They quickly had me in handcuffs.
“What a hypocrite,” sneered Mattern. “Playing the saint, and then late at night …”
“This is a set up, you Limey bastard!” I said.
Coltingham whisked a finger at Mattern. “Get her out of here,” he said looking at the android.
Mattern hustled the android away.
“Get some clothes on,” Coltingham said.
“With pleasure. Do I get my one phone call?”
“At the station.”
They brought me to the station, and took my fingerprints before leading me to a telephone. I called Sherry at home.
“Okay Ok, lady, the shit’s hit the fan,” I said, knowing that I was being eavesdropped. “Go to the office, get that special document in the top drawer of my desk.”
I heard the seriousness in her voice. “I know what to do.”
We had talked about this possibility earlier. She was to take the 1985 law enforcement commission, write in Ivan Iglyztin’s name, and stamp it with my seal. Then call Gunter Lielischkies.
Mattern and Coltingham led me to a cell. Two hours later, I heard a substantial commotion outside.
Ivan came inside the holding area, waving a paper at Coltingham. “You’re dismissed, Mister Coltingham, I am now constable.” Lielischkies was right behind him, and Sherry was behind them both.
“You can’t do this to me,” said Coltingham.
Officer Jenny was with them. “Yes, he can, sir,” she said. “The paperwork is in order.”
I waved and smiled at them through the bars. “It looks like Mister Coltingham …” I said, emphasizing the “mister” “… has made a false arrest.”
Ivan gestured to Officer Jenny. “Release Mister Shuster, and put the Brit in the cell.”
“No, you bastards!” Coltingham shouted.
I smiled through the bars. “You forgot your commission had expired,” I said.
They opened the door and I walked out. “If you drank less, you’d have a better memory,” I said as I passed him.
Iglyztin shoved Coltingham inside the jail cell. As the door slammed shut, Coltingham looked at Lielischkies through the bars. “What are you doing here, kraut?”
“Comrade Iglyztin was my employee,” he said, “and he’s made me a deputy constable.”
“Mattern is dismissed, also,” said Iglyztin. “Officer Jenny can remain.”
Now our positions were reversed, and Coltingham was behind bars. “Now, where’s Alexis Texas been taken?” I asked.
“Bugger off,” said Coltingham.
Ivan said, “Officer Jenny, drop the key here in the toilet in the other cell, and flush it away.”
“Yes, sir.”
Coltingham’s eyes grew wide, as Jenny went over and dropped it.
PING
FLUSH
“Let’s go, guys,” I said. “Turn off the lights. Let Mister Coltingham ponder his sins.”
We left the Brit screaming in the dark.
Outside, in the outer office, we had a conference amongst ourselves.
“That was a hell of a putsch,” said Lielischkies
“What are we going to do about Coltingham?” asked Sherry.
“Nothing, until he talks. Leave him to rot for now. He’s a crooked cop. Where the fuck is Mattern?” I asked.
“I’m sure he took Alexis Texas back to Tesla,” said Lielischkies. “Kurland is probably hiding them both.”
“Excellent,” I said.
“How’s that?” asked Iglyztin.
“The android was evidence in an investigation.” I said. “It’s been removed from storage. That’s tampering with evidence.”
“We can search Tesla looking for the android,” said Lielischkies.
“I’ll get a search warrant written up,” said Iglyztin. He stopped. “How do I do that?”
“I’ll help you,” said Sherry. “I’ve helped with those before.”
“Isn’t Kurland going to be in court first thing in the morning?” asked Lielischkies.
“We’ll get there first,” I said. “I can sign the warrant myself. As interim administrator, I’m also acting chief magistrate.”
“You think fast on your feet,” said Lielischkies.
“Adrenalin is a great pencil sharpener for the mind,” I said. “Sherry, you and Ivan go get a warrant prepared. Jenny!”
“Yes, Mister Shuster?”
“What’s that commotion outside?” I asked, peering toward the door.
“There are reporters and cameras out there wanting to know about you being in jail,” Jenny said.
“Oh, this will be fun,” said Sherry.
“It sure will be,” I said. “You hang around.”
Sherry and Iglyztin followed me as I stepped through the doors. Television lights went on and camera flashes popped. There was an audible groan of confusion.
“Gentleman of the press, what seems to be the problem?”
One spoke up. “We were told there is, ah, a government official in jail.”
“There is: former Constable Coltingham,” I said. “He has been arrested for false arrest and entrapment.
“Furthermore, his law enforcement commission expired and was not renewed,” I said. I tugged at Ivan. “This is the new constable, Ivan Iglyztin. Rather than pick someone from NATO, I went for the best man for the job. Ivan Iglytzin is from the Soviet Union. As some of you have seen, I’m not bound by tradition.”
More camera flashes. I sidled over to Officer Jenny. “Did Coltingham ever distribute those missing person posters?”
“No, sir.”
“Get them for me, then.”
“Where is Constable Coltingham now?” asked another reporter.
“Behind bars. We are looking for Deputy Constable Mattern, who we believe was complicit in the entrapment.”
“Who was entrapped?”
“I was, but that was quickly rectified of. Coltingham did not have a current valid commission, and when he was stupid enough to attempt to arrest me, I invoked my authority.”
“I don’t understand,” said the BBC reporter.
“Coltingham has been insubordinate and uncooperative with the colony’s administration. I gave him an opportunity to change his behavior, being the nice guy that I am, and decided not to remove him until and unless he took some overt action. He did that today,” I said.
“Why would he want to entrap you?” asked Mickey.
“This is related, I’m sure, to the regulatory amendment I made yesterday. You can deduce on your own whose interests are the most adversely effected by that.”
There were some confused looks all around.
Jenny returned with a handful of posters. I told her, “Please hand these out.”
As she did so, I explained. “This is one example where Coltingham refused to cooperate with me and was insubordinate. This missing persons case has ties to Mars, and when I asked Mister Coltingham to investigate, he refused,” I said. “His commission had not been renewed for this year, so he was serving by default. I ended that, and we have subsequently learned that he’s concealed evidence.”
“What evidence?” It was Mickey Cardinale.
“We’re not 100 percent sure. He’s not being cooperative.”
“Isn’t this unusual for an administrator to get involved in a police investigation, and police operations in general?” asked Mickey.
“This is the first time the trail of a criminal investigation on Earth has led to Mars,” I said.
Multiple people cried out. “What investigation?”
I gestured toward the posters. “The subject of this bulletin.
“That’s it for now,” I said. “And at this hour, I think everyone wants to go home. There will be updates later.”
They all turned to leave, some shaking their heads. I stepped out from behind the counter and spoke to Mickey. “So, who told you I was in jail, anyway?”
He just shook his head. “I have to protect my sources.”
“I suppose. Well, tell your source bribing law enforcement is a pretty damn serious crime, on Earth as well as Mars. Or maybe you’re an accomplice.”
Mickey looked at me, shocked. “Get the fuck out of my sight, you disgust me,” I snapped.
He looked down, turned, and left.
“Damn, that was cold,” said Sherry.
“He’ll go straight to Kurland, and that’s what I want,” I said.
I looked at Iglyztin and Sherry. “You two get that search warrant prepared. Gunter and I have to plan the search.”
Lielischkies looked at me. “He has guards at his facility. What if they refuse us entry?”
“We can deputize all your customs inspectors, and I will deputize the trade union officers. They owe me. That gives us a good two dozen men,” I said. “How do you think your folks on the other side of the Iron Curtain are going to take this?”
“We’re all behind you,” he said. “Kurland is a threat to bilateral stability. You have a free hand.”
“Jenny, come over here; help us plan,’ I said.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“You know the layout in the Tesla facility,” I said. “Where would Kurland be most likely to hide an android he doesn’t want found?”
“There is a room with large replacement components in the individualized repair department,” she said. “That’s where spare legs and arms and torsos are kept. It’s very secure and very few people are allowed inside.”
“Where are the positronic brains kept?” I asked.
“I don’t know that,” she said. “I never encountered the location.”
“Wherever it is, it’s probably so secure he wouldn’t even use it as a hiding place,” said Lielischkies.
“Makes sense.” I turned to Jenny. “Have all the colony’s airlocks shut down until further notice. I don’t want Kurland to sneak out of his factory and back into a dome.”
“The airlocks are closed at night, anyway,” she said.
“I don’t want Kurland and Mattern making a run for it at dawn,” I said.
“Understood. I will take care of it,” said Jenny.
Iglyztin and Sherry walked back into the room.
Iglyztin handed me a sheet of paper. He had a very determined look on his face. “Here it is, ready for your signature,” he said.
I grabbed a Bic orange-barreled fine point from the desk and signed the search warrant. “Stick this is your pocket, and pull up a chair,” I said. “The five of us need to plan for later this morning.”
I pulled out a notepad from a drawer. “Jenny, draw us the layout of the factory,” I said.
Chapter Twenty
Two hours later we had a workable, if not foolproof, plan.
“Let’s all go home and get at least a couple of hours sleep, and a change of clothes,” I said.
“I will sleep here tonight,” said Iglyztin. “Officer Jenny will stay with me.”
Sherry, Lielischkies, and I walked out together.
“I’m not needed on the raid, am I?” asked Sherry.
“No, you get up and watch the office. Field phone calls and stuff,” I said.
“Okay, I’m gone, then,” she said. “Good luck! Be real careful!”
I walked away with Lielischkies. “This reminds me of the end of Casablanca, you know?”
“You mean the part about the start of a beautiful friendship?” he said.
“Yes,” I said.
“Nice thought, but we don’t have any idea how this is going to end.”
And the worry in his eyes reminded me we still had a lot to do to win this fight.
* * *
I slept for two and a half hours, took a very hot shower, and put on some clean clothes. Before I was dressed, I called the head of the trade union officers and told him what was going down. He was more than happy to help, since any cutback in the use of androids in construction would free up more work for humans.
As it happened, he met us at the airlock with twelve men, and Lielischkies brought twelve more. I swore them in as temporary deputy constables and all of us piled into four tractors as the sun rose.
“You take the lead. Ivan and Jenny, you back him up.”
“Mister Shuster, I can take care of it,” Iglyztin said. “I am the head of law enforcement now.”
I leaned back and chuckled a bit. “So you are, and you’re doing a fine job, too.”
It was funny to turn your head to talk to someone yet hear their voice over the radio. “I think we probably need to hang back,” I said to Lielischkies.
“No problem, I’m just here to represent the WarPac interests.”
“Jenny, I want you to lead the search,” I said.
“Mister Shuster, Jenny works for me, now,” said Iglyztin.
Lielischkies laid his hand on my arm.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just nervous.” I took a breath and stepped back in deference.
“We all are,” said Ivan. “I’ve just been told Mattern radioed for permission to enter the colony, and was told we are on lockdown.” He held his hand alongside his helmet. “They say he wasn’t very happy.”
“He probably knows by now that Coltingham is in jail, and that he’s about to be arrested,” said Lielischkies.
“If he’s still at the factory, Kurland is probably still there, too.” I said.
“Is there any legal reason to arrest Kurland?” asked Ivan.
“Interfering with a police investigation,” said Officer Jenny.
“Certainly, if Alexis Texas is there, then yes,” said Ivan. “You know the law.”
“If Mattern is there, the android has to be,” I said. “He took her away last night.”
The tractors could only go 25 miles an hour, so despite our desire to get it over and done with we chugged slowly across the pink Martian sand, which glowed from the dull morning sunshine. As before, Jenny sat in her regular clothes, driving our tractor and leading our little caravan. When we arrived at the Tesla airlock, we saw Cindy Tesla standing outside, very incongruous-looking because she was wearing normal clothes, like Jenny.
As we pulled up, Jenny turned to us. “I will speak to her,” she said.
I looked at Lielischkies and lowered an eyebrow. “Self-initiative?”
“Having a ’bot-to-’bot talk, I guess,” said Lielischkies.
It was strange, us sitting there in pressure suits, watching two otherwise-normal looking androids talking out in the Martian open. Because of the thin air we couldn’t hear what they said to each other.
In a minute Jenny turned and gestured to Iglyztin, who walked over and pulled out the search warrant from a pocket in his pressure suit. Cindy took it and read it carefully, and we all got out.
“Everything seems to be in order,” said Cindy. “We will cooperate.”
“We?”
“‘We’ meaning Tesla, all of us and Mister Kurland, who is, unfortunately not here to greet you?”
“Where is Kurland?” asked Iglyztin.
“I don’t know. I was not informed,” said Cindy.
“Where is Dolores McCarver?”
“She doesn’t come to work this early. I was ordered by Mister Kurland himself to meet you, but then he left. I am not privy to his whereabouts. He doesn’t have to tell me.”
“The colony’s domes are all on lockdown,” said Jenny. “He couldn’t have gone any place. We’ll find him.”
Cindy turned and led us into the airlock. Inside we dropped off our pressure suits, and, with Jenny in the lead, began a room to room search of the factory. With almost two dozen people, we seemed to fill up the low room that held the assembly line which was inactive.
The robots and androids all sat there, immobile.
“Where are the human workers?” asked Ivan.
“They are in the cafeteria, waiting for instructions,” said Cindy.
Iglyztin looked around purposely. “Gunter, take your men and get statements from all the employees,” said Iglyztin. “Let�
�s see if they know where Kurland and the android are.”
“Yes, sir,” he said with a little smile, and he departed with his contingent. I realized that, strangely enough, Iglyztin now outranked his old boss in the colony’s hierarchy. Lielischkies gave me a wink as he passed.
“Officer Jenny, where is the storage room for the large replacement components you mentioned back in the office?” asked Iglyztin.
“Follow me.”
The rest of us did, and after passing through some sterile curtains and air screens, we stood in front of a vault-like door.
Jenny stared and said, “Frown.”
Ivan and I both said, “What?”
“If I were human, I would frown. It is locked, from the inside.”
Ivan picked up a spanner from a nearby tray and banged on the door. “Open up, Mattern, you’re under arrest. We know you’re in there.”
There was a muffled but unmistakable, “Fook you!” from inside.
“Now what do we do?” asked Jenny.
“That room is all metal, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Jenny.
“If you bang on the door hard enough, it should make a terrible reverb. That may force him out.”
Jenny held out a hand, and Iglyztin handed her the spanner. She cocked her arm back and then hammered on the door a dozen times, like striking a bell, very hard and very loud.
The light on the lock turned from red to green, and it popped open. Jenny yanked it wide open, and Mattern was on his knees in front of the door. “Oy, sweet Jay-sus, that hurt. I’m deaf!”
Jenny yanked him to his feet. His eyes grew wide when he realized he was being roughhoused by an android.
“Where is Kurland?” asked Iglyztin.
“Find him yourself, Russkie!”
Iglyztin looked around. “More importantly, where is the android Alexis Texas?”
Mattern just glared at him.
I noticed some dark marks on the metal floor. “Shit, I thought it was a joke, but it’s true!”
Jenny and Iglyztin turned to me. “What?”
“Look at the marks. They’re scuff marks from a pair of cowboy boots,” I said. “She literally took off so fast she made tracks.”
“Are they together?” Iglyztin was in Mattern’s face. “Did Kurland take the android some place?”
Another Girl, Another Planet Page 28
