Read Online Dusk (Dusk 1) by J.S. Wayne - Free Book Online Page B

Trelawney would have been killed instantly.
    “Probably didn’t even feel it, the poor bastard,” the medic said quietly as he shuffled past, guiding the antigrav sled on which Trelawney’s shrouded form reclined. Olivia stifled a sob, huddling into Merrick like a small animal seeking security and warmth. He held her as long as she needed, and then she moved away to talk to the chief of security.
    “Did they find anything on the security monitors?”
    Olivia shook her head, her mouth puckering into a thoughtful pout. “No. Major Latimore says the only anomalies were Trelawney’s door opening and closing by itself about a half hour apart. Maintenance is going to give it a once-over. It seems he complained about his door self-activating a couple of times in the last few weeks, but all diagnostics come up empty. There’s no indication of anything wrong. The only print scanned was Trelawney’s, but…” She trailed off.
    “But he couldn’t exactly have stabbed himself in the back of the neck, right?”
    Olivia shivered. “Exactly.”
    “So if he didn’t, then who did?”
    She sagged to the floor, scooting up against the corner as if she needed the comfort of two solid walls at her back. “I don’t know. Everyone who had a motive didn’t have any opportunity, and everyone who had opportunity had no motive.”
    Merrick frowned. “Okay, so let’s stop looking at who could have killed him. Instead, we need to ask why.” He shook his head and amended the statement. “Allow me to rephrase. I need to ask why. You need to get briefed on the complete details of the Terran request.”
    She frowned. “How am I supposed to do that?”
    He smiled. “You’re now the ambassador. The ambassador’s files are all yours to peruse. You have to call City Security and get a one-time emergency override. Once you’re in, you can change the code to whatever you want it to be. Then the files are yours and completely secure.”
    “And what are you going to do, while I’m educating myself on everything there is to know about our diplomatic status with Terra?”
    Pushing off the bed, he walked over to her and tousled her hair. He knelt beside her so his lips just brushed her ear and whispered, “I’m going to be as close as your own shadow until you go to bed.”
    “And then?” He distinctly heard the note of anxiety beneath the words.
    “And then I’m going to be even closer, if you’ll let me.”
    Olivia turned and rewarded him with a brisk peck on the lips.
    “Better let me work, then,” she said, pushing herself to her feet with only her legs. “Do you know the code for Security?”
    He nodded. “Two six three oh four.”
    * * *
    She blinked at his nonchalant reply. “Is that the emergency or non-emergency number?” Even as she asked, she flinched at the stupid question. To reach Security in an emergency, one had only to enter the same number three times or input the sequence 12345. This made it much more simple to summon help quickly when it was needed, without forcing panicked people to try to remember a complicated contact code. “Never mind. Non-emergency.”
    She picked out the code and was surprised when her holoscreen lit up with the visage of Major Latimore himself. “Oh, I’m sorry to trouble you, Major. I need a one-time emergency override passcode for Ambassador Trelawney’s files.”
    Latimore smiled. “No trouble, Ambassador. I knew I’d be getting this call sooner or later, so I instructed the computers to auto-route any call from your code directly to me. Cuts down on the chances of anyone overhearing. Is that Merrick I see lurking in the background?” he asked, moving his head as if trying to peer around her.
    She nodded. “It is. He is now my official bodyguard, by proclamation of the DDC. He’s assured me he won’t be any further from me than my own shadow.”
    The security chief raised his eyebrows and brought one hand up to stroke at his close-cropped goatee. “Really? Then you feel