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“MAY I HELP YOU?” A lyrical accent carried softly across the foyer.
The woman who acted as hostess in the posh hotel where Trance and Leah had stayed during the trial swept down the stairs in a ballroom gown of sheer silk, rainbow-colored layers of fabric. A wisp of the same material floated over her lower face, as was the custom among all the upper crust. For a brief moment, the fabric shimmered as though the gown was a hologram. That perhaps she moved naked.
But as she got closer, they realized the gown was indeed real—and incredibly expensive. Of course, Jason was used to the amount of money spent in Iota Nine, but Shawn had grown used to the reality of Earth-Ground.
“Jason Becker and Shawn Tanner, milady. We’re looking for Lord Wilson Dolan.” Jason smiled easily, his accent matching hers. As expected, she was a thread more forthcoming than professional when she realized he was from the same floating city.
“Wilson? I’m afraid he’s not here. He’s been on vacation for about a week now.”
“During the holidays?”
A frown of confusion whispered over her face before it disappeared just as quickly. “Yes. Believe me, I’m just as surprised. This is the first time I hosted the annual party on my own.”
“Where’s he on vacation at?” Shawn asked, his rougher tone matching that of Earth-Ground. It was no longer necessary to fit in.
She blinked at him. “I’m—uh—not sure?”
“Who did he leave in charge of the hotel?”
“Why, me. Of course.” She didn’t extend her hand, but that was expected. Iota Nine residents were standoffish and pristine. Touching was kept to a minimum. “Lady Alannah Holland, at your service.”
“In that case, Lady Holland, we have a warrant to search the quarters of Lord Wilson Nolan.” Jason produced the warrant from the upper pocket of his uniform.
“I see.” Her eyes roved over the document. With her left hand, she pressed a button on the bracelet of her upper arm. A small white light came from the center of her palm. She passed her spread hand over the document, checking for authenticity.
Seemingly satisfied, she handed it back to Jason.
“Lady Holland?” Another employee called from the top of the staircase. “Everything all right?”
She nodded. “I’ll be a while. Take over for me, please?”
He nodded and disappeared back into the room that hosted the party.
“Follow me, please.”
She didn’t wait for affirmation before turning and floating to the elevator doors. She passed her hand over the identifier screen, and the doors slid open. Once inside, her palm print closed the doors.
The elevator whooshed with a sideways twist, indicating transportation. Sure enough, a queasy feeling hit the pit of their bellies, a side effect of transporting. But the manners of the Lords and Ladies of Iota Nine required that they would never show unease. When the doors opened, she walked them to a set of double doors.
“Do you have access?” Jason asked.
“I do.”
Her identification rolled across the viewing screen.
Alannah Holland. Girlfriend.
“You’re in a relationship?” Shawn asked.
Her lips tightened over his crasser accent, but professionalism won out and she nodded once. “He’s my boyfriend.”
Once the doors slid open, both men drew their lasers as if expecting Wilson to come crashing out of the suite. They cleared the area and switched their beams to a black light, looking everywhere. Every drawer. Every wall. Every light switch. The medicine cabinets. Closets.
She realized having their court-licensed black light beams incorporated into their weapons allowed those weapons inside the higher, violence restricted Iota Nine without an additional bodyguard or law enforcement paperwork.
Very clever.
“What are you looking for?” She finally asked after twenty minutes of searching.
Shawn turned to her as if assessing something. “Primarily medications. Instead of a liquid tincture for B vitamins, it would be processed into a dissolvable tablet form similar to a tiny piece of cellophane.”
“Like these?”
She waved her right palm with the bracelet on her arm over the other palm, expanding an image of a hologram pill box that looked just like Leah’s. A mimic of Amanda’s prescription.
“Where did you see that?” Jason asked.
“My apartment. The prescription is in my name. I’ve always carried a script for the B vitamins. But Wilson recently had the liquid reformed into the tablet form. He thought the box would be easier to deal with. It was a kind thought.”
“He set you up, sweetheart,” Shawn grumbled.
“Pardon?” The look on her face was blank.
Jason spoke. “The patent on the dissolvable tablet is only available for sleeping pills. Putting your prescription into the new form was to set you up. A woman who took the sleeping pills, prescribed by my sister, Dr. Amanda Becker, stayed in this hotel. Her sleeping meds were exchanged for the Vitamin B version while she waited to testify at a trial for Brock Ciregna. Since those illegal substances are yours, we’d like to know how they turned up in Leah’s bags?”
Alannah turned up her nose even though a sinking suspicion hit her midsection. She knew that name, Leah Margulies. She’d noticed it when she returned to work and saw a five-star meal for two comped under her budget. She’d assumed it was a mistake and shrugged it off because it wasn’t like she excessively abused the comping meals. No one would blink if they saw her do once or twice. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve only been given one box.”
“Where is it?” Shawn asked silkily.
“My apartment.”
“Show us.”
Her eyes crinkled as if she smiled underneath the face covering. “That warrant is for Lord Nolan, correct?”
“Actually, no,” Jason said. “It’s for him and all acting management of The Bella Suites of Iota Nine. You took us to his apartment and we thank you. But you also admitted to being left in charge in his absence so carry on.”
Her face tightened and she turned without a word. They followed her down the hall where she barely paused to slap her hand against the viewing screen of another door. When it swooshed open, Shawn stayed near her while Jason held his scanner out, following the beeps to the bedroom.
He returned to the living area holding a small bag. “We got it. Normally this is a jail sentence, Lady Holland.”
“I had nothing to do with that. I didn’t even request it. He was doing me a favor, since I’d spilled my liquid drops once—”
“He made a mistake, Alannah. He expected Brock to have a verdict of innocent. He was probably assured that without her sleeping meds, Leah would seem agitated and confused on the stand. Nothing punishable. But Brock was deemed guilty. And now Xenia wants to know how and where your boyfriend developed the meds for you. He knew this and disappeared. But the fool forgot to take the box.” Jason slipped it into his upper pocket. “So he’ll be coming for you.”
“Why me?”
“Because records show you alone had access to Leah’s quarters. Like we said, he set you up.”
“That’s untrue. I wasn’t even on duty Thursday and Friday.” Yet she’d never corrected her comp records and that was one more strike against her.
“Then someone managed to change the records to show you were. For that reason, we think he may come after you. He needs your leftover meds...and he needs you to keep quiet about your day off. You’re the only person who can implicate him. All other evidence points to you.”
“Ma’am, you’ll need to come with us to the new city of Xenia. It’s the only place we can protect you until he’s caught,” Shawn said.
“Caught? He doesn’t even know—”
“A world-wide statement is going out within the hour posting a manhunt. Every bounty hunter on the planet will be searching for him. It’s only a matter of time. If you want to live outside of prison, I’d suggest you follow us.”
Alannah Holland’s jaw dropped. She’d never been on any city other than Iota Nine. Certainly not the crass Earth-Ground, where creatures existed. Where clean, filtered soil was plain old filthy dirt. Where the temperature wasn’t regulated and actual disease infested bugs filled the air.
Was it even a step up from a prison?
~THE END
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THANK YOU FOR READING! This book’s release date was a little off whack—Trance was supposed to be Book 11, but Tempest’s book cut in, making him Book 12. When she was done, my timeline was thrown off. Thanks for that, Tempest.
I hope you enjoyed the turnout of this book! Please remember to sign up for my newsletter on my FB author page or my website for news regarding upcoming books.
Book 13, Damaged Goods, is available now for purchase. Please click here: https://books2read.com/u/3yED0e
