Page 33

“ A t least, I think I do.” I made a face. “It’s a crazy idea. Maybe it’s nothing.” Already I was second-guessing the wild theory that had popped into my head. It couldn’t be true, could it?

“It might also be something. Out with it.” Frank pulled the Mylar blanket off his shoulder and draped it over one of the dining chairs.

“I haven’t completely worked it out yet, but I believe Ayronina is involved in this.”

His forehead wrinkled. “Ayronina?”

I nodded and held up the sliver of foil again. “I don’t think this is part of a candy wrapper or a safety blanket. I think it’s part of Ayronina’s dress from the night of the gala.”

That made him squint. “I can’t remember what she had on.”

“It’s okay. You’re a man. I wouldn’t expect you to. But at the beginning of the night, she had on a sparkly silver dress that looked like it was all fringe. It was so bright when the lights were on her, you almost couldn’t look at her.” I wiggled the foil piece. “These were the fringe. Or something that looked like this. By the time she’d returned, she’d changed into a sparkly pink number.”

“Okay.”

“Additionally, the Star disappeared at the same time that she fainted. That silver dress was like a cloud. Big and flowy. She could have easily hidden the Star in it. Or maybe the guards really did take it because she’d paid them to. Then she had them killed because they were loose threads.”

“Who would do that for her?” Frank’s eyes narrowed. “Waan.”

“Maybe. She certainly looked capable of it. I say we get into that suite and see if we can find the Star. That’ll prove it.”

“Be better if they were both out of the suite, though. Can you wait until tonight? Until she leaves for the amphitheater?”

I shrugged one shoulder and tried to act cool, even though inside I felt like five kinds of crazy. The suspense was killing me. “We’ve waited this long. What’s a few hours?”

He looked at his wristband, then at me. “You have anything you need to get done until then?”

“There’s always something. I might swing by the library just to check in, but I could do some odds and ends at home.” Already, a list of things was forming in my head.

“All right. I’ll come to you at about six thirty. By seven, both of them should be gone.”

“And if Waan’s still there?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that.”

When he showed up at my place, I’d been to the library, where I’d approved twenty-six new translated books, then come home and gotten laundry sorted, put clean sheets on my bed, charged my wristband, and drunk a small protein shake from the Instachef. I picked the day’s flavor, which was, unsurprisingly, spaceberry.

It wasn’t anything special, but it took the edge off. If we were successful in our evening’s mission, maybe we’d get some ice cream. After we turned the Star over to Hazel, of course.

Frank gave Harry a nod when he entered. “How’s it going, buddy?”

“Good, mate. Watching the fish.” His eyes never left the action of the aquarium channel. I’d have to put that on for him more often.

Frank glanced at the screen, where a school of blue and yellow fish went zipping past. “I see that. Looks very relaxing.”

“Great to nap by,” Harry said.

“I bet. Might have to try that.” Frank smiled at me. “Ready?”

I nodded at the messenger bag on his shoulder. I had a feeling I knew what was making the bulge in the side. “Is the energy sensor in there?”

“It is. Charged and ready to go.” He looked tentative.

I felt that in my bones. I felt … on edge. But also a little like this was a dumb idea and we were going to strike out again. “Do you think … is this worth doing? Could she really be behind this?”

His sharp nod was full of determination. “Of course she could be. If Yut is strong-arming her into a relationship with him, what better way to get back at him than stealing the Star? I doubt she committed the murders. There’s no way someone her size could overpower two military men. But finding the Star would be a major step forward.”

“It would be. I just don’t want another disappointment.” I made myself smile. “But we have to follow all leads, don’t we?”

“We do. And this is a good one.”

I could only pray he was right.

We approached Ayronina’s suite as casually as possible, given the circumstances. Frank looked as cool as could be, but that was his natural state. I felt like electrical current was running through every nerve in my body.

Because of the hour, most people were at dinner, meaning the corridor was quiet. That definitely worked in our favor. I exhaled and tried to find some calm as Frank pressed the button. I just had a feeling this wasn’t going to go well.

“Looks like no one’s home,” Frank said. “Just as we thought. See? It’s all going according to?—”

The door whooshed open, and Waan stood before us, sour-faced in her uniform. She pursed her lips like we were wasting our time. Or maybe hers. “Miss Ayronina is not here. She is already at the amphitheater. Now I must go, too.”

She started to close the door.

Frank’s hand shot out to keep it open. “We know she’s getting ready. That’s why we’re here. She needs you. She wants tea. Needs it for her throat and says no one else knows how to make it the way you do.”

Waan’s eyes rounded in concern. “Miss Ayronina needs me? I will make the tea.” She frowned again. “But I haven’t finished her costume. The hem fell. I have to stitch it.”

“Take it with you,” I suggested.

She narrowed her eyes at us, then turned on her heel and hustled back into the suite, leaving us standing there.

I took the initiative and went after her. Lying on the couch was a glittery, mint-green and violet gown with a cape of feathers, the hem flipped back. An open sewing kit sat on the table. Waan went right to it.

I stopped by the table. Tucked into the corner was the same garment rack we’d seen on our first visit here. Was the silver gala dress on it? I couldn’t tell. I took a breath. My nerves seemed to be settling. “Is there anything else we can help with, Waan? What else do you need?”

She glanced at me, face clouded over as though she couldn’t understand why I’d want to help. “I … yes, the jewelry laid out on the bed in her bedroom. And the boots. They need to be put in their cases so I can take them.”

“We’ve got it,” I said. I tipped my head at Frank, but he was already behind me. We went into Ayronina’s bedroom.

The jewelry and boots were there, the boots leaning on the bed, the jewelry spread out on the covers.

“Use the cases on the chair,” Waan called after us. “ Don’t touch anything else.”

“We won’t. I see the cases,” I called back. Then to Frank, “I’ll take care of the jewelry. You do the boots.”

Frank looked slightly out of his depth, but I had faith he’d figure it out. He was an engineer, after all.

He held the boots up. They were bedazzled violet vinyl with a three-inch platform and spike heels. On me, they’d have been over the knee at least. On Ayronina, maybe thigh-high. He shook his head. “How does anyone walk in these?”

“Practice?” I got the storage cases. One medium compartmentalized one for the jewelry, another larger one for the boots. Both had carrying straps. I handed the big one to Frank and went to work on the jewelry. It was a necklace, a bracelet, and a pair of enormous dangling earrings, all made of iridescent crystals, none smaller than an old-fashioned dime.

Fortunately for Ayronina, they were lighter than they looked.

We packed everything up and took it back to the living room, where Waan had put her supplies back into the sewing kit and was carefully zipping the gown into an oversized garment bag. I helped her with the last bit, making sure nothing got caught in the zipper.

Seemingly mollified by our help, she stared at me, her expression only moderately less sour. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because my daughter is the vice-admiral, and having things go right is important to her. Just like I know how important it is to you that everything gets done right. For Ayronina’s sake.”

Waan grunted, which could have meant anything.

“I know you have to leave, but do you mind if I use the bathroom? We’ll be right behind you, and I’ll make sure the door is locked.”

She pursed her lips like she was getting ready to say no, but then she nodded. “Fine. No time. I must go.” She folded the garment bag over her arm, slung the strap of the boot box over her shoulder, then gripped the strap for the jewelry case in her other hand.

Without a second glance at us, she was gone.

As soon as the door shut, I looked at Frank. “That worked out well.”

“Not quite how I thought but good all the same.”

“I have to say, she doesn’t really seem like a killer to me. Capable of it, yes. But would she? I don’t know. Maybe to protect Ayronina.”

“Could be exactly why she did it. Those guards might have wanted a cut or threatened to tell the premier.”

“Good point. We’d better get searching.”

“Agreed.” He dug into his messenger bag and pulled out the energy sensor. “I’ll start scanning in the bedroom. While I do that, you want to search out here, see what you can find?”

“Absolutely.” I was sort of looking forward to snooping around the place. Seeing how the other half lived. Which made me wonder if Frank had ever lived like this.

I doubted it. Not his style at all.

He went back into the bedroom while I returned to the living area. I made a beeline for the garment rack in the corner, unzipping the protective cover as soon as I reached it. There was a long, beaded silver gown but nothing that matched the gala dress. Maybe it was in her closet. I’d ask Frank when he was done in the bedroom.

I rifled through the couch and chaise cushions, even peeked underneath both pieces of furniture. I found another sliver of silver, possibly proof that the gala dress had a shedding problem.

I finished with the cushions, did a quick check of the cabinets in the console against the wall. There was nothing in them. I thought about seeing how Frank was doing, but I still had the front closet to look through.

It held a vacuum-sealed bag with bedding to make up the couch, which obviously converted into a bed, but if you had enough money to book this room on the Athos , would you really need to have someone sleeping on the pull-out? I’d think you’d just get an adjoining suite.

The thought made me realize I hadn’t been in Waan’s room yet. She had to be staying here. I turned around. There was another door. I’d assumed a second closet or powder room.

Maybe it wasn’t. I tried the handle and found a medium-size room with an attached bathroom. A pair of worn ivory slippers was next to the bed, and an ivory robe was draped on the chair next to it. On the nightstand was a glass of water, a small pill container, and a tablet with a slightly scratched screen. Next to it was a pair of half-rim glasses. In the bathroom, a small makeup case and a slightly worn nightdress on a hook. Nothing opulent or flashy.

This had to be Waan’s room.

I doubted the Star would be in here, but anything was possible. I did a quick search and came up empty-handed. No real disappointment, as that was what I’d expected.

I was about to fire up the tablet and see what was on it when I heard beeping. My heart rate picked up, but then I remembered Ayronina had that nebulite bracelet. Obviously, that would set the sensor off.

Even so, I headed toward Ayronina’s bedroom.