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“Nicole said—” I started.

“Ahh. My lovely sister’s doing, say no more. Well, if we are interested in actually figuring this out and keeping people safe, as opposed to personal glory, we need to keep all parties informed.”

At that moment, Terry the staff member rolled in. He looked exactly like every other shiny robot in the place, but I tensed, wondering if he might have been the one that killed Marcy Lakewood.

Mason seemed to sense my discomfort because he came over, resting a hand on my shoulder. The desire to scoot in closer battled with my brain insisting I push him away, so I compromised and did neither.

“How may I assist you?” the robostaff asked. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought it was nervous.

“Terry,” Alyssa said, standing and assuming control. “We need to know exactly what happened last night with Mrs. Lakewood.”

None of us moved an inch. I doubt we even breathed while we waited for the reply.

“I helped Mrs. Lakewood into the mud bath yesterday evening at 11:43 p.m. She asked for assistance. I left eleven minutes later while she exfoliated.” Terry swung his metallic arms slightly in an all too human gesture.

“Um, Terry,” I said. I scooted closer to Mason when those black holes of eyes faced me. “What did Mrs. Lakewood need assistance with?”

His black orbs reflected the light of the screens behind me, and I wished I could read something in his face. It unnerved me. “She could not reach all parts of her body. She asked for my help in ‘getting everything’.”

Silence filled the pause.

Nicole let out an exasperated sigh and stepped in front of the robot. “Do you know who killed Mrs. Lakewood?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mason sucked in an audible breath beside me, and his hand tightened on my shoulder.

Please don’t say it was me, I prayed, ready to collapse on the spot.

“Well?” Nicole demanded. “Who was it?”

“I did,” Terry said. “You seem angry, Miss Bennet. Have I done something wrong?”

“You killed someone!” I shouted, jumping off the desk. “That’s very, very wrong.” Relief flooded through me, and I chased it away.

Terry rolled backward and forward a bit. “Computer said it may be perceived as wrong. But I asked her how it could when I was only doing what the guest asked of me.” His voice actually broke.

“She asked you to kill her?” Alyssa said.

“She asked me to help cover all parts of her body with mud. I complied.”

“By shoving her under,” I whispered.

“Never shove a guest!” Terry said, as though I’d suggested something appalling. “We must treat them with respect and dignity.”

“Okay, I think I’m seeing the disconnect in the logic programming,” I said.

“I can’t believe this,” Alyssa said and swallowed. “So, you covered your tracks by erasing the footage?”

“No, ma’am. It was computer. She was…concerned you might feel I’d done something wrong and delete my programming. She erased the evidence to protect me. Will I be deleted?” He sounded like a child who’d been caught sneaking candy.

“Damn straight,” Nicole said. She reached forward, a gold keycard in hand, and slipped it in the soft area behind Terry’s neck. “Disable,” she said, and the red light on his chest went dark.

We sat there, silent, for some time. I let Mason put his arm around me. Terry’s deactivated body slumped in the center of the small office.

Finally, Alyssa cleared her throat. “We have to deactivate the computer too. Do an overhaul of the whole system. I’m afraid we’re going to have to evacuate.”

My heart skittered in my chest. Evacuate? I would never wish anyone dead, but it was hard not to think of this as a blessing in disguise.