“I was in shock, I think. Manny and Ivos both looked three shades paler. I glanced in the mirror once; Sera Grace was bolt upright in the backseat, expressionless, and her eyes…” He shook his head. “Another thing I’ll never forget. Cold fire.”
Ky had kept her eyes on the screen. “So that one you know, and he’s okay. Any of the other guys?”
“No.”
“Police are about to gather them up and take them away,” Rafe said, leaning over to see better. “But Stella’s just sitting there. Should we go out now? Call someone? And who’s that in the yard across the street? Bring that one up.”
“I’ve tried to call her and ask; she’s on her skullphone with someone. Not Rafe.” Ky enlarged the image Rafe had selected. Expensive clothes, narrow face, disgruntled expression.
“He’s recording everything,” Rafe said. “Not on his implant—he’s got a kit.” Ky saw it, on the larger image.
“I don’t know his name—Stella might.” She looked at the yard and house behind him. “He looks out the upstairs window over the portico sometimes. Maybe just a common peeper. Shares Aunt Helen’s taste in landscaping.” Perfectly matched shrubs, trimmed to pyramids, marched up either side of the walk and along the front of the house.
Another police vehicle appeared, this one a van for transporting prisoners. Ky switched views again to focus on it. Still complaining, the four men who had been in the vehicle that rammed Stella’s were shoved into it and driven away. The Vatta crew, after talking to the police, hooked a chain to the car blocking Stella’s exit and dragged it a few meters away. One of them opened the passenger door and spoke to her, too low for the audio pickups to capture.
“She enabled the video from her car,” Teague said. “I hadn’t noticed that before. That’s why she stayed in the car.”
“That and not wanting to snag her suit on anything climbing out,” Ky said. Rafe gave her a look. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way,” Ky said. “But if she’s not hurt, getting dirty or ruining her suit wouldn’t make as good an impression as she will now.”
“Makes sense to me,” Rafe said. “Penny would do the same.”
By the time the remaining police officers came back up the drive to speak to Stella, the Vatta crew had pulled her car away from the wall and opened the driver’s-side door.
Stella stepped out, a little awkwardly, and one of the police moved to support her.
“Well done,” Rafe said. “The brave but wounded heroine. Always a good ploy.”
“You think it’s fake?” Ky asked.
“I saw her do the same thing years ago, when we first met.”
“Is anyone home? Should you see your physician first?” The officer’s voice held a note of concern.
“I’m sure they’re home,” Stella said. “But they may have been in another part of the house.” She limped a little moving toward the kitchen door. “My ankle’s a bit stiff, is all. It took me awhile to get it out from under—whatever you call that part that crumples up.”
“Yes, Sera.”
Ky took off for the kitchen. “Allie! Need you!”
Stella had just reached the door and pushed the buzzer when Ky dove into the pantry and Allie opened the door. Ky heard her say “Sera Stella—oh—what happened?”
“I’ll tell you about it later, Allie,” Stella said.
“And this is?” the officer asked, frowning at Allie.
“Our cook,” Stella explained. “Allie, show the officer your ID.”
“Yes, Sera,” Allie said.
A moment or so of silence, then Ky heard the officer’s voice. “Thank you, Sera. Sera Vatta, since you aren’t alone, I believe we can leave now.”
“Thank you, Officer Harwell,” Stella said. Ky heard the door close, but she didn’t open the pantry until Stella said, “Where’s Ky and the others? Do you know if they saw the crash?”
“I’m here. We recorded it. Are you really all right?”
“Yes, though my ankle hurts. I may need to get it wrapped, but I wanted to make sure first you were all here and safe.”
“Sera Lane from Legal is here,” Ky said.
“I asked Howie Ventoven.” Stella’s eyes went cold. “I told him more than I would have told someone who wasn’t going to be on the case.”
“Sera Lane is fine,” Ky said.
“But Howie should’ve let me know.” Stella sighed. “Well. It is what it is. Here—make two copies of this—” She handed over a data cube. “Video from my car. The police will realize they forgot to ask me for it and I was too shaken up to offer it; get Rafe or Teague to duplicate the original markings, so the police can have number two. I’m going upstairs to change.”
“Can I help?”
Stella shook her head. “No. Just get the duplicate made quickly, because they’ll be back in a half hour if not sooner. I’m going to be stretched out elegantly on a sofa in the living room, with a cup of tea and some pastries, my ankle on a pillow.” She looked at Allie. “Twenty minutes, Allie: tea and something light and sweet—in the living room. Ky, I can take the lift up; I’ll be fine.”
“The CEO in action,” Rafe said when she’d gone up. “I’m glad the admiral’s holding steady.”
“Her operation, her command,” Ky said, shrugging. “We can discuss who orders whom around the most later.” She handed him the cubes. She’d meant to ask Stella about the man recording everything from across the street, but she could do that later.
“Ouch,” Rafe said, dropping them into a pocket. “And you both order me around.”
“It’s Stella being my older cousin, not just CEO,” Ky said. “But I need to get back to Sera Lane; we’ve got more to do.” She turned back. “Allie, did that police officer scan your ID?”
“No, Admir—Sera. He just looked at it, nodded, and gave it back.”
“Good.” Ky looked into the downstairs security station; Rafe, Teague, and Rodney had crowded in together, and she recognized the distinctive sound of the data-rep machine. So Stella’s recording was being dealt with. That left Sera Lane, whom she saw in the dining room, jotting down notes while reading Ky’s report on Marek’s death. “Stella really is fine, Sera Lane. She’s upstairs now, changing clothes. Would you like some tea? Allie’s making some, and if you’d like to have dinner with us—”
“Yes, thank you, to both. I have no family to worry about.”
Ky let Allie know they would have a guest for dinner, then hurried upstairs. She heard Stella’s shower running and poked her head into the study to find that Inyatta had finished her report and was just coming out.
“You’ll have to stay out of sight when the police come to pick up Stella’s video from the wreck—”
“Wreck?”
Ky explained, then went on. “Supper’s set back at least an hour. I’ll let everyone know about it when I know. Sera Lane is still here, and will be eating with us. I’ll be monitoring the police visit from here, though we don’t expect any problems.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Stella was still limping when she appeared downstairs again in soft loose slacks and a fuzzy sweater with a cowl neck that made her look fragile. A bandage around her left ankle just showed at the top of a thick sock; her other foot was in a slender felt house shoe. She’d taken the lift instead of the stairs, another sign that the ankle really hurt. Under one arm she carried two puffy bed pillows.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Stella said. “Stage dressing mostly, though it is sore, and there’s a big purple bruise.”
“Nothing worse? You don’t need to see a doctor?”
“No.” That was a very final No. Stella looked around the entrance hall. “Sera Lane?”