by Pam Uphoff
Chapter Three
"Your assistant is already in your office." Ms. C'ank sniffed dismissively as Xaero approached.
"Excellent. Glad to see he's not living up to his reputation." She would not let C'ank get to her this early in the morning.
Xaero opened her office door and paused just inside. Raelphe stood opposite her, looking bright and attentive. That was never a good sign. Even as the thought formed, a creak sounded from above and a stream of sand hit her head, cascading through her spines and down her shoulders.
Raelphe whooped with laughter.
Xaero reached deep for the quiet at her center. Surely it took more than an immature Cave Slug to drive her to commit murder. Her grandfather had taught her to be stoic in the face of the over emotional cave dwellers. She closed the door quietly and waited silently until his laughter stopped.
"Are you a lawyer or a child . . . Raelphy?" Xaero walked around to her desk and sat down. Dust floated in the air, stale.
He really does need a higher quality source of sand.
Raelphy cringed at the use of his child-name, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Xaero pointedly ignored him, turning her attention instead to the files on her new client. She opened them and started reading.
"Good thing a senior partner—or client didn't stop by—this morning, isn't it . . . Raelphy?" She continued to ignore the young lizard's crestfallen expression, his awkward squirming and throat clearing. She called up Blozolli's file and checked a few things.
Raelphe hurried across the office and picked up the empty can. Glanced at her. He scooped up the most obvious pile of sand, the can grating across the granite floor. He winced and used his hands to scoop up a bit more. As he moved toward her trash basket, Xaero shook her head and pointed at the merril tree in the corner. Raelphe hesitated, then pour the sand around the tree's roots. Then with a glance her way, he deposited the can in her trash.
And sat, looking small. Right. Hopefully that was enough. He'd either learn to discipline himself or she'd send him back to his father. Right now it was time to get to work.
"This is a bit awkward," Xaero closed the computer file and locked the access. She really didn't want the backstabbing junior lawyers—much less some of the senior partners—getting wind of this.
"What? Is that the file on the Mars development guy? The new client? Aren't you going to be able to get him off?"
She brushed her shoulders again, more from irritation than lingering sand, and eyed him disapprovingly. "Reading between the lines, I'm not sure but that our new client, this Director Metini L'azlod, of the Martian International Development Agency wasn't caught in the act of trying to murder my previous client, good old Blozolli C'dasl ."
"What?" Pure astonishment sent frills flat and spines erect.
"He managed to pass it off as a bit of industrial spying, checking on a contractor he thought was cheating the MIDA—Mars International Development Agency, you know — but the place he was first seen was at the back of a place Blozo let slip was a Red Ever Mars meeting place. The police found what is best described as a small bomb abandoned, not set, in concealment between there and where Director Metini L'azlod was arrested."
"The police think he dropped it?" Raelphy was too astonished to even twitch at the insulting contraction of a client's name into an implied pseudofem form.
"The police are claiming that he hid it, planning to come back and set it after he'd dodged pursuit. He claims the first person they saw couldn't possibly have been him, and he has co-operated with scale tests."
"So, he knew it was clean." Raelphe had dropped his irritating mannerisms and, his eyes sparkled brightly.
"Or it really wasn't him. So far the police are holding him on trespass and loitering-with-intent charges." Xaero hissed to herself for a moment. "If they haven't shown any proof by now, I'll probably be able to get them to drop the charges and release him. That would be the best outcome. Then I'll personally escort him to the monorail and get him out of town."
"What!?" Outrage now in every quivering spine. "We could follow him around town, watch what he does, find out what he's up to. We know Blozolli's a terrorist saboteur, maybe this guy's trying to stop REM the wrong way."
"No. Blozolli is not a terrorist saboteur. That was proven in court. Mind you, if he hadn't broken his leg the day before, he might well have been the lizard that did the job. But that is none of our business. Nor are we going to speculate on the possibility of a highly placed official of the MIDA playing tit-for-tat. It's none of our business. L'azlod is our client. We are not police. We're lawyers—or at least I am and you're supposed to be. We most certainly are not private detectives." She cast a jaundiced eye at the youngster's attempt to appear downcast. "And you'd better not even think about acting like one. These guys play dirty. Both sides, by the look of it."
She frowned, and then decided it was time he got some real life experience. "C'mon. Let's go talk to this Detective Jodeni Fre G'sele and get L'azlod off the hook."
***
The longer than average runaround at the new city jail gave Raelphe a tour of the office areas and, finally, produced the lizard she needed.
Detective G'sele was an unprepossessing male. But studying him, Xaero realized that his rumpled suit was well-made in a style more often seen in Imperial City than Icefire Metropolis. Xaero wondered if they'd called in the Department of Martian Security for this case. Certainly anything to do with the international pipeline project would warrant the attention of the DMS.
Then there was the office. It was plain, empty of anything personal. A scarred table, three stools.
"I do hope I haven't pulled you away from anything important, detective." Xaero smiled nicely. "But I am a little surprised you haven't released my client already."
"He was trespassing with intent."
She wasn't fooled by the mildly blinking eyes taking everything in. She suddenly wished she'd left Raelphe at home. He didn't have enough experience in hiding his thoughts and feelings to fool this lizard.
"Trespassing? I thought he was on the property of a company that was doing work for him or, more correctly, for the Martian International Development Agency."
"They were quite surprised to learn that he was there." Those mildly blinking eyes were fixed on her.
She started regulating her breathing and raised her crestal spines just a hair in skepticism. "A surprise inspection is hardly out of line, considering the questionable billing and shoddy work being done by the company."
"What do you know about that?"
She opened a palm to him, "All MIDA communications are public record, in compliance with the treaty terms. I read the correspondence this morning." And that time will be on the bill.
He settled back, limper than before. "So you came running down to rescue Prince Charming?"
She raised her crest again and blinked at him. "I've never met the lizard. Do you find him attractive?"
Even the irritated glare she finally got out of him was a bit limp and tired. "He is often mistaken for Crown Prince Fensteri, and has been known to take advantage of that."
Xaero considered this information. Could the detective be with the Imperial Security Division of the DMS? "Really? How, err, interesting. No wonder you dislike him; he must complicate your work enormously."
Those deceptively mild eyes stopped blinking briefly. He didn't even bother with denying her identification of him as an imperial agent. Instead, he glanced at his chrono, and rose wearily. "Come with me please." He opened the door and stepped through first, but standing back bowed her through next.
She stepped into the utilitarian gray corridor and turned to find herself face to face with the most handsome male she'd ever laid eyes on. Breathe two three four, breathe two three four. As confident of her control as was possible, she extended her hand. "Director Metini L'azlod? I'm your attorney, Xaero L'svages."
L'azlod was tall and muscular in a smooth flowing fashion vastly different from Blozolli's lumpy musculatur
e. His scales were bronze, metallic at the edges darkening to black toward the center, his spines nearly glowing. Tall. Muscular. Broad shouldered. Handsome. Glowing. Breathe two three four, breathe two three four. He glanced at her cheek flares and gave her a look of utter contempt. "I trust you are competent enough to get me out of here."
All right. He could stand to lose some weight.
She turned to the detective who seemed to have developed a facial tic in need of scratching. "Are you planning on prosecuting this . . . business misunderstanding?"
"Not at all." He produced a crystal and handed it to her. "Just show this to the front desk on your way out." He nodded to the uniformed cops beyond L'azlod, who turned and walked away.
"A pleasure to meet you, detective," she growled and, gesturing to L'azlod, started for the elevators.
"The pleasure was all mine, Miss Xaer . . . o."
Son of a cheeper.
She could only hope Raelphe hadn't caught her all too female reaction to L'azlod. The first person to call her Xaera was going to die. Painfully.
Raelphe was happy to scamper ahead and summon a cab. L'azlod agreed that leaving the Metro area immediately was a sensible action, but rejected her escort with another sneer. She nodded politely as he entered the cab and departed, leaving her in a black mood.
"I still think we should follow him, Aunt Xaero!" Raelphe gave her a pleading look.
"Well, it might be a good idea to know if he does, or does not, leave town." She told him, trying to not feel guilty for wanting to get rid of him. "There's a news stand outside the Met Hotel. Just read titles for a bit until he comes out with his luggage. If you happen to hear what he tells the cabbie, that's even better, but don't, repeat, do not, bring any notice to yourself."
Alone at last she stalked across the street and off toward her favorite restaurant. It was a long way to walk, off the Main Square of the Main Cavern, but the exercise would burn off some of her ire. Then maybe she'd go shopping or something. She couldn't face the office.
Xaera.
Now it was an anger response she had to fight down. How could I have let myself react! If Raelphe noticed, if he was stupid enough to not understand the ramifications of revealing her maturation into fertility. . . No, Raelphe wasn't stupid. But young enough to not think through the consequences. She'd just have to hope for unobservant.
Chapter Four
She was still furious come morning. She got in early, hoping to see Raelphy alone. Maybe she'd better stick to calling him Raelphe. He hadn't acted like he noticed anything, but then he'd rushed right off. Oh sand! Deception was such a pain, but L'azlod's assumption of her incompetence was exactly what she had to look forward to from the family.
Maybe she'd leave the firm. She had plenty of startup money. She could make it on her own. Raelphe wasn't in. Bloody teenagers. He'd probably make a loud entrance after there was an audience and tell everyone the welcome news about Auntie Xaera.
She hissed in irritation and slapped the glowing message machine.
"Aunt Xaero! He's not leaving! He going to someplace called 'Misfit's Haven'. He told the cabby it was on Fortune's Crevasse. I didn't catch the exact address, but I can find it! I'll check out what kind of place it is." Click.
Xaero stared at the machine in horror. The Misfit's Haven was a kinky sex club, the meeting place that L'azlod may or may not have been intending to blow up. The machine had registered the message at 40/55. While she'd been at lunch. If she'd come back to the office, she could have caught him. The Haven wouldn't have been open for business yet, all he could have done was hang around outside.
Hang around outside a REM meeting place. . . .
. . . that a MIDA director wanted to destroy.
Xaero leapt for her comp and checked the news. No fires, explosions, or unidentified bodies.
"He's just sleeping in." She settled herself to wait. In thirty millisplits she was punching in his home number. It rang endlessly. "He's on the way to the office. He'll be here in a split or two."
She stewed for half a split before the phone rang.
"Aunt Xaero!" a hoarse whisper that was undoubtedly the missing Raelphe. "Record this!"
She hit the record button reflexively as she opened her mouth but he was still talking, so she listened instead.
"They caught me when I tried to sneak in the back, tied me up. Dust Storm, you wouldn't believe what goes on here!" He sounded more gratifyingly astonished than shocked. "Anyhow, you were right about Blozolli knowing about this place. He's here and he's expecting someone. It sounds like he's expecting the head of the entire REM! Instructions for 'the Final Blow,' I heard him say! I got loose, but I'm going to go back and see if I can learn more. Get the Dims here, quick!"
"Raelphy, get out of there!" Too late. She was screaming at thin air.
"Oh Sand!" She hastily punched up the number she'd used the day before.
"I need to speak to Detective Jodeni Fre G'sele, please." She used her most 'I am just an honest and very polite civilian voice', with smile tones. She had to force the smile. Hard.
"No such person is stationed at the central station." The bored voice had no smile.
"Thank you." Xaero winced. So much for finding him hanging around with the regular constables. She asked the comp to find a number for the Imperial Security Division. Nothing but an out of town contact number. Dims, umm, Department of Martian Security, local office? Yes, they had a number.
"I'm attempting to find a Jodeni Fre G'sele." She just made it a flat statement, this time. No telling what his actual title or job was.
"One moment." Dead air.
"Good morning, Miss L'svages. How may I help you."
"My young colleague, in an excess of zeal, has apparently confused a lawyer's proper relationships with a client with some romantic ideas about becoming a private detective. He undertook to see what Director L'azlod was up to. I think Raelphe's in trouble. I think it involves the REM and a club called 'The Misfits' Haven' on Fortunes Crevasse. I'm on my way there to see if I can locate him."
"Meet me at the Town Park west entrance." G'sele hung up on her.
The park was one of her favorite places. Holes bored through two hundred strides of solid rock provided natural light to plants cherished for their beauty and rarity. The onsite museum had one of the original solid quartz plugs, dated at nearly eight thousand years old, on display. The ruins of a six thousand year old village were the centerpiece of the park. Today, all the history and beauty was lost on her as she exited the monorail station and scanned for the, yes there he was.
"Raelphe said . . . "
He waved her silent. "We recorded the conversation."
"You tapped a law firm's phones?" Even under the circumstances that floored her.
He looked amused. "No, we have the Misfits' Haven's phones tapped."
"Oh, well, that's all right then. Can we go . . . "
"Watch from a safe distance? Certainly, Miss L'svages. The actual entry will be left to some professionals I just happen to know." He blinked mildly at her. "I don't think your storming in and threatening to sue will be sufficient."
"Oh. Professionals. Yes, good idea." Xaero decided to not mention the obsidian knives tucked inside her boots and the stone headed club in her briefcase. She'd taken the time for a very quick change of clothes before jumping on the monorail, and now felt foolishly overdressed and unstylish for a modern police raid in the middle of the second largest city in the world. High brown boots, tan wraparound heavy canvas skirt and orange-red long sleeved shirt. Had she thought she was going on a desert trophy hunt with the royals?
G'sele led her over to a small common cart, indistinguishable from a dozen others trundling quietly up and down the street. "We'll stay back a quarter from the Haven, while the Dim team scopes it out." He touched a spot on the instrument panel and the blank paneling fell open to reveal a crowded assortment of electronic instruments.
As G'sele drove, Xaero glanced down the street, then studied the p
anel. There appeared to be three separate comms, and an array of detectors that combined to cover the entire electromagnetic spectrum. "Gamma?" she asked, taken aback.
"I wouldn't want to bore a lawyer with talk about the variety of weapons now available to the well-heeled terrorist."
"Can you detect them before they shoot them at you?"
"Only if they're shooting them at someone else. Or firing from just out of range, which depending on the spectrum and thickness of air and especially the humidity can sometimes be hard to judge."
"I see." The Old Lizard's stone knives would definitely be outranged. She thought about Raelphe and swallowed nervously.
G'sele wound through a labyrinth of small natural caverns filled with buildings and stopping, backed into a narrow alley. "The Haven is just around the second corner. Let's see if we are close enough to pick up the ears."
Consulting his hand comp, he dialed the three receivers into three different frequencies. One carried a background of heavy thumping music, clinking and voices, jumbled and unintelligible. "That's at the end of the bar, near the offices." G'sele turned the volume down. The next two were silent. "Office and an inside loading dock with a back door to an alley like this."
Well, well. I seem to have stumbled onto an ongoing investigation. G'sele had probably brought me here to keep me from interfering.
She had a long split to think about the implications before the sound of a door slamming closed came over the office monitor.
"Ready?" Was it possible to hear an accent in a single word? Xaero would have guessed Imperial City.
Some thumping and sliding and slamming. "As much as I can be. You sure you don't want to tell me anything else?"
