Page 84 of Farborn

“No,” he says. “They will be staying over there with their team to look after the animals and work on their part of the investigation. They are trying to discover if there is any available evidence about other smuggling runs, involved parties within the crew, all of that.”

“Who else survived?” Davies asks. “And were they involved?”

H’looder lists the survivors, three of whom apparently can definitively be eliminated as conspirators, and four more who claim to be innocent, but have not yet been exonerated.

I am certain I have seen these crew members come and go from the ship during their time berthed at the space station, but I cannot conjure up the faces to go with the names at this time.

When we complete our discussion with Dr. H’looder, Davies looks exhausted.

“Love, how long has it been since you last ate?” I ask him.

Davies snorts. “Too long.”

“Oh, my goodness,” Dr. H’looder says. “Please, go eat. Anything you wish. Or order it via the com system and they can bring it to your stateroom.”

“Thanks, doc,” Davies says.

We leave the doctor’s office and head to the mess hall. Davies does not speak as we walk, and I do not interrupt his thoughts.

There is no one else in the mess hall when we arrive, except for the galley staff. We place our orders and they direct us to sit at a table and they will bring our order out to us.

Davies once again looks weary and careworn.

I reach across the table and open my hand to him, and he lays his in it. “He didn’t deserve to die,” he quietly says.

“I know, love.”

He draws in a shuddering breath. “It’s so fucking…pointless.” He brushes tears from his eyes with his other hand. “Sheer fucking greed.” He shakes his head. “McMurtry was a great guy. You would have liked him so much.”

“I am sorry, love.”

He squeezes my hand. “I probably shouldn’t make any decisions right now other than signing a contract and marrying you before you can change your mind about me.”

I bring his hand to my lips and kiss it. “I am never changing my mind about you, love.”

“Even after all of this?”

I nod. “Especially not after all of this.”

* * * *

The next few weeks are…stressful, to say the least.

Very stressful.

I tender my resignation, because I refuse to leave Davies’ side. He needs me now, and I need him.

Davies has not yet decided whether he will return to work, or if he will retire permanently.

Obviously, his commission on thePRhas been terminated without repercussions to Davies, due to the captain’s actions.

I have told Davies that he does not yet have to decide anything. To wait until we return to the space station at Pfahrn to make a decision about his next steps.

The inquiry is, as I expected, emotionally taxing. The funeral on McMurtry’s home world even more so.

His family is very grateful to Davies for bringing his body home, and for telling them his vital role in the events that unfolded. They ask us to avail ourselves of their hospitality for a few days, and we cannot bear to refuse them.

I am glad I get to know McMurtry a little through their eyes. He seems like he was a good man, and I do not begrudge the relationship Davies had with him. That was before I even met Davies.