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“Did you know him?” McNab asked. “Like, personally?”
“Not really. I work out of East Washington, mostly handle marketing for this region. I met him though. He was a great guy.”
“But come on.” Peabody pushed a little. “What they’re saying can’t be true. Getting his head cut off, in a holo-room. It sounds like a game to me.”
The woman’s teary eyes went cold. “He was murdered, and that’s not a game.”
“Well, Jeez, sorry. It just doesn’t sound real. I mean, who’d do something like that?”
“I hope they find out soon, and make him pay. Gaming’s lost a really bright light. And those of us with U-Play, well, we feel we lost the heart.”
“It’s really sad,” Peabody said, and added a pat-pat on the woman’s arm. “My guy here’s the big fan. We hooked work and everything to come down because we heard about it.”
“I told you it was real.” McNab tried for scolding and sorrowful at the same time. “I just want to say I really related to Bart. You know, he was the face of my generation of gamers. I bought U-Play’s first PS system, and I’ve never looked back. I got their PS-5, with the substation for Christmas last year. It really sings.”
“We’re very proud of it. Have you demo’d Excursion?”
“No, not yet.”
“Let me give you a complimentary demo copy, in memory of Bart.”
“Mag. I mean, thanks. I don’t mean—”
“I got it.” She offered the disc. “This’ll give you ten plays before it wipes. I hope you enjoy it.”
“No question. You know, some of my favorites?” McNab easily rattled off a list of games, heavy on war and weapons. “We have a Dead of Knight tournament every couple months at our place.”
“He was actually going to e-mail U-Play and invite Bart,” Peabody added, inspired.
“Oh, you sho
uld have! He might’ve come.”
“I’m thinking of having a big one next month—full costumes, props, the whole banana. Like kind of a tribute.”
“If you do, let me know.” She pulled out a card. “I might be able to get you some attention, and arrange for some freebies.”
“Hey, that’d be total. I heard a lot about Bart’s collection. I relate there, too.”
“I’ll say. My boy likes weapons, especially the phallic ones,” Peabody added with a wink. “We’ve got our game room loaded with them. We’re always on the lookout for something really tight. I like to find them and surprise him.”
“They’ve got a terrific weapons display up a level.”
“Yeah, we’re heading up there.”
“Ask for Razor, show him my card. I don’t know a lot about weapon collecting, but he knows everything. If it exists, in any form, he can find it, get it, sell it.”
“Frosty. Razor.” McNab glanced at the poster again. “I sure hope they get whoever did it.”
“We all do.”
As they left the booth, Peabody unzipped a pocket for her beeping ’link. After a glance at the display, she switched to privacy mode. “Hi, Mom!”
“Cute,” Eve said. “I’m—what the hell do you have on your face? And your hair’s all screwy.”
“Undercover, remember?” Peabody muttered. “I’m blending.”
“Where? At the Geek Skank Parade?”
