Hopefully, it would be regarded as the result of the interoffice rivalries Turner had mentioned, though there would doubtless be a great deal of curiosity as to how the alarm floor and camera were bypassed. Still, the bloodhounds would be looking for any unusual behavior, which was why he was here.
“Look,” he said firmly to the robot. “It was last Wednesday night. I fed the card into the waiter robot myself. I know the charge was made, so why wasn’t it shown on my pay stub?”
“There is no record of the transaction you are referencing. I have rechecked the records each time you asked,” the robot replied without rancor. “However, as this is the fifth time you have repeated the same question or a close variant thereof, I must assume you find my answer unsatisfactory. If you wish additional clarification, so indicate and I will summon a human to deal with your problem.”
“Please.” Hosato sighed.
“That phrase is unclear. Do you wish—?”
“Please summon a human,” Hosato amended.
“Your request is being processed. There will be a short delay.”
The desk-robot lapsed into silence. Hosato sank back in his chair to wait. He was beginning to wonder if he was really pursuing the right course in this matter. Maybe…
“Oh, hi!”
He swiveled his head toward the source of the voice. The same petite redhead who had first welcomed him to Mc. Crae Enterprises had just entered the room.
“Are you the one with the problem?” she asked.
“Yes.” He smiled. “I must say that was quick. Were you waiting outside, or what?”
She made a face at him. “Mc. Crae employees are always eager to serve your every need,” she recited. “Besides, it’s not like I was busy. This is the second problem I’ve had to deal with this month. What’s your gripe?”
“Well, actually it’s more of an accounting problem than a personnel problem.”
“That’s okay,” she insisted. “I handle both. Shows you how many problems we normally get, doesn’t it. I tell you, the machines are doing everything these days.”
“Yes, well, it’s nothing, really. I charged a meal onto my account last Wednesday night, and it didn’t show on my pay stub as a deduction. I just wanted to be sure my records were accurate, that’s all.”
She cocked her head at him. “You know, you’re a strange one. Most people wouldn’t even notice what was or wasn’t charged to them, and the ones that did sure wouldn’t complain if a meal got charged to somebody else.”
She stepped to the desk computer and started keying in data. “What’s your employee number?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Actually, if it’s too much trouble—”
“Too late to change your mind now.” She grinned. “Now that you’ve confessed, we’re going to see this through. Come on, this is probably going to be the high point of my week.”
He gave her the number, and she keyed it into the robot.
“No,” she said thoughtfully, scanning the view-screen. “There’s no record of that transaction.”
Hosato shut his eyes for a moment as he fought back a sarcastic comment. “Look,” he said finally, “I was there. I personally fed my card into the waiter robot. I know the charge exists somewhere.”
“Don’t get panicky,” the girl assured him. “We’ll find it. Could you give me a few details?”
“Well, Sasha and I had dinner at the mall restaurant.”
“Sasha. Well, well.” She smiled at him and bent over the robot once more. “Here it is.”
“Where was it?” he asked.
“My friend, you’ve been flimflammed. Thursday morning your charming dinner companion used her security override to erase the charge from your record and had it added to hers instead.”
Hosato felt a mild pang of annoyance. “Well, just transfer it back,” he ordered.
“Can’t.” The girl smiled. “You’ll just have to give her the money yourself if you want to pay for it. I just wish I could be there when you try.”
Hosato controlled his temper and forced a smile. “Well, I guess that’s between her and me. Thanks for your help, though. I probably shouldn’t have gotten you involved.”
“Don’t mention it. Say, urn, Hayama. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but about your girlfriend there.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he corrected.
“Really. Good. That makes this a little easier to say, then. Did you know she’s trying to get you replaced?”
“What?”
“Now, don’t blame her. She’s probably under orders from on high to save a few bucks on the budget. You know what they say, 'Never mix friendship with business.' You should hear her side of it before you tell her to drop dead.”
“First,” Hosato interrupted, “I think I' should hear your side of it.”
“Well,” she began eagerly, “remember I said this was the second special problem I had to deal with this month. Well, the other one was her. She called me up last Thursday and said she wanted me to send out a personnel-scouting request to all our field agents. You’ll never guess what for.”
“A fencing coach?” Hosato supplied.
“Wrong,” she said triumphantly. “For a spy. For someone who specializes in espionage and sabotage, but—and here’s the kicker—a spy who can double as a fencing coach. It looks like someone thinks your job should be doing double duty. That’s what hit me, you know. We used to have two girls here, one handling accounting problems and one covering personnel. Then…”
Hosato wasn’t listening as she rambled on. The Ninja trap. So that’s what Sasha had up her sleeve. Instead of proving the fencing coach had other talents, she was simply putting out a call for a list of dubious characters who could fence. All she would have to do would be to see if the existing coach were on it. If he were Would it work. How many of his contacts would supply his name in response to that request. Would she make the connection between Hosato and Hayama. There were a lot of Japanese in space, but how many of them could fence?
“Hey!” The girl laid a hand on his arm, interrupting his thoughts.
“I didn’t meant to get you upset. Even if she finds someone, you can always find another job, can’t you?”
“Sure,” he said bitterly. “As a professional duelist. I was trying to leave that behind. Not much job security, and the retirement plan is rotten.”
“Gee, I’d like to run interference for you, but well, you know, it’s my job. Still,” she said, “I do feel somehow responsible. Tell you what. I get off at four, why don’t we' get together over drinks, and maybe between the two of us we can come up with something.”
“Okay.” Hosato smiled. “Where shall I meet you?”
“Why don’t I drop by your room?” she suggested. “And we can decide where we’ll go from there.”
Suzi will love that, he thought.
“Terrific,” he said. “I’ll see you then.”
“Okay,” she said, standing up. “And in the meantime, don’t worry. Sasha’s going to have her hands full for a while after what happened last night.”
Hosato was suddenly alert.
“What happened last night?” he asked casually.
“Haven’t you heard. Somebody killed Turner. Blew his head off with a blaster.”
“What. Who did it?”
“Nobody knows, but it had to be one of the guards. They’re the only ones in the complex with blasters. The president has ordered them all to turn in their weapons until the investigation is complete.”
A spark burned in Hosato’s memory. “Was he in the manufacturing area?”
“No, he was in his office. That’s about all I know. See you after work.” She started for the door.
“What about the boy. Turner’s son. What happens to him?”