said coolly. “I know how hard things can be for someone re-entering society.”
“The money’s welcome,” I said. “But a smart person would’ve headed straight for one of those fancy, established outfits. The kind with three names on the letterhead.”
Her face flushed. “Maybe I’m tired of getting the runaround from firms who’re more interested in running up their expense accounts than finding my husband.”
Jesus, did this one love the melodrama! But it didn’t quite scan. Something in her manner. Like she knew the femme fatale act wasn’t working on me, but kept at it, just to be irritating.
As if to prove me right, she drew on her cigarette, French inhaling. It was a teenager’s trick, but with those ruby lips and lapis lazuli eyes, she made it dangerously interesting.
“My husband is a scientist, Mr. Donner. A geneticist.”
Which meant well-paid, but not rich. That tended to nix a professional snatch-for-cash scenario, unless…
“Do you have money, Ms. Struldbrug?”
She smiled, her tongue peeking between her teeth. “Yes.”
“Have you checked your accounts? Assets?”
“They haven’t been touched.”
“And you haven’t heard from anyone? No ransom demands?”
“No.”
“How long has he been missing?”
“Three weeks.”
Hmm. She hadn’t given my predecessors much time to work.
“Tell me about the night he disappeared.”
“That night, he called from work. He spoke to Maria, our housekeeper.”
“What time?”
“Around seven-thirty. I was out, so he tried my implant. He left a voice mail.”
“Why didn’t you answer your… implant?”
“Probably in a meeting.”
“What was the message?”
“Something about a breakthrough at work. He was excited, rushed. He said he’d be home soon. He never arrived.”
“What time did you get home?”
“Around eleven-thirty.”
“And Maria said he’d never come home?”
“Maria was gone by then. But I saw no sign that he’d come home and gone back out.”
“You said he sounded excited. Sure he wasn’t afraid?”
“I know the difference. He was jubilant, arrogant. He had reason to be. His research will change the world.”
I thought I kept my face pretty even.
“That’s not a wife’s simple pride speaking, Mr. Donner. It’s an employer’s critical assessment. Morris’ research division works for us.” I guess I looked blank. She smiled. “Don’t tell me you don’t know who I am!”
Uh-oh.
“My brother, Adam, is President and CEO of Surazal. I am the Director of Research and Development.”
After a few ticks of the clock, my mind rebooted enough for me to simply be in total shock. Why didn’t Bart warn me ? I stood, poured myself a double and threw the whole thing back.
“Surazal,” I said. “The company that’s building the Blister. The company that runs this city.”
She looked weary of the question. “I think the Mayor would take issue with that.”
“But it brings me back around to ‘why me’?”
Her eyes flashed. The lady wasn’t used to explaining herself. But playacting her peon wouldn’t get either of us what we wanted.
“Ms. Struldbrug—”
“Nicole, please.”
“Nicole. With the resources you command, it seems unlikely that you would hire someone freshly reborn, someone who barely knows his way around town.”
“The police are at a standstill. The other firms have gotten nowhere. Detective Hennessy recommended you. It’s as simple as that.”
Simple as that. Except she was full of shit.
Then I had it. Duh. “And maybe you want a reeb.”
Her eyes twinkled, but she issued neither a confirmation nor denial. “Morris was close to unraveling the secrets of reborn DNA when he disappeared.”
“And you believe the nature of his work will give me what? An added incentive to find him?”
She leaned in and her perfume, expensive and subtle, closed the gap between us. “I thought your type was keen to prove you’re not monsters.”
“I know what I
“The money’s welcome,” I said. “But a smart person would’ve headed straight for one of those fancy, established outfits. The kind with three names on the letterhead.”
Her face flushed. “Maybe I’m tired of getting the runaround from firms who’re more interested in running up their expense accounts than finding my husband.”
Jesus, did this one love the melodrama! But it didn’t quite scan. Something in her manner. Like she knew the femme fatale act wasn’t working on me, but kept at it, just to be irritating.
As if to prove me right, she drew on her cigarette, French inhaling. It was a teenager’s trick, but with those ruby lips and lapis lazuli eyes, she made it dangerously interesting.
“My husband is a scientist, Mr. Donner. A geneticist.”
Which meant well-paid, but not rich. That tended to nix a professional snatch-for-cash scenario, unless…
“Do you have money, Ms. Struldbrug?”
She smiled, her tongue peeking between her teeth. “Yes.”
“Have you checked your accounts? Assets?”
“They haven’t been touched.”
“And you haven’t heard from anyone? No ransom demands?”
“No.”
“How long has he been missing?”
“Three weeks.”
Hmm. She hadn’t given my predecessors much time to work.
“Tell me about the night he disappeared.”
“That night, he called from work. He spoke to Maria, our housekeeper.”
“What time?”
“Around seven-thirty. I was out, so he tried my implant. He left a voice mail.”
“Why didn’t you answer your… implant?”
“Probably in a meeting.”
“What was the message?”
“Something about a breakthrough at work. He was excited, rushed. He said he’d be home soon. He never arrived.”
“What time did you get home?”
“Around eleven-thirty.”
“And Maria said he’d never come home?”
“Maria was gone by then. But I saw no sign that he’d come home and gone back out.”
“You said he sounded excited. Sure he wasn’t afraid?”
“I know the difference. He was jubilant, arrogant. He had reason to be. His research will change the world.”
I thought I kept my face pretty even.
“That’s not a wife’s simple pride speaking, Mr. Donner. It’s an employer’s critical assessment. Morris’ research division works for us.” I guess I looked blank. She smiled. “Don’t tell me you don’t know who I am!”
Uh-oh.
“My brother, Adam, is President and CEO of Surazal. I am the Director of Research and Development.”
After a few ticks of the clock, my mind rebooted enough for me to simply be in total shock. Why didn’t Bart warn me ? I stood, poured myself a double and threw the whole thing back.
“Surazal,” I said. “The company that’s building the Blister. The company that runs this city.”
She looked weary of the question. “I think the Mayor would take issue with that.”
“But it brings me back around to ‘why me’?”
Her eyes flashed. The lady wasn’t used to explaining herself. But playacting her peon wouldn’t get either of us what we wanted.
“Ms. Struldbrug—”
“Nicole, please.”
“Nicole. With the resources you command, it seems unlikely that you would hire someone freshly reborn, someone who barely knows his way around town.”
“The police are at a standstill. The other firms have gotten nowhere. Detective Hennessy recommended you. It’s as simple as that.”
Simple as that. Except she was full of shit.
Then I had it. Duh. “And maybe you want a reeb.”
Her eyes twinkled, but she issued neither a confirmation nor denial. “Morris was close to unraveling the secrets of reborn DNA when he disappeared.”
“And you believe the nature of his work will give me what? An added incentive to find him?”
She leaned in and her perfume, expensive and subtle, closed the gap between us. “I thought your type was keen to prove you’re not monsters.”
“I know what I
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