He walked through, skirting the corpse. First Level was meant to be immune from attack—a haven from such violence. But that myth had just been blown. Whoever it was, Ko Ming or Triad, had just sent a ripple of fear throughout the whole of City Europe.
Karr was coming out of a room to his right. Seeing Chen, he beckoned him inside.
They had set up an operations room here by the main entrance. The room had been a store-cupboard, but they had cleared it and moved in their own equipment. Karr's desk was at one end of the tiny room, piled high with tapes and papers. In a chair in front of it sat a middle-aged man wearing the uniform of Deck Security. "This is Wolfgang Leyden," Karr said, taking his seat on the far side of the desk. "It seems he knew the team who were responsible for this. More than that, he was witness to one of the killings."
Chen stared.at the man in disbelief. "I don't understand." Karr looked to the man. "Leyden, tell Captain Kao what you just told me." Slowly, and with a faint tremor in his voice, Leyden repeated his story. "Well?" Karr said. "Have you ever heard the like?"
Chen shook his head. "No. But it makes sense. I had begun to think this was some kind of Triad operation. One of the big bosses muscling in on another's deals, but now . . ."
Now he understood. The Ping Tioo really were back. Or something like them. "What else have we got?"
Karr looked up. "Surprisingly little. The woman did a thorough job on the deck communications system. For the three weeks they were here there's no visual record of them."
Chen laughed. "That isn't possible."
"That's what I thought. You've got Security guards checking the screens all the time. They'd notice if anything were being blanked out, neh? But that's not what she did. The cameras were working, but nothing was being stored by the deck computer. The term for it is a white-out. It would only get noticed if someone wanted to refer back to something on the tapes, and with so little happening at this level, it's rare that Security has to check on anything. I looked at their log. It's almost nine weeks since they last called anything from memory. There's no crime this high up. At least, nothing that would show as being crime. So, as long as Security keeps the wrong people out of these levels . . ."
Chen frowned. "You said 'she' just then when you were talking about the tampering with the computer system. How do we know that?"
Leyden spoke up. "She was good. I've seen them before, many times, but none of them were as good as her. I sat and watched her while she was at work. It was like she was part of the system." He paused, looking away, a sudden wistfulness in his face. "She was a nice girl. I can't believe . . ." He looked down at his trembling hands. "Why? I don't understand____"
Chen leaned toward him. "You're certain it happened as you said. The other—
Vasska, you say his name was—he had already drawn his gun when she shot him?"
Leyden nodded. "He was going to kill me, but she wouldn't let him. His gun was pointed at me. At my head." A faint shudder went through him, then he looked up, his eyes searching Chen's face. "You'll kill her, won't you? You'll track her down and kill her."
Chen looked down, disturbed by the accusation in Leyden's voice. "I've read their pamphlet," Leyden went on, "and it's true. I've seen them come here for meetings. Businessmen. And others. Others who had no legitimate business to be here. And I've seen the things he's bought these last eight months. Things beyond his means. So maybe they were right. Maybe—"
Karr raised a hand, interrupting him. "Take care what you say, friend. Captain Kao here and I... we understand how you feel. The girl saved your life and you're grateful to her. But there are others who will be much less understanding. They will take your gratitude for sympathy with the girl's ideals. I would advise you to keep your opinion of the Hsien Ling to yourself, Shih Leyden. As for your account. . ."
Karr hesitated, noting the guard who had appeared at the door. "Yes?"
The guard snapped to attention, bowing his head. "Forgive me, Major, but an official from the T'ing Wei has arrived."
"Shit," Karr said under his breath. "So soon?"
The T'ing Wei was the Superintendent of Trials, and his department was responsible for keeping the wheels of justice turning in City Europe; yet it was in the department's other role—as the official mouthpiece of the State—that it was most active.
Karr turned to Leyden. "Forgive me, but I must attend to this. However, as I was about to say, your account will be entered in the official record, and if the matter comes to trial, will be offered in mitigation of the woman's crime. That said, I'm afraid I can't vouch that she'll ever come to trial. State policy toward terrorism is, and must be, of the severest kind. To have exposed Shou Chen-hai would have been one thing, to have murdered him is another."
Leyden shuddered, then stood, bowing his head first to Karr and then to Chen. As he left, Chen looked across at Karr.
"The T'ing Wei were bloody quick getting here. What do you think they want?" Karr snorted in disgust. "To meddle in things, as ever. To bugger things up and muddy the clearest of streams. What else are they good for?"
Chen laughed. "Then we'll be giving them our full cooperation?" Karr nodded. "And dropping our pants for good measure, neh?" The two men roared with laughter. They were still laughing when the official from the T'ing Wei entered, trailing four youthful, effeminate-looking assistants. All five were Han, and all had that unmistakable air of self-contained arrogance that was the hallmark of the T'ing Wei—a kind of brutal elegance that was reflected in their clothes and manners.
The official looked about him distastefully, then began to speak, not deigning to look at Karr.
"I understand that a pamphlet has been circulated linking the Hsien L'ing with certain nefarious organizations."
Karr picked up a copy of the pamphlet and made to offer it, but the official ignored him.
"Our task here is to make sure that the truth is known. That this scurrilous tissue of lies is revealed for what it is and the reputation of the late Shou Chen-hai returned to its former glorious condition."
Karr stared at the official a moment, then laughed. "Then I'm afraid you have your work cut out, Shih . . . ?"
"My name is Yen T'ung," the official answered coldly, turning to take a folder from one of his assistants, "and I am Third Secretary to the Minister, Peng Lu-hsing."
"Well, Third Secretary Yen, I have to inform you that it seems the accusations are true. Our friend, the Hsien L'ing, has been having meetings with people that a man of his . . . reputation . . . ought not to have been seeing. As for the funds relating to the Phoenix Health Center—"
Yen T'ung stepped forward, placing the folder carefully, almost delicately, on the edge of Karr's desk.
"Forgive me, Major Karr, but inside you will find the official report on the murder of Shou Chen-hai. It answers all of the points raised as well as several others. Moreover, it paints a full and healthy picture of the dead man." Yen T'ung stepped back, brushing his left hand against his silks, as if to cleanse it. "Copies of the report will be distributed to the media at twelfth bell tomorrow. Shortly afterward I shall be making a statement regarding the capture of those responsible for this heinous crime."