“But alas, dear Kait, playtime must be over for now,” Aurelian said, rolling out of bed.
Kait paused for a moment to enjoy the view.Just splendid.
“I have news from my day’s work, notes to compare with you, and we must plan our next steps,” he continued.
He paused to look at Kait, who was still a little flushed post-sex, wrapped in his sheets. “Magnifique,” he said, kissing his fingers. “But the world does not wait, and there is business to conduct. What would you like for dinner?”
***
After a delightful meal of sirloin tips in red wine, complemented by sautéed mushrooms and sliced bell pepper, Aurelian cleared the dining room table and set up a laptop for himself as well as a tablet for Kait. He had refused to talk “business,” as he put it, during dinner, and instead had spent the time asking Kait questions about her work and family. Kait had tried to press him for more information about himself, but, to her mild frustration, he had proven remarkably adroit at shifting the conversation back to her.
She had managed to get out of him that he had started adulthood working with Tarma’s Planetary Defense Corps but had not found the work appealing and found an opening with the Pleasure House as soon as he could.
“So, you see, I am a victim of my planet’s economy,” Aurelian had said, laughing and sipping red wine. “Jobs with Tarma’s first and second largest employers.”
Kait had been surprised to learn just how large the House was. She had known it was big—it was famous throughout the sector—but, from Aurelian’s brief descriptions, the Pleasure House’s influence extended very far indeed.
Kait worried for the first time she might have bitten off more than she could chew. She shoved those thoughts to the back of her brain.
“So, Kait, today I learned some very interesting things,” began Aurelian. He told her about how Rachel Gentry and Harold Dawes, powerful senior members of the House, had created Holloway Holdings. He also outlined the fact Holloway Holdings had received two deposits of ten million credits apiece, and that each deposit had come from a luxury cruise liner calledStella Maris. The first deposit had been made at the time of Talia’s murder, he explained, and the second had been made yesterday. Both times, theStella Marishad been docked in orbit around Tarma and had sent smaller passenger ships—called cutters—down to Tarma’s surface spaceport.
“That can’t be a coincidence,” said Kait.
Aurelian agreed. “I think there must be some kind of connection. But I must admit I cannot see what it is. Not yet.”
“Why would the arrival of a luxury space liner have anything to do with Talia’s murder?” asked Kait, frowning.Think, Kait. Your job is based around your ability to make connections, to take these kind of leaps. So do it! Do this for Talia!
“Okay,” said Aurelian slowly. “My first instinct was always that Talia was killed because of something she saw or heard. However, she probably didn’t know the significance of it, or she would have tried to run, or contact someone. So, the question is, what would Talia have seen—or heard—that would be connected to the arrival of theStella Maris, be worth ten million dollars, and be worth killing to conceal?”
Suddenly, Kait’s blood ran cold. “Aurelian, what, essentially, does the Pleasure House of Tarma export?”
Aurelian looked at Kait. “People.” He paused. “Oh no.”
Kait nodded, not wanting to believe it. “Aurelian, I think the Pleasure House is selling women into slavery.” She was suddenly hit by a wave of sadness.Oh, Talia. My baby sister. What did you see? Did they try to take you?
Aurelian was looking a little pale. Poor guy. This was his career. Imagine finding out the people to whom you gave all your time and effort were pieces of shit.
His thoughts were clearly along the same lines. “This will bring down the entire House.” He shook his head. “It should bring down the entire House.” Aurelian sat and stared emptily at his laptop.
“We have absolutely no evidence this is true,” Kait reminded him. “So far, this is just a theory.”
Aurelian snapped back to the present. “Absolutely correct,” he said, “and that also gives us a direction for what to do next. We need my friend Marc here. He has to be told what is going on, and he can help us decide our next steps.”
Kait hated herself for asking it but said, “Aurelian, how much do you trust your friend Marc?” She didn’t want to offend him, but she needed to know.
His confident smile reassured her. “With my life. Even more importantly, withyourlife.”
Kait didn’t quite know how to respond, so she took it as a compliment and nodded politely.Sometimes, this man can say the most unsettling things. But somehow, still so sweet.
She put the thought aside as Aurelian phoned his friend and asked him to come over immediately—at least, that’s what she thoughttout suitemeant. Kait went to the kitchen and refilled her wine. It was promising to be a long evening—not that she minded. This felt like real progress. Part of it was the excitement of the chase, part of it was the feeling she was helping her sister, and part of it—if she was honest—was that she had experienced more and better sex in the past two days than she had in a long time, if ever.You know what? I’m not going to overthink that part. Aurelian rings my bells like a holiday chorus. Let’s just go with the flow on this one.And keep the bells ringing.
Marc joined them a short time later. “Mademoiselle Pyne,” he said, courteously taking her hand and brushing it with his lips, “it is a pleasure to meet the woman who has so entranced my friend.”
Kait found herself charmed by the older man, who seemed to carry with him the affectations of an earlier time. “You are too kind,” she responded. “Please, call me Kait.”
Marc nodded. “As you wish. Now,mes amis, shall we have a closer look at this disturbing picture you have painted for us?”
They quickly brought him up to speed.
