Toiwa watched the meeting clock in her personal AR field roll into its second hour and stood abruptly, bringing the acrimonious debate between her second deputy and the representative from the Ministry of Defense to a halt even before she flung up one well-manicured hand. The unexpected break in that spirited argument caused some of the other sidebar conversations around the room to fall off as well. Toiwa pointed first at her deputy, then at the Ministry woman. “Sit. Down.” Her staffer plopped into his chair with admirable speed. The Ministry rep hesitated for a moment but wilted under Toiwa’s impassive glare and crumpled into her own seat. Around the table, the others participants—a mix of her own staff, representatives from the Intelligence Directorate, three other civilian agencies, a contingent from Defense, and a handful of Commonwealth officials—all turned to look at her. The lesser subordinates and ancillary attendees who formed the outer ring lining the wall adopted their most attentive poses.
Well, not Fathya Shariff, who sat straight as a sword, as she had this whole time. Shariff noticed Toiwa’s glance and inclined her head slightly. Toiwa gave the barest of nods in return; Shariff, at least, wasn’t on Toiwa’s shit list. Yet. Toiwa wondered just how Shariff’s operatives happened to be on top of the scene when the Commonwealth woman was assaulted; her police brain didn’t believe in convenient coincidences. At least Shariff’s motivations in the assassination case were clear, and considerably more righteous than the shifty weasels from the Directorate, just to name one example. Plus, and Toiwa hated to admit it, Shariff’s people’s competence was unquestioned. Unlike that of most of the parties represented.
Toiwa let her hand fall to the table and leaned forward. “If everyone’s done marking their territory and performing their dominance displays, or making excuses why something that’s happened in the last”—her eyes flicked to another timer, this one tracking elapsed time since the killing—“fourteen hours is not the fault of themselves or their organizations, I should very much like to focus on getting my constables back onto the matter of solving this most heinous crime. I exempt our honored guests, of course, from that criticism,” she said with a nod towards the Commonwealth deputy consul and his colleague. She wondered again why the diplomat had brought his science attaché. A mystery for later, but she made note of the incongruity, knowing that Valverdes was probably also digging into the woman’s files, and would probably have a ten-screen dossier ready by the time the meeting ended.
It was a little dicey, calling out the other government reps in front of the Commonwealth people, but the off-worlders had possessed front-row seats to this whole clusterfuck of a meeting. If the governor or anyone else gave her grief about it, she could simply replay recorded excerpts from the last hour and let the idiocy speak for itself.
The deputy consul cleared his throat and she nodded at him, inviting him to speak. “Thank you, Commissioner. We certainly want the Consul’s murderer brought to justice. But there have been at least two other attacks against our citizens in the meantime, aside from the riot and the assault on M. Ogawa.” Toiwa’s face remained impassive; she’d expected him to bring this up. “We appreciate that the perpetrators have been so quickly apprehended. But the ambassador has expressed concerns, which I share, that we might be on the cusp of a period of truly serious disorder, and further assaults might be inflicted upon Commonwealth citizens here on the station, or planetside. It also calls into question the viability of the referendum. And with our vessel, Amazonas, due soon to observe the referendum, we’re concerned about sentiments being further inflamed.”
Her response came easily. “As you say, M. Wang, the assailants were immediately apprehended and are all in custody.” Not in Constabulary custody, unfortunately. She longed to get the Directorate nullwits alone, preferably in the secure interrogation room, to find out what the dust they were about. Holding her suspects? People over whom the Directorate had absolutely no jurisdiction? It burned her but would have to wait; she had to douse the first fire before lighting another.
“The Constabulary is on heightened alert, with additional personnel on duty in the areas most frequented by visitors, to help forestall any incidents. We have additional rapid-response teams standing by to deploy should anything occur, and a full complement of crowd control and other response bots are deployed across the station.” Which meant her overtime budget for this period was irretrievably shot, with its own reckoning to come later. “I’ve requested additional resources from planetside, and I’m told teams are already preparing to come up.” A first detachment would be on the morning shuttle, the HC had promised, in addition to the constables already on their way up the space elevator. While the new people wouldn’t know the station, at least she’d have bodies to throw at any problem that tactic could solve, and that would let her people stay focused on the main investigations and on the ramped-up surveillance. “And I’m assigning one of my staff”—she pointed at the sacrificial aide, a holdover from her predecessor but a solid, dependable administrator nonetheless—“as a full-time liaison with your Consulate. I hope these measures ease your mind somewhat?” She raised her hands from the table, holding them out to encompass the whole room. “And I’m sure I speak for my fellow Ileris when I tell you we shall all do our utmost to ensure the referendum takes place without undue issues.”
“Those sound like prudent measures,” he said. “In the meantime, I’d like to ask that one of our security team be embedded with the incident command team overseeing the assassination investigation.”
Her fingers drummed on the tabletop as she considered. “That seems quite reasonable,” she said. She glanced down at Valverdes, seated to Toiwa’s right, who was busily manipulating windows with zer sole hand. “See to it.” Toiwa turned back to the the diplomat with a tight-lipped smile. “Is there anything else?” He shook his head and she straightened, sweeping the whole room with her gaze. “Very well, then. While I appreciate the cooperation and contributions of the other interested departments in this investigation”—like a damned yeast infection—“I believe our best course at the moment is to let the investigators follow their current leads. Teams will continue work through all shifts.” She summed up the schedule of updates, status meetings, and public briefings planned for the next twelve hours. “If there is no new information, or further business, I suggest we adjourn.” Her staff, well-trained, immediately rose from their seats and headed for the exits, prompting the other attendees to do the same. She pitched her voice to carry across the rising babble as side conversations blossomed around the room again, and pointed at one of the intelligence liaisons. “Captain Teng, a word, if you please.” <Imoke, attend please,> she sent, and the Detective Sergeant—part of the perimeter cloud of minions—took his place behind her as the Directorate rep shouldered his way through the crowd.
She’d have taken the tall officer for a military man by his bearing, even dressed as he was in an orange civilian tunic and trousers. For a spy, he didn’t look very covert, she thought; entirely too good-looking, too fit. Perhaps he blended in somewhere, but she couldn’t conceive of what milieu that might be. She waited until the room had emptied except for herself, Teng, Imoke, and Valverdes. The man had the good grace not to stare at the stump at the end of Valverdes’ left arm, which didn’t take him up any notches, but perhaps set a higher floor for her expectations about him.
She noticed one last person hovering nearby, just outside the circle. “Yes, M. Shariff?”
“I wanted to thank you, Commissioner, for expediting the release of my grandson’s remains.” Shariff held herself erect, but she’d been awake as long as Toiwa, and it showed in her voice.
Toiwa nodded. Even without Governor Ruhindi’s admonitions about Shariff’s connections, pushing the release through was the sort of simple kindness she liked to make happen when she could. Shariff and her family, whatever else they were, were victims in this. “I’m glad we were able to. There was no cause to hold his remains any longer once the medical examiner completed the necessary work. I recall you’re a person of faith, and that holding the service within a day is important to you.”
“It is. The funeral will come after the Isha prayers. You are welcome to attend, of course, if your duties permit.”
So much for home, a shower, and bed. She turned to Valverdes. “Kala, would you check my schedule and clear it if possible? And see that M. Shariff has whatever she needs?” Valverdes nodded and hustled off to escort Shariff out.
Toiwa would have preferred to have another witness present while she had it out with the spy, but a little show of respect to Shariff through the personal attention of Toiwa’s principal aide couldn’t hurt. Imoke could serve as her reliable witness here; she trusted him that far, at any rate. And he’d proved quite clever dealing with the riot—sweet Mother, that was just this morning.
Once the two women left, she stabbed a finger into the room’s virtual controls with enough force to have put out an eye. The privacy field kicked into place and she dropped the facade of civility. “What in God’s name are you dung-eaters doing, sweeping up all the perpetrators that attacked that Commonwealth woman? And who the hell is she?” She leaned forward into Captain Teng’s personal space and jabbed her finger at him, driving each word home like a nail. “What. The. Hell. Are. You. People. Playing. At?” She kept him fixed in a glare that threatened to scorch the walls.
Teng stood unperturbed. “M. Ogawa is a consulting specialist,” he said, ignoring her first question. “I am not at liberty to discuss her areas of expertise with uncleared personnel.”
“Don’t pull that ‘matter of planetary security’ nonsense with me,” she snarled.
“It’s the truth.” Teng shrugged. “There are a number of collaborative efforts underway with the Commonwealth even before the referendum. They’re a friendly power, after all. She is part of one such effort, and uniquely positioned to assist with certain aspects of this situation.”
“And what aspects are those?” Imoke asked.
Teng sighed, and she ground her teeth. “Aspects involving planetary security,” he said.
Dust take him, enough of this. “I want her off my station,” Toiwa snapped, and the captain stiffened. “I’m serious,” she rolled on, before he could object. “She dropped out of surveillance for several hours after the riot in front of the Consulate, evading both your people and mine. Then she attracted an attack by unknown assailants. That investigation is taking up resources I desperately need focused on keeping the good order here while a mass murderer roams my corridors, pro- and anti-Commonwealth sympathizers are knocking each other’s heads in, and we have a major vote in less than two weeks.” Not to mention that I’m still cleaning up the mess of three decades’ worth of corruption on the part of my predecessor and his pack of thieves in constables’ clothing.
She jabbed her finger at Teng’s chest again. “I don’t care how you do it, what pretext you come up with, or whose desk you have to prostrate yourself in front of, make it happen. Get her off my station.”
She gave him credit; it took a full thirty seconds before he broke. “I’ll have to clear it with my superiors,” he said.
“You can inform your superiors. Do not mistake this for a suggestion, or a negotiation.” He nodded, looking unhappy. “But first you’re going to turn the suspects you swept off to God knows where over to Constabulary custody.” Yanking criminals out of the corridors and hiding them from her on her station, probably in the military installation in the hub, was too brazen an act to let stand.
The captain started to open his mouth to object but she rolled right over him again. “I’ve got the attack on video record, and goddammit, I have jurisdiction here. My people need to be the ones interrogating them so that evidence can be put in front of the magistrates.”
His resolve collapsed. “I’ll make the necessary calls,” he said.
“You have two hours,” she snapped. “You will coordinate with Detective Sergeant Imoke for the custody transfer. Sergeant?” Imoke stood to attention. “You will escort the captain to a place from which he can contact whomever he needs to and remain with him until it is accomplished. M. Valverdes or Lieutenant Zheng will see to any support you require.”
Imoke nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And if it isn’t done in two hours,” she said, eyes fixed on Teng, “you will arrest the captain for obstruction of justice and lock his ass in a shielded cell.”
Imoke grinned and gave her an informal salute, two fingers to his right brow. “Yes, boss.”
Teng bristled. “You’re overreaching, Commissioner,” he snapped.
“Maybe,” she said, without moving. “But your superiors don’t like to operate in the light. The media is already carrying stories about the brawls in the corridors, and rumors are already flying about the intrusion into the service passage being attempted sabotage. If word were to get out that this was a flubbed intelligence operation? Worse, if this jeopardizes the referendum?” She gave an elegant shrug. “The person on the scene and all that. Sacrifices have to be made sometimes, and we know who’ll be the one on the pyre.”
They glared at each other for a full ten seconds before he finally gave in. “Very well. I’ll make the arrangements. But with your permission, I’ll deal with Ogawa in the morning. Her injuries will keep her out of trouble until then. The Commonwealth people have taken her to the Consulate for the night to complete her recovery.”
She considered that, then nodded. “That’s acceptable. Meanwhile, you and the Detective Sergeant can sort the matter of the prisoners out.” She turned to Imoke. “And I expect you to get some rest once the prisoner transfer is complete.”
Imoke cocked his head before responding. “I’d like to defer my rest period until after Saed Tahir’s funeral,” he said.
Oh, right. “Of course, Sergeant, that was thoughtless of me. I’d forgotten you knew M. Tahir. I will see you there, then.”
Imoke saluted again. “Yes, boss.” He took Teng by the elbow and escorted the spy from the room. Toiwa followed them out and turned for her office.
She was halfway there before it hit her. That’s the first time one of the old hands has called me ‘boss’. The epithet was a mark of respect from subordinate to superior among the Constabulary, of respect that had been earned, not simply respect for one’s position.
Well, it’s a start.