The Security detail proceeds to the exit closest to the Sandoval Colony's buildings, and opens the door. It is raining hard. A lightning flash fills the sky in the near distance, followed a few seconds later by a rumble of thunder.
Mrs. Hsu folds her hands on her desk and says, "I have heard that Vice Adm. Hardin is a suspect in Mr. Wilson's murder, and that there may have been some corrupt dealings between them. I know little more than that."
At the door, taking a few deep breaths and looking outside Rangin can't help but quip to himself. "Let's get ready to rumble."
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Kylah watches Mrs. Hsu and keeps her gaze neutral. "There is not much more than that, to be honest. Except that Hardin and Wilson's connections appear to go back some time, and involved bribes to ensure and possibly retain WR&R's license for this property here on OC3." For the first time Kylah realizes just how vindicated her suspicions have been; every time she questioned Hardin's vacationing here at the resort, she received the response--repeatedly--'goodness no, Hardin has nothing to do with the license renewal, he cannot influence the decision!' At least my instinct was right about one thing. For all the good it did me.
She goes on, her confidence growing. "I should stress that there is no direct evidence linking Hardin to Mr. Wilson's death, and other than Hardin asking for more money, I am not entirely certain there is a motive. However, Hardin has behaved in a--a suspicious way. He stunned me and Mr. Graham with a rather vicious weapon, and has attempted to escape. Although I am not certain how... but I will come to that. I have several questions for you, if you will be patient."
If there is a chair available, she will take a seat, even though she has not been invited. Not only is her knee bothering her a little--probably exacerbated from collapsing after the stun--Kylah also wishes to be at eye level with the older woman. "Firstly, I must ask you about the Sandoval Colony--how often is it patrolled by your security, or inspected or cleaned by your maintenance staff? Could there be anything else out there, either within or nearby the Colony houses, where someone might hide?"
"Next, to address the background. Does this corruption come as a shock to you, considering how close you were, professionally and personally, with Anthony Wilson?"
"In what context have you ever heard Mr. Wilson refer to the Vice Admiral? Or, for that matter, anyone else at WR&R--have you ever heard Hardin's name mentioned as even a useful contact?"
"Did Mr. Wilson seem distressed or in any other way unusually affected by the knowledge that Hardin was visiting here?"
"Had you ever seen or heard Mr. Wilson and Hardin interact? What about Lt. Cmdr. Ebling?"
"What of your own interactions, if any, with Hardin?"
"What were Mr. Wilson's ambitions? Was he a man who cared a great deal about money or his job titles? Did he ever mention a great desire to join the WR&R board of directors?"
"Do you believe there was any pressure on Mr. Wilson, financially, arising from... well, debts, or his family, or expensive habits, or... anything?"
Kylah, who has of course been monitoring Mrs. Hsu's emotions the entire time, pauses for a moment to consider her next questions.
Mrs. Hsu seems upset but trying to keep a grip on her emotions. Kylah's general impression is of truthfulness under stress.
Kylah asked, "Firstly, I must ask you about the Sandoval Colony--how often is it patrolled by your security, or inspected or cleaned by your maintenance staff? Could there be anything else out there, either within or nearby the Colony houses, where someone might hide?" - Hsu responds, "The Colony buildings are patrolled rarely, but inspected or cleaned every few weeks. They don't need much. If he wanted to hide, there are the buildings themselves, of course, and the woods and scrub brush around there, and the hilly countryside."
"Next, to address the background. Does this corruption come as a shock to you, considering how close you were, professionally and personally, with Anthony Wilson?" - "Yes, it does. I always thought Anthony was a very honest - financially honest - person."
"In what context have you ever heard Mr. Wilson refer to the Vice Admiral? Or, for that matter, anyone else at WR&R--have you ever heard Hardin's name mentioned as even a useful contact?" - "He only mentioned Hardin a couple of times that I remember, just as someone he had had a subspace message from, as being a key person in Starfleet, and so on. Nothing of any substance."
"Did Mr. Wilson seem distressed or in any other way unusually affected by the knowledge that Hardin was visiting here?" - She shakes her head. "No. Not at all, that I saw."
"Had you ever seen or heard Mr. Wilson and Hardin interact? What about Lt. Cmdr. Ebling?" - "No, other than what you saw yourself once your ship arrived."
"What of your own interactions, if any, with Hardin?" - "Nothing that I can remember. All of his dealings would've been with Anthony."
"What were Mr. Wilson's ambitions? Was he a man who cared a great deal about money or his job titles? Did he ever mention a great desire to join the WR&R board of directors?" - "Yes, he was ambitious, and hoped for a greater role in the company. Now and then he would hint at connections at Corporate, and imply that he would be going higher in the company. He never mentioned the Board of Directors specifically, but it didn't take too great a leap of the imagination to guess he had that in mind someday."
"Do you believe there was any pressure on Mr. Wilson, financially, arising from... well, debts, or his family, or expensive habits, or... anything?" - "Not that I know of, or that he ever spoke of."
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 02 Nov 2014 at 10:53 PM.
Graham asks Delaney to clarify how the lightning strike detection modification of the tricorder works, including its range: his original intention was to have the other two Security officers take a position between the trio of Saint-Croix, himself, and Gelil and the remainder of the party waiting under cover for the all-clear signal. However, based on Delaney's answer he modifies his order so that they remain within range of Ranging's modified ticorder. He indicates that the group should move together within range of it assuming the all-clear is given as well.
If there are no objections or concerns, he reminds Saint-Croix and Gelil to try to time their movements to follow lightning flashes, then nods for her to take point and follows in the formation he previously outlines.
Rangin accepts the tricorder and listens to Lt. Delaney's instructions about how the modifications work before nodding his readiness to Graham.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
"Thank you for your answers thus far, Mrs. Hsu. I understand this is difficult and you are--you might be distressed at learning such things about a man you thought you knew." Kylah glances down at her tricorder, tapping it to bring up her notes. "So Mr. Wilson did not confide in you regarding his apparent relationship with Vice Admiral Hardin. Do you find that unusual--for him to be so secretive with you?"
"Given what you know now, and what you presumably know of your corporate atmosphere, do you believe it possible that someone on the WR&R board, or someone else in above Mr. Wilson in the corporate structure, would have encouraged such methods to obtain the license to build on OC3? It is difficult to imagine Mr. Wilson would have taken such an extraordinary step on his own without revealing it to at least one of his superiors. In fact, do you know if Mr. Wilson was even involved so closely in the negotiation stage? He was not an administrator then. Can you give me some names of people who might have been involved as well as Mr. Wilson?"
"Who audits your financial books? I know you have an accountant, but he clearly was not... well, he could not have been the sole person responsible for the resort's funds. And Mr. Wilson appears to have been siphoning funds from WR&R for some time--including actual physical money. How would he have accomplished this for so long without anyone noticing?"
"May I ask you... I could not help noticing a certain coolness between you and your husband when you both visited the CP. Have you confided in Mr. Hsu about your affair?" If she says yes, Kylah will say: "I understand if you do not wish to answer this, but I would be grateful if you tell me how he responded. Was he shocked? Did it seem that he had suspected something was wrong?"
"There are some follow-up questions I need to ask, to confirm data that we have learned during the investigation. I am sorry if I repeat questions you have already been asked." She glances down at the tricorder again before returning her calm gaze to Mrs. Hsu. "There is one other ship, other than Lord Fastolfe's, that remains in orbit--the Trimalchio. If I recall correctly, it is a private yacht. Do you know to whom it belongs, and how long it has been here? If you do not know offhand, I would appreciate your checking the manifests for me."
"When precisely did the Hwuen guests arrive here?"
"At one point Mr. Hsu mentioned that regarding all the necessary activities that were put into place both before and after Mr. Wilson's murder--the creation, import and erasure of a looped security video, the attempted security breach at shortly before 18.00, the multiple transports, the destruction of the security logs--the only people who possessed the technical expertise to have done all this were Mr. Wilson, Mr. Hsu, you, and your 'chief technician.' Clearly he was not aware at the time that Vice Admiral Hardin was capable as a computer programmer and could have performed these activities." Assuming he was blessed with perfect timing and extraordinary speed, and the ability to be in multiple places within mere moments. "At any rate, I would like to close the circle, just to be certain. Mr. Hsu was never asked to clarify: who is your 'chief technician'? I do not recall meeting anyone with that title."
"Now to turn to the state of Mr. Wilson's suite... it did not appear to have been cleaned or attended to in a while. There was dust around the furniture, rotting food in his refrigerator, the bathroom did not seem freshly clean--the glass had been used, apparently by you. The same can be said of the bedding. I hate to be blunt, but evidence of Mr. Wilson's sexual activity was still plain, as was your and his DNA. But according to your message on Mr. Wilson's communicator, you and he had not been... together... for at least three days." Kylah takes a deep breath. "However. The morning he died, a member of your cleaning staff named Tim Harris was seen entering the room. What would he have been doing, if not dusting, cleaning the bathroom, changing the sheets?"
"Speaking of the evidence in the room. We found two DNA samples that did not belong to Mr. Wilson. One is likely yours, although we have not identified it yet--it would be extremely helpful if you would allow me to take a sample, just a strand of your hair, for comparison. You see, the second DNA sample is unidentified. Of course it might belong to the cleaner, but on the other hand, it might not. Did Mr. Wilson have any other... I am sorry but there is no way around this: did Mr. Wilson have any other intimate relationships?"
"Can you please remind me, what was your schedule--and your husband's--the night Mr. Wilson was murdered? How did you learn of his death?"
Kylah girds herself for the next question but her voice is still calm and casual. "I need to confirm something with you. You have told us that you did not have any contact with Mr. Wilson after the introduction. To quote you: 'We didn't meet yesterday after your ship arrived; I never heard back from him after my message to him.' Your message to him was at 19:44, and referred to Lord Fastolfe's behavior. So the last time you saw Mr. Wilson alive was during the introduction and Fastolfe's attack?"
Last edited by choie; 03 Nov 2014 at 03:59 PM.
Delaney says, "The tricorders will maintain a continuous scan of nearby electrical potentials and overhead atmospheric conditions, and should give at least two or three seconds' warning before a lightning strike. It will make a loud buzzing when lightning is imminent; you should immediately drop to the ground if you hear that. The buzzing will stop when the danger passes. It's not perfect, and I can't guarantee 100% accuracy, but it's the best I could do in such a limited time."
Kylah says, "So Mr. Wilson did not confide in you regarding his apparent relationship with Vice Admiral Hardin. Do you find that unusual--for him to be so secretive with you?" - Mrs. Hsu replies, "Yes, I would. Other than, well, the fact that we were keeping our affair secret, I didn't think he had any such secrets from me."
"Given what you know now, and what you presumably know of your corporate atmosphere, do you believe it possible that someone on the WR&R board, or someone else in above Mr. Wilson in the corporate structure, would have encouraged such methods to obtain the license to build on OC3? It is difficult to imagine Mr. Wilson would have taken such an extraordinary step on his own without revealing it to at least one of his superiors. In fact, do you know if Mr. Wilson was even involved so closely in the negotiation stage? He was not an administrator then. Can you give me some names of people who might have been involved as well as Mr. Wilson?" - "Before this, I would have been very surprised to learn that the Board would be involved in such misconduct. Even now, it's hard to grasp. Mr. Wilson was involved somewhat closely in the negotiations as an advisor, but wasn't part of the actual WR&R team." She checks a WR&R file on her computer. "The team included Marianne Evarts, senior vice president for acquisitions; Ed Chambers, senior vice president for governmental relations; and Peter Kim, a special projects officer."
"Who audits your financial books? I know you have an accountant, but he clearly was not... well, he could not have been the sole person responsible for the resort's funds. And Mr. Wilson appears to have been siphoning funds from WR&R for some time--including actual physical money. How would he have accomplished this for so long without anyone noticing?" - "Accounting and auditing are, as you suggest, primarily handled offworld. There are in-house personnel at Corporate who do that, and one of the major CPA firms on Earth handles overall corporate auditing for legal compliance and stockholder assurance."
"May I ask you... I could not help noticing a certain coolness between you and your husband when you both visited the CP. Have you confided in Mr. Hsu about your affair?" - "You and I discussed this before, I think. I have not told him. I would really rather not tell him."
"There are some follow-up questions I need to ask, to confirm data that we have learned during the investigation. I am sorry if I repeat questions you have already been asked." She glances down at the tricorder again before returning her calm gaze to Mrs. Hsu. "There is one other ship, other than Lord Fastolfe's, that remains in orbit--the Trimalchio. If I recall correctly, it is a private yacht. Do you know to whom it belongs, and how long it has been here? If you do not know offhand, I would appreciate your checking the manifests for me." - "The Trimalchio was chartered by Mr. Palver, the Rhaandarite billionaire. It arrived the day before your ship did."
"When precisely did the Hwuen guests arrive here?" - "I believe they've been here about a month."
"At one point Mr. Hsu mentioned that regarding all the necessary activities that were put into place both before and after Mr. Wilson's murder--the creation, import and erasure of a looped security video, the attempted security breach at shortly before 18.00, the multiple transports, the destruction of the security logs--the only people who possessed the technical expertise to have done all this were Mr. Wilson, Mr. Hsu, you, and your 'chief technician.' Clearly he was not aware at the time that Vice Admiral Hardin was capable as a computer programmer and could have performed these activities.... At any rate, I would like to close the circle, just to be certain. Mr. Hsu was never asked to clarify: who is your 'chief technician'? I do not recall meeting anyone with that title." - "Our chief technician is Yolanda Gaines. She's been with the company since... well, it seems like forever."
"Now to turn to the state of Mr. Wilson's suite... it did not appear to have been cleaned or attended to in a while. There was dust around the furniture, rotting food in his refrigerator, the bathroom did not seem freshly clean--the glass had been used, apparently by you. The same can be said of the bedding. I hate to be blunt, but evidence of Mr. Wilson's sexual activity was still plain, as was your and his DNA. But according to your message on Mr. Wilson's communicator, you and he had not been... together... for at least three days." Kylah takes a deep breath. "However. The morning he died, a member of your cleaning staff named Tim Harris was seen entering the room. What would he have been doing, if not dusting, cleaning the bathroom, changing the sheets?" - "I don't know. Tim is... well, not the most diligent of our staff, I've sometimes thought. He might have done a very once-over-lightly cleaning, if that."
"Speaking of the evidence in the room. We found two DNA samples that did not belong to Mr. Wilson. One is likely yours, although we have not identified it yet--it would be extremely helpful if you would allow me to take a sample, just a strand of your hair, for comparison. You see, the second DNA sample is unidentified. Of course it might belong to the cleaner, but on the other hand, it might not. Did Mr. Wilson have any other... I am sorry but there is no way around this: did Mr. Wilson have any other intimate relationships?" - "You're welcome to take a scan of my DNA or remove a hair. I don't know of any other such relationships Tony might've had." She sounds bitter. "I thought we were true to one another. I trusted him in that way, and many others. Too many others, it now seems."
"Can you please remind me, what was your schedule--and your husband's--the night Mr. Wilson was murdered? How did you learn of his death?" - She blanches. "Didn't we discuss this already? I'd rather not go over all that again."
Kylah girds herself for the next question but her voice is still calm and casual. "I need to confirm something with you. You have told us that you did not have any contact with Mr. Wilson after the introduction. To quote you: 'We didn't meet yesterday after your ship arrived; I never heard back from him after my message to him.' Your message to him was at 19:44, and referred to Lord Fastolfe's behavior. So the last time you saw Mr. Wilson alive was during the introduction and Fastolfe's attack?" - "I think so, but honestly, I could be wrong. The last few days have just been a whirl. Sometimes hours seem like months, you know?"
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 03 Nov 2014 at 11:10 PM.
Kylah takes down all of the information, particularly the names of the negotiating team. She frowns slightly when Mrs. Hsu mentions that she has not revealed the affair to her husband. "Yes, Mrs. Hsu, of course I know we discussed your affair before, and the fact that you did not think he knew about it. But that was prior to seeing you with your husband in the CP later that afternoon. It was plain to see that he was upset--indeed, he rather noticeably avoided looking at you. For this reason, I thought it possible that you had confessed to him in the interim. I am afraid I must ask, do you know why your husband behaved so oddly?"
She is also surprised to learn that Palver owns the Trimalchio, not to mention the time of his arrival. "I beg your pardon, Mrs. Hsu, but--if Mr. Palver arrived the day before, why was he not introduced to the spores that day?" And a day before our arrival... that would be the same day that Kjaerstaad and Ferguson pinpointed the transporter signal scans. Hmm. She decides to talk to Palver again.
In response to the Hwuen's arrival: "And what sort of guests have they been? When I spoke with them, they appeared to have very... unusual needs. Did you ever see or hear Mr. Wilson dealing with them? Also, do you have any record of their having required additional spore treatments? They seemed rather cagey on that subject when I asked them--I had the definite sense that the spores were not always effective."
On Tim Harris: "Considering he left dust, rotten food and stained bed sheets in the suite of the hotel's administrator, I must say I find it an understatement to say that he is merely 'not one of your more diligent workers.' And yes, if I may please take a scan of your DNA?" Kylah will use her tricorder to do so (if she can--if she is not equipped, she will simply take the hair sample). As she does, she says softly, "I am sorry that there is a possibility he was untrue to you, Mrs. Hsu. But with respect, you and he were both untrue to your sworn life-partners. Could one really expect loyalty in such a man? In fact, was there any plan, spoken or implied, for you to remain with each other? Did you... did you ever consider leaving your spouses?"
"Speaking of spouses... for some reason we never received a reply from Mrs. Wilson. I suppose she might not have received the message, and she is possibly unaware that her husband has died. On the other hand, it might have been on a news broadcast, or WR&R might have contacted her directly. In either case I would have expected her to get in touch with the place where he worked to find out the details of his death. I find it unusual, to say the least. What if anything can you tell me about Barbara Wilson? You mentioned when we spoke before that she once visited and you stayed away--so this visit must have been in the last several months. Do you remember when, exactly? I am sorry to ask about such a difficult subject, but you are the only person I can think to ask about such things."
Finally, regarding the schedule the night of Wilson's death:
Kylah is very still and looks at Mrs. Hsu very soberly. "I have looked over the data, Mrs. Hsu. And the truth is, no, I do not think you have ever given a complete account of your evening, nor has Mr. Hsu given his own. I would like to remind you that I am investigating a man's death, and I must know the answers to these questions. I have been extremely patient but right now, my colleagues are hunting down one violent man--a man who attacked me, personally, barely an hour ago--who may not have acted alone. And my patience is thus wearing very, very thin."
She sits back, keeping her gaze on the older woman. "I must also mention that I am somewhat surprised that you are uncertain when you last saw or spoke to a man you seem to have cared for deeply. Fewer than two days have passed, Mrs. Hsu. His face and voice that day should still be clear in your mind. Can you truly claim that you have not thought of that last look he gave you, the last syllable he spoke..." Kylah's own voice is hoarse. "I lost both my parents nearly a dozen years ago, and I promise you I recall very clearly the last time I saw each of them alive. Those final memories have never and will never fade. I cannot believe you are any different.
"Now please." Kylah clears her throat and retains her professional objectivity as best she can. "Oblige me. Even if you believe you have given your report to me, pretend I have amnesia and must hear it again. When and where did you last see and speak with Mr. Wilson? And what were your movements and actions the afternoon and evening before Mr. Wilson died, up until the moment you heard he had been killed?"
Last edited by choie; 04 Nov 2014 at 04:42 AM.
Kylah says, "Yes, Mrs. Hsu, of course I know we discussed your affair before, and the fact that you did not think he knew about it. But that was prior to seeing you with your husband in the CP later that afternoon. It was plain to see that he was upset--indeed, he rather noticeably avoided looking at you. For this reason, I thought it possible that you had confessed to him in the interim. I am afraid I must ask, do you know why your husband behaved so oddly?" - Hsu says slowly, reluctantly, "I think he suspects, but he hasn't asked me directly, and I haven't told him, about the affair. Anthony's - Mr. Wilson's - death has made things more... uncomfortable between us."
She is also surprised to learn that Palver owns the Trimalchio, not to mention the time of his arrival. "I beg your pardon, Mrs. Hsu, but--if Mr. Palver arrived the day before, why was he not introduced to the spores that day?" - Remember that Hsu said Palver had chartered the yacht, not that he owned it. "I don't know why Mr. Palver waited a day before undergoing spore introduction."
In response to the Hwuen's arrival: "And what sort of guests have they been? When I spoke with them, they appeared to have very... unusual needs. Did you ever see or hear Mr. Wilson dealing with them? Also, do you have any record of their having required additional spore treatments? They seemed rather cagey on that subject when I asked them--I had the definite sense that the spores were not always effective." - "I've heard of no problems with the Hwuen, or that they required additional spore treatments."
On Tim Harris: "Considering he left dust, rotten food and stained bed sheets in the suite of the hotel's administrator, I must say I find it an understatement to say that he is merely 'not one of your more diligent workers.' And yes, if I may please take a scan of your DNA?" Kylah will use her tricorder to do so (if she can--if she is not equipped, she will simply take the hair sample). As she does, she says softly, "I am sorry that there is a possibility he was untrue to you, Mrs. Hsu. But with respect, you and he were both untrue to your sworn life-partners. Could one really expect loyalty in such a man? In fact, was there any plan, spoken or implied, for you to remain with each other? Did you... did you ever consider leaving your spouses?" - Mrs. Hsu looks coldly at Kylah after the Communications officer's statement beginning "But with respect." She sits sullenly as Kylah scans her with a tricorder, which is sufficient; no hair sample is necessary.
"Speaking of spouses... for some reason we never received a reply from Mrs. Wilson. I suppose she might not have received the message, and she is possibly unaware that her husband has died. On the other hand, it might have been on a news broadcast, or WR&R might have contacted her directly. In either case I would have expected her to get in touch with the place where he worked to find out the details of his death. I find it unusual, to say the least. What if anything can you tell me about Barbara Wilson? You mentioned when we spoke before that she once visited and you stayed away--so this visit must have been in the last several months. Do you remember when, exactly? I am sorry to ask about such a difficult subject, but you are the only person I can think to ask about such things." - "No, I don't remember."
Finally, regarding the schedule the night of Wilson's death:
Kylah is very still and looks at Mrs. Hsu very soberly. "I have looked over the data, Mrs. Hsu. And the truth is, no, I do not think you have ever given a complete account of your evening, nor has Mr. Hsu given his own. I would like to remind you that I am investigating a man's death, and I must know the answers to these questions. I have been extremely patient but right now, my colleagues are hunting down one violent man--a man who attacked me, personally, barely an hour ago--who may not have acted alone. And my patience is thus wearing very, very thin." - "I'm sorry to hear that," she says, sounding not sorry at all.
Kylah goes, on, "I must also mention that I am somewhat surprised that you are uncertain when you last saw or spoke to a man you seem to have cared for deeply. Fewer than two days have passed, Mrs. Hsu. His face and voice that day should still be clear in your mind. Can you truly claim that you have not thought of that last look he gave you, the last syllable he spoke..." Kylah's own voice is hoarse. "I lost both my parents nearly a dozen years ago, and I promise you I recall very clearly the last time I saw each of them alive. Those final memories have never and will never fade. I cannot believe you are any different." - Hsu stares at her.
"Now please." Kylah clears her throat and retains her professional objectivity as best she can. "Oblige me. Even if you believe you have given your report to me, pretend I have amnesia and must hear it again. When and where did you last see and speak with Mr. Wilson? And what were your movements and actions the afternoon and evening before Mr. Wilson died, up until the moment you heard he had been killed?" - "I've told you all I know; I don't remember anything else. So much has happened. Now, is there anything else, Ensign? I'm really very busy," she says, picking up a data tablet. "This place still has to be run."
Kylah has a strong sense of the older woman's barely-suppressed anger and irritation.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 04 Nov 2014 at 08:18 AM.
"Do not fear, this place may soon be much easier to run since it will be under a complete lockdown--if Starfleet demands it," Kylah says quietly. "And the fact that there is one violent perpetrator running loose, and quite possibly a co-conspirator within the bounds of the hotel right now, give us a good reason to do so."
She leans forward. "I do not care that you are furious with me, Mrs. Hsu. I regret that you are under such distress, but frankly I no longer care much about that, either. You have not told me of your activities the night of the murder. At least twenty-seven members of your staff have been gracious enough to give those statements, and they barely had a connection to him. But you were the closest person to Mr. Wilson on this planet--both professionally and personally. As such it is beyond me that you believe you can brush aside my questions."
Pulling in a deep breath, Kylah shakes her head. "You are putting me in an extremely difficult position. Your obstinance is making me more suspicious and concerned, enough to request a warrant to detain you as a material witness if I must. And it also makes my continued discretion increasingly impossible to justify." Her tone softens somewhat. "I do not wish to intimidate you in this manner. I assure you, if Mr. Graham were here he would be far worse. But he is not, his life is in jeopardy while seeking Hardin. Thus I am here, and it is my duty to get these answers, and in his stead I will do whatever it takes to do so.
"So be reasonable, Mrs. Hsu. I am asking the most basic question anyone would ask during an investigation of this kind--and your refusal to answer is exceedingly uncooperative and thus puts you under a very bright spotlight. I do not think you wish to be there. Now tell me: your schedule the day and night of the murder."
Last edited by choie; 04 Nov 2014 at 11:58 AM.
Mrs. Hsu takes a deep breath and says firmly, "After Hardin and the others were introduced to the spores, I attended to my responsibilities around the resort. I worked here until about 6pm or shortly thereafter, then had dinner alone in our apartment. I read for awhile and then watched a vid. Lionel got home about 10:30, and we talked for an hour or so. We were in bed by midnight, and were asleep until we were called by Resort Security about the discovery of Mr. Wilson's body early the next morning."
Kylah watches Mrs. Hsu for a silent moment after the woman finally recites her alleged schedule. "Thank you," she says without much inflection. "I do not know why I had to pull that out of you." Which is a lie--although not as serious a lie as the one Mrs. Hsu has just told.
"I wish I could tell you that will be all. But a man is dead, two Starfleet officers have been attacked, one of the highest-ranking officials in Starfleet is apparently corrupt... and this resort is the center of it all. As you are the current administrator, you should expect to be questioned and deeply involved in fixing this chaotic mess." Kylah turns to leave but before the door whooshes closed behind her, she darts a final cool glance at Mattie Hsu. "A good administrator would want to be involved."
She walks out into the hallway, her heart pounding. It takes about two seconds for her to contemplate her next move--and she now hastens along far more quickly than her leg prefers, this time toward the Security Office. Meanwhile, her hand lifts her communicator.
"Kylah to Lt. Garcia. I have an urgent request. The witness statements--according to Ensign Mahmoud, it seems confirmed that multiple people of particular interest were in the nightclub the night of the murder at the same time as Mr. Wilson. I need to hear every mention of him--and those who spoke with him. According to the sworn statements*, at the nightclub, Wilson spoke with Hardin, Fellim Palver, and Mrs. Hsu. We need to know any times given for these sightings, and also the names of the witnesses; I wish to speak with them to confirm what they saw. Can you look that data up for me, please? I am now heading over to the Security Office, and will hopefully be speaking with Mr. Hsu if I find him there--if not, I will seek him out." Delaney's indiscretion flashes into her mind, and she adds hastily: "Oh, and when you contact me with that data, please be discreet and say nothing in detail until I let you know I am alone?"
Assuming Garcia agrees, she thanks him and will switch over to contact Mr. Hsu. "Mr. Hsu, I need to speak with you without delay. I am heading to the Security Office as I wish to consult with either Patel or Peters, but if you are elsewhere I will change my plans. Where can we meet?"
* See post #2589.
Last edited by choie; 04 Nov 2014 at 10:39 PM.
Garcia acknowledges Kylah's request.
Mr. Hsu says, "I'll meet you in the Security Office in, say, ten minutes."
Kylah's jaw clenches for an instant. She does not want to give him ten minutes. "Yes, of course. I suppose you are still working on the headcount?" she asks, hoping to keep him on with her as long as possible. "Do you have any news yet on how that is progressing? It must be nearly twenty minutes from when we last spoke." Desperate to think of something else to say, she adds: "I have not yet had a chance to consult with my superiors on whether to recommend a lockdown on the hotel. It will be difficult to enforce, and I do understand your reasons for preferring that we not take that route."
She will continue to move as quickly to the Security Office as she can.
Rangin looks out into the storm waiting for the lead off of point and hoping he can use the modified tricorder correctly to stop anything bad happening to the group.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Mr. Hsu says, "The headcount is almost done. That's what I'm checking on now."
Delaney stands next to Rangin and sets his phaser-1 on stun. He does not look eager.
The sky is very dark. Rain falls in torrents and there is another roll of thunder.
"All right, let's go, Graham says," leading the advance team out. "The rest follow at a safe distance, then remain under cover when we make the final approach."
"Thank you, Mr. Hsu. Your staff have not met any resistance to the requests for checking in, have they? Not that there is much we can do about that, but I admit I am curious to know who if anyone might have objected to the apparent intrusion on their privacy." Kylah reaches the Security Office and, if she needs to, will reach for the doorchime or whatever other means are necessary to identify herself and request entry.
Assuming she is allowed in, Kylah looks around to see who is on duty. She does not know the security staff very well, not having been here before, and she examines the room with some curiosity. "I am Ensign Kylah," she says, even if she is repeating information she has already given. "I believe you have spoken to, or at least met, Ensign Graham, the mission chief. While he and the other Yorktown crew members are in the field searching for one of our prime suspects, I am--I am currently acting as chief investigator here at the resort." The absurdity of the situation strikes her anew. Why is anyone talking to her? She is clearly of low rank and looks no older than her 23 years. She tries to act as if she is perfectly at ease in this strange and likely undeserved role.
To whoever is stationed in the Office, she says: "I am here to follow-up on the people who were near Mr. Wilson the evening of his death. In particular, I would like to confirm the guests and staff members who were present in the Starfire Nightclub at the same time as Mr. Wilson. The timetables do not appear to add up, and I need assistance to understand where everyone was. Will you or one of you, if there are multiple staffers here assist me, please?"
A young and scrawny Security Officer Felix Gaines is the only person in the Security Office. He hears Kylah out and seems quite tongue-tied to be alone in her presence. "Uh, well... sure. Whatever I can do to help, ma'am. Miss. I mean, Ensign! Let me take a look at, uh, the records."
Ens. St. Croix leads the Yorktown search party out into the storm, towards the low hill which separates the resort from the buildings of the Sandoval Colony. She sets a brisk pace. Five meters behind her is Graham. Ten meters behind him and five meters to his left is Spec. Geilil, the Canopian. Fifteen meters directly behind Graham, in a loose grouping, come Crewmen Harper and Friedman, Lt. JG Delaney, and Ens. Rangin. Everyone has phaser-1s drawn and tries stay low. A lightning bolt splits the sky off to your right, but the modified tricorders don't buzz.
Everyone is soon soaked to the skin. Rangin steals a glance back at the resort, its lights still ablaze beneath the dark and lowering skies, remembering a time not too long ago when he was warm and dry.
See post 3129 for Graham's preliminary marching orders.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 05 Nov 2014 at 08:11 PM.
Surprised by this officer's nervousness, Kylah walks over to him. As she does, she takes a sharp look at the monitors in the dim hope that she might see any of the team. The weather looks worse, if anything--the rain and clouds are so oppressive it barely looks like daytime.
"Thank you," she says, reluctantly returning her attention to Gaines. "Now, we know Mr. Wilson's precise schedule, according to your colleague Mr. Patel, who checked the vid records for us." Kylah has already called up the relevant information on her tricorder, although she memorized it on her way over here. "He was seen eating at En Francais from 7:57 to 9:07. He then walked around, 'talking to guests and staff members' according to Mr. Patel, until 9:38, which is when he went to his office. Finally he left there at 11:02 and arrived at his suite at 11:12."
She leans over to examine whatever Gaines is doing, looking from him to her tricorder and then back again. "However, there are some discrepancies in this timeframe. Nowhere in all this does it mention that he went into the Nightclub. But we have multiple witnesses who saw him there. I would like to make certain exactly who went in and out of that Nightclub, starting at, say, 8:00, and ending whenever the last person left. Can you get that for me, please? The individuals in whom I am particularly interested, in addition to Mr. Wilson, are Fellim Palver, Lord Fastolfe, Vice Admiral Hardin..." Kylah hesitates only slightly. "And Mrs. Hsu."
Last edited by choie; 05 Nov 2014 at 08:53 PM.
Rangin keeps the steady pace through the rain and concentrating on the tricorder, waiting for it to buzz while keeping an eye on the others around him, all similarly soaked to the skin.
The only fleeting amusement for Rangin is that as the smallest one out there in the storm, at least the others would be hit before he was.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Gaines seems even more nervous to have Kylah leaning close, and swallows loudly several times. He says, "Sure, I'll... uh, I'll start checking all that now." He fumbles for the keyboard. "When do you think he might've arrived at, um, the nightclub, ma'am?"
The search party advances through the driving rain. The base of the hill is not far distant.
Last edited by Elendil's Heir; 06 Nov 2014 at 10:46 AM.
Graham stays attuned to the position of the team, his modified tricorder, and, most especially, any threats up ahead. Under normal circumstances he might have allowed himself a hint of hope things might go well, but this mission has been much less than normal circumstances, all things considered, he thinks...
Kylah frowns a bit. She does not understand this man's nervousness, which would be evident even to someone who lacked any awareness of others' feelings--Collins, for example. He must be afraid of Starfleet in general, Kylah thinks, finding it impossible to believe someone could be intimidated by either her physical presence or her minor rank. But, just in case, she backs away, knowing all too well how uncomfortable she has felt multiple times throughout this mission. "Are you all right, sir?" she asks softly, trying to read the officer's emotions. "I do not mean to pry but you seem highly agitated. The situation is being handled, I promise you. It is highly unlikely there is any danger here at the resort."
She hopes this allays some of his nerves, since there is no time to waste. "At any rate, as I said, I would like to start at 8:00, noting who entered and exited the club. If any of the specific guests I mentioned are unfamiliar to you, I will let you know when I see them, and will ask to pause the recording."
Last edited by choie; 06 Nov 2014 at 02:58 PM.
Kylah realizes that Gaines is not fearful of her or Starfleet, but is inarticulately and strongly attracted to her. His skills with the keyboard are also less than impressive, at least while she stands so near.
St. Croix reaches the base of the hill, as the others follow behind. There is a flash of lightning and almost instantaneous loud crack of thunder that seems almost overhead, but the tricorders still do not buzz.
Discovering the source of the man's incoherence, Kylah flushes. She does not know whether to be flattered, embarrassed, disgusted or angry, and so her reaction is a cocktail of all four. "Please, Mr. Gaines," she says sharply, backing further away as her hands clench into fists. "There are lives at stake and we are searching for evidence to identify a murderer. If you cannot handle the controls due to... whatever your problem is... then kindly let me sit down and I will run through the recording."
He stammers, "I, uh, don't know what you mean, miss. I'm just, you know, trying to do what you asked me to do."
There is a long roll of thunder from outside, and the lights dim again, a little longer than last time.
Rangin looks skyward through the impenetrable curtain of rain and lets out an explosive sigh of relief, while shaking his head. The cold and wet not really bothering him any more, it just something to be tolerated.
But the storm is almost overhead and he is so glad not to be going over the hill.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Kylah wants to slap him on the back of his head, but she just stands near the door and counts to ten. "And I appreciate your assistance," she says with restraint. "But is there anything I can do to make you work faster? If so, let me know and I shall do it. Because it should not be so difficult for a professional like yourself to punch in a time and date and call up a specific point in a video."
When the lights dim she looks anxiously at the screens. Losing the electricity would be disastrous for her plans. And she's not particularly keen on being stuck here in the dark with this dimwit. "Please, Mr. Gaines. We might lose power any moment."
Last edited by choie; 07 Nov 2014 at 01:18 PM.
St. Croix begins ascending the gentle slope of the hill, while the rest of the search party maintains its intervals behind her. The rain continues to pour down.
Gaines flushes crimson and says, "I can do this, ma'am. Give me a minute."
Rangin is too oblivious to St Croix's change of trajectory until she has already started up it. He hopes that she remembers she is supposed to be skirting round the base of it instead of trying to go straight over the top.
Rangin wonders if all Security people are really that dumb and if that is the case a lightning bolt to the head probably won't make that much of a difference. How could it fry non-existent brain cells.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Graham calls to St. Croix, who can barely hear him over the sound of the wind and rain, but she nods and changes her route, quickly descending and moving around the base. The rest follow. It is a longer route but not quite as exposed to lightning.
Gaines finally finds the surveillance tapes for Starfire on the night in question, just as Kylah is seriously considering filleting him with her knives, and begins searching at 8pm (2000 hours). She can see the timestamp on all the footage. Fellim Palver was already there in the nightclub at that time, and remained until 11:06pm. Lord Fastolfe arrived with his entourage of four at 9:17pm and remained until 1:40am. Vice Adm. Hardin arrived at 10:07pm and left at 12:42am. Wilson appeared in the nightclub at 11:22pm - not having come through the front door, as everyone else did - and stayed until 12:03am. He did not leave by the front door, either; it looks like he walked towards the kitchen before going out of frame. Mrs. Hsu arrived at 11:30pm, spoke with Wilson and then left at 11:37pm.
Wilson and Fastolfe did not speak with one another at any time, apparently. Wilson spoke with Vice Adm. Hardin for just over six minutes, then a little later with Palver for two minutes, and then with some other guests, each for between two and five minutes.
Kylah is so focused on watching the video that she returns to leaning close to Gaines, no longer caring what he thinks or does--frankly, he might no longer be in the room as far as she is concerned.
She keeps her gaze moving among the various pieces on this grim chessboard.
Unless Fastolfe possesses access to a time machine, or the time of Wilson's death is incorrect, the rock star is definitely cleared. Just as Kylah expected, but she is glad to find herself vindicated on this score.
Fellim Palver... Kylah thinks back to his alibi. His words do not add up, she realizes, a tingle of alarm running through her. She is certain he claimed he did not speak to Wilson after the introduction. And that he was back in his suite by... was it nine o'clock? Eight-thirty? She quickly checks the notes on her tricorder. 8:45, she sees. A far cry from just past 11:00. A two-hour discrepancy is not so easy to explain. I must speak with him again.
One of the biggest surprises is Hardin having left so late: 12:42am. Of course, Kylah already knew prior to the doomed interview with the Vice Admiral that he'd almost certainly lied about speaking to Wilson--that was why she pushed him, giving him another chance to correct himself. Now, as if the damning file contents and the vicious stun attack hadn't been enough evidence of his ulterior motives, the video has proven Kylah's suspicions correct.
And yet... Look at how long he was in the nightclub. Wilson's time of death ranges from midnight to 12:30am. Of course, it is entirely possible that the time of death is a little off--surely such things are only an approximation. Still, if Hardin is the actual murderer, one must give him time to get from the Starfire to the conference room. And to access the knife. And to do whatever other planning was necessary. And there is the fact that Wilson did not even die right away. He died from blood loss, according to T'Var's autopsy report. That did not happen the instant the knife pierced his flesh. Which pushes the time of the actual attack a little earlier, not later.
Hardin being at the nightclub so late... it seems to make his being the killer impossible, or at least very unlikely. Without an accomplice I do not see how he could have managed this.
Ironically it is the inconsistency that Kylah was most expecting--the one she's suspected for the past hour--that upsets her the most and makes her take a deep inward breath, needing the oxygen and the time to digest what she sees. Her heart pounds in her ears.
So Mrs. Hsu did lie. There was a tiny possibility that the witnesses who claimed to see her in the nightclub had been incorrect, but now the proof is visual and incontrovertible. Her claim to have been in her suite with Mr. Hsu was indeed false. Why did she hide this from Kylah? What was the point of pretending, given that Kylah knows about the affair? To protect herself?
To protect her husband?
Kylah bites her upper lip in thought. "Thank you," she says softly after the recording stops. "May I ask you another favor, Mr. Gaines? Are there surveillance cameras that display the sixth floor--in particular, the corridor with the Hsus' suite? If so--and I know this may be awkward, given that they are your supervisors--but I need to confirm their arrival and departure activities... going back to 9PM that evening, as I do not know what Mr. Hsu's schedule was." She swallows nervously, more aware that Mr. Hsu is on his way, and murmurs insistently to the young security officer: "And I will greatly appreciate it if you do this as quickly as possible."
Even as she speaks Kylah's fear increases. Things may be more complicated than the others on her team realize. She desperately wishes she contact Graham or Velir without putting them at risk, but does not dare do so lest she repeat Delaney's mistake.
Hardin is being tracked by nearly the entire Yorktown landing party. They know to look out for him. But if someone else is involved... where is he, or she?
Last edited by choie; 09 Nov 2014 at 08:54 PM.
Even in the rain, Rangin can feel himself breathing a sigh of relief. Fortunately, if you set Graham off down one path it seemed he would follow it and thankfully he was paying attention to St Croix's actions.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Before the exceedingly slow Gaines can respond, Kylah's mind seems to sharpen and she narrows her eyes. "Just a moment," she says suddenly. "The timestamps... some of them are after midnight. But the security cameras were supposedly sabotaged and went offline. How could this be? Is the nightclub surveillance part of a separate system?"
She peers more closely into the frozen video screen. "Surely no one could have gone in yet again and faked this video, could they? Mr. Hsu has been working with the Yorktown's own experts to ensure that the security systems were safe."
Impatient, Kylah reaches over Gaines's annoyingly clumsy hands and takes it upon herself to plug in some times for the video--in particular, the time when Velir, Graham and T'Var would have been in the nightclub. She is not keen on seeing whatever confrontation Velir had with Jan, but spotting her colleagues will help her properly figure out whether the video timestamps are accurate. She knows Velir and the others arrived after 9:30, and while Velir left earlier, Graham and T'Var said they left at 10:15 on the dot.*
* See #1370
Graham shakes his head. Give a sprinter point and they'll instinctively want the shortest, most direct route, he thinks after correcting St. Croix's course. At least it turns out I will be audible if I shout like hell "get down!" if Delaney's contraption goes off.
With that one hiccup they are otherwise making good progress, he thinks, and continues to be hyper-focused on the group's position and what lies ahead. He spares a moment's thought: at least I don't have to worry about Kylah, at the moment--he feels confident her research might turn up more leads, but out here she'd probably feel obligated to sneak ahead to take point herself to prove... something...
Gaines looks aggrieved but does not move Kylah's hands away. He pushes back from the desk, though. The timestamps seem to be accurate. He goes to another terminal, checks a security database and says, "The Starfire camera was installed more recently than the others, and I guess it's on a separate control circuit. Looks like it wasn't affected by the wipe of the main system."
St. Croix leads the search party around the base of the hill to the left. The group is still on open ground, but a lightly-wooded area is now only a few dozen meters ahead. The Sandoval Colony buildings are perhaps another five minutes' walk beyond that, at an angle to the right.
Thunder again rumbles overhead. The rain seems to be diminishing a little. The thick grass underfoot is very wet and slippery; Graham and Friedman both almost fall.
Kylah straightens with an exhale, her mind racing. "At last some good fortune," she murmurs. "Something this killer did not have the wit to destroy." I wonder that Mr. Hsu did not mention it, she thinks with a quick glance at the frozen video before shaking her head. "So this appears to be accurate after all."
She turns to Gaines and takes a tentative, apologetic step closer. She cannot afford to burn a useful bridge, not when Hsu could walk in at any moment. "Thank you for checking on that for me. I am very sorry to have been so impatient, but the stakes are so high..." With a gentle lift of her arm toward the panel, she looks at the young man with a hopeful, nervous smile. "Please, will you help me with what I asked before? If there are any cameras on the sixth floor near the Hsus' room--is there footage from that night?"
Another thought occurs to her: "And also, can you please save that nightclub footage and lock it down, sending me a copy? I do not want it to be... harmed. This is extremely important evidence."
Last edited by choie; 10 Nov 2014 at 11:42 PM.
Gaines says, "There's no camera on the sixth floor, it looks like." He secures the footage by password and sends a copy to Kylah's shipboard account and to the CP.
Mr. Hsu walks in. "The headcount is complete; it looks like no guest or staff are outside except for Hardin."
Deep in thought and about to remark on the oddity of there being no camera on the Hsus' floor, Kylah naturally gives a little start when Hsu walks in. She thanks Gaines again without giving any details and turns to the security chief.
"That is good to hear," she says, looking at him as neutrally as possible. "I have been trying to collect evidence to determine precisely where Hardin was, and to find any other witnesses that might have seen him. In doing so I have discovered some curiosities that..." A hesitation gives her a little more time to think. If she is finally going to address Mrs. Hsu's behavior--and what, if anything, Mr. Hsu knows about it--she cannot do so in front of Hsu's employee. "Actually, I wonder if there is a place we might speak in private? Do you have an office here?"
Even while trying to gauge his emotions, Kylah is busy trying to decide whether to reveal the fact that she has seen the nightclub surveillance video.
"Of course," the resort security chief says, gesturing to a door. Mr. Hsu's office is about half the size of his wife's. It is cluttered but comfortable. He moves a stack of data tablets from a chair for Kylah to sit, and settles in behind his desk.
Kylah gives a nod of gratitude and sits down, smoothing her skirt while keeping both feet firmly on the floor. She does not expect anything to happen, of course. But after Hardin's attack surprised her so completely, she knows it is better to stay alert.
"I am glad everyone is accounted for," she begins. "I know I speak for my colleagues when I say how thankful we all are for your diligence in what must have been difficult task." Her voice turns more sober. "Unfortunately I have not yet heard anything from the crew who are tracking Hardin; I do not suppose there are cameras wherever they are, since I did not see them on the monitors outside. But once there is news I will share it with you.
"Meanwhile, while they have been taking care of apprehending him, I--and another colleague--have been looking over the evidence and statements. We wish to have a solid case, once the Vice Admiral is taken in." Kylah moistens her lips, glancing down for a moment in preparation. "As... as it turns out, some of the activities in the nightclub as seen by witnesses do not quite match what we believe is the timeline of events."
Naturally she omits the fact that the list of witnesses now includes Kylah herself--and Gaines too, for that matter. "But before we get to that and since I am speaking of timelines, while re-examining the evidence I realized that we never asked you for a statement. We have an idea of most of the staff's whereabouts and movements the night Mr. Wilson died, so for the sake of completeness I suppose I should finish with your own. I hope you do not mind... I am sure you understand the need to get as much information as possible."
She smiles and shrugs apologetically, taking out her tricorder and checking her notes. "So... perhaps we might start a bit earlier in the evening, perhaps a half-hour before that attempted security breach at... was it 5:30pm? A little later? Let us start there, with whatever you were doing when you were alerted of this would-be breach, and continue until you were notified that Mr. Ackerman had found Mr. Wilson's body." Kylah looks at him encouragingly.
Last edited by choie; 11 Nov 2014 at 10:35 PM.
Just a few more minutes Rangin thinks to himself and then we find out what the hell is going on. He wonders if Hardin is even there or if this has just been a wild goose chase, but given how they approached the colony, if Hardin had tried to double back they would likely have seen him.
Just a few more minutes
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Hsu looks at the ceiling and thinks. "Well, let's see - I was here when I learned about the breach. Peters came in and told me. We did our best to figure it out, and I checked with the resort computer people, and then I went to meet with your landing party. It was a busy day. I had a quick bite to eat for dinner and kept working - went on patrol for awhile, but I was available by communicator, as I always am - and got home about 10, 10:30. Mattie and I talked for awhile and then turned in. I was asleep when Ackerman called about finding Mr. Wilson's body, well after midnight."
The Yorktown search party is just making its way through the cluster of trees when one tricorder, and then the other, begin to buzz loudly.
Although she is keeping her face relaxed, Kylah does her best to concentrate and determine whether Hsu is being truthful. Not that her empathic powers helped her much with Hardin, but perhaps Hsu is easier to read. She can only try.
Once he mentions his wife and their apparent bedtime, she just nods and looks down at her tricorder. She knows Mrs. Hsu lied; is he lying as well?
She thanks him and adds casually, "I am extremely impressed on how well you performed the initial investigation with so little rest, Mr. Hsu. I wish I were as efficient--why, you could not have had more than four hours' sleep, if you were asleep by... what, 11:00 or so?" She hesitates, leaving him time to answer if he chooses.
"I should tell you that I have uncovered some--some extremely important new information. On the night of the murder, Vice Admiral Hardin was apparently in the nightclub much later than we realized. He spent the evening at the club and left at 12:42." Swallowing, she looks at Hsu unwaveringly. "As we know, Mr. Wilson died between midnight and 12:30--and considering that he bled out rather than dying instantly, we must assume that the attack occurred at least five or ten minutes before that specific half-hour window.
"Clearly," she continues, "this raises serious doubt as to the assumptions about Vice Admiral Hardin. He may be corrupt, he may be dangerous--as I know all too well. But he does not seem to be guilty of the murder." Kylah's voice softens. "Not without an accomplice, at any rate. What do you think of this, sir?"
Last edited by choie; 12 Nov 2014 at 08:28 PM.
Hsu seems a little guarded but honest. Kylah senses he may be holding something back, though.
He says, "Yeah, I was probably asleep by 11 or so. I didn't look at the clock. I tend not to sleep much during the work week, and I do take naps now and then. I know the doctors say it doesn't work that way, but I also sort of get caught up on sleep on the weekends." He drums his fingers on his desk. "I suppose Hardin might've had an accomplice, or even more than one, but I don't know who that could be, or how he and the other, or others, would've pulled it off."
Kylah nods absently at his talk about napping, now safely convinced that Mrs. Hsu must be spoken to as soon as possible. "Yes, I hope you are right about being able to catch up on sleep. If it is true, I have about two weeks' worth coming to me," she murmurs. Her voice is still quiet when she continues. "You must forgive me... you know I am not a security officer and thus no expert on such things. But I must admit I am confused that after hearing that Hardin was not in the vicinity of the murder, you still think he only might have had an accomplice. And you seem to find it harder to conceive of multiple people committing this crime than only one. Can you help me understand your reasoning? This was such a complex--almost convoluted--plan, requiring so much activity and careful timing. Would it not be easier to believe many hands were behind it?"
Here it comes... thinks Rangin as the tricorder's buzz. "Everybody down!" he commands out to those around.
Rangin drops and waits for the imminent bolt to strike close by.
In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.
Hsu frowns and shrugs. "I'm not a murder investigator, miss. I'm just a security guy at a resort; this is all waaay above my paygrade. From what I've read, though, murder conspiracies are pretty rare - usually it's just one person."
Everyone in the search party drops to the wet, somewhat muddy ground. An instant later, a lightning bolt strikes a tree about ten meters to Graham's right. The tree is crisped. Everyone's ears are left ringing with the boom of the lightning strike; many see spots before their eyes, but it soon passes. There is a strong odor of burning and the tang of ozone in the air. The rain seems to diminish just a little more.
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