I understand you and your husband moved downside about four years ago, said Tuomonen. It seemed an unusual change of careers, from five-space to what is effectively a form of civil engineering. Did he have a long-time interest in terra-forming?
She looked momentarily nonplused. Barto cared about the future of Komarr. I we were tired of station life. We wanted something more settled for the children. Dr. Soudha was looking for people for his team with different backgrounds, different kinds of problem-solving experience. He considered Bartos station experience valuable. Engineering is engineering, I suppose.
Professor Vorthys had been wandering gently around the room during this, one ear cocked toward the conversation, examining the travel mementos and portraits of children at various ages that were its principal decorations. He stopped before the library case on one wall, crammed with disks, and began randomly examining their titles. Madame Radovas gave him a brief curious glance.
Due to the unusual situation in which Dr. Radovass body was found, the law requires a complete medical examination, Rigby went on. Given your personally awkward circumstances, when its concluded, do you wish to have his body or his ashes returned to you, or to some other relative?
Oh. Yes. To me, please. There should be a proper ceremony. For the childrens sake. For everyones sake. She seemed very close to losing control now, tears standing in her eyes. Can you I dont know. Do you take care of this?
The Family Affairs counselor in our department will be glad to advise and assist you. Ill give you her number before we leave.
Thank you.
Tuomonen cleared his throat. Due to the mysterious circumstances of Dr. Radovass death, ImpSec Komarr has also been asked to take an interest in the matter. I wonder if we might have your permission to examine your comconsole and personal records, to see if they suggest anything.
Madame Radovas touched her lips. Barto took all his personal files. Theres not much left but my own.
Sometimes a technical examination can uncover more.
She shook her head, but said, Well I suppose so. She added more tartly, Though I didnt think ImpSec had to bother with my permission.
Tuomonen did not deny this, but said, I like to salvage what courtesies I can, Madame, from our crude necessities.
Professor Vorthys added in a distant tone from the far wall, his hands full of disks, Get the library, too.
With a flash of bewildered anger, Madame Radovas said, Why do you want to take away my poor husbands library!?
Vorthys looked up and gave her a kindly, disarming smile. A mans library gives information about the shape of his mind the way his clothing gives information about the shape of his body. The cross-connections between apparently unrelated subjects may exist only in his thoughts. There is a sad disconnectedness that overcomes a library when its owner is gone. I think I should have liked to meet your husband when he was alive. In this ghostly way, perhaps I can, a little.
I dont see why Her lips tightened in dismay.
We can arrange for it to be returned to you in a day or two, Tuomonen said soothingly. Is there anything you need out of it right away?
No, but oh I dont know. Take it. Take whatever you want, I dont care any more. Her eyes began to spill over at last. Group-Patroller Rigby handed her a tissue from one of her many uniform pockets and frowned at the Barrayarans.
Tien shifted uncomfortably; Tuomonen remained blandly professional. Taking her outburst for his cue, the ImpSec captain rose and carried his case over to the comconsole in the corner by the dining ell, opened it, and plugged an ImpSec standard black box into the side of the machine. At Vorthyss gesture, Rigby and Miles went to assist him in removing the library case intact from the wall, and sealing it for transport. Tuomonen, after sucking dry the comconsole, ran a scanner over the library, which Miles estimated contained close to a thousand disks, and generated a vid-receipt for Madame Radovas. She crumpled the plastic flimsy into the pocket of her gray trousers without looking at it, and stood with her arms crossed till the invaders assembled to depart.
At the last moment, she bit her lip and blurted, Administrator Vorsoisson. There wont be will I get will there be any of the normal survivors benefits coming from Bartos death?
Was she in financial need? Her two youngest children were still in university, according to Tuomonens files, and financially dependent on their parents; of course she was. But Vorsoisson shook his head sadly.
Im afraid not, Madame Radovas. The medical examiner seems to be quite clear that his death took place after his resignation.
If it had been the other way around, this would be a much more interesting problem for ImpSec. She gets nothing, then? asked Miles. Through no fault of her own, shes stripped of all normal widows benefits just because of her, he deleted a few pejorative adjectives, late husbands recklessness?
Vorsoisson shrugged helplessly, and turned away.
Wait, said Miles. Hed been of damned little use to anyone today so far. Gregor does not approve of widows being left destitute. Trust me on this one. Vorsoisson, go ahead and run the benefits through for her anyway.
I cant-how-do you want me to alter the date of his resignation?
Thus creating the curious legal spectacle of a man resigning the day after his own death? By what method, spirit writing? No, of course not. Simply make it by an Imperial order.
There are no places on the forms for an Imperial order! said Vorsoisson, taken aback.
Miles digested this. Tuomonen, looking faintly suffused, watched with wide-eyed fascination. Even Madame Radovass eyebrows crimped with bemusement. She looked directly at Miles as if seeing him for the first time. At last, Miles said gently, A design defect you shall have to correct, Administrator Vorsoisson.
Tiens mouth opened on some other protest, but then, intelligently, closed. Professor Vorthys looked relieved. Madame Radovas, her hand pressed to her cheek in something like wonder, said, Thank you Lord Vorkosigan.
After the usual If-you-think-of-anything-more-call-this-number farewells, the herd of investigators moved off down the hallway. Vorthys handed Tien the library case to lug. Back at the buildings entrance lobby, the Group-Patroller prepared to go her own way.
What, if anything, does ImpSec want us to do now? she asked Tuomonen. Dr. Radovass death seems out of Serifosas jurisdiction. Close relatives are automatically suspects in a mysterious death, but shes been here the whole time. I dont see any causal chain to that body in space.
Neither do I, at present, Tuomonen admitted. For now, continue with your normal procedures, and send my office copies of all your reports and evidence files.
I dont suppose youd care to return the favor? Judging by the twist of her lips, Rigby thought she knew the answer.
Ill see what I can do, if anything pertinent to Dome security turns up, Tuomonen promised guardedly. Rigbys brows rose at even this limited concession from ImpSec.
Im going to have to go back topside tomorrow morning, said Vorthys to Tuomonen. I am not going to have time to do a thorough examination of this library myself. I shall have to trouble ImpSec for it, Im afraid.
Tuomonen, his eye taking in the thousand-disk case, looked momentarily appalled. Miles added quickly, On my authority, requisition a high-level analyst from HQ for that job. One of the basement boffins, with engineering and math certification, I think-right, Professor?
Yes, indeed, the best man you can get, said Vorthys.
Tuomonen looked very relieved. What do you want him to look for, my Lord Auditor?
I dont quite know, said the Professor. Thats why I want an ImpSec analyst, eh? Essentially, I want him to generate an independent picture of Radovas from this data, which we may compare with impressions from other sources later.