I smiled. “So that’s why Dortmund was so suspicious of you. He even mentioned the gems. What did he say, something about such ornamentation hiding the truth…?”
Hannah nodded. “He was suspicious all right. I hoped he’d be so suspicious that he might think twice about stealing the stones.”
“Well, it probably worked.”
“Or”, she said, “he was killed before he could effect the heist.”
I smiled. “You know something, a part of me feared you were going to tell me that it was you who’d murdered him.”
“Well, after what he said about you and your friends… I admit I felt like it.” She shook her head. “But like the authorities, I’m pretty sure it was Fhen.”
“Why? Because he knew something about Dortmund’s plans?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. We might never know. But it brought the case to an abrupt halt.”
I indicated our empty glasses. “A refill?”
“That would be lovely.”
While I was in the kitchen, pouring the scotch, I thought over what I wanted to ask Hannah when I returned.
My mouth was dry as I carried the drinks back onto the balcony.
I sat down beside her. “The other thing I feared”, I said, “was that the ‘truth’ you mentioned might be about me and you, our relationship…”
She reached out. “David, I told you I love you. I’ve only said that to one person, in all my life.”
I stared at the disc of scotch in my glass and said, “You said, when the case was over, the plan was to return to Earth.”
“David,” she said, “that was the plan. Before I met you. “
I looked up. “And now?”
She shook her head. “I’m going back on the next Telemass transfer to Earth, on Wednesday, resigning my post with the RPD, putting my affairs in order, then coming back just as soon as I can. That is,” she finished, smiling, “if you’ll have me?”
I pulled her to me. “What the hell do you think?” I said.
We adjourned to the Jackeral at seven and met Matt and Maddie, Hawk and Kee. We sat on the patio, watching a late display of spindizzies playing out their pyrotechnic mating ritual. There were only a few hundred scintillating creatures disporting themselves that night, and something told me that this would be the last display of winter.
We discussed recent events, Dortmund and the Elan, and Hannah disclosed her undercover work.
Kee said, “Do you know something? Even though Dortmund was an evil man, I feel a little guilty that I’m not sorry he is dead.”
Matt gestured with his drink. “That’s an indication that you’re a good person, Kee. Myself…” “Yes?” I prompted.
He smiled. “I feel no pity at all at the passing of such a complete bastard.”
Maddie turned to Hannah. “But if you were here just because of the Dortmund case…?”
I couldn’t help grinning like a idiot. Maddie noticed and said, “What?”
Hannah said, “I’m going to Earth later in the week, settling a few things, then coming straight back. David and me”, she said, taking my hand in a tight grip, “will be living together in the Mantis.”
Hawk ordered champagne and Maddie proposed a toast. “To David and Hannah!” she said.
Hawk said, “I’m taking Matt and the Ambassador to Earth on Wednesday, Hannah. Why not come with us?”
“That’d be great.”
We ordered a lavish meal, and more drinks, and later, when a chill wind sprang up we went inside and settled ourselves for the evening. Maddie asked Hannah if she’d found the decision to return to Chalcedony hard, and Hannah laughed and said, “I think I knew I was coming back about two hours after I first met David,” and I swear that was the nicest thing anyone had said about me in my life.
Towards midnight, the better for copious alcohol, conversation flowed and talk turned to Dortmund and Fhen, and what motives the alien might have had that allowed him to transgress his peoples’ code against taking another life.
I think everyone had one theory at least, the favourite being that Fhen was aware that the Epiphany Stones were in danger, and moved to prevent their loss.
But as Kee said, “It might have been many things. I mean, how do you know what goes on inside an alien mind.”
Hawk grabbed his lover drunkenly, “How indeed!” he laughed.
As we broke up that night and wended our various ways home, I was visited by the distinct impression, call it a hunch, that the affair of Dortmund and the Elan was not quite over yet.
Hannah and I made the most of our last full day together. We stayed in the Mantis and when we weren’t making love we were planning our future life together.
On the Tuesday evening we dined alone at the Jackeral then returned to the Mantis for an early night. Around ten, as we were lying in bed and staring through the viewscreen at the Ring of Tharssos, my com chimed.
“I’d better get that,” I said, rolling from the bed and moving to the lounge.
It was Matt. “David, I wonder if you and Hannah could meet me in the morning, before we go down to Hawk’s shipyard?”
“Sure. Whereabouts?”
“If you could be at the exhibition centre at Mackinley around ten…”
“Of course. But…?”
He hesitated, then said, “There’s something I have to tell you all.”
I stared at his impassive face on the screen. “Matt, is everything okay?”
He nodded. “It’s just that I need to see you about something before I go.”
I shook my head, mystified. “About something?”
“About the real reason Darius Dortmund was killed,” he said, and cut the connection.
— SEVEN —
I drove Hannah down to Mackinley the following morning. We were subdued. The fact that we were parting later that day◦– albeit for less than a week◦– was bad enough, but what Matt had communicated last night made us more than a little apprehensive.
I left the roadster in the empty parking lot and we hurried hand in hand towards the sliding doors of the centre; it was a little after ten.
Hawk and Kee were in the foyer. “Matt said he’d called you last night,” Hawk said. “Any idea what this is about?”
I shook my head. “Whatever it is, I’m not exactly looking forward to it.”
Further conversation was brought to a halt with the arrival of Matt and Maddie, accompanied by the small blue figure of the Ambassador.
“Matt,” I said as they joined us.
He ushered us through a door to the main exhibition area where last week Concordance had played. The dome was empty now, but for a litter of plinths, cables and strewn plastic containers.
Matt indicated a semi-circle of empty foam-forms situated by the concave wall of the dome. I glanced at Hannah, who raised her eyebrows fractionally, and we sat down. Hawk and Kee sat across from us and Maddie sat beside the Ambassador to our left.
Matt remained standing, chin in hand, as he considered his words.
The suspense was unbearable. At last Hawk said, “For chrissake, Matt! What’s all this about?”
Matt smiled. “You’re all trusted friends.” He looked at Hannah. “You too, even though I’ve known you only for a matter of days.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been in consultation with the Ambassador”, he went on, nodding towards the primly seated figure, “and he agreed that the truth should be known.”
The Ambassador gestured. “But known only to a small group of select people: yourselves, the friends of Matt Sommers.”
The alien sat back and all eyes switched to Matt. He began pacing back and forth, then paused and looked at us. “First of all”, he said, “I need to explain why Darius Dortmund visited Chalcedony, and specifically the exhibition.”