckle. All part of the show.

  ‘So let me get this straight. You think that I busted into MARA Corp, boosted some item from inside the building, then dumped it in an alley for some poor slob to stumble across and take the heat for me? Why would I even do that? Risk a b-and-e, then further risk getting caught by disposing of it in an alley? Why not destroy it? Or hide it for no one to ever find? I’d like to think I’m smarter than that.’

  ‘It’s hard to say what you would do, Helm. Maybe you didn’t like what you found. Maybe someone hired you to do it to send a message to Kitterman that her joint isn’t as secure as she might think it is. It could be a hundred different things. But what I do know is that we have video of you driving through Res 3 yesterday and then you were in the area today. It’s all a bit suspicious, even you have to admit that.’

  ‘I bet that you have video of me driving through a lot of places, yesterday. In fact, if you review the files long enough, you’ll see me staggering out of the 3rd Street Lounge after midnight. Maybe I just have a soft spot for the worst parts of this town. Anyway, John, do you have actual video of me getting out of my car and disposing of the item? Or any other evidence to connect me to it? Do you have anything that isn’t circumstantial?’ I had used his first name, again, to try to rile him up a bit and throw him off his game.

  He didn’t rise to the bait and continued to look at me through narrowed eyes. I figured I might as well keep talking.

  ‘As for why I was in the area yesterday, I was out for a drive, and I like to visit the old neighbourhood from time to time. Last time I checked, that isn’t a crime. And you already know why I was on the east side today. I made a statement, which is why I thought you called me down here – to sign it.’

  Now to apply a little righteous indignation to the situation: I put my hands on the table and leaned in for the full effect.

  ‘Not to mention, that if you had anything solid on me,’ I continued, raising my voice just a tad, ‘you wouldn’t have let me take my car today. You would have brought me in yourself. These accusations you’re trying to hang on me are all last minute and I don’t know what you’re playing at, Detective, but it stinks.’

  ‘Calm down, Helm, they’re routine. That’s all.’

  He eyed me again warily. ‘No need to get worked up into a huff. You are one of the few people that could pull off a heist like that and you know that you are. I’d be a piss-poor cop if I didn’t question you – and you know that too.’

  A light flashed on the wall and Ashdown stood up. ‘I’ll be back shortly.’

  With his MIX11 in hand, he made for the door.

  ‘Can I at least get a cup of Joe while I wait?’

  ‘Sure. I’ll have one of the uniforms bring you one. In the meantime,
sit tight.’ He walked out and left me alone, again, with my thoughts.

  A couple of minutes later a beat cop brought me a paper cup filled with slightly-warmer-than-room-temperature coffee. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have touched it. But these weren’t normal circumstances and the act of drinking it gave me something to do.

  Nothing but cold dregs remained when the detective returned to my interrogation room. He pushed his tablet and a stylus in front of me. My statement from today filled the display.

  ‘I’m guessing my alibi checks out,’ I said as I looked down at the document.

  ‘Yeah, Ms Green confirmed your story and we have no evidence of you leaving your place. It must’ve been someone else.’

  Whew! I owed her big time now.

  The statement appeared to be on the up-and-up so I autographed it and pushed it back towards Ashdown’s side of the table.

  ‘Am I free to leave?’

  He picked up the computer, glanced at the signature line, and put it to sleep.

  ‘You’re free to go.’

  I stood and walked out of the room.

  ‘Look, no hard feelings,’ he said as I passed him at the doorway. ‘I’m just doing my job and chasing leads. You know how it is.’

  I scanned the area quickly and saw Erica being led out of the bullpen by another police officer. She looked good. I kept quiet as I watched her head to the elevator bank. I wasn’t sure how I could thank her and hoped she might have a suggestion or two.

  ‘Sure, John, no hard feelings,’ I replied with a distinct lack of sincerity as I looked back at Ashdown.

  ‘Juarez’ll take you downstairs.’ He extended a hand to shake.

  I pulled a move from his playbook and jammed my hands into my pockets and followed Juarez towards the elevator bank.

  21

  On the main floor, the desk officer, a guy this time, signed me out. By the time I was a free man, I spied Erica walking towards the subway entrance. I dashed out of the building and called her name.

  ‘Erica!’

  She turned back. A smile that was equal parts relief and happiness seemed to spread on her face. We met and hugged.

  ‘Thanks for the alibi.’

  ‘I’m not saying I’d like to make a habit out of it, but if it helped keep you a free man, then all the better.’

  ‘How did it go?’

  ‘Well enough, I suppose. We’re both here, right?’

  ‘True. Sorry about that. You came up during an interview.’

  ‘About the other night?’

  People flowed past us on the sidewalk like leaves on a lazy river.

  ‘Not at first, no. The interview started out as this’ – I swirled my hand around my face to highlight the areas I’d been punched – ‘and turned into the other night.’

  She had to know what the other night was about. She read the news. She’s smart. I admired her resolve to help me out even more.

  A look of concern crossed her features.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘More or less. I think.’

  Erica checked her smartwatch. ‘Listen, can we walk and talk? I’m late for work.’

  Thrown off, I checked my own MAX. ‘Can we meet later? I need to see about my car and a few other things.’

  ‘Is one of them a trip to the doctor’s office?’

  ‘It might be.’

  ‘Sure, Danny.’ She touched my bruised cheek. ‘Call me later?’

  ‘Definitely.’

  With that, Erica turned and walked towards the escalator down to the Underground station. I scanned the streets for an available cab.

  The arrival of a stretch Baker Electric hijacked my attempt to hail an approaching LTI. A guy in a well-cut suit and trench coat, who looked like he could be the starting linebacker on any pro team, climbed out.

  ‘Daniel Helmqvist?’ he asked with a clear powerful voice and approached me.

  ‘It depends on who’s asking,’ I replied and almost immediately regretted it.

  He grabbed me by the upper arm with fingers like a vice grip.

  ‘A real jokester, eh? Come on. Someone wants to see you.’

  He then proceeded to walk me to the limo whether I wanted to or not.

  ‘Easy, pal,’ I said. ‘We’re in front of Metro HQ. I call out and you’ve got a ton of heat on you in the blink of an eye.’

  He relaxed a bit and looked around as if he only now realised where we were. ‘Get in the car.’

  I slid into an open space on the left side of the rear compartment. On the bench seat opposite me were two other passengers. The linebacker hopped into the space closest to the door. The car immediately merged into traffic.

  The meathead sitting to my left looked to be cut from the same cloth as the one who ushered me into this luxury carriage. Together they presented a formidable pair of bruisers. I knew without hesitation that these guys took great delight in working over somebody. Sandwiched between the two pillars of muscle sat a woman of modest beauty. She had a soft chin, high cheekbones and a Roman nose. Her shoulder-length hair was a deep chestnut brown. She wore a pencil-skirt suit and that bored look popular amongst the super smart.

  ‘Ms Kitterman, what a pleasant surprise,’ I said with a slight smile and quick survey of the Baker. ‘This definitely beats your run-of-the-mill taxi crawling around New London but I suspect that you aren’t here to give me a lift back to my office, are you?’

  The guy to her left clenched his right hand into a tight fist. Without turning her gaze from me, she patted his arm. He relaxed it a bit.

  ‘I have heard that you have quite the sense of humour, Mr Helmqvist,’ she replied with a soft voice that still retained a trace of Northern Ireland. ‘I thought that it was the least I could do as a thank you for the safe return of my property.’

  Her ambiguity put me on edge. I all but gulped. Property? Was this about Sunday morning? Or something else related to today? The best course of action was to play dumb.

  ‘I don’t follow,’ I said after some hesitation.

  She adjusted herself in her seat slightly, fixing her skirt as she did so.

  ‘I was led to believe you found my android in an abandoned warehouse today and telephoned the police.’

  At that precise moment, I noticed her eyes for the first time. Deep emerald green, nearly the same shade and shape as Charlotte Rennick’s. Mara must have modelled the android after herself. The differences in face and body spoke volumes as to how Kitterman must’ve viewed herself. But the eyes… Who could forget those?

  If we all had a chance to play God, I suppose we’d all make ourselves in our own image. It also explained why Mara would keep the datapad inside my client. I guess, though, Mara never underestimated the steadfast loyalty of her creation. A story as old as time. But at least she didn’t name her Eve.

  ‘It was no trouble at all, Ms Kitterman. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.’

  Not unlike her pulling up moments after I parted ways with Ashdown. Coincidence? Hardly, but I didn’t peg the detective as some two-bit stoolie on Kitterman’s payroll. It had to be someone else but the list of potentials was too long to devote a whole lot of mental energy to it. Kitterman had me in her ride for one reason: information. What did I know and what did I tell the police?

  ‘Anyway, there was no need to collect me from the police station,’ I continued. ‘If you wanted to thank me, you could’ve called my office or paid me a visit there in person.’ I reached for the door handle. ‘Now, if you’d be so kind as to tell the driver to stop, I’ll get out here.’

  This time the goon to my right roughly pushed me back into my seat.

  I gave the thug a hard look but he wasn’t impressed. ‘Or not.’

  ‘Don’t be so discourteous, Mr Helmqvist,’ Mara said with that patronising voice that all wealthy Brits seem to have at their disposal.

  ‘Me?’ I said with genuine disbelief. ‘I’m not the one taking a guy on a sightseeing tour of New London agai
nst his will.’ And a tour it was. We’d left RD1 by way of the tunnel that connected it to the IM but turned right at the Inner Ring road. The plan seemed to be to drive as many orbits around the district as it took to satisfy Kitterman’s curiosity.

  Anyway, that last comment didn’t go over so well. She unleashed bodyguard No. 2 on my left, with nothing more than a furtive glance his way. He leaned over and backhanded me on the right side of my face. It was like getting hit with a frying pan.

  ‘I’d say something about you proving my point, but I think that I’d just get more of the same,’ I finished as I rubbed my jaw.

  ‘Now, now, Mr Helmqvist. Don’t be so dramatic, and I would suggest dropping the attitude. I would hate to see your face bruised any more than it already is.’

  I slumped into my seat. ‘Fine. What do you want from me?’

  ‘I would like to know what happened today. That is all.’

  ‘What’s there to tell? I already gave the police my statement and I’m sure that you’ve already seen it.’

  She arched her eyebrow questioningly. I knew my mouth was going to get me in trouble but it didn’t stop me from asking for more of the rough stuff.

  ‘Oh, come on! I suppose that you just happened to be passing by the police station and it suddenly occurred to you that I might need a lift. We both know that you knew exactly when I was being released.’

  ‘Are you suggesting that I have informants in the police department?’

  ‘Yeah, pretty much.’ This time the thug on my right leaned in and landed a solid blow to my chest. It threw me into a coughing fit. He leaned back and admired his handy work.

  ‘We do not have to do it this way, Mr Helmqvist. I am simply trying to learn all that I can about the attack on my employee today,’ Mara said once I finished hacking my lungs out.

  ‘You mean the robot?’

  ‘Android, yes, but Charlotte was very dear to me and I like to think of her as more than a soulless machine.’

  ‘Such devotion to your creation. How touching. A regular Doctor Frankenstein.’ A fiery glow sparked in the depths of her eyes and her nostrils flared in anger.