Jonah watched Sinclair’s face. The flush had retreated to his ears, but it was still there. He could be pushed into anger, and hopefully incaution, without too much effort.”
“I believe Henrik Morten arranged to have Victor Steiner-Davion killed.”
Sinclair’s face rapidly moved through a range of expressions, like a tri-vid on fast forward. “Morten? I wouldn’t… I mean, something about him didn’t seem right, but… really? Morten?”
“Yes.”
“I could give you the contact information I had for him if you’re trying to find him. It’s old, but you never know.”
“Old?” Jonah said. He pushed his chair back and leaned forward, grabbing its arms with white knuckles, leaving his arms akimbo. “That’s not what I’ve heard. I hear you’re still in contact with the man.”
“What? No. I haven’t used his services in years!”
“If I do some checking, I won’t find otherwise, will I?”
“No! Do you think I’m lying?”
“I think your name was on Victor’s list. I think you know Henrik Morten pretty well. And I think you ascended to Paladin when Victor died.”
This time there was nothing slow about the flush spreading over Sinclair’s face. He stood abruptly, almost knocking the table over.
“I’m being accused? Is that what you’re doing? I had no idea I was even being considered for Paladin, and now you think I assassinated Victor to get it? Jonah, you know me! You know me!”
“I hope I do,” Jonah said, trying to ignore the dozens of eyes now staring at his table. “Should we talk about this somewhere else?”
“No, we shouldn’t,” Sinclair said, managing to control his tones. “You do your looking. Check to see if I’ve had anything to do with Morten recently. Then come back to me, apologize for suspecting me, and I’ll help you figure out the rest of this list.” He dropped his napkin on the remains of his duck and stalked away.
Watching him go, Jonah wished he could better tell the difference between the anger of the wrongly accused and the anger of someone trying to conceal misdeeds. His eyes swept the restaurant, where most of the patrons still were watching the aftermath of a fight between two Paladins.
“You should see it when I argue with Kelson Sorenson,” he said, peeling off a few bills and leaving them on the table. “’Mechs at twenty paces.”
No one laughed.
42
Senate Offices, Geneva
Terra, Prefecture X
17 December 3134
Returning to the Hall of Government after talking to Cragin should have been a relief to Heather, but it wasn’t. After some of the things he had told her, and after she’d followed a few trails that he’d pointed out, she wasn’t sure which building held the more dangerous characters.
She was certain that some of Cragin’s information was exaggerated, that other pieces were inflated to get her to annoy politicians for whom Cragin had a particular dislike. But even if she dismissed certain elements, there was enough there to alter her perception of the Republican Senate.
The first person she wanted to talk to was Senator Geoffrey Mallowes, but he was nowhere to be found. His home staff said he was in his office, his office staff said he was in a committee meeting, and the committee, when she poked her head in their meeting room, said they thought he’d gone home.
Not wanting to run around in circles for the rest of the day, Heather moved down to the second name on her list—Senator Lina Derius of Prefecture X.
She had to size up Derius’ receptionist and quickly decide between charm and intimidation. He was tight-lipped and wiry, with a cutting gaze, and Heather was in a bad mood. Intimidation, then.
“Is the Senator in?” Heather asked.
“Yes, but not available at the moment. Did you have an appointment, Paladin GioAvanti?”
Well done, Heather silently acknowledged. Pull the “do you know who I am” card right out of my hand.
“No.”
“We recommend making an appointment. The Senator’s schedule is quite full most days.”
“I’m going in to see her. You can let her know if you want.”
The receptionist jumped to his feet. “I can’t let you do that,” he said, but Heather was already past him.
There was more security than just the receptionist, of course. He could liquidate her long before she reached the Senator’s office if he so chose. But one of the advantages of being a Paladin was that other government officials seldom decided to use extreme measures against you.
“Paladin GioAvanti! I can’t let you go in!” the receptionist said, practically nipping at her heels.
“Then stop me,” she said as she strode forward.
“Please, Paladin GioAvanti, don’t make me call the authorities.”
She stopped abruptly and turned, making the receptionist walk into her. He bounced backward awkwardly.
“Please call them,” she said. “I’ll have a very interesting story for them when they arrive.”
Senator Lina Derius was engaged in an important meeting with two egg rolls and a bowl of duck sauce. She did not look pleased at Heather’s entrance, but she also did not look surprised.
“Paladin GioAvanti. How gracious of you to ignore all diplomatic protocol. What can I do for you before security escorts you out?”
She stood as she spoke, apparently to show Heather that she nearly matched her in height. Her jacket made her shoulders seem nearly twice as broad as they actually were, which in turn made her her waist seem thinner than it actually was. Her face echoed the triangle of her torso, making her look like a set of arrowheads pointing at the ground.
“You can tell me what Henrik Morten told you or did for you that was worth 20,000 stones.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never paid anyone that much money for a single job.”
Heather pulled out a sheaf of papers. “Not in an easily traceable way, no. But here’s a thousand from your office account. Another thousand from a personal account. Two thousand five hundred from your reelection committee coffers. And I could go on. Every transfer made in a three-day period.”
“How dare you go looking through my records…”
“…says one of the main supporters of the Vasquez act. You support this kind of thing, remember? And indignation is not an explanation.”
“This Mr. Mortar, or whatever you say his name is, must have provided some services for my campaign,” Derius said briskly. “Many people do that. Talk to my campaign manager. My receptionist will give you the contact info on your way out.”
“Henrik Morten gave some of that same money to Stone’s Legacy, a group which has recently come under suspicion of diverting funds to a number of terrorist organizations.”
“It was the same money, you say?” Derius said in arch tones. “Interesting. I had no idea you could track individual bills of electronic currency as it passed from hand to hand.”
“You gave Morten twenty thousand. He gave Stone’s Legacy at least half of that within the next month. Some of that likely found its way to the Kittery Renaissance, which very well may be planning to blow this city up in the next day or two. And you still know nothing about this?”
“It sounds to me as if you know little more than nothing. At best you have a vague trail accusing this Morten character of donating money to questionable people. The most you can accuse me of doing is paying an employee who later displayed bad judgment. Which is no crime.”
“This will unravel on you, I swear it.”
“Then you keep pulling on your little strings,” Derius said. “I’ll be working on actual governing.”