Steel, Titanium and Guilt: Just Hunter Books I to III

by Robin Craig

  Chapter 24 – Ramos

  Gil Ramos jogged through the park, enjoying the cool Sunday morning air. He knew he was getting older and was determined to keep its attendant decay at bay as long as possible. He had always enjoyed physical exercise so this policy came naturally to him. And the cool air flowing through his hair acted as a cool breeze flowing through his mind, sweeping away the detritus and hopefully bringing clarity. He thought too much during his working week. Time spent in simple physical activity was not wasted, he knew. Sometimes spending time not thinking could be just as important as the thinking itself.

  So was relaxing. His favorite bench was empty and he sat on it, stretching his arms and legs. It overlooked a lake surrounded by trees, and was far enough from the road that the sounds of traffic were more gentle murmur than intrusion. The sun was low in the sky and he closed his eyes, enjoying its warmth on his face and the musical accompaniment of the birds twittering about their business.

  As usual, with relaxation his thoughts returned, but he did not mind. He did not push them or even guide them; he just let them wander where they would. He knew if he did not attempt to lead them they might lead him to unexplored places instead.

  He was not surprised that the first thought to announce itself concerned what to do about Trainee Detective Hunter. It had been a week since she and Detective Stone had returned from their meeting with one of the victims, Delaney. They had gone out to meet him hoping that what he had to say would break something open in their case; instead he had shown them something that had turned their case upside down and tipped it over the floor.

  He had told Hunter that he would have to think about where to go next but she was not to work more on the mysterious burglaries until then. He had even told her to suspend her watch routines from the AI. AIs were complicated, this one more than usual. For all anyone knew, by overlaying such priorities she was distorting its analyses and causing spurious findings. He smiled humorlessly. At least she had learned to take such restrictions meekly, in word if not in the flash of her eyes.

  The question was: what else had she learned?

  He sighed to the sun, which serenely ignored him. He knew Stone hadn’t liked her at first, but he seemed to have warmed to her since then. He knew that Stone’s dislike had not merely been the envy of a man nearing the end of his career who saw someone just starting out on hers, but stemmed from his experience of rookies thinking they were better than they were. And for all that Stone would not go out of his way to damage a comrade he was too professional to give sloppiness a pass. If Gil would have trusted anyone to pass harsh judgment on Hunter if she deserved it, it was Stone. Yet he had ignored several opportunities Ramos had opened to the idea that perhaps Hunter had been mistaken or worse.

  Yet, yet… here was a case where the little evidence they had did not support the path Hunter had followed – and worse, did not match the evidence she alone had reported. He groaned and stretched. The girl had talent, nobody could deny that, but she was a bit rough around the edges: a bit too fast to jump to conclusions, a bit too slow to heed counsel. It sounded just like the rookie disease Stone had feared: except Stone himself was supporting her, if cautiously.

  But facts were facts, and the facts were too thin. Much as he liked to encourage his people to push their personal envelopes, perhaps in this case she had pushed through it and fallen out of her depth. It would be best to send her back to her original job instead of wasting time on minor if mysterious robberies; to return to letting the AI lead her rather than vice versa. Even if it proved to be a mistake, perhaps the discipline would make her a better cop in the long run.

  That decision made, he relaxed to simply enjoy the rising morning and wait for any further thoughts to appear. But then he heard the rustling of clothing and the groan of the bench as people sat down on either side of him, uncomfortably close. He opened his eyes, surprised at such a double intrusion into his personal space.

  Two men had joined him, both wearing dark suits and darker glasses, showing neither friendliness nor hostility. One of them flashed a badge at him; long enough for him to tell it was Secret Service, not quite long enough to catch the owner’s name.

  “Chief Ramos?” he enquired politely.

  Ramos nodded.

  “Would you come with us, sir? We won’t take up too much of your time.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  The man just looked at him as if the question did not belong in this reality.

  Ramos sighed and rose. “OK. I’m all for inter-service cooperation. And I have to admit I’m curious.”

  A long dark Tesla electric limousine was waiting by the roadside. As he approached, the door opened and he slipped into the seat. The two agents deposited themselves elsewhere in the vehicle and it accelerated rapidly and silently into the light traffic.

  “Good morning, Chief Ramos,” said the man beside him. “Drink? Cigar?” he offered, pointing to a well-stocked bar and a humidor of mahogany inlaid with mother of pearl.

  Ramos hesitated then thought, What the hell. If the Secret Service is going to abduct me, I might as well take advantage of their hospitality budget. “Sure,” he said, flipping open the humidor and selecting a Cuban cigar. “Whiskey on the rocks, thanks.”

  The man silently poured the drink and handed it to him, then sat back in the luxurious seat, puffing his own cigar.

  Ramos just waited.

  “You seem remarkably incurious for a police officer, Chief Ramos.”

  “Perhaps I am simply experienced at interrogations.”

  The man smiled. “Is that what you think this is? No, this is just a friendly chat. Making sure you know what you need to know.”

  “Perhaps then you should tell me. Who are you?”

  “Smith will do. Now, we understand that your department has been investigating an unusual cluster of burglaries. Are you close to a resolution?”

  Ramos raised an eyebrow. “And what is your interest in the case? It seems a little out of your jurisdiction.”

  Smith sighed. “I think you have some idea about that. But we can continue fencing for hours and still end up at the same point. So all right, let’s go straight to that point. We have learned that they might be more than simple burglaries, that certain classified information might have been obtained which could be used against the President.”

  “So the President sent you to do what, Smith? Are you telling me she has done something wrong and wants to cover it up?” He blew a smoke ring past Smith’s ear: distant enough to not be an insult but close enough to show he was thinking an insult might become appropriate.

  “I would not say the President sent me, no. It is better that the President is not involved. Think of this rather as an attempt to forestall possible problems. We do not know for sure that these criminals have any information they can use or what they might do with it. But we certainly don’t want the President harmed by lies and scandals, or have her attention to serving our country compromised by threats of blackmail.”

  “So you went to this trouble just to tell me to catch these people? Do you think I play golf all day?”

  “Oh, I am sure you are conscientious and good at your job,” said Smith. “If I wasn’t I would be having this conversation with someone else. Possibly your successor,” he added, tapping his ash into a tray. “No. It is just that I know you have many crimes to solve, many clamoring voices competing for your attention. It would be easy for a crime that not only seems minor but also proves difficult to solve to be lost in the crowd. We know about priorities. We just wish to impress on you the importance of this one. To ensure you give the investigation more weight than you otherwise might. Not because we know what these people are up to – but because we don’t.”

  “I see. And can you give me anything besides encouragement? Can you reveal any clues? Provide us any material assistance? Grease any legal wheels? Say, if we need a warrant?”

  Smith spread his hands. “I’m afraid that would be most improper. The
President cannot be seen to be involved. Surely you understand.”

  “And if my actual superiors wonder why I continue to devote resources to such an unpromising case? What then?”

  “Ah. I can give you that. You have no need to worry about it. If any of your superiors start to interfere and you cannot persuade them of the wider importance of the case, simply send their name to the address you now have. But do not mention this conversation to anyone. It never happened. It might be uncomfortable if you talk about it.”

  Ramos sat back silently, puffing the remnants of his cigar. Uncomfortable for whom? he wondered. He had a feeling any discomfort wouldn’t be Smith’s.

  “Do we understand each other?” asked Smith.

  Ramos stabbed out his cigar. “Sure. I’ll put my best team on it. Don’t hold your breath: as you seem to know, clues in this case are thin on the ground. But I can assure you it won’t be forgotten.”

  Smith inclined his head and tapped on the glass behind the driver. A few minutes later the vehicle glided to a stop where it had picked Ramos up. He got out and when the door closed behind him he turned to gaze back at the darkened windows. The window slid down and Smith leaned over to it. “Well, good day, Chief Ramos. Enjoy the rest of your morning.” Before Ramos could reply, the window closed and the limousine sped away.

  Ramos stood looking after it until it vanished around a bend, then walked slowly back into the park. I guess I won’t be taking Stone and Hunter off the case after all, he thought grimly. Lucky them.

  Chapter 25 – League

  “So how is your secret case going, oh International Lady of Mystery? How many heads of foreign states have you had to seduce this week in the service of our country?”

  Miriam and Amaro were having dinner at a high class Chinese restaurant. Chinese was not Miriam’s favorite cuisine, though she enjoyed it as a different taste on occasion. But Darian had recommended this restaurant as something special and they had decided to give it a try. She sipped some chilled Sauvignon Blanc wine, smiled at the wine and made a face at his question.

  “Oh, you know how it is, one so easily loses track of the heads of state one has slept with. But as for the case, I wish I knew. The more we investigate, the more the evidence builds up and goes away, all at the same time. I’m starting to think the whole thing is a mirage, some figment of the Artful Idiot’s imagination that has fooled me into misinterpreting everything to fit into its delusions. I’m lucky my boss doesn’t believe I made the whole thing up myself. I thought he did for a while, but he seems to have decided to give me the benefit of the doubt for now. But sometimes even I wonder if I didn’t dream it all.”

  “Ah, you tease. You know I love a mystery, and here you are determined to weave the mystery even thicker while dropping not a single clue as to its nature. I believe you wish to tantalize me with this one forever! Can you tell me nothing else? Perhaps this humble knight may be able to offer an insight, no matter how poor?”

  Miriam smiled and shook her head. “Sorry Amaro. Even though it is looking more and more like a waste of time I’m still not allowed to talk about it.” She looked into the distance with a slight frown and added, “Even more so now, apparently. I suppose too many sensitivities, especially if we’re wrong – in either direction. I’m likely to get into enough trouble just being in the middle of it, let alone telling anyone about it.”

  Then she turned back to him and said cheerfully, “Anyway, maybe I like to keep you wriggling on my hook. Keep you honest.”

  “The lady is so cruel. But fear not, I am happy to wriggle on your hook for as long as you wish,” he replied with a smile. “It is a hook of many delights. It pierces sharply, but one does not wish it to let go.”

  They returned to their food. Indulging their shared preference for the spicy, they had been favoring the hot end of the establishment’s menu. At the moment they were savoring a Szechuan curry that was like nothing Miriam had tasted before: not fiery like Thai, but popping and rushing in a bubbly tingle along her tongue.

  She looked at Amaro and he returned her glance with a smile. She still couldn’t quite shake the suspicion that she shouldn’t trust him; that his charm was just a shell beneath which lurked something dangerous. But he was irresistible. He is like a roller coaster, she thought. The danger and fear just makes you want to go along for the ride, screaming with delight the whole way. Because for all the fear, you don’t believe there is any real danger.

  She smiled at him, for now just lost in the moment. “So what about you, Amaro? Did anything exciting happen in your work today?”

  “My lady, my days must be boring compared to the life of a top detective working on national secrets! In fact I am afraid – they are. It appears the genetic engineers and other villains are being very law abiding at present, at least in my small corner of the nation. Perhaps they have heard of my powers, and fear keeps their ambitions subdued?”

  Miriam laughed. “Confusion keeps them bamboozled, more likely!”

  “Ah, you mock me, fair maiden! Still, my work is not entirely boring. Why, just the other day one of the laboratory scientists sent the place into an uproar.” He then regaled her with a tale of rolling mistakes that soon had Miriam in stitches. “Sometimes I wonder what further scientific advances will be possible, with the quality of some of the scientists these days,” he concluded.

  He smiled at Miriam and she smiled back, open to him. If the secret of comedy is timing, he thought to himself, then the secret of anecdotes is that the timing doesn’t matter: the event he described had happened before he met her. He lifted his glass. “To a delightful dinner, a delightful wine, and a delightful lady,” he said. She chinked her glass against his and they continued to talk, about everything and nothing, as lovers do.

  “By the way, I hope you are free next Saturday night,” Amaro said casually after a pause.

  “Saturday? Saturday? Let me think. Oh, I recall I have several options that night. Some even involve well-endowed Heads of State who apparently need seducing in the national interest. I think you will have to make a good offer if you wish to tempt me away from them.”

  “I happen to have obtained rare and expensive tickets to a fancy dress ball. A friend of mine offered me the tickets when something came up so he couldn’t go himself.”

  “Sounds like fun. What’s the occasion?”

  “It is the Annual Ball of the Stem Cell League. Perhaps more down my alley than yours, but I hear that the food, wine and music are superlative. And one can meet all kinds of fascinating people,” he added.

  “The Stem Cell League?” Miriam asked, surprised at the coincidence. “Who are they?”

  “I don’t know that much about them. But I do know they are an association of people who owe their lives to stem cell therapies. They were either cured themselves or they are the children of people who would never have lived to have children otherwise. You know that stem cell therapies have had their controversies and still do: the League is basically a lobby group which raises money and generates publicity in favor of stem cell research and applications. The beneficiaries of science giving something back to the science. Rare but admirable.”

  “As it turns out, that does interest me. Sir Knight, I shall be happy to accept your kind offer. The Heads of State will have to thrust their mighty ambitions elsewhere.”

  “Excellent! By the way, don’t bother trying to work out what to wear. In anticipation of your acceptance I have already acquired our costumes,” he said with a mysterious smile. “Yours goes perfectly with mine, and I am sure you will look quite ravishing in it. In fact just thinking about it is doing something intriguing to one of your favorite parts of my anatomy.”

  Miriam smiled. “Well in that case I think I can forgive your presumption. And as for your anatomy, I am not sure whether you are talking about your ego or something else.” She sighed. “I suppose I shall have to investigate further. For science.”

  Chapter 26 – Dance

  Miriam entered the
ballroom on Amaro’s arm, escorted like the lady of a gentleman of old. Amaro hadn’t oversold the event: it looked like a glittering affair.

  Miriam had gasped when Amaro had unveiled her costume. She had half expected him to come as a Knight with her as his Lady; and in a way he had but with a modern twist. He struck quite the figure as Batman and for her he had chosen a form-hugging black Catwoman suit. Again she was startled at the coincidence, but when she had glanced at Amaro she could see not even a shadow of motive beyond the obvious.

  They were sipping champagne and chatting cheerfully with a group of people when the crowd in her line of sight parted briefly and she caught a glimpse of a large man who looked familiar; but she couldn’t quite place him before the crowd closed and he was lost from view and concern.

  Amaro had been right about the music and dancing too. She was getting happily exhausted by it and had begged off the next dance. She was now standing outside, leaning back on the balcony with her eyes closed, just enjoying the caress of the cool evening air. Amaro had gone to get them both a drink. The music of a gentle waltz started up inside and she leant back further into space, enjoying the sensory counterpoint of the breeze on her skin and the music in her ears.

  “May I have the pleasure of this dance?” asked a male voice in front of her. Her eyes popped open in surprise and she was startled at the sight of a tall man standing just four feet in front of her: she had not heard him approach. He was dressed in deep black set off by high boots and a long black cape with red velvet lining, his face hidden by a Venetian mask. It made him look powerful and vaguely threatening. Then he raised his mask.

  “Oh! Dr Tagarin! Why... I would be honored.”

  She held out her hand to him. He bowed his head and took her hand, then led her into the room. Pulling gently on her hand he seamlessly drew her into the waltz.