Interlude for Investigation

Posted on Tue 11th Dec, 2018 @ 4:59am by

606 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: MD 18, 1345

Jade ambled back to Orchids & Jazz, stopping to look in the shop windows along the Promenade. For one thing, she was thinking through the interview she'd just had with Ildaran. For another, she was in no hurry to return, in case that mean little man was still holding her AIs hostage to his inspection routine. She wouldn't put it past him.

At last, however, she entered the club, which usually brought her peace and contentment. Fuller was like a thorn in her finger, very tiny and impossible to see, but causing pain as it bumped into everything. She nodded at Reon, but didn't stop to chat. She had a task for Daneel, if he were free from the inspector. Her own curiosity was engaged about the woman who had briefly crossed her life twice now. Jade hoped she had paid in a way that identified something about her, but if she were either criminal or employed undercover by someone else who was, it would probably be a dead end. Of course, even a dead end might reveal something.

Pausing outside the room where she'd left the inspector, Dr. Anderson, and her humaniforms, Lantz listened. A burst of laughter exploded behind the door, and she was sure it was from Podkayne. Her stomach relaxed and she poked her head inside the room, to see all of them sitting, or in Podkayne's case, lying, about the furniture and floor.

Olivaw looked up and said, "It's quite safe, Miss Lantz. All of you can come inside."

She laughed, but entered the room completely. "How did it go? Is he finished?"

Elijah snorted. "Who knows? He could pop in with a surprise visit, but Jenna is playing lookout for us."

"We'll hope for the best, shall we?" Jade said. "Daneel, I need help with a small problem. Would you come to my office for a few minutes, please?"

"Certainly," he said, getting up with alacrity. "The rest of you mind your manners now," he warned as he followed his owner/boss out the door. A human might have wondered what was up, but Daneel took Miss Lantz literally. She needed his help. While he might be interested in learning new things, he hadn't developed curiosity.

In her office, Jade waved him toward a chair, and took her seat behind her desk. She turned on her computer and found the message the lieutenant had promised to send. Turning the screen in Olivaw's direction, she she said, "Have you see this woman here any time in the past two weeks?" she asked, knowing he would have perfect recall.

"Yes, Miss Lantz, she sat at table 13B. You stopped to speak with her."

Jade nodded, "Good, you recognize her. Have you seen her at any other time?"

It took only nano-seconds for him to run a comparison in his data files. "No, she hasn't come in again when I was watching.

"Do you remember how she paid for her meal?"

Daneel frowned, as he examined his views of the woman that evening. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't watching her at the time she left. I can look through the security holos, though, and find out."

"Thank you, that's exactly what I'd like you to do. When you know, report back to me, and I have another small job for you," Jade told him.

"It shouldn't take more than a few minutes," the humaniform said, standing up. "I'll get right on it.

After he left, the woman sat thinking for a moment and then sent a message to Lieutenant Ildaran to let him know that he'd have a visitor just after the shift change.

 

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