In the Black (16 page)

Problem was she wasn’t sure if she would if she could. The scorching heat, the goose bumps on her skin, the white-hot flash of desire—

What the hell would it be like to get hold of the rest of him? From what she’d felt, Daniel LeClair wasn’t wanting for much other than a good woman to take him in hand.

So to speak.

It was a good alternative to paying Sean. That’s all she needed.

A few hours with a man, a few hours of white-hot raunchy sex, no strings attached and no commitments, just what she deserved to burn this desire out of her body and what she needed to stay on the job. Get him off, get her off and shake hands at the end of it all.

Send the good marshal on his way and be done with it.

All she had to do was find Halley’s killer. This interview with Kowalski would be the key. As soon as he broke down and confessed, he’d be locked up and the marshal would be on his way with the killer in tow and she’d be fine. Daniel LeClair would be out of sight and out of mind.

Sam yanked on a strap hard enough to make her shoulder ache.

She’d never liked lying to herself.

* * *

The walk through the base to the security section had been interesting, with the workers avoiding Sam to the point of ducking into side corridors, eyes down. The marshal beside her changed everything. He was a reminder of what she’d offered the miners and they’d lost either through the actions of one of their own or another.

She felt the pull of full gravity as they crossed the threshold into the secure area. It didn’t surprise her. There were just some things you couldn’t improvise in near or zero g.

Huckness grunted as the pair entered the office. “Trainer and Swendson on their way. Can’t do nothing until the foreman and the shop steward’s present.” The security chief looked up from the bank of monitors. He eyed Sam, wariness on his face. “Didn’t think you’d come along.”

“I want to see him.” She forced calm into her voice. Huckness was a vet; he knew the lure of revenge. “I won’t do anything, promise.”

Huckness chuckled. “Don’t try and fool me, Captain. If he’s guilty you’ll want to dance on his balls with your boots. Don’t blame you but I can’t let that happen.” He winked at her. “Not yet, anyway.”

Daniel interrupted. “Where is he?”

“Got him in the interrogation room. He’s been cooling his heels. Figured I’d let him stew while waiting for you.” He got to his feet and came out from behind the desk, pointing at a side door. “Down there. He was quiet enough, didn’t offer any trouble.”

“None?” Daniel asked. “No resistance at all? I’d expect a killer to be at least nervous about being picked up.”

The security chief shrugged. “I’m no psychologist. All I can tell you is that he’s an old-timer, done his entire working life here on Branson Prime.” He picked up a file folder from the desk and handed it to Daniel. “We’ve busted him a few times over the years for fighting but nothing beyond that. Man’s six months from retirement. Hell of a way to go out.”

Daniel opened the file. “If he was getting advice from Halley on how to get a good retirement and she screwed him over it’d be motive.” He studied the pages in front of him. “Could she have given him some bad investment advice? Wiped out his savings through some pyramid scheme?”

Sam shook her head. “Not that I can see. According to the Guild records the
Belle
hasn’t been here for the better part of a year, at least not since I took command. Besides, all he had to do was complain to the Guild about his retirement fund being wiped out or being the victim of some sort of scam.”

“How would they know?” The question from Huckness brought them both around. “I mean, the Guild’s business is supposed to be secret, right? How would they know it was bad?” There was a panicky tone in his voice.

Sam suspected the chief had a goodly amount socked away for his retirement, not counting on only his military pension to carry him through.

“If you file a complaint you give permission to the Guild to access your bank records to see if the investment advice was sound or not.” She’d memorized parts of the damned manual because she had to, not because she wanted to. It’d been part of the qualifications to captain the
Belle
.

“Once the investigation is closed the information is sealed away, regardless of the outcome. If she wiped some guy’s savings out, he’d be able to complain and get the amount refunded—along with getting her tossed out of the Guild. No reason to kill her, just fill out the forms.”

Daniel frowned as he flipped through the pages. “Kowalski had next to nothing in his base savings account. Seems he kept sending it home or donating to charities. Barely enough to keep him supplied with the essentials.” He finally looked at Sam, a neutral expression on his face. “Why would he get an appointment with Halley?”

“Sex.” Huckness answered before she could.

They both stared at the chief.

He raised his hands. “Hey, don’t give me that. You know what the deal is with Mercy women. It’s not only for their ‘services.’ Maybe Kowalski wasn’t going to her for help with the books, if you know what I mean.” A flush came over the chief’s face. “What? Not like I’m the only one thinking it. Not with that portfolio you showed of her with that damned beach ball. You put up pictures like that and you know some men ain’t thinking about the stock market listings.”

Sam bit the inside of her cheek. It was the honest truth and she couldn’t dispute it.

Too bad the pictures didn’t show the women and men as they really were, past the faux smiles and giggles to the bitchiness and whining hidden from public view. She didn’t swing toward women but she was damned sure that if she did, Halley would be at the bottom of her list.

She wondered where Halley would sit on the marshal’s list.

“He still cashed in the token for a visit, no matter his reasons.” Daniel put the file down. “Let’s see what he has to say.”

As if on cue Trainer walked in without knocking, the middle-aged man glaring at each of them in turn. A smaller man followed fast on the foreman’s heels, pushing in front of Trainer.

“Marshal LeClair, I’m Howard Swendson.” He stuck out his hand with a guarded smile. “I’m the shop steward for Branson Prime.”

“Mr. Trainer, Mr. Swendson,” Chief Huckness said. “The marshal here is ready to talk to Kowalski.”

“What’s she doing here?” Swendson nodded toward Sam. “She’s got no legal standing off her ship according to the regs.”

She resisted the urge to shuffle her feet. The man knew his rules and regulations. She’d expect nothing less from the union rep, but if he got in her way she’d have no problem running him over to see justice served for Halley.

“I asked her to come along to represent the victim and her family.” Daniel leaned in, moving into the shop steward’s personal space. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“No,” Swendson snapped. “As long as she stays behind the scenes. I don’t want this guy more intimidated than he’s already going to be by having a marshal hovering over him.”

Sam had to concede the point. Swendson was going to be Kowalski’s only ally and the last thing she needed was to invalidate Daniel’s questioning if a good lawyer got into the game and decided she was interfering.

“She’s going to stay in the observation room.” Daniel crossed his arms. “Good enough?”

Swendson nodded. “Don’t get me wrong, Marshal—if Kowalski killed the woman I want him going down for it and going down hard. But he’s still one of my men and until you prove his guilt I’m going to have his back.” He looked at Trainer. “I’m sure you agree with me.”

Trainer nodded.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Daniel looked at Huckness. “I think we’re ready.”

They walked down the hall to the interrogation room, entering the observation area where the one-way glass window sat.

Sam kept a respectful distance behind the four men. She was there as a visitor and as an observer and didn’t need to muddy the waters.

“You can watch here.” Huckness waved her to the first door. “We’ll watch the good marshal work his magic.” He watched Swendson as the shop steward continued on down the hall behind Daniel. “Keeping everyone happy.”

Trainer trailed behind her as she went into the observation room, making Sam uncomfortable.

She hated having anyone behind her. Especially someone who she wasn’t sure she could trust.

Huckness took up a position in front of the window and gestured at Sam to join him. Trainer stayed back, not quite out of sight in the darkened room.

As Daniel walked into the interrogation room Huckness winked at Sam. “I hear he’s got a good track record of pulling the truth out of these guys. Been wanting to see him in action.”

I’ve seen him in action.
He’s fabulous.

Sam shook her head, and then stared at the elderly miner through the one-way glass. He curled his fingers around the sealed water bottle with slow, measured movements. He hadn’t changed from their initial meeting in the hall—the same drab grey jumpsuit, the same sad face, the same lack of emotion in his eyes.

She couldn’t imagine him slashing Halley’s throat.

It scared her that she couldn’t.

* * *

The elderly miner cringed as Daniel entered the room, releasing the water bottle and dropping his hands into his lap.

Swendson followed and immediately moved behind Kowalski, leaning against the wall. The two men exchanged nods but didn’t speak.

Daniel sat down at the opposite end of the table. He unclipped Etts from his belt and placed it on the table.

Kowalski eyed the black box warily. “That a recording device?”

Daniel shrugged.

“Okay, listen to this.” The miner leaned forward, almost touching his lips to the polished surface. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do nothing to that girl.”

Daniel said nothing.

“Look, I know you need a fall guy. I know you want to put this away as fast as possible. You rolled the dice and came up with my name, I get that.” He stabbed the tabletop with a thick index finger, the hollow sound echoing around the room. “But I’m not going down quietly. I want you to know that. I’m gonna go to the Justice base and get the best lawyer and I’m gonna fight you tooth and nail all the way. I ain’t going to jail for something I didn’t do.” He turned to look at Swendson. “You got my back, right?”

The shop steward nodded, his face expressionless. “To a degree.”

The angry scar across Kowalski’s right ear flashed scarlet.

Daniel stayed quiet. His hand went into his front pocket and pulled out the evidence bag. He slapped it down on the table in front of Kowalski.

“Whassat?” The words were blurred as if he’d used up all his energy with the previous protest.

“The token you got from the captain when she took pity on you and tossed you a bone. The one you cashed in to get an appointment with Halley Comet and the one you left behind in the courtesan’s quarters after you murdered her.” Daniel kept his tone as neutral as possible.

“No.” The miner shook his head hard, his short grey hair rocking back and forth. “Not me.”

“You killed her and left this behind. It was a dumb move, Kowalski.” Daniel tapped on the small evidence bag. “A very dumb move.”

Kowalski turned his attention to Swendson, chewing on his bottom lip and frowning.

Swendson said nothing.

“Don’t look over there for help,” Daniel said. “He’s not worried about you. He’s wondering how he’s going to fill your slot when I drag you off to a Justice base. He’s thinking about how you’re screwing up the day’s quota, the week’s quota.”

Kowalski stared at the one-way window, eyes blazing.

Sam took a step back, forgetting he couldn’t see her. She felt like a voyeur watching the marshal at work.

“It’s good.” Huckness touched her elbow, steadying her. “He can’t see us, promise.” He nodded toward the glass. “It’s good,” he repeated.

Sam didn’t tell him she wasn’t afraid of being seen.

She was afraid of what she hadn’t seen. What she hadn’t seen in the elderly miner’s eyes.

Evil. Hate.

She was intimately familiar with it, and it hadn’t been there. Annoyance, anger at being singled out.

But not what she’d been looking for.

Trainer gave a light cough behind her, barely loud enough to hear.

Back in the interrogation room Kowalski shifted in the cold metal chair. “I got that from the captain.” His gaze went again to the mirror. “The captain gave it to me after I shouted at her.”

“You called her a whore.” Daniel said. “You called them all whores.”

Sam flinched. For Daniel to know that meant he’d seen the arrival tape and her presentation to the miners.

Her flirting with the rookie.

Her confrontation with Kowalski.

Not her best moment.

“They—” The miner swallowed loudly. “They’re all about the money. No love. You need love out here to stay alive, to stay whole.”

Sam held her breath, felt her lungs ache with the strain.

“Damned guy’s a philosopher.” Huckness chuckled beside her.

She didn’t turn to face the chief, afraid of letting him see her face.

Back inside the room the discussion continued. “This token was found at the murder scene,” Daniel continued. “How did it get there if you didn’t cash it in?”

Kowalski eyed the mirror again before answering. “I don’t have to answer you. I could ask for a lawyer. I got rights.”

“You could,” Daniel conceded. “But that’d take time for him to come over from a Justice base or for us to send you out on a secure shuttle, and the longer we keep the base locked down the more pissed-off your buddies are going to be. Sure, they’re getting to use the
Belle’s
services but they’re a shift behind right now and your pals are going to want to catch up.” He nodded toward the window. “The
Belle’s
captain needs her crew to be working, not wondering about who killed their friend.”

Sam tried not to smirk.
Friend
was hardly the term she’d use to describe Halley.

Kowalski looked at Swendson. The shop steward gave a half-hearted shrug.

The miner sighed. “Okay. I didn’t go see the woman. I’ve got morals.” His stare went to the window again. “I don’t need a fast fuck to keep me alive.”