Page 27

F rank wasn’t upset that I’d woken him. He was very understanding about such things. “Is the body Olan’s?”

“I don’t know.” My eyes were closed, and I was leaning against the window near the open panel. I’d called on an audible-only line, so no holoscreen. “I couldn’t bring myself to look. But it was wearing a Loessaian military jumpsuit, and my first instinct was that it was male.”

The sound of a yawn came through. “You need to call ASF. Or your daughter. Probably both.”

I opened my eyes. Harry was sitting nearby, licking his paw and using it to smooth the hair on his head. “I don’t want to wake Hazel up.”

Frank snorted. “You know I was sleeping, right?”

“Yes, sorry.”

“Just teasing you. You okay?”

“I’m fine.” A dead body and a tight space were not my idea of fun.

“I’m glad you called. Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right there. But you really should call ASF.”

“Okay. I will.” The ASF and I weren’t the best of friends, and I doubted this would help. I dialed them next.

“Athos Security Forces, this is Officer Breven.”

Officer Breven sounded like she’d rather be sleeping. I completely understood. “Officer Breven, this is Ellis McFadden—” I could hear typing. I knew she was looking me up. No doubt I had a file. Probably an extensive one. “I’ve found a body.”

“A body?”

I’d never heard two words drip with more sarcasm. Not the most reassuring. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Whose body?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t take the time to have a really good look, and I didn’t want to disturb evidence.”

“Ma’am, are you sleepwalking?”

I really didn’t like to throw my daughter’s name around, but I was starting to think it might be necessary. Not to mention, I was tired and now a little cranky and wholly uninterested in dragging this out. “Maybe I should just call my daughter, Vice-Admiral Perry. If you’re not going to take me seriously, that is.”

“Ma’am, I just need to be sure that this is a legitimate call.” Breven’s tone had definitely shifted to a more professional one. “Where are you located?”

I rolled my eyes. Did she really think this wasn’t a legitimate call? Did the Athos Security Forces get a lot of “I’ve found a body” prank calls in the middle of the night? I took a breath, tried to keep my voice civil, and answered. “I’m on Deck 39, the observation loop. The body is in a passageway behind one of the access panels near the elevator bank. I’ll stay right here so that I can direct whatever officer you send.”

“Please do stay there. I’ll have someone there shortly.”

When Frank arrived a few minutes later, the ASF officer had yet to show up. I hadn’t moved. I hooked my thumb over my shoulder, gesturing toward the opening. “The body’s in there. Harry found him.”

Frank leaned down and gave Harry a little scratch on the head. “Good job.”

Harry preened. “Thanks, mate.”

“I’m going to check that it’s Olan. There should be a light in there.”

“Hey, is that where you went to deal with the lights the night of the gala?”

“No, that panel is on the other side of the space.”

“Oh. Good.” I didn’t know how long the body had been in there, but I didn’t like the idea that Frank might have been in there with it. “Go ahead. That’s all I wanted to know.”

Frank ducked through the opening and felt around on the walls. I heard something click. He looked up. “Burned out. Or deliberately broken.” He turned on his wristband light and disappeared deeper into the passageway.

“Take pictures,” I called after him, realizing I hadn’t even done that. My lack of sleep was getting to me. Or maybe it was the shock of seeing a dead body.

Frank wasn’t in there long. He emerged, nodding. “It’s Olan, all right, unless someone else is wearing a uniform with his name patch on it, which I doubt.” He turned off the light on his wristband.

“Did you get pictures?”

“Yes, lots.”

“Any sign of the Star?”

“No, but I didn’t move the body. Could be under him. He seems wedged in there pretty good.”

The image of Olan’s body stuck awkwardly between the hull and elevator shaft returned to my mind. It wasn’t so different from how Navun had been found. I exhaled. “Was there … blood?”

“Not that I could see. It looks as if whatever happened to him caused him to fall, and that’s how he ended up in there.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Any idea how long he’s been in there?”

Frank shook his head. “I’m not sure the coroner will be able to tell, not with how cold it is in the passage. That will affect body temp for sure.”

“Did you know that wall opened up?”

“Not this one specifically, but there’s an access for the elevator mechanics on every deck, so it makes sense.” He cupped my elbow, eyes narrowing as he studied my face. “You sure you’re okay? I know you and dead bodies don’t go together.”

“I’m fine. Just a bit of a shock.”

“No doubt.” He looked toward the passage again. “As much as I don’t want to touch the body in order to preserve the scene, if the Star is under him…”

“That would pretty much mean that secret would no longer be a secret.” Exactly the thing that Hazel had been trying to avoid. I appreciated that he was concerned about that.

“Did you sense anything?”

“No, but I was pretty distracted by the dead body.”

“So we still need to check.” His expression turned pensive. “The thing is, I don’t think I can lift the body and look at the same time. Those are tight quarters. I’d have to pull him out entirely, and that would definitely destroy evidence. And I don’t have gloves.”

“Do you think you can lift the body? I know you’re strong, but that’s dead weight.”

He tapped his shoulder. “My replacement parts can handle it, no problem. If I grab him by the front of his uniform, I should be able to lift him without leaving too much DNA.”

I’d forgotten about his bionic shoulder. Realizing what that meant, I made a face. “So you lift while I look?”

He shook his head. “There’s no room for both of us in there. I was thinking Harry could do the looking.”

Harry put his paws on my leg and stretched up, clearly eager to be part of the conversation. “I can do it, Mum.”

“I know you can,” I told him. “Just do whatever Frank says.”

“All right,” Frank said. “Back in we go.” He turned on his flashlight again before glancing at me. “We won’t be long.”

He and Harry disappeared into the passageway, Frank’s light casting shadows behind him. I could hear a few soft sounds but nothing much.

Harry came running out shortly. “No Star, Mum.”

“Well, that’s a bummer.”

One of the elevators started to hum. Someone was on their way.

Frank emerged from the passageway. “That has to be the ASF. Do you want me to stay or go?”

“Stay. Please.”

“You got it.” He turned off his light, then tapped at the screen on his wristband a few times. I was pretty sure he was sending the pictures he’d taken to our shared bubble.

“Too bad the Star wasn’t in there.”

“I know.” He looked up. “Did you call your daughter?”

“No, just ASF. But I think I’m going to text her. That way at least she’ll know I didn’t forget about her.”

“Smart.” The elevator doors opened. He tipped his head toward the sound. “I’ll deal with the ASF. You get that message sent.”

“Thanks.” I hoped it was ASF. I was ready for this to be over. I took a few steps away so the officer would reach Frank before me. Harry went with me. I sent Hazel a quick note.

Found Olan’s body. ASF arriving now. Elevator mechanics space on D39. Thought you should know. I hit Send. It was short and missing some information but the best I could do in the moment.

I looked at Harry. “Don’t wander off, okay? As soon as this is done, we’re going home. And back to bed.”

His eyes were wide, and he was staring at whoever Frank was talking to, but he managed to give me a little nod. I went to Frank and the officer.

“I’m Ellis McFadden.” I read his name patch. “Officer Temke?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He was young but had kind eyes. He looked familiar. “That graphic novel series you recommended, Brain Train , that was better than expected. Zombies in Tokyo? Good stuff. Thanks. ”

I smiled. Of course. The library. “I’m glad you liked it.”

His expression turned more serious. He unhooked the tablet from his belt. “Dispatch says you found a body?”

“Yes.” I waved my hand at the open panel. “In there. It’s Olan Suwan. He was one of the Loessaian guards assigned to the Omega Min Star the night of the gala.”

Temke used his stylus to take a few notes. “You seem sure of his identification. Did you know him personally?”

“No, not at all. But…” I didn’t know what I should say. So much of this was still being kept quiet. I’d promised Hazel to keep it that way, too. “I was made aware of him through my daughter.”

Temke nodded. “The vice-admiral.”

“That’s right.”

He glanced from me to Frank. “And neither of you has touched the body?”

Frank cleared his throat. “I briefly touched the man, just to see if he was dead or unconscious.”

Not the complete truth, but a good cover on Frank’s part in case his DNA showed up. What else could he have said? That he’d moved the body to look for the Star, which no one was supposed to know was missing?

Temke exchanged the tablet for a penlight and clicked it on. “If you could just wait here while I inspect the scene.”

“Sure,” Frank said. As Temke went into the passage, Frank put his arm around me. “You want to sit? This might take a while.”

“Probably not a bad idea.”

We went to the bench seating, the section that faced this part of the observation area. Harry sat on one side of me, Frank on the other.

Soft light gleamed through the open panel, and the crackle of Temke’s com unit followed, but I couldn’t make out any of the words.

A minute later, Temke emerged. “Definitely a body. Name patch matches your identification. I’ve got forensics on their way, but I’ll need to ask you both some questions.”

I put my hand on Frank’s arm. “He wasn’t here for the discovery. I just called him because dead bodies freak me out.”

Temke’s eyes narrowed. “Have you had a lot of interactions with dead bodies?”

“More than I ever wanted to.” Then I realized I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain finding the body. I didn’t really want to tell him my cat had been following Olan’s scent trail. I didn’t want to mention the sliver of foil, either, which I hadn’t even told Frank about yet.

I was going to have to fudge some details. I had no other choice because I was fairly certain Temke hadn’t been read in on what was happening with the premier and the Star and all of that.

Hazel walked out of the shadows, dressed in her uniform jumpsuit, dark circles under her eyes from either not sleeping or being woken up. I hadn’t even heard the elevator. Maybe she’d come on the escalator. “Officer? Give me a moment with my mother, will you, please?”

Captain Stuedecker was at her right shoulder, also in his uniform but looking a bit more bright-eyed. He probably didn’t need sleep.

Temke quickly nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Hazel moved past him as he took a few steps away. Stuedecker held the middle ground, like a barrier between me and Temke.

Frank got to his feet, graciously offering his place next to me. Harry curled up on my lap, a sweet gesture of comfort that I very much needed.

“Okay,” Hazel said with a weary exhale. She sat down, reaching over to give Harry a quick scratch behind one ear. “Tell me everything.”