Part 32 (1/2)
”You're an investigator, right?” Wagner said. ”I mean, you make your money finding people, but you've taken on stranger a.s.signments, not quite specific ones. What if we team up? My resources, your skills, and we find who killed Bowles. Someone is trying to frame us both, and we shouldn't allow it.”
Flint froze. Talia was staring at Wagner in disbelief. Flint wondered if he was, too.
”Team up up?” Flint asked.
”We're both businessmen,” Wagner said. ”We have similar interests. I know you dislike me and I'm not real fond of you, but we could work something out-”
”You're serious,” Flint said.
”Of course I am,” Wagner said. ”Occasionally a man must ally with someone he dislikes to get a job done. We need to know what's going on in the Bowles case. I think that by doing it together-”
”You actually think I'd work with you?” Flint asked.
”Of course,” Wagner said. ”You're a smart man. It's in both of our interests-”
”I don't work with murderers,” Flint said.
”I told you,” Wagner said. ”I didn't kill Ki Bowles. Weren't you paying attention? I-”
”Or kidnappers,” Talia said with so much anger that for a moment, Flint thought she was going to jump on Wagner like she'd jumped on that thug.
”Child,” Wagner said, ”your-father-and I are having a discussion. It doesn't concern you.”
”It concerns her,” Flint said. ”Because if I were a man unethical enough to tie myself to you, then she would have to deal with that. And she knows better. I I know better. I want you to pay for Paloma's murder. I'm not going to help you out of this mess.” know better. I want you to pay for Paloma's murder. I'm not going to help you out of this mess.”
”But I have nothing to do with it,” Wagner said.
”Even if that's true,” Flint said, ”I don't care. You can't bring us in here at gunpoint and a.s.sume we'll help you.”
”Surely-”
”Surely you're not that stupid,” Flint said. ”Surely you understand that I'll make sure someone pays for Paloma's murder.”
”The Bixian a.s.sa.s.sins are dead. The Bixian government can't be charged.” ”And neither can the man who tipped them off,” Flint said. ”But I stopped working for the police, remember?”
At that moment, the door to the office slammed open. Bartholomew Nyquist stood there, with a group of officers in uniform behind him.
Some a.s.sociate-a man-waved his hands. ”I tried to stop them, sir. They say there's a kidnapping in progress.”
”There is,” Flint said. ”Wagner brought me and Talia here at gunpoint.”
”I recorded it all,” Talia said, holding up a fist. She pointed to a chip on her knuckle. ”You want it?” Nyquist's eyes were sparkling. But his expression was serious. ”Are you injured?”
”No-” Talia started, but Flint put a hand on her arm.
”We'll have to have someone make sure,” he said. ”My daughter is probably badly bruised.” ”It's not a kidnapping,” Wagner said. ”I invited Mr. Flint here to discuss business.”
”He took us,” Talia said. ”I have proof.”
”And witnesses,” Flint said. ”Ask anyone in the law school cafeteria.”
”We already are.” Nyquist walked deeper into the office. He looked jaunty. ”Justinian Wagner, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Miles Flint and Talia s.h.i.+ndo. Other charges, including attempted murder or murder by hire, might be added later. Have you anything to say?”
”I'm one of the most respected lawyers in Armstrong. You have no right-”
”You know the law, sir. Do you contend the charges or accept them?”
Wagner's lips thinned. He looked like he wanted to punch Nyquist. Instead he said tightly, ”Contend.” ”Excellent.” Nyquist removed the lightlocks from his pocket. ”Turn around.”
”Surely that's not necessary.”
”You're being charged with a felony, sir,” Nyquist said. ”It's necessary.”
Then he grinned at Flint over Wagner's shoulder. Flint grinned back.
”Took you long enough,” Flint said softly.
”Came as soon as I heard.” Nyquist finished attaching the locks, then roughly turned Wagner around and shoved him forward. ”Figured this was one arrest I didn't want to miss.”
51.
It had only been a half hour since the images of Gulliver Illiyitch were displayed all over Armstrong, but sighting reports had already overwhelmed the police station.
Romey had examined a dozen herself. The most credible seemed to come from the area around the port, but she couldn't get confirmation. And she didn't want to go in, weapons drawn, without it. ”Savita.” Gumiela had come out of her office. She stood in the hallway just outside Romey's small cubicle.
Gumiela looked even more put together than usual. She had probably refreshed her clothes several times during the day and reapplied her hair gel, all because she had known this was going to be a media kind of day.
Romey looked up from her desk. She was using the scratched screen to make a map of the city, trying to trace a trajectory of a possible Illiyitch path.
”You need to come see this.” Gumiela moved away from Romey's line of sight.
Romey suppressed a sigh and stood. Her sons would be doing their homework or watching some vids. Maybe they'd even left the house, knowing their mom wouldn't be back until long after their bedtime.
She stepped into the hallway. Gumiela had turned on a wall screen.
There, in the middle of a throng of people, stood Gulliver Illiyitch.
He looked just like the identification photos that Whitford Security had. He hadn't even changed out of his black suit.
”Where's this?” Romey asked.
”The port, just like we thought. The media tracked him down. They're questioning him right now. I'm having s.p.a.ce Traffic Control pick him up. You want to go down there and cap off the arrest?”
Gumiela was actually being kind. She wanted to know whether Romey would like to make a high-profile arrest, the kind that would launch a career-turn Romey from a detective into an a.s.sistant chief or a media coordinator.
Into a junior Gumiela.