Salvi and Mitch exited their Raider, tapped their holo-badges, pulled their guns and approached the vehicle carefully.
“He’s dead,” one of the officers told them. Salvi’s shoulders slumped as she peered inside the open door of the vehicle.
Hinde had a single bullet wound to the head. She knew the wound was not self-inflicted. Hinde’s hands were empty. His gun was still in its holster, and there were no other weapons visible. She looked at Mitch, who shone his weapon’s torchlight into the backseat of the car.
“The ghost is scared,” she said, unable to hide the concern in her voice.
“Is he?” Mitch asked, glancing at her, then at the uniformed officers who had beaten them to the scene. “Or is he just still cleaning house?”
“We need to know what Hinde knew. I’ll call Ford.”
“And Sorensen,” Mitch said. “Get all of them in. It’s time for everyone to lay their cards on the table.”
Salvi watched as the whole team gathered in the empty office tenancy: Ford, Noble, Sorensen, Shadid, Bronte, Hernandez, and Mitch. By the time they had arrived, Riverton had located the autocab, abandoned on the side of the street near the city centre. It had been hacked and remote controlled.
“What the fuck is going on?” Ford asked Sorenson, folding her arms. “If you know something you better tell me, because we got another dead detective, and I’ve got one of mine in the hospital in a real fuckin’ bad way!”
Sorenson raised his hands. “I don’t know what this was about.”
“Was he working this case for you at Floor to Ceiling?”
“No.”
“Was he working another case at Floor to Ceiling?”
“He might have been chasing a lead–”
“Might have?” Ford asked. “Our AI has pegged him twelve times in that place over the last month. That’s as far as Chaney’s surveillance went. God knows how long he’s been frequenting there.”
Sorenson exhaled, clenching his jaw. “I don’t know anything about it. I guess I had a cop that liked the sleazy life. I can’t control what they do off duty. How’d he make it into the club in the first place?”
“I guess he had friends in the right places,” Ford said, then turned to Noble. “You know anything about this?”
He shook his head. “No. He was helping us with this money laundering case, said he’d been hitting the club scene, but he never mentioned the Ceiling.”
“Kara?” Salvi asked. “You never saw him there?”
Kara looked edgy. “I saw him once. I asked him about it afterward and he said he’d followed a lead there. I didn’t think anything of it.”
“When was this?” Ford asked.
“A couple of weeks back. Before Caine died.”
“Did Caine see him?” Salvi asked.
Kara looked edgy again. “I don’t know.”
“Did Hinde ID Caine as a cop to our ghost?” Salvi asked, trying to control the fire that was shooting through her veins. “Because if he did…”
“I don’t know!” Kara said. “But if he did, then why didn’t he ID me?”
“Kara?” Sorensen asked his detective. “Is that everything you know? Do not fucking lie to me. We’ve got countless shields out there undercover. If they’re in danger too..?”
“I swear!” she said vehemently. “I liked Caine, alright. I would never betray the badge!”
Ford turned back to Noble. “If he was working the money laundering case, then what link brought him there?”
“I don’t know!” he said. “We’re stripping our digital files looking for whatever we can. As soon as we know something, I’ll tell you.”
“Fuck this shit!” Ford barked angrily. “People are hacking autocabs now!”
“Hey,” Sorenson said. “I know one of your guys is in the hospital, but don’t forget that one of my detectives has been murdered. Innocent until proven guilty, huh? Maybe he liked it seedy, fine, but maybe he also saw something he shouldn’t have.”
“Then he should’ve reported it!” Ford said.
“He didn’t report it,” Bronte said carefully, “because he knew it would implicate himself and he might lose his badge.”
“What’s Riverton got to say about the conversation between Beggs and Hinde at the hub?” Sorensen asked Ford.
“Hinde said nothing,” she said. “Beggs did all the talking.”
“Yeah, your guy handled things just great, by the way,” Noble said. “We could’ve had Hinde here now talking to us, but your guy set him off.”
“Look–” Ford began but she stopped when an incoming call sounded. She accepted the call on her iPort and her eyes turned silver. “Riverton?”
They all stood in silence and watched.
“Shit…” Ford said, dropping her head and closing her eyes briefly. She turned away from them. “When?” She nodded to herself. “Okay. I’ll be right there.” She ended the comms, placed her hands on her hips and looked up to the ceiling. “Fuck!”
Salvi’s heart raced. “Beggs?”
Ford turned back to them. “No. Lance Chaney’s dead.”
“What?” Salvi asked, feeling the blood rush out of her. “What about his tail? We had two cops watching him.”
Ford looked to Sorenson. “They’re dead too,” she said gently. “I’m sorry.”
“Farrugia and Burke?” Sorensen said, straightening. “My guys are dead? The fuck?”
“Oh, Jesus...,” Kara said, lowering her head into her hands.
“This ghost is everywhere,” Mitch said. “He’s watching everything.”
“Let’s head to the crime scene,” Ford said, “see what we can find out.”
“No,” Salvi said, shaking her head. “I’m going to speak with Myki Natashi before someone erases her too.”
“I’ll come with you,” Mitch said to Salvi, and they hurried toward the door.
13: GHOSTED
Dawn began to break as the Raider snaked its way across town to, of all places, Francis Mellon’s house. It was the last place that Myki had been seen, according to Riverton’s data. Two days after Barker’s murder, she had packed her things and moved back in with her ex, Mellon.
“She’s not going to talk to us if she’s back with Mellon,” Mitch said. “She’s in this up to her neck.”
“We just have some follow-up questions on the case. Mellon can’t deny us that.”
An alert sounded on the Raider’s console. Salvi tapped the screen and answered the incoming communication from Riverton.
“What is it, Riverton?” Salvi said.
“I’ve undertaken further analysis on Barker’s photographs,” it said. “It appears they have indeed been tampered with. Whoever was responsible did an excellent job at covering their tracks, however, my applications were able to find a faint digital trace.”
“What’s been altered?” Salvi asked, as Mitch switched the Raider into autodrive, his eyes fixed on the console screen.
“Bodies have been erased from two of the photographs.” Two images appeared on the screen. One was the image of the women with their glasses raised. In the background, Salvi saw the enhanced outline trace of a person on the edge of the photo. Just half a face, half a body, but it had been erased from the image.
“How do we know that Barker didn’t just clean this image up to keep the focus on the women?” Salvi asked.
“This could be a possibility,” Riverton said. “However, based on statements made by Mr. Chaney in his interview, I believe the body in the first image may just be our ghost, detective. If you look carefully,” Riverton zoomed in on the image and the trace of the man’s face showing extra lines. The AI then enhanced the lines. “This face appears to be wearing a digital mask.”
Salvi’s heartbeat shot up a notch. She exchanged a glance with Mitch. “It could be… but the types of people this club drew, we can’t be sure it’s not just someone else wearing a digital mask for fun. I saw a woman wearing one in Diabolique.”
“Perhaps, detec
tive. However, it is odd this one has been erased, don’t you agree?”
“Possibly.”
“And the other image?” Mitch asked.
“I will need to undertake further work, detective, but early indications are that the second figure is that of Detective Caine.”
Now the blood seemed to drain out of Salvi’s veins completely. She stared at the second image. It was of a group of four men, and on the edge of the group a fifth man had been erased. She watched as their AI zoomed in on the figure and enhanced the trace, making extra lines appear. Even though the shape was only an outline, Salvi recognized it as Caine’s. The shape of his hair, the way he held his body. That smile.
“These must be the guys Chaney said he saw him with,” Mitch said. Salvi scanned the faces of the others in the picture.
“I’ve met one of these,” Salvi said, her eyes falling onto the young, handsome man in the centre of the group. “The dark blonde in the middle. His name is Tom Bradley.”
“Who is he?” Mitch asked.
“Just some guy who flirted with me while I was waiting for Chaney. Chaney made a crack about how if he left a woman for a moment, Tom was in there trying his luck.”
Mitch nodded. “Sounds like he wanted what Chaney had.”
Salvi exchanged a glance with Mitch, then looked back to the screen. “But when I spoke to Chaney in the interview room, he admitted he’d seen Caine with some of the regulars, but he never identified Tom Bradley. Chaney was on a first name basis with this guy. He knew that I knew him.”
“But Chaney also said he promises his clientele anonymity. You think he purposely didn’t mention who it was because he was protecting him?”
“I don’t know,” she said, looking back at Mitch. “I mean, I think this guy has just finished college. Maybe that’s why Chaney protected him, because he’s young. There’s no way he could be the ghost. He wouldn’t have the power.” She turned her eyes back to the first image, the half-figure on the edge of the shot, wearing a digital mask. “But we might just have half a ghost, here. Now we just need to find the rest of him.”
“And you think Myki can help us with that?” Mitch asked.
Salvi nodded, staring out the Raider’s window as the city flew past. “She dated Francis Mellon for years before they broke up. She once dated a powerful man with some of the most powerful friends in the city. I have no doubt she met these friends during their time dating, and I think if we push her, she might just know who the ghost actually is.”
“If she can identify the ghost, then why is she still alive?” Mitch asked.
Salvi looked at him. “Because Mellon still loves her. She falls under his protection.”
Salvi and Mitch stood outside Francis Mellon’s luxurious multi-story house, pressing the comms buzzer on the gate console.
“You know what time it is?” a dark-haired man in a sweat suit answered. By the looks of his broad torso, he was one of Mellon’s security.
Salvi and Mitch tapped their holo-badges. “We need to speak with Myki Natashi. We believe she’s staying here.”
“Where’d you hear that?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. He didn’t look like they’d woken him, which meant Mellon had put him on the night shift. Salvi wondered if that was usual practice for Mellon, or whether he’d recently stepped up his security coverage.
Salvi smiled. “She’s a witness in a murder case and we have a few final questions for her.”
“She’s not here–”
“No,” Myki said stepping into view, pulling a robe tightly around her. “I’m here.” She rubbed her face awake and the guy gave her a pissed look. “They’ll just come back,” she said to him.
“Yes, we will,” Salvi said firmly.
Myki turned to face the camera as the security guy stepped out of frame. “What do you want?”
“We just need to ask you a few more questions,” Salvi said.
“I told you everything I know.”
“Myki, more people have died since the attack on your apartment. We’ve got an epidemic on our hands. It’s just a couple last questions.”
Myki sighed and looked away from the screen for a moment, her mind turning over. She looked back at the glowing holo-badge projecting from Mitch’s chest and read the details. He was a new face to her, after all. She finally relented and buzzed them in.
“I’ll see you at the front door.”
The gates before them opened and they stepped onto the property to be greeted by another member of Mellon’s security. This one was female, muscular, and with a hard look about her face. Salvi wouldn’t want to fight her. The woman, chewing gum, motioned with her head for them to follow the path to the front door. Salvi nodded and led the way while Mitch followed silently. In the grey early morning light, they began walking along the white path that split a green lawn surrounded by thick tropical gardens. At least they would be come spring; most had shed their leaves through the cold.
The porch lights turned on and Myki stepped out in a long robe, with the security guy waiting close by.
“Myki,” Salvi nodded, pausing at the steps that led up to the porch.
Myki stood before them, arms folded. She clearly didn’t want them to enter the house. Perhaps she was protective of Mellon too. “I don’t have anything else to tell you about that night. I told you I don’t remember.”
“I know,” Salvi said gently, knowing exactly what a night on Flyte felt like. “I believe you when you say that. We don’t want to talk about that. We want to talk about Francis Mellon.”
“What? Why?” Myki’s face screwed up as though they’d insulted her.
“Is he here?” Salvi asked.
“No,” she said. “He’s out of town on business.”
“But she’s not alone,” the security guy warned them.
“We can see that,” Mitch said.
“Can we talk alone, Myki?” Salvi asked, motioning to the security guy.
Myki glanced at him, then sighed impatiently and moved down the steps of the porch and along the pathway a few steps, before coming to a stop.
“Why do you want to know about Francis?” she asked.
“It’s just interesting,” Salvi said, “that the night Devon was killed, an associate of Francis’, Vincent Calabri, was in the area, then literally a few days later, you’re moving back in with Francis. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on here. With you and Francis. Are you here willingly?”
“Yes,” she said adamantly. “He didn’t kill Devon. Neither did Vincent.”
“How do you know, Myki?” Salvi asked. “You said you couldn’t remember what happened. You sure he wasn’t jealous about you being with Devon?”
“No.” She looked away. “Our break-up was mutual. Francis is… he’s complicated, but he understands.”
“Understands what, Myki? How to use fear and intimidation to get what he wants?”
She looked back at Salvi. “You don’t know him at all.”
“If he’s that great, why did you break up with him?”
“That’s a personal matter between me and him. No one else,” she said firmly.
“Myki, Devon was killed and two days later you’re back with your ex. You know what that looks like, right?”
“Can you tell us about his friendship with John Dorant?” Mitch asked. Myki turned her eyes to him, then looked back at Salvi.
“If Francis is the criminal you think he is, do you think he’d be so stupid as to draw attention to himself like this? If you know Francis at all, you’ll know that isn’t his style.” Myki took a few steps away, looking at the large wall that bordered the property, giving it privacy from the outside world. “Whatever you may think of him, he’s not like that. He’s a classy guy. He has a heart.”
Salvi stared at her in analysis. “You still love him.”
Myki glanced at her, then turned her eyes away.
Salvi stepped closer to Myki. “Did Francis rescue you from Devon?”
Myki looked
back at her. “No! Devon wasn’t like that either. You think I’m some stupid model that will take any asshole that shows me attention? I have standards too, you know. They both treated me well.”
“So why was Devon killed and you were left alive?”
“I told you I don’t know!”
“Vincent Calabri and his associates were spotted by drones in the vicinity the night Devon was killed, Myki. Calabri works for Mellon. We know he sent Calabri there to kill Devon, and we know he asked that you be spared. Because he loves you too. What we want to know is why Devon had to be killed.”
Myki shook her head and looked away, quickly brushing a tear from her cheek.
“John Dorant has the power to order a hit,” Salvi continued. “Francis, through his friendship with Dorant, had the power to have you spared. At least one of Calabri’s goons was seen wearing one of those neural implant devices that seem to have hit the street,” she lied. “You know what that means? It means we can link Francis to Devon’s murder and to the neural implants on the street.” The link was tenuous and would not stand up in court without hard evidence, but Salvi hoped Myki didn’t know that.
“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.”
The Sensation Page 23
