Fox Hunt (Fox Meridian Book 1)

by Niall Teasdale

  ‘All right. Do it. See you tomorrow.’ His virtual image vanished from behind his desk and Fox got to her feet to leave.

  The fact that he had not bothered coming in on a Sunday did not really bother her and she fully intended to go home herself, right after she had button-holed the security techs and had them sign off on Kit’s access to sensitive data. That kind of thing was always easier if you showed you were making an effort, even when the person you were talking to was not.

  ~~~

  Fox had to admit that Kit’s animation was excellent; her hair danced as she bounced up and down on her toes, clapping her hands in glee. There was even movement in her small breasts, even if they were constrained by her costume’s bodice. Actually, they moved exactly as one would expect from the constraint. It was really good animation and Fox marked down one more tick against the idea that Terri was trying to turn her gay.

  ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ Kit said, her voice a staccato of enthusiasm which just went to show that AI programming was becoming more and more human-like.

  ‘Just don’t let me down. Make sure your security is solid, and don’t think you won’t be working for this.’

  ‘I’ll make you happy you put the time in. I know you did. I know it shouldn’t have taken this long to handle things on Governor’s Island.’

  Fox shrugged and headed for the coffee pot. ‘Tech were sniffy because you’re technically an experimental model, but all your specs were there for them to check and they couldn’t deny the request once they’d verified everything. You’re cleared for access to police files utilising suitably tagged requests under my authorisation.’

  ‘Oh… This means a lot to me, Fox. Really. That you’d trust me–’

  ‘Well, this is a trial, I could rescind it, and you got lucky. I have no desire to wade through the Trent data until it’s narrowed down to cut out the media noise. Your first task will be to go through all her personal records, correlate them, check for people she’s communicated with, and flag any you think I should interview. You’ll also go over the scripts we have of her recent shows to see whether she’s been borrowing ideas from the old one for this new one.’

  ‘I can do that,’ Kit replied, beaming. ‘What will you be doing?’

  Fox took an evidence bag from her jacket pocket and peered at the black object inside. ‘I am going to visit a friend and see if he can crack some encryption.’

  ‘Please give Mister Jackson my regards. I will send a message through to his agent to let him know you are coming.’

  ~~~

  ‘It must be my lucky weekend,’ Jackson said as Fox walked into the solarium.

  ‘I just can’t get enough of your smiling face, Jackson.’ He looked up and gave her a quick grin before closing his eyes again. She was quite sure that, behind his eyelids, he was working on something. ‘Kit sends her regards.’

  ‘How’s she doing? She’s Teresa’s baby, but I have an interest.’

  ‘I got dragged off to the Moon before I could really get to know her. I’ve got her reviewing some case notes for me so we’ll see how that goes.’ Fox sat down and let the social chatter slide past. There was no point in rushing things: Jackson Martins tended to work at his own pace, no matter what.

  ‘She got the clearance for that easily enough? I know all the standards were followed, but you can never tell until someone tries.’

  ‘Sorted it out today.’

  ‘Sunday? And you’re working. As usual.’

  ‘What’s playing in your head, Jackson?’

  He waved a hand dismissively. ‘I’m old. You should be enjoying yourself when you have the chance.’

  ‘I do. I was out Friday night with Sam. This morning I got woken up for a homicide in my building, so I figured I might as well get a few things done before I curl up with a glass of wine and a sensie.’

  ‘Okay… To what do I owe the pleasure then?’

  Taking the stick from her pocket, Fox held it up. ‘The data stick your salesman was carrying. Fort Meade have offered assistance with decrypting what’s on it. I’d prefer to try an alternative, more local, resource before I hand this over to them.’

  Jackson opened an eye and peered at the lump of black plastic. ‘I’ll have a secure box brought up for it. We’ll run it through the Cube and see what falls out.’

  ‘How long?’ she asked, even though she thought she knew what the answer was going to be.

  ‘Depends. If it’s military-grade encryption… Ah… Well, obviously it depends on whether he used one of the latest encoding systems or something older. If he’s got one of the new ones, it could easily be days rather than hours.’

  Fox raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s still pretty good.’

  ‘The Cube is fairly new. Two hundred and sixty-two thousand, one hundred and forty-four quantum processors. Five kilotons of cooling systems and optical interconnects. It’s over in the new tower. I built it, but I’m still not entirely sure what to do with it. Teresa wants to put an AI on it, which might be interesting, but I suspect we’ll keep it for other things. It’s very good at decryption, database searches, that kind of thing.’ He grinned. ‘You know Kit’s server has one of those cores in it. Just in case you need a lot of data processed quickly.’

  ‘I don’t think I want to know how much someone’s going to pay to have the commercial version of Kit in their home. You and Terri… You don’t have to–’

  ‘You know damn well why we do it, Fox.’ His voice was calm and easy, light, but with just a hint of tension in it. Still, there was the tightness after two and a half years.

  ‘I was just doing my job.’

  ‘Doing your job cost you too much and stopped me losing everything.’ His firm, insistent tone dissolved as quickly as it had come as he said, ‘Besides which you are an excellent product tester. I’m sure Teresa never thought of using a Kitsune model for police evidence analysis, and the data you got me on the Gauss pistol’s performance has improved the design considerably. And I haven’t had a speeding ticket since I met you.’

  ‘Jackson… you haven’t driven a ground vehicle in twenty years. No one drives ground vehicles anymore.’

  ‘Actually I have, on the Moon, but that’s beside the point. It’s a shame. Driving is a lost art except in low gravity, and we have huge open areas in the protectorates which could be used for off-roading.’

  ‘I’m happier knowing people don’t kill themselves on the roads now. You can fly a vertol, can’t you?’

  ‘I can, and occasionally my safety people let me. I think Teresa gets away with it more often. You have basic flight training, don’t you?’

  ‘It was part of the training for insertion teams. They wanted to be sure that if anyone survived they could fly out, assuming the ship was functional.’

  ‘If you want to take one of the company ships out…’ He was grinning.

  ‘Stop doing that.’ She grinned back. ‘Though I may have to go up to Boston soon. I’ll think about it.’ She glanced around as a tall man in a white coat appeared in the doorway. He was holding a box and looking hesitant. ‘I think your tech’s here with the box.’

  Jackson turned, sitting up on his lounger and dismissing whatever was occupying his attention. ‘Bring that over here, Travis. We’ll need to get the evidence tag officially signed over and then we can see about disentangling whatever web Sanderson Hunt has spun.’

  ~~~

  ‘Alan Justin Roberts is one of three producers working on Murder is My Business,’ Kit intoned as she paced in front of the window in Fox’s apartment. Behind her was a grid of photographs, presumably of IB-19 employees, and one of those had animated out to show a larger picture of Roberts. ‘Cross-referencing his work against Julianne Trent’s, it appears that he produces a higher percentage of her scripts than the other producers, but not an exceptionally high proportion. The percentage has not significantly changed since their break-up. I judge that their working relationship has remained solid despite their personal problems.’ />
  Fox’s lips curled as she watched the virtual kitsune pacing back and forth, arms behind her back, crossed at the wrists, which were just above her tail. Her tail was up, curled, and the end was twitching nervously, and Kit was wearing such an intent look of concentration. ‘What’s this?’ Fox asked. Kit paused, turning to look at her, and the expression switched from concentration to nervous query. ‘All the pacing and frowning. What’s with that?’

  Kit’s hands swung forward and she looked even more nervous as she clenched them together under her chin and began wringing them. ‘I… wanted to look professional. It’s my first report on potential criminal activity and–’

  ‘Okay. The presentation is nice and I like the rows of photographs. You’re an AI, so I expect your data to be accurate. I am aware that this is your first try at this so I’m not expecting you to get all the inferences right. I’m expecting to have to teach you what I expect to see in these cases so you know what to look for. And the pacing is making me dizzy. Why don’t you sit down and tell me what you’ve learned?’ Fox patted the sofa beside her because Kit’s pacing was really distracting and she wanted her out of eye line.

  Kit looked at the sofa and blinked. ‘Oh… o-okay.’

  ‘You know how to sit, right?’

  ‘Yes. I’ve just… I didn’t expect to be allowed to… It’s very familiar.’

  ‘I hate formality. I get enough of it at work. Sit.’

  Kit sat, her tail curling around to settle in her lap where she fiddled with the end of it while she went on. ‘I accessed the local news feed archives for the time around their separation. Some of the gossip channels picked up on it, but the story was covered only briefly and there was little detail. There was no indication of real problems between them; they were simply dissatisfied with the arrangement.’

  ‘So they had an amicable split and they seem to have been working together just as they were before that.’

  ‘Yes. No indications of other relationships prior to the separation. Financial aspects were handled equitably. He got their shared apartment in Time Spire, but she got a substantial financial settlement.’

  ‘Put through a request for the details of her will and–’

  ‘I anticipated that and made the request earlier today.’

  ‘Very good.’

  Kit smiled, still looking nervous. ‘I understand that money is a prime motivator in human society. If Mister Roberts were in some way financially inconvenienced and his ex-partner’s will favoured him, this would provide a motive.’

  ‘Thank you for explaining your reasoning. Who else do we have?’

  Roberts’s photograph shrank back and two others zoomed out. ‘These are the other two producers, Walter Dolan and Nathan Shark.’

  ‘Wait… Nathan Shark?’

  ‘Originally Nathan Crabbit. He changed it five years ago before starting his career. A rapid rise through the ranks, but Murder is My Business is his “big break.” He’s the junior producer and the gossip channels suggest he was brought in to eventually replace Dolan, who is likely to move into an executive role.’

  Fox sighed. ‘So… Dolan might see his promotion threatened if his star writer shifted her attention to the competition. Shark… I’m sorry, I just can’t believe someone changed their name to “Shark.” I’m going to interview him just so he can explain that, but putting that aside, he could be seeing Trent’s activities as threatening his upward move.’

  ‘I had not considered that motivation,’ Kit stated, sounding surprised. ‘It is a more subtle variation of money. I should have recognised it. I am learning already.’ She actually reached out and gestured at the display, enhancing her presentation with a little interaction. ‘This is Madeleine Paretski, the star of Murder is My Business. She plays Cassandra Brook in the show. I accessed and reviewed some of her work which seemed… competent.’ That got a snort of laughter from Fox. ‘She was romantically linked with Mister Roberts for a few months following his separation from Miss Trent. There have been some comments suggesting that she thinks Miss Trent is doing Murder on My Mind because of that.’

  Fox peered up at the attractive, blue-eyed blonde in the photograph. ‘I can see her being catty, but not killing over it. Unless the other show is a big enough threat… What are the rating comparisons like?’

  ‘Murder on My Mind is Mystery and Mayhem’s premier show this year, first airing on a Saturday night. This means the shows do not compete for primary audience, but the new show is taking audience from the old one’s Saturday night repeat slot. They compete in a more comparable manner on a Tuesday night when both are showing repeats. Mind has been gaining steadily in that slot. The two are roughly even.’

  ‘Okay. I guess she’s worth a look. You’ve got a lot of people up there, Kit.’

  ‘Yes… But I believe most can be left to look at if these ones get you nowhere.’ She flicked her fingers at the display again, advancing a last picture. ‘This one, however, is Adrian Paul Daker. He’s a staff writer with the station, has done several scripts for Murder is My Business, and will get to do far more now that Miss Trent is deceased.’

  ‘Put him on the list then. Get requests for interviews sent out for all of them. I want to see them tomorrow.’

  ‘I will forward the requests immediately,’ Kit replied, smiling.

  ‘And I’m going to take a shower, grab a glass of wine, and watch something brainless.’ Fox got to her feet and was unbuttoning her jeans as she walked to the bedroom.

  ‘Unfortunately,’ Kit said to her retreating back, ‘neither Murder is My Business nor Murder on My Mind is showing tonight.’

  ‘Oh, ha ha. Not that brainless.’

  19th January.

  Time Spire sat beside the maglev in the crook of Broadway and West 40th, just outside the Manhattan Conservation District which began at 42nd Street. The Spire was one of the earlier arcologies on the island and had been through a couple of refits as people decided that its facilities were not quite up to what they expected and businesses moved in to replace residents. The highest residential floors still had occupants, however, and the address still held some prestige. On the other hand, you got off the maglev at the Time Square station and had to use one of the pedestrian slideways to get into the tower.

  According to Kit’s directions, IB-19 had their offices and production facilities on the 65th floor. Roberts and Dolan had apartments near the top. Paretski, Shark, and Daker lived in other buildings, but had accepted requests to meet with Fox in the company’s offices. According to Kit, they were shooting an episode of the show today anyway so Paretski was on site.

  The IB-19 office was a mass of v-tagged adverts for their programming which Fox had tuned out before she had taken the three steps from the main door to the reception desk. Her VA transmitted her ID to the receptionist, a stunningly attractive blonde whose smile barely flickered as she noted who was now standing in front of her.

  ‘Inspector Meridian. We were told to expect you. Mister Roberts is terribly upset over the loss of Miss Trent. We all are.’

  Well, the fake regretful smile was impressive, but still fake. ‘I’m sure. Is Mister Roberts available? I’d like to start with him. I also understand that Miss Paretski is shooting today? If someone could arrange for me to see her when she’s available, that would reduce the disruption, I think.’

  The blonde smiled. ‘Of course. I’ll make arrangements. Mister Roberts is in his office. Third door on the right.’ She pointed to Fox’s left where a corridor led deeper into the suite.

  Nodding, Fox followed the directions and was walking into Alan Roberts’s office a second later. The work he had had done to keep himself looking young was not working for him. The bleak smile he offered up as she stepped into the room just appeared wrong on a face belonging to someone not really old enough to have seen much pain. He was, according to records, older than he looked. His hair was jet black and cut immaculately. His blue eyes had a hard edge, but there was enough softness about him to suggest genui
ne grief or moderately impressive acting ability. His face was all carved, elegant lines, too sculpted to be natural.

  ‘Mister Roberts,’ Fox said, before he could speak. ‘I’m Inspector Meridian. I’m sorry for your loss.’

  Roberts nodded his head slowly and indicated a seat opposite him. ‘Thank you, Inspector. Julianne was one of our best writers. She will be a considerable loss to the show and the station. And… she was my friend.’

  ‘Friends and no more?’

  ‘I believe that friendship is the greater part of any relationship. It is true that we were no longer lovers, but we parted amicably. I was… less happy about it than she was, at first. It took a short while for me to see that she was right, that we had grown stale.’

  ‘That’s when you took up with Miss Paretski?’

  His eyes tightened. ‘Not immediately, but not long after.’

  Fox gave a nod. ‘You understand that I’m required to ask these questions, Mister Roberts. Your ex-partner was murdered, quite brutally and quite personally.’

  ‘And, of course, I’m a suspect.’

  ‘One among several. I don’t have evidence sufficient to link anyone with the crime here, and I would hope that you would want Miss Trent’s killer brought to justice.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Miss Paretski has been heard suggesting that Miss Trent’s involvement with Mystery and Mayhem is due to the relationship you started with Miss Paretski.’

  ‘That, Inspector, is because Madeleine does not understand Julianne. She never did. Julianne wanted to try something new, to branch out. Not too far out, you understand, but she wished to push into more… adult-targeted programming.’

  Fox smiled. ‘More breasts in showers?’

  Roberts returned the smile. ‘Taking Madeleine’s comments seriously… Well, when you’ve met her you’ll understand that she is more talk than action.’

  Continuing to smile, Fox decided not to point out that hiring a killer did not require much action. ‘I will need to know your whereabouts for the morning of the eighteenth, between six and ten.’