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Authors: Ann Somerville
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prison.”
“Yes they do. You won’t be the
first rich bitch I’ve helped put away.” Her mouth narrowed at the
insult. “Stop playing. We hold all the cards, and the best you can
hope for is to come out with some dignity and a reduced settlement,
which is probably more than you deserve.”
She slapped me, hard. I laughed
in her face. “You’ll have to fight harder than that in prison,
lady.” I gripped her skinny wrist as she swung again. “Now watch
the talons. You can slap, but draw blood and you’ll find out how
much self-defence I learned as a cop.”
She shook me off and stood.
“Get out of my house.”
“Not without the pendant. Or
you can call the police and I’ll tell them all I know. An ex-cop,
not to mention the governor’s son, would make a pretty credible
witness, don’t you think?”
Her rage made my head ache like
hell and I could see her mind furiously running through the
alternatives. I’d left her with almost nothing, and no choice that
wouldn’t leave her worse off. “If I give you the pendant, what
guarantee do I have you won’t simply give it back to my husband’s
lawyers?”
“I will. But because you’re
going to end the case, no official confirmation you were sleeping
around on your husband needs to be filed with the court. Sri Gemate
wants to finish this, I’m certain. Make him an offer to settle and
go quietly, and no one has to be troubled any further. You already
have money, Shrimati Gemate. Better what you have than going to
prison and be branded a criminal.”
“ You loathsome little man.
I’m so glad I never voted for your father’s party.”
“I’ve never voted for it
either. The pendant?”
I followed her to her enormous
bedroom, and a walk-in dressing room nearly as large as Yashi’s
whole house. I pulled on protective gloves and waited for her to
hand me the jewel—an exquisite piece of inlaid purple Garkon
gemstone, set in red jobold. Easy to see why she treasured it.
“I’m sure it will find its way
back to you,” I said as I slipped it into an evidence bag and
sealed it.
She stamped her foot.
“Now get out and never return.”
I carefully refrained from
grinning. “My pleasure.”
I didn’t waste any time jumping
in my auto and driving away, half worried the old dear might send
minions after me. Upsetting rich and powerful people wasn’t a
regular pastime of mine and my heart raced until I was well clear
of her estate, and back on the road to Hegal.
I marched into the lab, feeling
triumphant and more cheerful than I had in a long time. I walked
into Kirin’s office, certain he’d be delighted at my success. But
when I laid the pendant on the desk in front of him, he barely
managed a smile and a “thank you”.
I sat down. “What’s wrong?”
“Pritam. Has been stealing for
months and months. Equipment, chemicals, even data. Payal looked
through the books and confronted him. He confessed in full. I’ve
just sacked him.” He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. “I
trusted these people. Nurtured them, trained them. Respected
them.”
“And they kicked you in the
nuts. I’m sorry, Kirin.”
“Like you said, I shouldn’t
complain to you about betrayal.”
“No. But at least you acted out
of real emotion. Fear, anxiety, maybe even grief for what we’d
lost. Pritam and Jishnu did it cold-bloodedly. That’s so much
worse.”
“And Devi. Three employees in
one day. What does it say for me?”
I nudged the pendant towards
him. “It says you’re a nice man with bad luck. Your fault was to
trust too much.”
“And not trust the one person I
could really count on. I am so sorry, Javen.” He began to cry and I
could only hold his hand across the desk and wait until he grew
calmer. Yes, he’d fucked up. But never in my worst rages would I
have wished this on him.
Finally he sniffled, rubbed his
nose and picked up the pendant in its bag. “What do I do now?” he
murmured.
“Run the tests you would have
done, and send
“Yes they do. You won’t be the
first rich bitch I’ve helped put away.” Her mouth narrowed at the
insult. “Stop playing. We hold all the cards, and the best you can
hope for is to come out with some dignity and a reduced settlement,
which is probably more than you deserve.”
She slapped me, hard. I laughed
in her face. “You’ll have to fight harder than that in prison,
lady.” I gripped her skinny wrist as she swung again. “Now watch
the talons. You can slap, but draw blood and you’ll find out how
much self-defence I learned as a cop.”
She shook me off and stood.
“Get out of my house.”
“Not without the pendant. Or
you can call the police and I’ll tell them all I know. An ex-cop,
not to mention the governor’s son, would make a pretty credible
witness, don’t you think?”
Her rage made my head ache like
hell and I could see her mind furiously running through the
alternatives. I’d left her with almost nothing, and no choice that
wouldn’t leave her worse off. “If I give you the pendant, what
guarantee do I have you won’t simply give it back to my husband’s
lawyers?”
“I will. But because you’re
going to end the case, no official confirmation you were sleeping
around on your husband needs to be filed with the court. Sri Gemate
wants to finish this, I’m certain. Make him an offer to settle and
go quietly, and no one has to be troubled any further. You already
have money, Shrimati Gemate. Better what you have than going to
prison and be branded a criminal.”
“ You loathsome little man.
I’m so glad I never voted for your father’s party.”
“I’ve never voted for it
either. The pendant?”
I followed her to her enormous
bedroom, and a walk-in dressing room nearly as large as Yashi’s
whole house. I pulled on protective gloves and waited for her to
hand me the jewel—an exquisite piece of inlaid purple Garkon
gemstone, set in red jobold. Easy to see why she treasured it.
“I’m sure it will find its way
back to you,” I said as I slipped it into an evidence bag and
sealed it.
She stamped her foot.
“Now get out and never return.”
I carefully refrained from
grinning. “My pleasure.”
I didn’t waste any time jumping
in my auto and driving away, half worried the old dear might send
minions after me. Upsetting rich and powerful people wasn’t a
regular pastime of mine and my heart raced until I was well clear
of her estate, and back on the road to Hegal.
I marched into the lab, feeling
triumphant and more cheerful than I had in a long time. I walked
into Kirin’s office, certain he’d be delighted at my success. But
when I laid the pendant on the desk in front of him, he barely
managed a smile and a “thank you”.
I sat down. “What’s wrong?”
“Pritam. Has been stealing for
months and months. Equipment, chemicals, even data. Payal looked
through the books and confronted him. He confessed in full. I’ve
just sacked him.” He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. “I
trusted these people. Nurtured them, trained them. Respected
them.”
“And they kicked you in the
nuts. I’m sorry, Kirin.”
“Like you said, I shouldn’t
complain to you about betrayal.”
“No. But at least you acted out
of real emotion. Fear, anxiety, maybe even grief for what we’d
lost. Pritam and Jishnu did it cold-bloodedly. That’s so much
worse.”
“And Devi. Three employees in
one day. What does it say for me?”
I nudged the pendant towards
him. “It says you’re a nice man with bad luck. Your fault was to
trust too much.”
“And not trust the one person I
could really count on. I am so sorry, Javen.” He began to cry and I
could only hold his hand across the desk and wait until he grew
calmer. Yes, he’d fucked up. But never in my worst rages would I
have wished this on him.
Finally he sniffled, rubbed his
nose and picked up the pendant in its bag. “What do I do now?” he
murmured.
“Run the tests you would have
done, and send
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