Archform Beauty

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  Captain, Lieutenant Chiang, returning your link. She wasn't in.

  Then I went to the daily trend report. Sarao was right. Showed ODs up again. Went through them case by case. All young, all under thirty chronological, most under twenty-five, and three underage. All had the kind of heart stoppage associated with pharmacological effects. Only two drugs identified were soop and alkie, and no trace of anything else foreign. Soop had no known toxic effects, and the alkie levels weren't that high. The death certs all gave heart failure, cause unknown.

  Put in a search request on the effects of combining alkie and soop. Got an answer almost immediately. Negative. Twenty years of studies said no cross-toxic or negative health effects existed.

  Went back and studied the blood tests on the three that had in-depth studies. Not one had any other foreign substance in the blood. Still bothered me. Went back through all the reports for the day, but couldn't find anything.

  Sat there for a time, then sent a search through the files, checking all suicides. Found five like Elcado, starting four months earlier. The earliest one caught my attention. Erneld Cewrigh. Drove parents' electral into the CeCe Reservoir. Even redirected the aircushion feature to boost it over the restraining field at the boat ramp. Very ingenious. No drugs except alkie, and not much of that. None before that.

  The link pulsed, and I acknowledged.

  Chiang… Kirchner here. Kirchner was the lieutenant heading homicide.

  Yes.

  Thought you ought to know… McCall committed suicide.

  Why should Kirchner care if I knew? How did that happen? When?

  Half hour ago. He was under nanite home restraint, surveillance, everything. He turned off all the safeties in the house and jumped onto a flagstone courtyard. I thought you'd be interested.

  A fall killed him, with a filch's internal nanites?

  From a six-story tower? A tall six-story tower. Even on link, Kirchner's irony came through.

  The McCall thing was really beginning to stink. Anyone else around? Recsat surveillance?

  Funny thing. Area went blank just before he jumped, maybe five minutes. Got the jump. No one near. We're waiting on an autopsy. Let you know if anything turns up.

  Thanks.

  Just sat there, wondering. How had Kirchner known? Only ones I'd talked to were Darcy and Sarao. I pushed the link. Sarao?

  Yes, Lieutenant?

  You talk to Lieutenant Kirchner about the McCall case?

  No, ser. Not to anyone.

  Thanks. Meant Kirchner hadn't known, but had wanted me to know. As much as saying that the case stunk, and that someone had restraint loops all over him… and over homicide.

  Stood, walked to the window. I looked out. McCall had known something. Something deadly to someone. But he was a privacy specialist, the last guy about to spill anything. Meant that his trial for his wife's death would reveal whatever it was. Revelation needed McCall alive, and it had to be less likely to be revealed with him dead. Have to think about that. And talk to someone.

  Finally walked out front.

  "I thought you'd be leaving soon,” Sarao said.

  "You know me too well.”

  She shrugged. "I know you don't like loose ends. Neither does Captain Cannizaro. That's why you're in charge of trendside.”

  "Maybe. Be going out to westside first. Don't know where after that. Be on link if the captain wants me.”

  "We'll find you.”

  Didn't want to be found. Not yet.

  Got the green electral from transport and headed west. First stop was Westside Physical Systems. Kama might know something.

  Same permie as last time was at the console behind the spotless maroon counter.

  He looked up at me. "He's not here, Lieutenant.”

  "Know where he is?"

  "He's on a job, ser.”

  "Suppose it's an important one?"

  "He says all jobs are important.”

  "Do you know where I could find him?"

  "He didn't say, ser.”

  That had to be true. Nanite permie treatment forbade lies. Kama knew that. Meant he didn't want it known where he was. Could have been lots of reasons.

  "Is he on link?"

  "No, ser. Not now.”

  "Tell him I was looking for him.”

  "Yes, ser.”

  Walked back out to the green electrocar. Never cared much for green in vehicles. Fine for grass and trees. I linked to Sarao. Need a trace on an electrovan. Aldus four-six. Probably in southside. Registered to either Kamehameha O'Doull or Westside Physical Systems.

  Reasons?

  Need to find the driver. Possible witness, but not material. Make it look good.

  You don't ask for much, Lieutenant.

  I never do. See what you can do.

  Detrus owes me. We II see.

  Thanks.

  Decided against dropping in on Morss. Instead, I decided to find Luke Elcado. Again, couldn't have proved a thing, but had the feeling Al's death and the other suicides were somehow tied into… something. Hoped I could find out what before Cannizaro asked me.

  Luke ran what some called a portable uniquery. Provided and delivered stuff that couldn't be nanite-formulated—mostly exotic foods. Most customers were sariman, with enough creds for small luxuries, not enough creds to have staff to provide them all the time the way the filch did. Except some filch still used Elcado's Specialties and had stuff home-delivered. That's how good Luke was.

  His business was at the east end of westside, not three hundred meters from the Platte Greenway. Close to the tubes and bridges so his electrolorries could get to east-side or southside quickly.

  Luke never believed in unnecessaries. Customer area was gray-walled, five meters by five, half of it behind a counter. Counter held defense screens. Behind that was where Danyse usually sat. She was his daughter, doubled as bookkeeper, order-taker, and receptionist. She wasn't there.

  Black-haired, hard-faced older woman looked at me. "Yes, ser?"

  "Lieutenant Chiang to see Luke.”

  Looked like she thought about asking for ID, then her face blanked as she linked. A moment later, her eyes refocused. "He'll be right here, Lieutenant.”

  "Thank you.”

  Her face blanked again as she took an Mink from somewhere, possibly an order.

  I walked to the end of the counter, then back. Always been hard for me to stand still.

  The door at the end of the counter opened, and Luke looked out. He motioned.

  I followed him through the door, down a short hall, and into his office. It was gray. No decorations. Besides the chairs, console, and flat table desk, the only other item was a fullphase holo projector.

  "Gene—I mean, Lieutenant. Ah… what…”

  "Sorry to hear about Al. He was a good kid.”

  Luke looked down. "Thanks for the flowers. And the note. Katya thought they were nice.” He didn't meet my eyes. "What do you want?"

  "To talk. No trouble. Information. Had a couple of cases like Al's, just in the last few weeks. Wanted to talk to you about Al because he was a good kid.”

  Luke frowned.

  "It's simple. Some of these kids… they've been in so much trouble it would take weeks to unscramble everything involved.”

  "Lieutenant… he… he killed himself. Why he did, that's a DPS matter?"

  "It might be. Can't say more. Not yet. But there's no trouble for you or Al. Won't be.”

  "With ebol4 and nuclear terrorists, you worry about why my son—"

  "Luke.” Made my voice hard and very cold. "DPS can't stop the Talibanate or Russe terrorists. And we're not CDC. When a good kid delinks a lorry and drives it into a river for no reason, and when he's not the first… maybe we can do something.”

  "Tasha… did she put you up to this?"

  "No one at DPS has talked to her. You don't care for her, do you?"

  "I don't care one way or another… now.”

  I sighed. Don't usually. Sometimes it helps. "We all
need help one day. Today, I need help. You might need it tomorrow.”

  He was the one to sigh. "All right. What do you want to know?"

  "What Al did the night before. Anything you can remember.”

  "He asked to get off work early. An hour early so he could take her to dinner. At a uniquery.”

  "Must have cost him a lot.”

  Luke smiled, a faint sad smile. Shook his head. "We supply about four places. We get dinner passes. Gilda and I never use them all. Al wanted one for The Right Bank—Wilm Bruff's place. He wanted to impress her.”

  Bruff's place was where the young filch and the high sariman went. Cost a bundle of creds. "I'm sure he did.”

  "He always wanted to impress her.”

  "Then what?"

  "He said they were going to a FlameTop concert. The rezpopper. He's local, sings at the Moulin Noir.”

  "Anything special about the concert?"

  "Al said FlameTop had a new reztwist. She told him that. Something that would make him a big rez star before long.” Luke shook his head again. "Never did understand that rez stuff. Then, I couldn't keep time if I had a pro dancer on each elbow.”

  "Do you know what this twist was?"

  "I don't know what it was. Al didn't say.”

  Asked him a few more questions, but it was clear he'd told me what he knew.

  "Know where I could find Tasha? She still live at home?"

  "No. Al said she had her own place, with another girl. It's not listed. She works for one of those comm outfits—the ones that you call up when there's an ad on the net. AnswerQuik, I think.”

  "Thanks, Luke.” I stood up.

  "You think this will help someone?"

  "Hope so. Really do.”

  He nodded, and I left. Poor bastard.

  Once I got in the electral, I considered, then linked to the office.

  Sarao? Any luck with the trace?

  Detrus is out on some assignment. She'll be back in a half hour. So they say. You want me to try Sansky?

  No. Sansky went by the screen, and then some. Going to track down another mystery of sorts.

  Oh?

  The suicides. Till later. I broke the link. AnswerQuik was in eastside. A link pulse got me a simmie. I asked for Tasha Lei.

  She's on duty. Might I take a message?

  No. I'll try her later.

  If she was on a standard shift, she'd still be there. Wished I knew what I chased.

  Took me nearly an hour. Two medvans blocked the ramp to the Elletch Bridge. Checked the DPS net, discovered a driver with ebol4 had passed out. Electral stopped safely, but when DPS patroller saw the blood everywhere, called in meds and decontamination. Snarled things for a time. Shuttle would have been faster, but I couldn't abandon the DPS electral. Might need it later, too.

  Detrus hadn't come back, either. Nothing was going well.

  AnswerQuik was in a long building in the complex just barely in eastside, four klicks north of OldTech. Had a real guard, behind a double screen. Good two meters of muscle. Some of it between the ears.

  "Looking for Tasha Lei.”

  "No visitors, ser.”

  "Lieutenant Chiang, DPS. I just need to talk to her for a few minutes.” Pulsed the official ID and backed it with the DPS/GIL counter.

  "Ah… just a moment, ser. I'll have to check with the supervisor.”

  I stood there, waiting.

  In less than two minutes, a thin-faced woman—dark-haired, Korean gene-back—appeared behind the screen. Didn't look at me, studied the ID and codes. Finally, she looked up.

  I smiled. Couldn't hurt.

  "Lieutenant… might I ask what interest you have in Tasha?"

  She could ask. I didn't have to answer, but there was no reason not to.

  "She's in no trouble.” Not yet, anyway. "She might have been a witness to something. DPS wants to know if what she saw… if she saw anything.”

  "That's what you all say.”

  I smiled again. "I'd still like to talk to her.”

  "We can't stop you, Lieutenant. I hope you'll be kind. It's been hard on her.”

  "Understand.”

  "I hope so. You can use the job interview room. It's the door on the left there. She'll be out in a moment.”

  Walked over and opened the door. The room wasn't more than three meters square with three chairs and a side table next to the wall. Didn't sit down.

  A woman walked in—black hair, piercing green eyes with the slightest tilt to them, a touch of dark bronze to her skin. Small, but very alive. Could see why young Al had been hooked. Couldn't see why Luke didn't like her.

  "Lieutenant? I'm Tasha Lei.”

  "I know your father.” Gestured to the chairs.

  "I am certain you do.” She sat down. "Genyse said you needed to talk to me.”

  "About Al Elcado.” I paused. "Why he died… there's a mystery there.”

  "He drove an electrolorry into Clear Creek. He didn't have the high-level nanomeds that would have saved him.” She swallowed.

  "It happened to several others in the past few months. Records don't show a pattern of deaths like that before. Hoped you could answer a few questions.”

  "Could you just ask them… please?" Tears hovered in her eyes.

  "You went out with him the night before.”

  "Yes.”

  "Understand he took you to The Right Bank.”

  "Oh, Lieutenant. He wanted to impress me. I wouldn't have even agreed to that if it had come out of his pocket, but his family gets passes. It was important to Al that he could take me someplace like that.”

  "You went to dinner alone, the two of you?"

  "Yes.”

  "Did he eat anything strange? Different?"

  She frowned, trying to remember. "No. He had tournedos with bearnaise salsa.”

  "Drink?"

  "No, not at dinner.”

  "Did anyone approach you two?"

  "No one except Wilm. He just offered his regards to Al and asked him to give his greetings to Al's father.”

  "You went from dinner to the concert? Where was it?"

  "Yes. At the Moulin Noir.”

  "Tell me about the concert.”

  "Just a concert at the Moulin Noir. We had seats halfway back, near the middle.”

  "How many people were there?"

  "Five hundred, maybe. It was full, but it's not that big.”

  "Who was singing?"

  "FlameTop. He's on the way.”

  "You been to hear him before?"

  "I'd heard him once before in February, with Elyna.”

  "Elyna?"

  "My roommate. We rent a conapt not far from here.”

  "Was it the same concert?"

  She shook her head. "He's better now. He'll be doing the big houses and tours before long. The first time I heard him, he was still… he wasn't as good.”

  "What was the difference?"

  "The rez—he's really got it integrated into the song and the music now.”

  "You told Al that FlameTop had a new twist. What was that?"

  She tilted her head, impatiently. "I just told you—the way he integrated the rez.”

  "Does anyone else do it that way?"

  "I don't know—what does this have to do with Al?"

  "I'm trying to find out.” I offered a smile. Hoped it was sympathetic. "Just a question or two more. Did you have drinks—alkie—at the concert?"

  "Al had a few drinks, alkie, I mean, but only two or three. He didn't have any at dinner. He said three was his limit.”

  "After the concert?"

  "He took me home. He didn't stay long. I never saw him again.” Her eyes were bright. Tears would come.

  "Did you have anything to drink?"

  "I'm old-fashioned, Lieutenant.” A crooked smile crossed her face. A tear oozed from the corner of her left eye.” 'Sides, I can't drink.”

  "Can't?" Wondered at that response.

  "I'm allergic to alkie. Could be fixed with heavy nanomeds
, but… where would I get the creds for those? And why?"

  I nodded.

  "If you think of anything else that might be strange, please let me know.”

  She nodded. Wasn't agreeing.

  "Thank you. I can't think of any other questions. I might have to get back to you, but it would only be for one or two questions.” I stood, then bowed slightly.

  She nodded and slipped out the back door.

  The big servie guard didn't even look at me as I left.

  Still couldn't see why Luke disliked her.

  Needed to talk to FlameTop—if I could run him down. And his band, whatever the instrumentalists were called. Also needed to talk to Kama, to find out more about the ODs, and what else had happened while I'd been out. Hoped that the DPS medics had a handle on the ebol4. Feared that they didn't.

  Chapter 16

  Cannon

  In some ways, it had been a trying day from the very beginning. More than a dozen newsies had contacted me about the orbiter attack, but Ted had anticipated everything. He'd had a draft statement ready within minutes. He'd gotten almost everything right, beginning with the condemnation about such a terrible act to my regrets to the families and friends of those so cruelly ripped from Me and my belief that the PDF would find those responsible. We had to take out the part about them being punished, because that was unlikely to happen. If I did say something like that, Hansen would be trumpeting my failure to keep a promise and my ineffectiveness in every ad and solicitation—beginning in two weeks and lasting through the election.

  Then, as a result of the events with the Russe shuttle, all debate on the pending appropriations measures had been suspended. That would mean longer days in the weeks ahead. Because of the orbiter disaster, no one contacted me about the ebol4 situation, but I had Ted working on that, too. The disease was going to be a far bigger issue over the weeks ahead. Most people didn't have that much sympathy for either Russe or the Martian Republic. The Republic was gouging us on space-delivered raw materials, and people still remembered that the second Collapse had been triggered by the Russe default on the environmental cleanup debts they'd incurred. The voters of NorAm would screen out the Martians and Russeans, but they weren't going to forget deaths closer to home. Those deaths would keep occurring. Even the newest drug treatments were largely useless, and only stepped-up nanomeds worked. Most servies couldn't afford them, and neither could the government, not for millions of people. The virus was virulent enough that it could be contained, but the early estimates were as many as a million servies and pennies could die. That was if nanocontainment worked at all the medical facilities and if the disease didn't mutate into something worse. Even under the best of circumstances, too many people would die. I didn't have that much sympathy for the pennies—they'd chosen their lot—but most of the servies were hardworking people.