Star Trek RPG - Mission #3: "Some Other Side of Paradise"

[general_urko]

Graham listens to Kylah's question. "You can speak with anyone until or unless...of their own accord or..." he glances at Fastolfe and then Adjetey. "On the basis of bad advice they refuse to answer questions and invoke their right to an attorney."

Still looking mostly at Kylah but speaking at a volume that would easily be overheard. "What I don't understand is this: it's totally slick to hear about the incident with Wilson and then beam in to steal a knife: one, it gets you a murder weapon without you having to bring one on-planet. Two, it implicates Lord Fastolfe. But why steal more than one? Another knife is a piece of evidence tying you to the crime." He scowls. "If you ask me, whoever did this is too smart to have done that without a reason, and we're in a race against time to figure out who it was before they plant evidence that further puts a bull's eye on Fastolfe." Then he shrugs and smiles slightly at Kylah. "But then again no here's interested in conversation."

"I'll join after I check these padds quickly--and we should also make sure we get a list of every WR&R staffer who's been in this house from...well, anybody who'll talk to us." He chuckles and gestures to Dobson, who has seemed to be very much on the laconic side. "If we leave you to hold down the fort here, I hope you won't be too upset you won't be able to make a lot of small talk."

He quickly checks the padds for anything that might relate to Wilson or the murder.

[CatInASuit]

"My fault, language misuse," smiles Rangin back at Peters. "Well, I wonder what Mr Wilson was doing so briefly in his apartment for those six minutes. Can you see if he was carrying anything, or dropping something off. Why go in for just six minutes and then head out again?"

Rangin frowns and looks across, "Did you say that Fastolfe had been in his guest quarters all that time. We have statements he went out to the nightclub last night? In fact, Mr Wilson and him were both seen there at the same time, so he had to have left his guest house before 11:15."

"Are you sure you have checked that footage?" Rangin looks suspiciously across sat him, unsure whether it is a slip or something worse, seeing as it was so obvious to disprove.

[Elendil's Heir]

Adjetey corrects Kylah: "It's not a matter of me giving Lord Fastolfe permission to speak to you. I cannot order him to do anything; I can only advise him. He is both my employer and my client. If he chooses to talk to you, of course he may. Others on his staff have the same right."

There are hundreds of files in each datapad, Graham sees. At a glance, nothing appears to have any direct bearing on the murder investigation; the files are mostly about Lord Fastfolfe's music and acting commitments, fan relations, business dealings, investments, travel arrangements, correspondence, personnel issues and the like.

Officer Peters rewinds the hallway security vid to look at Wilson's six-minute visit to his suite. Rangin and he can clearly see that Wilson was empty-handed upon both entering and leaving. Peters recalls, "Yes, Fastolfe and some of his people did go to the nightclub the night he arrived. It shows up on the nightclub surveillance vid, and I think he admitted it, too, didn't he?"

[CatInASuit]

"Yes, Fastolfe did admit it. The question is, during the time that Lord Fastolfe and his entourage were at the nightclub, did anyone else enter the property to remove the weapon that was going to be used to commit the murder of Mr Wilson. If no-one else entered that property, then no-one else took the weapon and you just narrowed down the list to a very small set of suspects."

[choie]

After nodding at Graham's words, Kylah gives Adjetey a brief sidelong look. "Yes, thank you, Ms. Adjetey. Although I am sure Lord Fastolfe will do as you advise." She avoids the superstar entirely in favor of aiming squarely at his bodyguard. "Mr. Hotchkiss. May I please speak with you? Preferably somewhere less crowded?"

[general_urko]

Graham barely perceptibly frowns. There was the incident with Ferguson, then with this Jan character. Now Ens. Kylah is stepping away with this Hotchkiss guy.

There are many options for what the patterns mean: but the one that seems most true to him is that she is young, desperate to prove herself, and alone. The sort who would attract users and predators. Or gravitate toward danger unawares. Like Fiona.

His hand tightens on the padd he's holding and it takes significant effort not to move. Give her some space, Graham thinks, gritting his teeth. She's s Starfleet officer.

But he notes the direction they take.

[Elendil's Heir]

Peters scratches his ear and says, "From what I remember of the reports, I think Fastolfe said someone remained in his guest house all the time, and that it was never left unattended, even when he and the rest of his entourage went to the nightclub. I don't think he identified who was left behind, though."

Hotchkiss looks a little surprised at Kylah's request, but stands and goes with her. The sitting room is just a few steps away, and has two doors which can be closed. "Yes, Ensign?" he asks. He seems polite but guarded.

[choie]

Note: assume that while Kylah is asking a bunch of questions and acting a role, she is leaving time for Hotchkiss to react and answer.

Kylah closes the doors most of the way, but leaves them open enough so that she can easily see anyone coming. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me," she says, noting the man's wary expression and trying to meet it with an open one of her own. Throughout, she does her best to measure his emotions, although it is usually difficult to do so when she is displaying many of her own. Still, she will do her best. "It is a... pleasant surprise to find someone willing to assist me. Please, may we sit down?"

She takes a seat and lets her hands fold atop one another. "I am afraid I do not recall your full name, Mr. Hotchkiss. I will not expect to address you so informally; you would think me presumptuous and trying to affect an air of friendship. I know you--none of you, here--are likely to feel friendly toward those of us who seem to have invaded your employer's vacation house. I tried to warn him..." Kylah shakes her head regretfully. "You saw my attempt to reach him before the others. I did not want this to happen. But it did not work.

"At any rate, this is not about me. If you do not mind, I would like to know your name, more about you. How long have you been involved in security or such work? And how long have you worked for Lord Fastolfe?

"You are not only his bodyguard but his valet, if I recall correctly. You must spend a great deal of time with him, traveling across multiple star systems. Where were you before you arrived here, was it another vacation resort like this? Well... I suppose there are none quite like this. Who else can offer what WR&R--this whole planet--does?" Kylah tilts her head in curiosity. "Were you able to try the spores yourself? I have not been free to do so, as we have been on duty the whole time. I suppose it is similar for you. You might not have been allowed--or am I wrong? Have you been able to enjoy the resort's amenities? Does Lord Fastolfe allow his staff to take some time off while he is not performing or... whatever else he does as part of his celebrity life?"

She will wait for his answer, but when she has a chance, she adds, "Of course I understand you are responsible for his safety, and considering his nature--his stage personality and reputation--as well as your obvious physical strength, not to mention your weaponry, you must have experienced a lot of conflict, and likely are on duty most of the time. But I hope you do have some time on your own. What about when Lord Fastolfe requests some privacy, such as--" Kylah glances shyly down at her hands, and then shifts in her chair uncomfortably. "Well... such as yesterday morning, with the visitors we--we interrupted. You were here then, but I am sure he does not always wish others with him in such circumstances." She looks away again. "I do not want details, please, I just... I just want to know how his household works."

"What about the nightclub? Were you there with him? Some of my crewmates were there that night, but I was elsewhere..." This time her awkwardness is genuine, and she speaks more quickly. "I suppose I most wish to know who might have been here during the time the knives were stolen. You heard what I said to Lord Fastolfe. Perhaps you believe me, even if Ms. Adjetey does not. I think he is being framed, cruelly so. Someone has taken those knives to make him look like a killer. Someone was not content to destroy poor Mr. Wilson, to devastate his family, but also ruin Lord Fastolfe's life as well. You must be outraged at such a malicious scheme. Do you not think it possible someone beamed in and stole them, then beamed out again?"

Her words are rushed and almost imploring. "That seems most likely to me. There is no sign of a break-in, and the knives are obviously not in anyone's possession here. It must be an outside job. Someone who dislikes him, or simply used his reputation in order to perpetrate a horrible crime. Have you met anyone like that? Do you know anyone here at the resort, a guest, who might have some past with Lord Fastolfe--who knows enough about him to know he carries such knives?"

She stares at Hotchkiss with naked concern. "Please, I need help if we are to solve this... and by we, I will fully acknowledge that I do not mean Starfleet." Her voice lowers and her gaze flashes in resentment. "My senior officer talks this possibility up but I do not think he believes the theory; he will use anything to open mouths and get an arrest. And everything I say is amusing to him. He might as well pat me on the head whenever he deigns to acknowledge one of my suggestions. He thinks me naïve, and only a woman barely out of the Academy, and the reason I have been trying in vain to protect Lord Fastolfe must be because I am some starstruck girl--"

Kylah's mouth remains open but silent for a second or two, then snaps shut. She glances at the door, flushes, and tucks her hair behind her ears. Her demeanor changes abruptly. "I am sorry," she mutters. "That was... that was inappropriate. I should not speak that way. It is beside the point." Her back is stiff and she tries to look professional.

"Back to the main issue. What do you think happened to the knives? Do you know any time when there were few people in the house, perhaps only a skeleton staff of one or two? That would be the most likely time for a thief to take advantage of the opportunity, beam into Lord Fastolfe's room, then beam out once more. Was there such a time, and if so, who was here? Mr. Stimmons, for example? I do not believe I have once seen the man, despite his being Lord Fastolfe's personal assistant. He must be kept very busy. Might he have had duties that kept him here while the rest of you were at the nightclub? Do you think he would be willing to speak with me?"

[CatInASuit]

"Means, motive and opportunity. We know the means, one of Fastolfe's knives, so the killer had to have had access to it. But if the quarters were never left alone, no-one outside the guest house would have been able to get in to take one. That only leaves the people there; Fastolfe and his entourage. Do we have a list of the people there and lets compare it to the statements from the nightclub. Who wasn't there, and what times were Fastolfe and company were there until? Fastolfe may have said that the guests house was always occupied, but as he wasn't there for the entire time, there is no way he can state that with any degree of certainty."

[Elendil's Heir]

Hotchkiss seems cooperative. He says, "My first name is Gene. I've been working in security for 19 years, and for Lord Fastolfe for 11. I've traveled extensively with him, of course. Before we came here, we were touring in the Orraen sector - a concert every day or so, lots of media events, meetings with fans, and so on. I wouldn't mind trying the spores sometime, but for now, I'm working. It can wait. Yes, I get time off regularly - I'm not a slave or anything. I have a lot of fun on this job, and often meet big names, and I'm paid well - very well. I'm not always in the room with him, and of course there are times when he wants to be alone with friends or guests, but when I'm on duty, I'm never far away. I did go with him to the nightclub the night we arrived. I agree that he's been framed, since I'm sure he's not a killer, regardless of his dangerous, tough-guy persona. That's mostly for public consumption. But you should understand his mindset - Starfleet seems to have immediately had him in mind as the prime suspect for Wilson's murder. For all he knows, for all I know, Starfleet is who - or what - is framing him. You seem like a nice person and you do seem to want to help him, but how can he know that for sure? Every time you criticize your own boss like that, I wonder whether he or someone else in Starfleet might have it in for Lord Fastolfe, and is willing to use the power of the government, of the Fleet, to frame him." He thinks a moment. "It's possible someone beamed in... or maybe just beamed the knives out. I don't know how or when it might have happened; we've left this house and then come back several times since we arrived. There are a lot of people who hate my boss, just as there are a lot of crazies who say they love him but would do terrible things to him if they ever had the chance - none here on OC3 that I know about, though. And lots of people know he carries knives and other weapons; it's no secret. Mr. Stimmons does work very hard. I don't know if he'd be willing to talk to you - you'd have to ask him yourself."

Peters and Rangin cross-check the guest list, the staff list, and the witness statements. Including both Fastolfe's entourage and WR&R staff, it appears that there were always at least two people in the guest house even when His Lordship wasn't there, and without exception, at least one of those was part of Fastolfe's staff.

[choie]

Kylah listens carefully to Hotchkiss's statements. Her muscles are tight with tension, her brows lowered in a frown of effort as she must divide her attention between concentrating on his words, focusing on his emotions, controlling her own, and trying to decide how best to respond, what questions to ask.

But her immediate reaction is an easy one. "Thank you," she says in an exhale, leaning forward to emphasize the emotion. "You--I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your candor. I understand it would be difficult to care, much less sympathize, about what I have been through in order to prevent a miscarriage of justice. Your concerns must be with Lord Fastolfe, justifiably so. But still, it is a tremendous relief to have such information to help me in this task, and I truly appreciate it."

She hesitates. "I do wish to say this. I would be shamefully disloyal--and worse, a vicious liar--if I did not state that I am certain Mr. Graham--and Lt. Collins, who led the investigation before him--want only to find the person who murdered Mr. Wilson. I do not believe they are targeting Lord Fastolfe due to malice. They target him because someone, perhaps even more than one, is making it far too easy to believe your employer is guilty. And I fear their prejudice against him as security officers themselves began with his... his display of that knife to Mr. Wilson. You are extraordinarily experienced in this field; would you not look suspiciously on anyone who brandished a weapon in front of someone you were charged with protecting?"

Kylah rests back a bit, giving a tight shake of her head. "But even though I have never seen Lord Fastolfe before, nor even heard of him to the best of my recollection--forgive me, I led a very sheltered life back on my home planet, and even at the Academy I paid no attention to popular culture--I saw what they did not. That Lord Fastolfe's 'attack' on Mr. Wilson was an extremely unfortunate display of his... what should I call it... performance art? He has a reputation to live up to. I am from a royal family that has its own roles to play, its own masks to wear. In watching Lord Fastolfe that day, I saw a man who was doing so himself. The way the incident about the guest house began and ended so suddenly, I just... I did not believe it. Do you agree? I do not recall you being there, but in your opinion as someone who has known him so many years, does he perform like that? Or would he really have been moved to such anger due to being denied a specific temporary residence?"

Her own words remind her of something she has wanted to ask for a while. "I... this will seem a trivial question under the circumstances, forgive me," she says with a little shrug. "But speaking of royalty, I have been so curious... Is his title a stage name, or is it genuine? I just wonder how much of what he is, who he is, is real. When we were alone together earlier, he was--he was different. Charming. Even warm. Of course I know he is a man of great experience and appetites, and I suppose I..." Kylah does not continue in this vein. She shakes her head again. "I do not know which is the real Lord Fastolfe. I do not expect to know, it is not my place to know, if he does not wish it. I would want to know your opinion, if you feel comfortable enough in giving it. What is he like, at heart?"

"And before I forget, I would like to pick up on something you mentioned--those who might wish to do him harm. When we were alone, he grew somewhat--well--forward... in the way I suppose many of his fans would welcome. And no matter how I denied it, he would not believe I did not come here for... for that," she says tactfully, although embarrassed at relating this event. "I mentioned that I carry a knife--I am an Elasian, it is our custom, much as he carries his own--and he grew almost anxious. Distressed. Could my comment have triggered some memory? Was he ever attacked, or threatened?"

Once he has answered, Kylah takes a moment to draw her thoughts together. She is nearly at the end of their interview--depending on his answer to the following question. "Mr. Hotchkiss, I would like to ask you some names, and see if any of them sound familiar, even if you have not yet seen them here at the resort, and whether they might have had dealings with Lord Fastolfe before. I apologize in advance, it is a long list." Kylah takes a deep breath and looks at him very carefully. Some names are more important to her than others and she keeps her voice as even and uninflected as possible. "Fellim Palver. Rosemary Calvin. Patrick Hardin. Lt. Ebling. Sylvia Aubrey. Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Hutchinson. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gold. Vijay Patel. Lionel Hsu. Mattie Hsu. Lucy Anderson. Robert Halsey." Her lips part to add another name but somehow she... cannot. Do not be absurd. This is enough.

After a second of silence, she tilts her head. "Do you recognize any of these, sir? No matter how tangentially you know them, or how briefly you may have heard of them, it would be extremely helpful if you could tell me if they are familiar to you, and in what context."

[CatInASuit]

"The means that were used to carry out the murder...located in Fastolfe's guest house, with one of his staff always there. No way for someone outside to go in and get it without being noticed." Rangin sits back having pored over the data in front of him. "It points to someone in his entourage being the killer as the only ones who would be able to gain access to the murder weapon. The transporter wasn't used at the time Mr Wilson was killed, so anyone getting the weapon would have to enter the house through more mundane methods and we have covered those off."

"Ok, so which of his staff don't have an alibi for last night, considering what time the club closed and if they were visible between the hours of midnight and 12:30 without going anywhere, leaving the club and so on. That would give us a list of people with opportunity. Then we just have to figure out the motive. I wonder if Mr Wilson knew any of them in advance of them coming here? Fastolfe said this was his first visit. Is that true for the rest of his staff?"

[Elendil's Heir]

Hotchkiss says, "I wouldn't say I'm 'extraordinarily experienced,' but I have enough experience to do my job and, I think, to do it well. Lord Fastolfe does, as you say, sometimes 'perform' in some situations. He has a reputation to live up to, and he tends to do what he thinks he has to, to keep up that reputation. It keeps him in the public eye, it sells his music, and it gets people buying tickets. But from what I heard him say, he really was very upset about not getting the guest house he wanted. You know, he just doesn't like hearing the word 'no.' I wasn't there when he pulled the knife on Wilson. He can be charming and warm, as you say, but he can also be hot-tempered and impulsive. He's a member of the Proxima Centauri aristocracy, and both his name and his title are genuine. He has been attacked, at least twice that I know of, although never while I was guarding him. He has been threatened many, many times."

He listens to the names which Kylah mentions: Fellim Palver. "The tycoon, right? I hear he's here on OC3, too." Rosemary Calvin. "The author - also here." Patrick Hardin. "Don't know him." Lt. Ebling. "Him, either." Sylvia Aubrey. "Ditto." Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Hutchinson. "No, sorry." Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gold. "Sorry, still drawing a blank." Vijay Patel. "Same." Lionel Hsu. "Is that the local security guy for WR&R? Met him once." Mattie Hsu. "His wife, I think? The number two person here? I think I met her once, too, briefly." Lucy Anderson. "Don't know her." Robert Halsey. "Sounds familiar, but I can't place the name."

Peters says to Rangin, "The transporter might have been used before Wilson was killed, or after. I don't think we can tell from the records." He crosschecks the witness statements and security reports. "I don't see anyone lacking at least some kind of alibi during that period. If there were a conspiracy, though, I suppose one might vouch for the other. Aaaand... it looks like this was the first visit to OC3 for everyone in his group."

[choie]

Nodding, Kylah straightens in her chair once more. "I see. Thank you. I know I am saying that a lot, and perhaps my gratitude seems excessive, but... really, it is a measure both of your own cooperation as well as just how uncooperative others have been.

"I have just a final pair of questions and then I will take up no more of your time. You have already been so generous. Do you know where one might find Mr. Stimmons now? And I just realized, I do not think you mentioned whether he was among the group with you and Lord Fastolfe while you were at the nightclub. Not that I blame you for forgetting to answer; I have asked you so very many questions..." She gives a small apologetic smile. "But do you remember if he was there? And for that matter, who in particular was not?"

[CatInASuit]

"Thought the transporters logs were pulled, Lt Delaney pulled the power records. It was after the murder. Otherwise you are looking at someone else...else...Oh, oh, I cannot believe I missed that."

Rangin bangs his cup hard down on the table.

"Fastolfe has a set of knives with a unique chemical composition and are supposed to come in a set of three. Probably easy to scan for, lock on to and remove. So, if you didn't know any better you would teleport out three knives and consider that you had the entire set."

Rangin considers the ramifications of what he just said.

"Someone knew he had the knives, but didn't know that we had not only confiscated one, but that he had a larger set. Someone thought they were getting the whole bunch. It has to be someone who knew about the knives, but new nothing specific, or perhaps anything about the incident with Mr Wilson."

"Of course, if we can't find the knives now, it's probably because they aren't on the planet at all."

Rangin was hoping that he was correct, otherwise, he was going to look an idiot....and speaking of idiots.

"Ens Rangin to Ens. Graham. I think I have a theory you might like to hear."

[general_urko]

Graham's about to go check on Kylah when Rangin hails him.

He moves to a spot where by virtue of distance and adjusting volume of his communicator Adjetey and Fastolfe shouldn't be able to overhear the conversation and replies "I'm all ears, Mr. Rangin."

[Elendil's Heir]

Hotchkiss says, "Dan Stimmons, Lord Fastfolfe's personal assistant, isn't here right now. I forget where he went - maybe shopping?" He thinks. "The people who went with Fastolfe to the nightclub that night were Adjetey, Stimmons and me. Paula Goldman, the publicist, said she was feeling tired and stayed here."

Before Rangin calls Graham, WR&R Security officer Peters says, "That could be. But the knives were side by side in the same box, weren't they? A transporter scan would almost certainly show you all five, or four, or however many actually were there at that time, and not just the three you, er, someone might've been looking for."

[choie]

"Shopping?" Kylah repeats softly, her voice revealing a hint of surprise and near-wonder as she looks across at Hotchkiss but adds almost to herself: "Yes. Of course. That would be something one would do at a resort." After a pause, she shakes her head. "Our focus is so entirely on this murder... It has been easy to forget that this is still a vacation spot, and that for most, life here goes on, spent in pleasurable activities."

Standing, she thanks Hotchkiss for what feels like the dozenth time. "I apologize for taking up so much of your time. Should you think of anything to add that might be helpful, I hope you will feel comfortable telling me or one of my crewmates." She hesitates on her way out the door and glances back. "In particular, if you could try to remember where you might have heard the name 'Halsey,' that would be greatly appreciated." Kylah gives Hotchkiss a small smile of farewell and leaves the room.

She intends to report to Graham, but sees that he is listening to his communicator. She catches his gaze if possible and nods, a silent affirmation that she has finished the interview without any problems. Since he seems busy, she looks over to Fastolfe. After a quick calculation Kylah moves to where he and Adjetey are seated.

"I beg your pardon," she says to both of them, although her eyes rest on Fastolfe as she continues. "I know I said I would not disturb you unless you wished to speak to me. I do not expect you to break your choice of remaining silent, Lord Fastolfe. But I do feel compelled to at least attempt some requests. As unlikely as it is that you will heed them, I... I must." Kylah looks regretfully down at the rock star, and then sits beside him. "Before I do, I should first say that Mr. Hotchkiss has been most helpful. He is perfectly free to tell you anything I asked, or that he answered.

"That said, my first request is... oh, I know it is hopeless," she says, her brows lowered in frustration before she forges ahead. "You know our search warrants cover the premises of this residence, as well as your personal belongings here within. You also know that the Chariot is not covered, and thus we may not enter or search it without permission."

Her gaze presses almost physically into his. "As dim a hope as it is, I wish, I wish you would consider allowing even just two of my crewmates on board. Just for a simple scan, entirely under the eyes of your attorney or trusted security team. Your stolen knives are of unique composition. There are very few places they can have been so completely hidden, and you must see as clearly as I do that for a murderer attempting to implicate you, beaming those weapons onto your ship would be a significant benefit. He or she is likely counting on the fact that we would not be able to search the Chariot. I hope you will consider not letting their venal efforts to succeed by relying on that expectation."

Kylah purses her lips and shakes her head at the futility of asking such a thing of him. She moves on. "The next request is far easier for you to grant, and I hope you will do so. I should like to speak to Mr. Stimmons, when possible. I understand he is not in the house at the present time. If you know where he has gone, could you tell me where he is? Or even ask him to contact Mr. Graham or any of the crew so that we may speak to him?"

[CatInASuit]

"I'm here with Officer Peters in the security office. We've been looking over the security footage and we don't appear to have found any way that someone could physically get to Fastolfe's knives. Can you confirm if there have been any transporter traces there? I have a hunch someone knew exactly what type of knife was there and deliberately took a few of them instead of taking the whole set. Also, I found two encrypted files on the terminal in Mr Wilson's Office that are being investigated as we speak. Files were marked as Co Bd and H S Misc? Would they mean anything to you or Ensign Kylah?"

Rangin sits back and waits for Graham to respond.

[general_urko]

There's something of a delay before Rangin comes back at him, and Graham's amused by the thought that the Coridian might not be familiar with the expression. He imagines the xenobiologist giving him a (yet another) look of disapproval. "Mr. Graham," he begins to lecture. "You are most certainly not. The carapace of the Zaxoblablahtican Arglebargle by contrast, is largely covered with auditory receptors, although calling them 'ears' would be a stretch blah blah freaking blah..."

He's called back to the moment by useful news from Rangin.

Graham raises an eyebrow. "Yes indeed, Mr. Rangin - we did find a transporter trace in the house. Good work. As to the files -- first sounds like 'company board,' no? Not sure about the latter...the mysterious 'H file maybe...'" He looks around for Kylah. "Ah, stand by a moment, I'll see if Mr. Kylah is free."

[choie]

In the silence as Kylah pauses, she is almost certain she hears Graham say her name during his conversation. The worry that he might come over here and end up interrupting her, very possibly causing another rift with Fastolfe, makes Kylah hurry on, not waiting for a response to her question about Stimmons. That can wait. This most assuredly cannot.

She leans forward automatically, then it strikes her that she has not been this close to him since they were alone together. She flushes and draws back a bit, not due to fear but regret, remembering her rash reaction to his... overtures. What a disastrous error--if she had not offended or even frightened him so, how much more willing might he be to cooperate?

Forcing away her thoughts, Kylah pushes on, her voice low and intense. "My final request is the most vital, and I beg you to listen. You must consider very seriously that the loss of those knives strongly implies that someone known to you, whether it is someone with access to this house or knowledge of your actions, is involved in this murder. This person could be the sole criminal, or more likely, one who has been induced to conspire against you.

"Lord Fastolfe, I cannot stress enough that this means you are in danger. Not just legal danger, but... perhaps even worse." Her hand instinctively starts to reach out but she stifles the impulse. "So please. Please, whether you agree with me or not, my request is that you at least take this one precaution: Do not let yourself be left alone with anyone on your staff, no matter who it is--or what level of trust they try to impress upon you," she continues with a stubborn lift of her chin, purposely avoiding looking at Adjetey. "Remain with a group of others at all times. Nor should you allow any strangers to have intimate access to your--to your person." She is embarrassed but talks through her discomfort. "This is extraordinarily presumptuous of me, I know. I understand you have no reason to believe me other than your knowledge of what I have said and done. But I swear there is no profit to Starfleet, and most assuredly none for me, if anything were to happen to you. To the contrary I am trying to ensure nothing does."

She stands up again, then adds with equal emphasis: "And were I you, I would question the motives of anyone who disagreed you should take these precautions. Such a person would have to be either a fool--or a knave. Perhaps a deadly one." Afraid her point will be lost by objections from Adjetey, Kylah rushes her words: "I must speak with the mission commander now. If you do get in touch with Mr. Stimmons, please let me know--and if you do consider agreeing to my first request, do not hesitate to contact me or any of the crew."

One last sincere look at Fastolfe and Kylah turns and walks toward Graham, her eyes aimed at the floor as she tries to run through what she just said. Was she able to get through to the rock star? He is so impossible to predict; despite moments of reason, he sometimes seems to think himself invulnerable--his insistence that no judge would issue a search warrant being the perfect example. Perhaps that was only a bluff, an attempt to look confident to win her over to his advances? She cannot trust in that. A sigh escapes her. I have done all I can.

She nears Graham and looks up, wondering if he is done with his conversation so that she may report on Hotchkiss.

[Elendil's Heir]

Adjetey and Fastolfe say nothing to Kylah, but begin talking quietly as soon as she steps away.

[CatInASuit]

"Understood," comes Rangin's reply as he waits for Graham to talk to Kylah.

While waiting for the reply, he sends a communication back to the research station to the lead Doctor who looked at the samples for him asking kindly if she could check that all the samples held in the research station are accounted for and if they have any further ideas on what might have caused the loss of effect. Rangin details some of Dr Halseys findings, or lack thereof and hopes that they may be able to help.

[general_urko]

Graham frowns noticing Kylah's interaction with Fastolfe.

I asked her to be 'good cop,' not give the guy a freaking blowj--

He checks himself: he's thinking 100% metaphorically, but realizes that the slightest slip into the kind of colorful language he might use with, say, Mahmoud would precipitate an utter disaster in the current context.

Nonetheless, he's concerned when he starts to connect observations together: on the one hand, maybe her eagerness to prove herself is influencing her decision-making too much. On the other, there have been the interactions with Ferguson, and this Jan character...and that's just what I've seen, he thinks, and it's not like we're best friends...

"Stand by another minute, Mr. Rangin," he says as Kylah seems to finish whatever she was saying to the pair.

He clears his throat and moves to address Fastolfe and Adjetey. "You've been, ah...reasonably...cooperative, so I'll try to impinge on your vacation, such as it is, as little as necessary. Once the physical search is complete, I'd still like the team to take statements..." He adds hastily, "Ah, from anyone willing to do so, of course, but there's no need to limit your movement, and the Security team does not need to conduct them inside the house." He nods to the two of them. "Of course if you would like to speak further, we welcome your cooperation," he adds with neither sarcasm nor enthusiasm as he doesn't expect anything further, but sees no need to provoke Fastolfe.

He relays this to the other Security officers and then asks Kylah, "If we're done here, would you join me outside?"

[choie]

Kylah just has time to take in the fact that Graham's conversation is apparently with Velir--Has he found something? Is he all right?--before Graham passes her by completely to move toward Fastolfe and Adjetey. Blinking, she takes a hesitant step back in that direction, alarm flaring up.

But Graham's comments are unusually neutral, even reasonable. Kylah relaxes and responds with a willing "of course, sir" to his request. With a parting nod to Fastolfe and his attorney, she follows the Security Officer toward the house's exit.

On the way, she speaks softly as she tries to match his longer strides, "That was well done, sir. Hopefully we might get more cooperation... I tried again to seek his assistance, just now, and also warned him to be careful not to be alone--I am so worried about the implications of all this. He does not seem to recognize them himself." She looks up but Graham is probably not willing to say anything in front of the others. For some reason she feels the need to fill in the silence. "The Hotchkiss interview was useful. I was expecting you to join us but I think it was best that you did not. I would have reported right away but you were on the communicator, so I thought I might take one last chance to..."

Her voice trails off because she is getting a strange emotional sense from him. Annoyance? Frustration? What could be causing it? Did the rest of the team find somethig in the house? Why is he leaving Velir on the other end of the apparently open communicator? Is there something Graham must say to both of them? Kylah's forehead wrinkles in concern and she falls silent.

[general_urko]

"Ah, why don't you take a walk with me, Ensign, over here," Graham says to Kylah, gesturing off in a direction where they could talk privately. "Oh--first..." He realizes Rangin's still waiting on the communicator. "Mr. Rangin's found files in Wilson's office--'Co Bd and H S Misc'--ring any bel-- I mean, do those names mean anything to you?"

[choie]

Kylah frowns as they walk and Graham speaks to her. She almost stops short when he mentions Velir, and then the names Graham recites widen her eyes. "H again!" she blurts. "These are... these are two separate files? What is in them?" She barely gets the words out before she makes an exasperated sound and shakes her head. "Stupid. They must be encrypted or Velir would not have asked about the names. C-O B-D? Company board, corporate board, surely? Do we even know who is on the WR&R board of directors?" She focuses on the second of the two names. "H S Misc. You may remember I have looking for Hs, Mr. Graham. The message I discovered that Mr. Wilson sent himself the night he died, at 23:03? He said, Check on backup H. file - keep with secure docs. The H file... this might be it."

She stares at the ground while her mind rushes to consider this new information. "But then there is the S. It might be short for something innocuous after all. H..S... Hotel Staff? Hospital Staff? Hospitality Services? Hotel..." A word flashes in her mind, and Kylah looks up at Graham, her lips parted in a quick inhale. "Hotel Security? Could they be schematics of the security systems? Could the theory be true after all, that Mr. Wilson undermined the resort's security system to hide his affair, to hide some other secret activity? We must decrypt that file, sir. Has Velir sent it to Lt. Garcia? Oh, of course he has. He would." She smiles distractedly; she is as sure of this as anything.

"Assuming this file and Mr. Wilson's message are connected, assuming Mr. Wilson was going to meet someone soon and sent himself a reminder to ensure that this file was safe, this might be the most important piece of evidence we have. If the H is a person... there are so many. Halsey. The Hsus. The Hwuen. Even--even Admiral Hardin," she adds with a lowered voice. "I do not like to say it, sir, but it seems to me that of everyone on that list, the Admiral is the only one whom Mr. Wilson would have had to meet secretly."

Kylah hopes she does not sound as if she is rambling. "But we still need an explanation for how those knives disappeared, how anyone even got them. Mr. Stimmons--that is Fastolfe's personal assistant. Someone with such access to Lord Fastolfe's house must be suspected. He was not back there," she says with a nod at the house house. "Hotchkiss told me he did not know where Stimmons was. I did ask Lord Fastolfe to let me know where he is, or to have him contact me. I think he might agree to that. Lord Fastolfe, that is. It was not an unreasonable request, and I think he might be inclined to trust me now..." She blinks at the coincidence. "And of course Stimmons is an 'S.'"

[CatInASuit]

Rangin listens in on the background noise through the communicator, or rather the listener. Communication is definitely not Graham's strong point.

"I think I've been forgotten," Rangin asides to Officer Peters, "could you find out if anyone else went near the safe holding Fastolfe's knife after it was placed there?"

As he starts listening in again, he smiles at the faint sound of Kylah's voice.

[general_urko]

Graham listens carefully to Kylah, noting the commendable attention to detail--but at the same time, her manner and her eagerness makes him more worried about--how to describe it? Her situation and the incidents with men on mission and on the ship he's observed...

She's young, from a planet bareley represented in Starfleet, and apparently with few friends or much of a support system: she seemed close to T'Var, at least, and maybe Rangin... On the other hand, he thinks, Rangin's hissy fit had been one factor stopping from me from putting the kibosh on the whole Jan Whatever-his-name-is fiasco when we saw the video feed in the security office. With friends like that...

Not that I can blame anybody but me for what I did or didn't do, he thinks. That thought inspires a certain feeling of dread: do I want to deal with this now?

The answer seems clear: your options are act now or wait and just hope nothing (more) bad happens.

"Did you catch that, Mr. Rangin," he says after Kylah finishes speaking. "Getting that 'h file' decrypted is definitely a priority. As is talking to Stimmons--but we'll worry about that."

Graham quickly opens the channel of his communicator to notify all the Yorktown staff on premise at the resort that he'd like to be notified of Stimmons' location if anyone becomes aware of it.

Then he returns to Rangin. ""Ah, by the way, sorry to keep you waiting==was there anything else?"

[Elendil's Heir]

Dr. Lucy Anderson, at the Starfleet research station, confirms that all spore samples there are accounted for. She does not take issue with any of Dr. Halsey's informed speculation as to why some of the guests lost the spores' effect, but has no alternative theory of her own.

Ens. Rawlings asks Graham, "Don't you want us to check upstairs and in the basement of the guest house, sir?"

Lord Fastolfe and Adjetey decline to make statements. Adjetey adds, "My client respectfully declines to permit you to search his ship without a warrant."

Officer Peters checks the resort's records and says, "Three people went into the vault after the placement of Fastolfe's knife there that afternoon, two guests and one staff member. Neither of the guests have reported having the spores quit on them, or appear to have any connection with the murder."

The other Yorktown Security officers on the planet acknowledge that they're to keep an eye out for Stimmons, whose image and identifiers are shared with all by communicator or tricorder.

[CatInASuit]

"No, that's fine, nothing else from me at this moment. Lt Ramirez is already looking at decrypting the files and will let me know when he has finished. All the spore samples in the area are accounted for, both at the resort and the research station. All we have are two missing knives and a victim. If I find anything else, such as the location of Mr Stimmons, I will let you know. Rangin out." replies Rangin.

As he puts the communicator away, he looks back at Officer Peters. "So, with all this surveillance, let's put it to good, proper, official use. We are looking for a Mr Stimmons, who is supposed to be shopping somewhere in the resort and is required for questioning. Do you think we can find him?" Rangin brings up the details and shares them.

[general_urko]

After Rangin signs off, Graham replies to Rawlings. "Sorry Mr. Rawlings, I wasn't clear. Yes, please finish the search but don't take longer than strictly necessary."

Graham realizes he feels professionally obligated to speak with Kylah now and nothing appears to be standing in the way. Nonetheless he glances skyward for a moment, hoping to spot, oh, something like a Klingon invasion force.

[choie]

Kylah watches Graham sign off with first Rangin, then Rawlings, and then they are alone. And yet he says nothing to her. Her frown deepens. Does he not know what to do now? Has he forgotten she is here?

"Sir?" she says expectantly, her head tilting toward him. "Did... did you wish to hear my report on the Hotchkiss interview? I found him constructive if not especially illuminating. I appreciated that he offered a fairly balanced view of his employer. Neither fawning nor embittered. He seemed to acknowledge Lord Fastolfe's flaws--his temper, his self-absorption--while also explaining some of them as being what I expected: performance. Living up to expectations."

Kylah tries to discern the expression on Graham's face. He seems distracted. She goes on hurriedly. "He confirmed that Lord Fastolfe told him, and presumably the others on his staff, of the altercation between him and Mr. Wilson. So anyone in that house might have known to use the incident, if they wished. Of course, if one of the other people at the induction was a co-conspirator..." Kylah does not add such as Admiral Hardin, as she is not yet sure of Graham's thoughts on this theory yet. "Well, they would already have had the necessary knowledge required to frame Lord Fastolfe, if that is what happened. The staff member, if one was involved, might have provided the means."

She pauses, still trying to think why Graham wanted to get so far from the house. She supposed it was a good precaution if they were to discuss Fastolfe himself. But why did he not include any of the others on the team? Dobson did not seem to be involved in the search...

"I am disappointed but not surprised that Lord Fastolfe has refused my request to allow one or two of us to scan his ship for the weapons. Oh, I ... I do not think I mentioned that I made a final attempt for him to see reason on that, but I did. Quite honestly I think if Ms. Adjetey had not been there, he might have responded differently. He was inclined favorably to me when we were first alone. I did try, and I know it would be in his best interest, but he did not take me seriously. He seemed to think I was bluffing in order to..." Kylah realizes she had better elide over Fastolfe's advances and her blundered response. "I... I mean he seemed aware I had an ulterior motive," she says, truthful but not entirely candid. "I only hope he does listen to the rest of my suggestions. Then again, few others have. I am sorry I could not obtain his compliance, sir."

She gnaws at her lip, feeling more and more discomfort at Graham's silence. "Um... getting back to Mr. Hotchkiss. The final facts from the interview: on the night of the murder, Mr. Hotchkiss, Lord Fastolfe, Ms. Adjetey and the mysterious Mr. Stimmons were all at the nightclub together. Only an employee named Paula Goldman was absent. Later, when I mentioned as many of the involved parties as I could to him--I admit focusing on the H names--one that he remembered hearing of was Dr. Halsey. Yet Lord Fastolfe did not remember that name himself. I suppose an experienced security officer would have a better memory of hotel staffers than a man such as Lord Fastolfe. And Hotchkiss is quite experienced. You might appreciate that. He has nineteen years behind him, with eleven spent working for Lord Fastolfe. Whose title, as a complete aside, happens to be legitimate, as it turns out. I thought it was a stage affectation, but no: he is nobility on his home planet. Perhaps that explains his attitude even more than his rock star profession does."

Kylah is uncertain if attempt to engage Graham's humor has failed or not. She ends her recitation and shifts awkwardly in place. "Forgive me for going on so, sir. Did you have a new assignment? Did you learn something while there? What did you wish to speak to me about?"

[Elendil's Heir]

Peters says to Rangin, "Sorry, I couldn't help overhear you. I thought there were three missing knives - from a set of five, one is the murder weapon, one is in the vault, and three were missing from the display box, right?"

He inputs Stimmons's image and runs a facial-recognition program through the resort's surveillance camera system. In less than a minute, he finds Stimmons emerging from the pharmacy just off the main lobby, and apparently headed back towards the guest house.

Rawlings says to Graham, "Acknowledged, sir. I want to check on that transporter signature upstairs, especially."

[CatInASuit]

Rangin says nothing while they are finding Stimmons and then opens his communicator. "Rangin to Graham, Mr Stimmons is currently leaving a pharmacy and heading back to your location. You may wish to head him off or wait until he arrives back at your guest house."

Rangin then leans back in the chair and looks directly across at Officer Peters. "Also, please can you carry out one very important scan. Can you confirm that the knife left in Lord Fastolfe's case is, in fact, one of his knives and not a replica. Officer Peters, here in security, seems to believe that we are looking for three knives instead of two. I'll wait for the check thanks."

Rangin coldly smiles back across at Officer Peters, "perhaps you might like to elaborate further on that statement about the knives..."

[general_urko]

"What did you wish to speak to me about?" Kylah had asked.

Graham actually has his mouth open when he hears Rangin's voice alerting him to Stimmons' location. Relief washes over him. You probably wouldn't appreciate it, and you definitely wouldn't expect it, but I could kiss you right now, Mr. Rangin, he thinks.

"Ah...well, it, ah, it'll have to wait, right now I think we'd benefit from intercepting Stimmons before he reaches the house." He gestures in the appropriate direction. "Shall we?"

[choie]

Although Kylah is happy to hear that Stimmons has been found, her frown only deepens. Whatever Graham wishes to speak to her about, he is very glad to put it off--she hardly needs any empathic sense to notice the relief in his eyes. What in the name of the Tellun system can this mean? Does he have bad news to deliver?

She nods tightly. "Whatever you wish, sir, if it is something that you cannot just tell me now," she says as she starts off, each word careful and attempting to hide her growing worry. "I will find it useful to hear Mr. Stimmons's version of events. Perhaps we will at last have an explanation for who is responsible for those knives ending up missing. If he turns out to be a possible conspirator, this might cross Lord Fastolfe off, if nothing else."

[general_urko]

"So, ah, how are you settling in on the Yorktown?" Graham asks as they walk, trying to gather some information on what might be going on with Kylah. "Do you have family--are they, ah... supportive of your career in Starfleet?"

He tries to look as disarming and non-threatening (as in, he thinks ruefully, "I won't grab you and carry you across the room unexpectedly") as he can while doing so.

[choie]

Kylah barely avoids giving Graham a sidelong look. He could have picked two worse topics of conversation, very true; but he would have had to work at it.

"I have not had much time to settle in yet, sir. I was sent on my first mission less than a week after I was posted, and this one only a few days after we returned. Indeed I might have spent more time in quarantine than in my quarters. Not that I am complaining, I was there shorter than others. I was injured but Dr. T'Var healed me during the mission. But one of us still lies at the edge of death--Lt. Fujishiro--and Velir was brutally attacked as well. He could very well have died..."

She blinks away the brief swell of numb horror at the memory. "From what I have seen on board the ship, things run smoothly and the crew are all..." Her voice nearly falters. Graham knows she is not the most popular member of the ship--if only from what he has seen of her and Collins, not to mention Ferguson. Who knows what Collins has said? "The crew are all very skilled. Lt. Thalen is both extremely capable and amiable as a supervisor, I could not be more fortunate."

She swallows and looks straight ahead. "As for family. I have a younger sister, Ditraa, who is sixteen. Then there is my brother Tellun, His Serenity the Dohlman Ascendant." After a second she realizes he might not understand the term--few humans do. "That means... you see, His Serenity is only thirteen, and he must be guided and taught by the Regency Council of Nobles. Only as an adult will he finally take on his appointed role as true Dohlman.

"I am not in close contact with either His Serenity or Her Grace Ditraa. Our ages have always created a distance..." The falsehood trails off somewhat weakly, then she starts again. "But I have been told that my association with Starfleet pleases His Serenity, which is my duty and joy as his subject."

Kylah walks a few steps before adding quietly: "Finally there is my uncle, the head of the Regency Council. And my Guardian as well. It was he who did all he could to afford me the opportunity to join the Academy, even before Elas became a member of the Federation. He is proud and extremely supportive of my ability to represent our planet and show fealty to our new partners. His success and my own will always be entwined. None of this would have happened without him."

None of it. None of it. She is certain nothing will ever happen that is not, in some way, his doing.

She inhales deeply. "And what of you, sir? I would ask about your acclimation to the ship, but since your posting, you too have spent as much time off the Yorktown as on it." Kylah is uncertain whether to ask about his own family. If he is anything like her, it is not a pleasant subject. Then again... he brought it up. "I do not wish to be presumptuous but I would be interested to hear of your own people." Even as the words leave her lips, she notices someone in the distance. Is that Stimmons?

[Elendil's Heir]

Peters looks at Rangin and shrugs. "Must've gotten the details wrong; misremembered one of the reports, I guess. Sorry."

Ens. Rawlings, in the second-floor master bedroom of the guest house with his Security tricorder, scans the knife still in the case. He soon reports via communicator, "Its readings match the murder weapon and the earlier-seized knife quite closely, sir. I think this is part of the set. And there are actually two very faint transporter signatures in the room - one on the knife case, and the other on the bedside table."

From their earlier view of his WR&R guest file, Graham and Kylah recognize Dan Stimmons, Lord Fastolfe's personal assistant, approaching through the park near the guest house. Stimmons is alone and carrying a bag. He does not seem to have noticed the two Starfleet officers yet.

[general_urko]

Show fealty to our partners? My duty and joy as his subject?

Graham listens attentively, keeping his expression neutral but with increasing concern. It's not as if I should expect Elas to be like Earth but what the hell...this sure could be a reason why she might have issues with...boundaries and men, he thinks. And proving herself if it kills her.

Granted, he thinks, every culture is different. He remembers an incident when a Vulcan had objected to his orders on the basis that risking additional lives to recover battlefield casualties on the principle "no one gets left behind" was illogical and inefficient. He'd told him in no uncertain terms he could shove that opinion up his green-blooded ass, and if he was insufficiently flexible to manage it himself Graham would be happy to oblige.

Still her implicit characterization of Elasian culture sound like...a recipe for an "interview" involving some rich schmuck crawling all over you... He can't help but grit his teeth. If I had known all this the other night...

He's grateful Rawling's interruption gives him a moment to think. "Two signatures?" he replies. "Good work, Rawlings. Scan the hell out of that room, visual and tricorder. Brief Mr. Rangin and transmit all your readings to him, see if this gives him any ideas."

He clears his throat and replies to Kylah. "Ah, I've served with Mahmoud before, nice to see a familiar face. And..." he pauses a moment. "I have a...I have a daughter, about your age."

He says it but wishes he could take it back, since the logical next thing would be for Kylah to ask about her...and he's really not sure what to say. Then he sees Stimmons. "Ah-ha," he says, a little unnaturally loudly, "there's our boy. Maybe it's our lucky day and the missing knives are in the bag. Let's find out."

[choie]

Kylah looks at the approaching personal assistant. She is trying to decide whether Graham having a daughter is a surprise or not. Is this person a female version of her father, a judgmental bully? No wonder he is close with Collins.

"Mr. Stimmons was at the pharmacy," she says softly in response to Graham's comment about the knives, as well as hearing Rawlings's report. "And something was taken from Lord Fastolfe's bedside table... One often keeps medicines at near reach, is that not true? My mother did. What else does one keep at close hand? Personal items... a weapon, but we have not recovered any other than the knife. A photograph? He does not seem so sentimental."

Kylah tightens her lips in annoyance. "How foolish of me not to have asked Fastolfe if anything else was missing. We should have had him check his room once we discovered the knives were gone. We were just upstairs, I was right there. It did not even occur to me." She shakes her head and looks again at Stimmons. "I guess we shall see. Have we the right to search his bag, or is that exempt from the warrant?"

[CatInASuit]

Rangin thanks Ens Rawling for the follow up and then turns back to Officer Peters.

"Officer Peters, seeing as I mentioned not five minutes ago that we were looking for three and not four knives and that one was left behind, perhaps you would like to get a copy of that report, just for clarification's sake. Not to mention that you have twice said that we were looking for three knives, when in reality, we know where three of them are and are only looking for two. Given that is the murder weapon we are talking about, I'd like to err on the safe side."

Rangin isn't sure whether Peters is hiding something or has made a genuine error, but he would definitely like to see how the Security team came to find out as it wasn't mentioned to them last night.

[general_urko]

"Well son of a bitch," Graham says with genuine enthusiasm, smiling at Kylah. "We have a warrant for property and persons at the house, it's a much better idea to let him get back to the house..."

He takes her shoulder--forgetting she'd said earlier 'never touch me again'--ad gently draws her back and away from Timmons' direction. "We'll follow...maybe you'll get your chance to ask Fastolfe if anything is missing, right before we pop open that bag in Stimmons' hands..."

He moves away from Stimmons, intending to stay out of sight but follow him to the house. "Kjaerstad, Rawlings, Dobson...the search of the house must continue until we get there...by hook or by crook. But stay out of sight of the foyer, make whatever excuse you need to not be there for the next few minutes."

[Elendil's Heir]

Peters nods. "I understand. Sorry about the goof. I must be tired."

Kjaerstad, Rawlings and Dobson each acknowledge their orders from Graham.

Kylah can see that Stimmons has noticed her and Graham - redshirted Starfleet personnel are not especially inconspicuous - but he looks away, avoiding eye contact, and keeps walking towards the guest house.

[choie]

Kylah clamps her teeth down on her lips to prevent herself from ordering Graham to get his slab of a hand off her. She suffers the touch even as he pulls her aside, watching Stimmons until he enters the house. Once he is inside, she winces her shoulder free and walks quickly back to Fastolfe's residence. "If you can manage it without being aggressive, sir," she says in a hushed but pointed voice while she starts jogging, "do not allow Stimmons to be alone in the bedroom. It is just barely possible he is replacing whatever went missing."

She arrives at the door. Can they just enter like state police without respect for the niceties of ringing the chime and waiting to be invited in? Whatever the procedure, she will do as necessary and will, she hopes, be allowed to speak to Lord Fastolfe without a crowd nearby. She does not expect Ms. Adjetey to leave his side, but she hopes Graham will let her ask in private, and she would also wish to speak with him without Stimmons.

[CatInASuit]

"That's understandable, the last day or so has been stressful for everyone." Rangin nods understandingly at him, the smile not leaving his face. "I'd still like to see the report though, if you wouldn't mind."

[Elendil's Heir]

Peters turns back to his computer terminal. "Let's see... um... Ah, yes, here it is. Mr. Hsu's daily security summary from last night. It mentions the knives. The numbers are as you mentioned - two still missing."

As there are still three Starfleet officers on the guest house premises while a search is being conducted pursuant to the warrant, Kylah believes that she can lawfully walk right in, and does. The main entryway is empty. She sees no one there but Stimmons, who is already halfway up the stairs to the second floor. He turns to look at her, and seems surprised. He stops. "Yes?" he says, his voice cracking a little. "Can I help you?"

Graham enters right behind Kylah.

[choie]

Kylah takes a couple of automatic steps toward the assistant, her hand reaching up slightly as if she can somehow will that bag away from his grasp. "Excuse me. You are Mr. Stimmons, I believe?" She introduces herself and Graham without looking away from Stimmons. "I do not know if you have been informed, but we are conducting an authorized search of the house at the moment, and interviewing the staff as well. We have already spoken to Lord Fastolfe and Ms. Adjetey, as well as Mr. Hotchkiss. Could you come down here, please? Our security officers are busy upstairs, and it is probably best if you do not... get in their way."

She is not happy about the implied threat, but decides to think of it as a well-intentioned warning instead. Again she takes a step forward and makes a beckoning motion with her hand. If only her powers were telekinetic rather than empathic. "Please, sir. Mr. Graham has some questions for you--just to complete the rounds of questions we are asking everyone in the house."

With a swift motion she moves aside so that Graham has a direct path to Stimmons. Then, taking a last look at Graham, she darts off to find Fastolfe as quickly as possible.

[general_urko]

Graham nods acknowledgment of Kylah, although he has no idea where the hell she's going or why she's in such a hurry.

But her set up with Stimmons was just fine.

Graham smiles. "As my colleague said, we executing a search warrant for this premises and its occupants. Why don't you come down and join me in the foyer and we can take care of this real quick?" he says politely, although as he does this he shifts his stance to slightly at an angle, his left foot firmly planted one step lower than his right, just in case Stimmons decides to do something foolish.