"Of course not."
"But if High Command gets involved you have a lever," Kelson said softly, a grin sliding over his face.
Tani chuckled. "He's got you there, my love. As a beast master they'd talk to you, get your opinion. Maybe let you talk to whoever the probe turns up here. Of course the Xiks could be involved."
Her love looked down at her. "Cunning little warrior, aren't you?"
"I learned from the best," Tani retorted ambiguously. "Now can we start for the port? Time is moving on."
The ranger turned. "I can drop you at Brad's crawler. After that I'll talk to the patrol officer. Her Office is at the port too. Check with me before you leave for the ranch. If I've heard anything more I can tell you then." He climbed into the copter and waited until they were strapped in. Then he lifted for the port. Tani and Storm exited the machine by the crawler.
"Where first?"
'The port manager. We may be able to tell her a few things. This way." Tani came with him, their linked arms giving mutual comfort and support.
The port manager's office was a whirl of activity. People came and went, peacekeepers walked through the milling staff, and now and again they could hear the manager's voice cutting through the din. Storm forged a path in and leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk.
"I'm—"
"I know who you are." She raised her voice again. "Everyone out. I want to talk to these two. Out!" The office cleared, the last man out shutting the door behind him. Gauda looked them over and grinned, a tired harassed smile that nevertheless managed to be surprisingly sweet.
"What I want from the pair of you are times. My man admits he was bribed. He claims it wasn't done until the raiders had reached the port. I know damn well he's a liar. The man he's named doesn't know a thing. He's so furious about the accusation, he did what Hasset never expected him to do and submitted to probe to prove that. It did. Now he's with his lawyer and laying a suit for several million credits on Hasset." Tani giggled. Gauda smiled in reply.
"Yeah. Funny. But not for Hasset. It seems while working as a lowly cargo handler he's managed to build up quite a nest egg. Gambling, he says. But he does have a fair amount to lose." Her smile sweetened. "And somehow the man he accused has found out about all those nice credits. Not a million, but if even part of the claim is allowed it'd wipe Hasset out and garnish his wages for the rest of his life. We're trying to persuade Hasset that we can get the suit dropped if he talks. Loud, clear, and very, very fully. We want every question answered honestly with all he can tell us."
"And?" Storm's eyes were savage.
"He's thinking about it. If you can give me times we may be able to prove some of his lies back to him. If we do that we can legally probe him. Show him that and he'll crack." She leaned forward. "He's a little man. Never one to take big risks. He's in over his head with all this and he's scared to death. Every time I question him he's standing there sweating in panic. If we can show him an escape he'll take it."
"Sweating in panic?" Storm said slowly. "That isn't a man who's just scared of losing credits. That's a man who sees an immediate threat. Why does he? Because I think he knows if he talks someone will come after him." He paused, leaping to a sudden conclusion. "Or perhaps because they're already here! Where's he being held?"
Gauda was on her feet, hand slapping a switch. "Theo, check Hasset. I'm worried."
"The doctor isn't here, Manager Gauda."
Storm wrenched the door open and they were running, all three of them, Gauda in the lead. Down corridors until they came to the open door of a storeroom. Inside the doctor bent over the prisoner. Gauda stopped dead and groaned in frustration. It took only a brief glance. Hasset the liar lay sprawled, face blue, eyes staring, body contorted in a last agony.
Dr. Theo Blandaay looked up. "Too late, I'm afraid. He's taken farakill." Storm drifted silently forward as the doctor turned back to his patient. His hands went out to close on pressure points in the doctor's neck. Theo slumped.
"Hoy, that's..." Gauda was protesting.
"The man who killed Hasset, I suspect. Look, when you found Hasset you questioned him. Was this man there?"
"Of course. He's doctor for the port."
"Did you search Hasset before you locked him in here?"
Gauda nodded. "One of the peacekeepers did it. A good thorough job too."
"Yes," Storm said softly. "So where did the farakill come from?" He stirred Dr. Blandaay's limp body thoughtfully with one foot. "He'll stay out another twenty minutes or so. The question is, how did he know it was time? That we could have something to make that poor fool talk. Or was he just afraid the man would betray him as soon as the pressure went on?"
Tani had been silent; now she trotted away, back to the port manager's office. She returned, followed by Gauda's assistant. Before either Gauda or Storm could question that, Tani was asking questions of her own.
"Your name?"
"Falia Tedisco, I'm assistant to Port Manager Gauda." The young woman's stance was proud, her eyes defiant.
Gauda intervened. "Falia was promoted to be my assistant a year ago. I trust her as myself." She looked at the girl. "Falia, this is nothing against you. We've had another killing. Help Tani. Answer her questions." They watched as Falia relaxed, her stance now indicating a willingness to reply.
"You know Dr. Blandaay?"
"Yes. He became port doctor soon after I was promoted to assistant." Her tone was edged.
"But you don't much like him?"
"Weeell..." Falia was doubtful. "It's not that he's ever said or done anything to me. But he acts as if no one is as important as he is. And I heard him being rude about Manager Gauda once. He seemed to think she didn't do her job as well as others could." Her face flushed. "It isn't true. Manager Gauda is the best the port has ever had. Why, since she took over the port revenues have tripled. And without setting ship captains against us. She knows where to spend money and where to cut wastage and..."
Tani smiled. "And you think the doctor might not have always liked where the cuts were made?"
"No. Everyone knows he was taking money to help ship crews with sickness. Manager Gauda added that to the port log." Tani looked to Gauda for explanation. The middle-aged manager was looking both surprised and amused at the revelations.
"It seems I stepped on Blandaay's schemes without knowing it. And while 'everyone' might have known what he was doing, I wasn't one of them. It went like this: The man's been here on Arzor a long time. He didn't work for the port full time but he was paid a small retainer to come and see to the staff when necessary. I've never heard anything against him. So when I reorganized I hired him as full-time port doctor. That meant he was hired at a flat salary to tend any crew from a ported ship who might arrive ill and to clear ship crew after looking them over for any signs of illness. I had no idea he was taking extra payment for that. But, recently, when I rewrote the new port greeting for incoming ships, I included the information that he was the port doctor as a matter of record." She laughed.
"I can believe Blandaay wouldn't appreciate that. I ruined his extra income since all ships after that would know they didn't have to pay his extra fees. Falia, why didn't anyone mention this to me?"
"We all thought you knew. That you'd chosen that way of fixing the problem without stirring up trouble."
Tani nodded. "You probably would have done it that way if you had known. Now, Falia, today. You were in the outer office before myself, Storm, and Manager Gauda all came hurrying out. Who else was there?"
"No one." The girl looked puzzled. "You chased out all of the others. There was just me left. The doctor went off to check port records or something next door. He came out a few minutes later and went away. Then you all came running out."