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“I care about doing a good job,” I said. “I care about being loyal.”
“I know you are,” said Alkard. “You’ve been invaluable in the past and you’re part of the family. But you’re a little too quick to temper and you fly off the handle. You need to learn to get stable.”
I didn’t know what to say about that. It was a question I thought about once or twice, in different words. But if there was one thing the war taught me, it was that no one knows exactly what they’re gonna do when the shit really hits the fan. Or at least, none of the young ones who ended up going off to war did.
“I won’t let you down,” I promised, but I wasn’t sure if he believed me.
“Everything we’ve heard tells us it was Conii who framed Havek.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “But it’s no good unless we can prove it. That’s your job. Prove that Havek’s innocent, and if you can, prove Conii was the one who set him up.”
Alkard wasn’t wrong. I knew I wasn’t the first person you’d pick for a mission like this. I was the muscle of the gang, not the brains. I wasn’t ashamed of that. It was just a fact. That, however, was definitely a brain’s mission, and I couldn’t help but feel nervous about it.
“I can do it, boss,” I said. “I’m not going to let one of our brothers go down.”
Finally, Alkard smiled. “Remember what I said. Find something you care about. Or someone. You do that and you’ll make it through anything.”
“I’ll do it,” I answered. “I’ll even make sure it’s something other than breaking stuff and hurting people.”
He laughed. “Get out of here.”
On the one hand, that wasn’t my kind of job at all. I cracked legs, not cases. On the other hand, Alkard was right.
I knew for years now. There was something missing in me. Other than my brothers, I couldn’t take anything seriously. I just didn’t care.
But maybe it was time to change that.
EMMA
My investigation into my owner’s crimes got off to an admittedly slow start. I had to wash all the floors and bathrooms the next day, and none of the stains or balls of random dust I came across looked much like clues. By the time I finally got a break, I was tired and hungry, and then it was time to prepare for dinner again.
And we were out of greenberry spirits, so I needed to walk over to a bar across the way.
At least I finally have a moment of quiet, I thought as I walked out the servant’s door. As I came around the corner, I noticed someone very large standing in the shadows across the street, watching the house.
Very, very large.
Without thinking, I walked just a touch faster.
It was okay, really, I decided. Even Sherlock Holmes didn’t solve all his cases in just one day. I would figure it out eventually. Once I got a little free time.
Not that I ever got much of that.
First, I needed to know exactly what it was Havek had been framed for. That was probably public information, but I’d need some time alone with a computer panel to access it. I knew a few servants I could talk to about that. Once I knew what the evidence was, I could work out what she did to fake it.
Once I knew that, all I’d have to do would be to find a receipt or a record or anything that would pin her to it.
Would Conii really be dumb enough to leave something like that where I could find it? Then again, could she really be smart enough not to leave anything at all somewhere?
Whatever. It didn’t matter right now. Right now, I needed to focus on my real job. In the bar, Iitar was behind the counter, as usual. That was good. Iitar was about the friendliest human man I ever met, either back on Earth or here on Thodos III.
“Well, if it isn’t the consulting detective herself!” he beamed. I told him about Sherlock Holmes the second or third time we talked. He teased me about it, but in the same way he teased everyone. “And what can I get for you?”
“Four bottles of greenberry spirits for Conii,” I answered.
“I should have that on the shelf in the back,” he said. “I’ve never sold the stuff to anyone but her, but at least she seems to like it. Go ahead and take a look.”
“Have you ever tried it yourself?” I asked.
“Too bitter for me. Supposedly you develop a taste for it, but with so many other things to drink, why bother?”
