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Authors: Ann Somerville
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the tighter the net.”
“I understand.” He looked so
miserable, I actually felt sorry for him. But I couldn’t make him
feel better. I could only stop him losing his livelihood, or I
hoped so, anyway.
Meeting Kajal Gemate was my
first excuse to get cleaned up properly in months. I pulled out the
outfit I’d last worn to Yashi’s wedding, and a silky scarf Tara had
given me for my birthday years ago. I’d much prefer to be wearing
my police uniform for something like this. I felt naked without it
and my gun. Not that I expected to need a weapon but I missed the
weight of it. I missed a lot of things.
Shrimati Gemate lived on a
frankly disgustingly lavish estate just outside Hegal’s city
limits. From my reading of the divorce case, the actual squabble
was over the pre-marital financial agreement which would allow her
fifty percent of her obscenely wealthy husband’s property and a
hefty lifetime annuity in the event of divorce—except in the case
of her infidelity. And infidelity was what the pendant was alleged
to prove. No wonder she was desperate to stop Kirin testing the
thing.
I’d never met the woman, but
she and her husband were part of the elite crowd my parents moved
in so effortlessly—and which bored me to tears. News media carried
their pictures, reported on their doings, and the Gemate divorce
had been seized on with glee. Even I, who avoided gossipy news
reports, couldn’t help but hear about the case. Kirin had been
incredibly unlucky to be caught up in it.
A tidily uniformed banis maid
led me into Shrimati Gemate’s sitting room. The lady herself,
splendidly bedecked in shimmering yellow and glittering gems, rose
to greet me. “Sri Ythen. What a pleasure to meet you.”
“Same here, Shrimati
Gemate.”
Close up, she showed the strong
bone structure and good skin she was famous for. The strong natural
UV shield on Uterden was kind to the looks of older people, but not
to their bones unless they took care. She obviously did. If her
dark hair was dyed to hide the grey, she clearly paid more for her
hairdresser than I did because it looked natural to me.
“Do take a seat. Chai, or
something stronger? I have some rather lovely wine that came in on
the latest ship from back home. A truly extraordinary vintage.”
Wine from Kelon? Some people
had more money than brains. “No thanks. Actually, I’m here on some
personal business. Something that might not be suitable for uh....”
I tilted my head towards the maid.
She snapped her fingers at the
woman, who bowed and slipped out silently. “Now we’re quite
private. How can I help you?”
“Well, you can give the pendant
back you abstracted illegally from Kirin Nel’s laboratory, and you
can also file a statement of non-contention in your divorce
case.”
She sat up straight. “And why
would I do that, young man? What are you talking about?”
“The pendant, Shrimati Gemate,
with your lover’s sexual fluids on it. I have a sworn statement
from the employee at Sri Nel’s laboratory your lawyers paid to
steal the pendant. If Sri Nel goes to the police, it’ll get very
ugly.”
She recovered fast from the
shock, I had to give her that much. “You have nothing to tie
anything to me. Get out.”
“Really? You think your lawyers
will take the fall for you? You think no one in the firm will admit
they handed it back to you and that it was your idea in the first
place?”
“I’ll take that chance.”
“As you wish. So Sri Nel will
go to the police, this house will be torn apart looking for the
pendant, which I know you have, and in the meantime, your husband’s
lawyers will go to the judges in the case and inform them of what’s
happened. You’ll lose the case and be prosecuted for contempt,
perjury and probably perversion of justice. You won’t just be
poorer, Shrimati Gemate. You’ll be a criminal, possibly face prison
time, and your reputation will be mud.”
She sniffed. “People like me
don’t go to
“I understand.” He looked so
miserable, I actually felt sorry for him. But I couldn’t make him
feel better. I could only stop him losing his livelihood, or I
hoped so, anyway.
Meeting Kajal Gemate was my
first excuse to get cleaned up properly in months. I pulled out the
outfit I’d last worn to Yashi’s wedding, and a silky scarf Tara had
given me for my birthday years ago. I’d much prefer to be wearing
my police uniform for something like this. I felt naked without it
and my gun. Not that I expected to need a weapon but I missed the
weight of it. I missed a lot of things.
Shrimati Gemate lived on a
frankly disgustingly lavish estate just outside Hegal’s city
limits. From my reading of the divorce case, the actual squabble
was over the pre-marital financial agreement which would allow her
fifty percent of her obscenely wealthy husband’s property and a
hefty lifetime annuity in the event of divorce—except in the case
of her infidelity. And infidelity was what the pendant was alleged
to prove. No wonder she was desperate to stop Kirin testing the
thing.
I’d never met the woman, but
she and her husband were part of the elite crowd my parents moved
in so effortlessly—and which bored me to tears. News media carried
their pictures, reported on their doings, and the Gemate divorce
had been seized on with glee. Even I, who avoided gossipy news
reports, couldn’t help but hear about the case. Kirin had been
incredibly unlucky to be caught up in it.
A tidily uniformed banis maid
led me into Shrimati Gemate’s sitting room. The lady herself,
splendidly bedecked in shimmering yellow and glittering gems, rose
to greet me. “Sri Ythen. What a pleasure to meet you.”
“Same here, Shrimati
Gemate.”
Close up, she showed the strong
bone structure and good skin she was famous for. The strong natural
UV shield on Uterden was kind to the looks of older people, but not
to their bones unless they took care. She obviously did. If her
dark hair was dyed to hide the grey, she clearly paid more for her
hairdresser than I did because it looked natural to me.
“Do take a seat. Chai, or
something stronger? I have some rather lovely wine that came in on
the latest ship from back home. A truly extraordinary vintage.”
Wine from Kelon? Some people
had more money than brains. “No thanks. Actually, I’m here on some
personal business. Something that might not be suitable for uh....”
I tilted my head towards the maid.
She snapped her fingers at the
woman, who bowed and slipped out silently. “Now we’re quite
private. How can I help you?”
“Well, you can give the pendant
back you abstracted illegally from Kirin Nel’s laboratory, and you
can also file a statement of non-contention in your divorce
case.”
She sat up straight. “And why
would I do that, young man? What are you talking about?”
“The pendant, Shrimati Gemate,
with your lover’s sexual fluids on it. I have a sworn statement
from the employee at Sri Nel’s laboratory your lawyers paid to
steal the pendant. If Sri Nel goes to the police, it’ll get very
ugly.”
She recovered fast from the
shock, I had to give her that much. “You have nothing to tie
anything to me. Get out.”
“Really? You think your lawyers
will take the fall for you? You think no one in the firm will admit
they handed it back to you and that it was your idea in the first
place?”
“I’ll take that chance.”
“As you wish. So Sri Nel will
go to the police, this house will be torn apart looking for the
pendant, which I know you have, and in the meantime, your husband’s
lawyers will go to the judges in the case and inform them of what’s
happened. You’ll lose the case and be prosecuted for contempt,
perjury and probably perversion of justice. You won’t just be
poorer, Shrimati Gemate. You’ll be a criminal, possibly face prison
time, and your reputation will be mud.”
She sniffed. “People like me
don’t go to
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