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TASH WAS barely regaining her equilibrium when they arrived back at Randal's house and found a police sled parked in front.
"Judith, isn't that a police sled?" Tash asked.
"Yes, it is. I wonder what they're doing here."
"They haven’t come looking for Devon and Randal for the duel, have they?"
"Don't be silly. Dueling is legal. They wouldn't be here for that," Judith replied as they alit from the carriage.
"There is someone sitting in the back," Tash said. "On earth, the person in the back seat is usually being arrested."
"That can't be right. That's my father," Judith said.
Even as she spoke, two policemen came out of the residence with a man in handcuffs.
"Isn't that Randal's father?" Tash asked.
"Yes. I'm going to find out what's going on." Judith dashed over to the sled. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Papa Timothy, what's going on?"
"Stay back, Miss," the policeman closest to her blocked her path.
"Please go in the house Judith," the man already in the sled spoke.
"Daddy?" she said. "What's going on?"
"Allison will explain everything. Please go inside girls," Randal's father said.
Judith watched numbly as Randal's father was also put in the sled and driven away.
Now it was Tash who put an arm around Judith. "Let's go on in," she said. "Surely Mrs. Langeton knows what has happened."
Allison Langeton had collapsed on a sofa, weeping bitterly. Judith immediately went to her. When she touched the older woman's shoulder, Allison turned to her sobbing. "They've taken him! They took my husband."
"But why?" Judith asked.
"If you can get her calm enough to answer some questions, it will go better for her and her husband," A woman said.
"Who are you?" Judith demanded.
"I'm Detective Serena Addicock, and this is Detective Johan Straus," the woman said. She was in her early thirties, with dishwater blond hair, cut in a short bob. She had a trim athletic body.
Tash went to the kitchen and asked the robot server to bring a glass of water for Mrs. Langeton.
"I want to know why you are here," Judith said. "I want to know why you've arrested Professor Langeton and my father."
"Perhaps it would be better if we all introduced ourselves," Detective Straus said. He was in his forties, with a long, narrow face and dark brown hair pulled back in a long tail. "May I have your names please?"
Tash took the glass of water from the server and held it out to Randal's mother. "Try a little water, Mrs. Langeton."
Randal's mother took the glass in a shaking hand and tried to drink it. Judith caught it before she could drop it and held it to her lips.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"My name is Tash Higgins. I'm visiting here from earth," Tash said. "This is Judith Garneys, Randal Langeton's fiancée."
"And where is Mr. Langeton now?"
"I'm right here. Who the hell are you?" Randal demanded as he and Devon entered the room.
Judith thrust the glass into Tash's hand and ran to him. "Randal, they've arrested our fathers! They won't tell me why—"
"Alright," he said, putting an arm around her. Before he could say anything else, his mother jumped up and flung herself at him. Randal received her in his other arm, patting her on the back.
"Okay, Mom," he said, soothingly. "Let me find out what is going on, okay? You and Judith wait in the parlor."
Gently he handed his mother off to Judith, who put an arm around her and led her into the next room. Tash hesitated before following them.
Once inside, she left the door partly open so she and Judith could hear what wat was going forward.
Judith settled her prospective mother-in-law on the setee, handing her the glass of water. Mrs. Langeton sipped it, occasionally giving a gulping sob.
"Can you tell us where you've been this evening, Mr. Langeton?" Detective Straus asked.
"Certainly, I can tell you, providing you tell me what is going on here." Randal said.
"A woman was killed at Dreamedia Laboratory tonight. We naturally need to know where everyone connected to the lab was tonight."
"Devon and I were at the dueling fields earlier," Randal said. "Before, we were at Mercy Hospital Emergency Room."
"Why were you at those places?"
"We were at a party, and someone slipped Tash a date rape drug in her drink. She had an allergic reaction to it," Devon said.
"And you've been together the entire evening?" Detective Addicock asked.
"Yes," Randal said. "Where is my father?"
"All three partners have been detained as material witnesses in the murder," Straus replied. "Unfortunately, your mother became incoherent when asked her whereabouts this evening. If you can get her to answer that, we'll be on our way."
"Why have my father and Professor Garneys been detained?"
"I'm afraid we can't discuss an ongoing investigation with you."
"I see. I should tell you my mother is obviously too upset to speak further with you tonight. I assume she has been in all evening. You have my permission to check it with the server bots. You may speak further to her tomorrow when she has the support of the family lawyer."
Straus looked at him thoughtfully. Randal met his eyes, his own hard. Straus nodded, recognizing when he had hit a wall. "Very well, if you'll direct me to the robot controller room, my partner and I can be on our way. Please inform your mother we would like her to come to the station house tomorrow to make a statement. She can, of course bring a lawyer."
Randal watched them leave, frowning, before he went to the house vid screen and tapped into it. "Agustino DaVinci," he ordered.
"Records indicate Signore DaVinci will have left the office by this time," the server reported.
"Com him at home, then," Randal said.
DaVinci had obviously been asleep when he came to the vid screen. "You aren't Timothy Langeton," he said.
"I'm his son Randal. My father has been detained as a material witness in a murder case. So has Professor Garneys. I would appreciate it if you could try and get bail for them. Also, detectives investigating the case want to see mother at the 12th precinct tomorrow. Could someone from your office be there to represent her?"
"Of course," DaVinci said. "Are you being detained as well?"
"I have an alibi," Randal told him. "I was at the dueling grounds during the time in question."
"I see. Please tell your mother I'll meet her at the Police Station tomorrow. Remind her not to say anything unless I okay it."
"I will." Randal signed off.
"Sorry about this," he told Devon.
"Hey, this isn't your fault," Devon said.
In the parlor, Tash was saying the same sort of thing to Judith.
"Do you need to com your mom and let her know what's going on?" Tash asked her.
"I guess I'd better," Judith said. She looked anxiously at Mrs. Langeton. "Will you be okay with her?"
"Yes, you com your mom."
Tamara Garneys wasn't hysterical, but she wasn't calm either.
"Did you call Ava?" Judith asked her.
"She can't get here until tomorrow," Tamara told her. "Did they arrest Timothy too?"
"Yes," Judith said. "Allison's pretty upset. Why don't you join us here? The two of you can keep each other company. I'll send the carriage for you."
“Judith’s dad should probably have a rep with him too,” Devon said when Randal got off the com with the lawyer.
“You’re right, but I don’t know who it is,” he said.
“I bet Judith does.”
“Yeah,”
Devon saw him brace himself before going into the room where his mother and the girls waited.
Everything seemed much calmer.
Judith looked up when they came in. “Are they gone.”
“Yes. Judith do th you have a family lawyer?”
“I think it’s Carlos Santana. Why?”
“ I sent ours to go and be with Dad at the precinct. Your dad should have a rep with him too.”
“Oh, thank you, Randal. I didn’t think of that. I think I have his com address.” She fumbled with her com. “Here it is. I sent it to you.”
He nodded and he and Devon left the room.
“He’s a good man,” Tash said.
“I know,” Judith said ruefully. “But I wish he cared about me the way Devon feels about you.”
“What makes you think he doesn’t?”
“Three letters in six months? And he never once said he missed me. I’ve never gotten the kind of kiss Devon gave you after the duel either.”
“For a first kiss it was quite something,” Tash admitted. “But I keep wondering how much of it was real and how much was adrenaline.”
“Oh, there was a lot of adrenaline,” Judith agreed, “but it was real alright.”
The ornate door knocker sounded, and they heard the robo server say, “Welcome Mrs. Garneys.”
“We’re in here, Mom,” Judith called.
Mrs. Garneys was a petite blond, whose hair was beginning to show silver. “Is that tea?” She asked. “I’d love a cup.”
“I’ll tell the server,” Tash said.
Judith looked anxiously at her mother. “Randal called Carlos Santana to go to the precinct to be with Dad.”
Tamara nodded. “Yes, he told me when I came in. Do you know why they’ve been detained?”
“No, we don’t. Do you?”
“That horrible Simone Gusset woman broke into the lab tonight and someone killed her. The police must have found copies of those blackmail letters she sent your father in her comp.”
“The one’s threatening to tell you Dad was sleeping with her? But those were months ago. Besides he told her to tell and be damned. I still don’t understand why he didn’t fire her.”
“I don’t either, but it had something to do with why they hired her in the first place. One of those government agencies wanted her watched I think.”
“Why didn’t Dad tell the Detectives that?”
Her mother made a disgusted noise. “Apparently, they all took an oath of secrecy. Well, I didn’t, and I’ll say so if they don’t let your father go!”
“Timothy got one of those letters as well,” Allison said. “He showed it to me.”
"That detective said all of the partners had been detained," Judith said. "Gamel isn't married. I wonder who Simone threatened to tell?"
"He gambles," Tamara said. "Maybe she threatened to tell someone about his I.O.Us."
"Is he badly in debt?" Tash asked. "As long as he pays them off, there wouldn't be anything to blackmail him about."
"It's worth looking into," Judith said.
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