Shadows In Still Water (15 page)

Pulling her head in from the window, Bridget sat back in her seat to ask Miguel, “Do you know what was going on last night?”

Miguel shifted the flitter into a lower flight pattern. “No,” he replied. “What happened?”

“You didn’t hear all the commotion?”

“Not a thing. I was in Dome 4.”

“Oh, of course. Some of us less fortunate people had to sleep outside.”

“Can I help it if I’m lucky?”

“Oh, right. I saw you negotiating with Zimbin.”

Miguel grinned. “Great guy isn’t he?” Shifting again, he banked the flitter to the right around a large hill. They were following the trail along the Talax, heading west. “So tell me what happened.”

“I don’t know but I heard Dr. Rialus and Millie whispering then Millie got up and she never came back. And none of them, Rialus, Millie, or Dr. Aurelia were around this morning.” Bridget frowned then sat up as the flitter cleared the hill and rocky shore stretched ahead of them. “Oh, stop here, Mig. This is perfect,” she said.

Miguel eased back on the control stick until the flitter came to a stop, hovering inches above the ground and held up by a thick green cloud of bilexin gas. The vehicle bounced slightly as they collected the things for their breakfast picnic and climbed out.

Picking her way across the rocks, Bridget chose a spot and spread out a plastic sheet which was really the inner liner of one of the equipment crates. The day had already warmed to 32 degrees Celsius but the breeze off the river was cool and the smell was not quite so obnoxious as it had been the day before.

“We better not take too long,” Miguel said as he brought the food over. “Lak Zanin was telling me that phinotheria vaccinations have to be done soon.”

“I like her but sometimes I can’t figure out what she’s talking about,” Bridget said.

“I know. I want to turn on my translator but I don’t want to be rude. Say, I wonder if they got the bay doors working.”

“I hope so. I need a change of clothes.”

“Yes, you do.” Miguel said, making a face. Bridget threw a pebble at him. Laughing, Miguel unwrapped a sandwich.

Bridget watched the rock bounce off his chest and roll beyond him on the ground. It had unusual orange swirls running through it and she stood up to retrieve it for a souvenir. “Hey, what’s that?” she exclaimed, pointing down the shoreline. Miguel turned to look.

About twenty yards away a large black bag with white splotches lay among the rocks and appeared to be moving slightly. “Looks like a body bag,” Bridget said. She caught Miguel’s eye and then they were both running toward it as fast as they could.

The smell reached them halfway there and they slowed their pace then stopped. Definitely a body bag and moving but not from the body within. Thousands of small white crustaceans clambered over the bag, digging into the plastic with sharp pincers.

The top portion of the bag had ripped open and Bridget peered in cautiously. She almost gagged. The tiny crabs covered the face and filled the open wound in the chest. Miguel put his hand on her shoulder and drew her back.

“We better call somebody,” he said. She nodded and slipped her hand in his as they walked back to the flitter.

“Remind me not to be a medical examiner,” Bridget spoke as Miguel reached in for his comm-link.

Miguel smiled and patted her cheek, “You did all right in the cadaver lab.”

“Yes, but those were nice and neat. Four O is the local operator number,” she informed him. She watched him tap in the numbers and tried not to think who that might be lying on the beach behind them.

A long moment of confusion reigned after the operator’s voice came on speaking in Jidalian until Bridget reached over and pushed the translate button to the right setting. Even then it took some time for Miguel to explain the problem. Finally they were told to stay where they were and wait for a patrol. Miguel signed off and stuck the comm-link in his belt.

“Now we’ll probably have to wait for hours. I’m hungry,” Bridget declared and led the way back to their picnic.

“Sure you can eat?” Miguel asked.

Patting her hips ruefully, Bridget replied, “I’ve rarely had trouble eating.” Miguel laughed but she did make him sit so she couldn’t see the body.

They were just cleaning up when a black cruiser came speeding toward them from over the water. It passed above them and slid to a stop inches from the flitter, which bounced against the airwaves. “Hey, that’s rented!” Miguel yelled.

They watched the gull-wing doors fly open and a huge Berellian who made Zimbin look like a midget in comparison stepped out. His fur was black and curly and he wore a gray outfit like a uniform but without insignia. Bridget found herself unable to take her eyes off his biceps which seemed almost as big around as a California redwood.

“Whoops. Hope he didn’t hear that,” Miguel muttered.

The Berellian reached them with about three steps and, after looking them over, growled, “Where’s the body?”

Tipping her head back to see his face, Bridget found his frown intimidating especially as the tips of his sharp incisors jutted out of his mouth. But his brown eyes were full of keen intelligence and what she thought might be a sense of humor.

“It’s right over here,” she said, leading the way to the bag.

The Berellian stamped his foot several times frightening the crabs away from the body and crushing a few underneath. Bridget jumped back to avoid the stampede as the creatures scrambled for hiding places in the rocks and sand.

Poking the bag open farther, the Berellian squatted down to examine the corpse. Silent for several minutes, he finally looked up and asked, “You two kill him?”

Taken aback, Bridget stammered, “No! Of course not!”

“Hmmm.” He looked at the body again. A moment later, he glanced up at Miguel. “Know who he is?”

“No,” Miguel replied and added, “sir.”

“What’s your names?”

They told him. Then Bridget, pressing her hands tightly together, asked, “Could...could we have your name?”

She couldn’t tell if he was grinning or baring his teeth as he replied, “Radif.” He stood up then. “I want you two to sit over there and stay there until I say,” Radif said, indicating some rocks close to their picnic area.

They obeyed, finding a large, relatively comfortable boulder to sit on. They watched Radif talk to someone on his comm-link then walk around the body, taking measurements. “What do you think of the local police force?” Bridget asked in a whisper.

“Hired help but he’s Berellian so he takes it seriously,” Miguel answered whispering back.

“What do you mean hired help?”

“Well, the Jidalians let a lot of different people live here, so they probably hire guys like Radif with a high respect quotient. Not exactly a mercenary but not exactly a cop either.”

“Can he arrest people?”

“Oh sure,” Miguel nodded. “But under Intergalactic Law. A murder investigation like this must be a real mess.”

Bridget opened her mouth to ask why but shut it again at sight of another black cruiser coming toward them. This one actually bumped their flitter and Miguel jumped to his feet in frustration. “Can’t these guys drive,” he muttered.

As the doors flew open Bridget was reminded of a clown car at a circus as five more Berellians emerged, all of varying shades and sizes but none as large as Radif. The early morning quiet disappeared as the sounds of their deep voices and heavy feet invaded the beach. They clustered around Radif and the body for several minutes then spread out to search the shore, calling out to each other every few minutes.

A brief flurry of excitement occurred when they all crowded around a gray-furred Berellian then Radif came out of the crowd walking toward Bridget and Miguel. He stopped in front of them and held up a boot of soft brown leather. One side of it had been cut down to the ankle.

“But that looks like...” Bridget’s voice faltered to a stop.

Radif gripped her arm. “What do you know about it?” he asked.

Bridget threw a glance at Miguel then back at Radif. “It’s just that...well, our chief surgeon wears a boot like that. Is that the left?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know why she has it cut like that. She limps on that leg though.”

Nodding, Radif released her arm. “All right. I want you both to give your statements to Biluk. He’s standing over by the cruiser. Then I want you to take me to see this chief surgeon of yours.”

Obeying they headed toward the cruiser. Miguel asked, “Do you really think Dr. Aurelia might have killed someone?”

Bridget, chewing her lower lip, answered, “I don’t know. Something did happen last night. And I wouldn’t doubt that she’s certainly capable of killing someone.”

“But why? And are you sure about that boot?”

“I can’t be absolutely sure it’s hers but her left boot is cut like that. Haven’t you ever noticed?”

He shook his head, “Never paid any attention.” He stopped and looked down as his receiver beeped. “Number three. That’s Millie isn’t it? Should I tell her?”

Bridget shrugged helplessly, “I don’t know. I guess so. She’ll find out soon enough anyway.”

Miguel nodded, sucked in a deep breath and answered the call.

Staring up at the light blue ceiling of the envirodome, Aurelia wondered how she happened to be there instead of out on the tarp under that filthy blanket with rocks and bumps of uneven ground digging into her back. Not that she minded really, she just distinctly remembered telling Zimbin that she would not draw for a spot in the dome. Her entire body felt as if it were between two sides of a mechanical vise tightened as far as it would go. No pain particularly, just a sense of heavy pressure.

Pushing the palms of her hand against the bed, Aurelia struggled to sit up. The rest of the room was empty with all the beds made. Noises filtering in from outside indicated the camp was awake and preparing for the day. Breathing rapidly, she fought off the blanket and stood to her feet. She had to wait a minute for the room to stop revolving. It took five minutes to walk the few feet to the P.H.C., swallowing back waves of nausea with every step.

Filling the sink from the portable water tank, she looked up and stared at her gaunt reflection in the mirror. Huge black circles ringed her bloodshot eyes and her hair lay about her shoulders in a tangled, still damp and muddy mess. As fragments of the night before began to seep back to her mind, Aurelia leaned her head against the wall, watching the water slowly drain back into the tank’s purifier. She closed her eyes, seeing Braden’s face before her but only as a memory now not as if he were really there as it had seemed last night.

Shaking her head, she shoved the memories back into their proper place, wishing she could be rid of them entirely. No such luck, she told her twin in the mirror. Making a face, she dragged her protesting body into the sonic shower.

“Aura?” Millie poked her head into the P.H.C. just as Aurelia stepped out of the shower. “What are you doing up?”

Aurelia eyed her head nurse suspiciously. A light gleamed in Millie’s eye that she couldn’t quite identify. “It’s customary to get up in the morning is it not?” Aurelia replied.

“Not with three c.c.’s of Xillonex in your system!”

“No wonder I can hardly move. Is this mine?” Aurelia picked up a clean shirt and pair of slacks folded neatly over the rack on the back of the door. “Where are my boots?”

“Doctor, I don’t think you should be out of bed. You were in bad shape just a few hours ago. Do you even remember what happened?”

Aurelia paused from buttoning her shirt. “I remember,” she replied. “Some of it. Some things are still a little hazy.” Aurelia zipped up the pants, tucked in her shirt and pulled on her utility belt, glancing around the floor. “Where are my boots?”

Millie folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame. “How do you feel physically?” she asked.

“Fine.” Aurelia held out her hand, palm upwards, “Give me my boots, Millie.”

“Why would I have your boots? Just because I got you out of your sopping wet clothes while you rambled on in some foreign language and didn’t even know who I was does not mean I have any idea where your boots are.”

Hot tears leaped into Aurelia’s eyes which she blinked away. “This is not particularly funny, Millie.”

“No, it’s not. I don’t think you’re in any shape to get up and quite frankly I’m getting worried about the success of this job.”

“Why do you think I’m standing here? Believe me, the way I feel right now I could go lie down and never get up again at all. But don’t you ever accuse me of not caring about a mission. I know we’re running into a time factor with phinotheria, innoculations have to be done fast. Faster than we’ve been doing them. And that’s why I’m standing here looking for my damn boots!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that at all. Honestly, I have no idea where your boots are.” Millie looked around the floor herself. “Come to think of it, you weren’t wearing any last night when Jak brought you in.”

Groaning, Aurelia slumped down on one of the equipment boxes. She lifted her foot and stared at the red scratches on the bottom. “I took them off before I jumped in the river. That was the only pair I had with me.” She looked up at Millie and asked, “Jak. Was he the one who pulled me out?”

Millie nodded slowly. “You don’t remember?”

“No. All I remember is...” Aurelia stopped, afraid her voice would break if she said any more and pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes.

Millie sat down beside her and asked, “What happened out there, Aura?”

Aurelia said nothing for a very long time. Finally, dropping her hands from her face and folding them in her lap, she stared at the wall and began to speak, her voice calm but each word heavy with pain. “I had a flashback. Haven’t had one in over two years and never publicly. It’s like I’m really there but I know I’ve already lived it but I don’t know if I’ll ever get out.”

“What was it about?” Millie asked.

A long shudder went through Aurelia’s body. She replied, “Someone... Someone used to punish me by...by holding my head under water. When I jumped in the Talax and the water went over my head, I...I just panicked. The current was so strong I couldn’t...” her voice faded away.

“You jumped in that river to save Steve even though you knew you couldn’t make it, didn’t you?”

Frowning, Aurelia pushed herself to her feet, suddenly not liking this conversation. She had already said too much, in fact, had almost poured the whole horrible story into her head nurse’s sympathetic ear.

Looking at Millie’s brown, gentle face, Aurelia’s eyes narrowed. “I had a responsibility to someone under my care. That’s all. And I didn’t plan on drowning.” She moved toward the door. “By the way , where’s Jak? I want him to take a party across the river to the other half of the city. We need to spread out.”

Millie raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t remember, do you? He’s not here and I don’t know where he is.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He was really upset last night. Apparently you insulted him.”

“What did I supposedly say?” Aurelia asked with hands on her hips.

“I can’t give you an exact quote but you called him a half-breed and insulted his grandmother,” Millie replied.

Aurelia flinched. The scene came back to her. Jak standing there, dripping, his antennae askew, bewildered, saying, “I wouldn’t let you drown.” And all she could think about was pain. Making someone else hurt as much as Braden had hurt her.

It hadn’t helped. She clenched her hand against her chest. Not at all. Why had she said that? She hated bigotry. Hated that word. Damn.

Millie was still watching her.

Aurelia gave a short, harsh laugh, “I’ve insulted him before and he knows I don’t mean a word of it.”

Shaking her head, Millie disagreed, “I’ve never heard you refer to his race before. Aura, Jak was really hurt. I think you need to apologize.”

“He’s just pulling his usual prima donna act. He knows I’m not a bigot. Would I have asked for him on my surgical staff if I were?”

The look Millie gave her was cool. “Then what did you say it for?”

Tears burned the surface of her eyelids, threatened to spill over. Aurelia turned away. She shrugged. “I don’t know. He’ll get over it.”

“I don’t think so.” Millie said. “And I don’t think a box of candy will help this time.”

Aurelia heard the door slide open.

“I’ll see if Lak has an extra pair of shoes you can borrow,” Millie added. The door slid shut.

Aurelia limped into the other room and sat down on the bed. She knew if she laid down she wouldn’t be able to get up again so she just sat there for a long time with her eyes closed, listening to her crew preparing for the day. As she listened she packed each emotion into separate long, wooden boxes in her mind. It was a technique she had learned from one of the older slaves, a gladiator named Hilan who had secretly taught her to read and write. He had been killed in a training session with one of the animals in the arena. Hilan too was carefully packed away in one of those wooden boxes beneath layers of soft white silk. Aurelia never forgot anything except once a very long time ago...

Opening her eyes, Aurelia shook her head. This is not helping at all, she thought, I need to work. Work was the only thing that would keep her mind busy and away from all the memories. Gritting her teeth, she stood up and walked to the door, stepping into bright sunshine.

For a moment, a red pattern of criss-crossed lines imposed itself on her vision and she clutched the door frame to keep from falling. It seemed that every muscle in her body chose that moment to start hurting. The xillonex must have completely worn off, she thought, massaging her lower back. The platerius in her leg was awake and thrashing around.

The camp had pretty much cleared of people. Zimbin paused from picking up trash and started in her direction but she must have had a forbidding look on her face because he just waved and went back to his work. Over by the purplish-gray remains of the bonfire, Millie stood talking to a man. Aurelia squinted to see his face at this distance. She had never seen him before. Stepping cautiously with her bare feet, she walked toward the couple.

Turning at her approach, Millie nodded, “Aura, I’d like you to meet GEM Co.’s security commander, Neil Sanders.”

“Good morning, Doctor.” Sanders smiled. “You’re probably wondering why I’m here. I couldn’t resist coming to see my favorite nurse.”

Aurelia watched Millie’s cheeks flush pink and began to worry. This explained the unusual light in her eyes earlier. Was she going to lose her head nurse?

“Oh, here,” Millie said, holding out a pair of green shoes that looked like they would fit a duck. “Lak had a pair of boots too, but I figured they would bother your leg.”

Taking the shoes, Aurelia nodded, “Thanks.” She sat down on a rock to put them on. Lak had thoughtfully provided a pair of bright green socks with yellow bolts of lightning down the side. She grimaced and thought, beggars can’t be choosers, unfortunately.

“I took care of the Sclarian captain. He was released,” Sanders said. “The Sclarians won’t give you any more trouble about the arrest.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your help,” Aurelia replied, suddenly wishing he would go away so she didn’t have to keep holding herself upright and saying polite nothings. Thankfully, Millie’s comm-link beeped.

“Excuse me,” the nurse said. “I had a call in to Miguel.” She answered the call, and they could all hear the boy’s excited voice. “You did what?!” Millie exclaimed when he got to the part about the body.

“They found what?!” Aurelia exclaimed when he got to the part about the boots. She was glad she was sitting down as a wave of nausea rolled over her, leaving her weak and shaking. Her boots found near a dead body, murdered from the sound of it. Her usually nimble mind felt slow and stupid as she tried to think out all the ramifications. Catching Millie’s eye, she said, “Tell those two to get back here, pronto!” She ran her fingers through her hair as Millie relayed the message and signed off. “I knew those kids would be nothing but trouble. Gedden! I don’t believe this.”

“Now hold it. We don’t know all the facts yet,” said Millie.

“No, just my boots found with a dead body.” Aurelia turned her head to hide the tears. Rising to her feet she announced, “I think I’ll go find a hoverbus to run my head into.”

“At least you’ll get your boots back?” Millie offered lamely, her voice apologetic.

Choking back a half-laugh, half-sob, Aurelia limped away as fast as sore muscles and the ugly duck shoes pinching her toes would let her.