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DETECTIVES STRAUS and Addicock had listened to DaVinci's report about the threat to his family with skepticism. It wouldn't be the first time a defense attorney had attempted a little misdirection.
Straus, who was in the process of separating from his wife, got a frantic call a few hours later.
A strange woman had attempted to take his daughter out of school.
"What's going on, Con?" his soon-to-be ex-wife demanded. "The school called. Someone attempted to take Louise out of school. They said you sent them."
"What? No, I didn't send anyone. Is Louise safe?"
"Yes. She's waiting for me to come and pick her up."
"Let me make a few calls," he told her. "After you get her, pack a few things in case I need to send you to a safehouse."
"Alright," she said. "This sort of thing is why cops shouldn't get married!"
"What is it?" his partner asked.
"You remember Langeton's lawyer saying someone had threatened him after he arranged Langeton's bail hearing?"
"Yeah. I didn't think there was anything in it. You didn't either as I recall."
"Earlier today, someone tried to get my daughter out of school. They apparently said I sent them. I don't believe in coincidence,"
"Is she okay?"
"Yes. The school security is pretty good. The woman wasn't on the list of allowed contacts, so they called my wife to verify it. Mathilde called me. Adeline is waiting for her in the principal's office. I need to find a safe house for them until I can figure out who is behind this."
"Why now?" Addicock wondered. "We aren't involved in any high-profile investigations..."
"Maybe we are," he said slowly. "Didn't you say Randal Langeton told you some type of top-secret data crystal had gone missing?"
"I would have thought an attempt to grab your daughter was to get back at you for something you did in a past case, not something we have going on now."
"We'll look into both," the two detectives turned as their Captain, a woman named Maria Barbeau, a tall slim person with greying hair spoke.
"That was quick," Straus said. "I just got the com from my wife about it."
She handed him a crystal and a set of key cards. "The keys to the safe house. Send them there until we get this straightened out."
The com on Addicock's desk shrilled. When she answered it, it was a patrolman nearing retirement. "Detective, are you investigating a case concerning Dreamedia Laboratories?"
"Yes," she said. "Why do you want to know?"
"Well, an attempt was made to kidnap Dr. Garney's daughter as she was leaving the lab with some information he asked for."
"Is she hurt?"
"I haven't spoken to her. Randal Langeton, her fiancé is here. He and Devon Morton stopped the attack. He sent his fiancée home."
"You said he broke it up? How?"
"Well, they shot down the sled chasing the girls. The driver and his buddy are on the way to Mercy Hospital."
"How badly are they hurt?"
"The medics said one of them had a concussion and the other one was unconscious but breathing."
"Thank you. We're sending a forensic team out to take in the evidence. Please stand by until they arrive."
She turned off the com and looked at Straus and Barbeau. "So much for coincidence," she said. "Maybe we better put anyone investigating this case on alert."
The Captain nodded. "I'll do that. You two get out there to question Judith Garneys and her friend."
They were delayed because they went to the Garneys home first. A robot server told them through the security screen: "Miss Judith is at her fiancé's place."
"I want to know what she was doing before they tried to snatch her," Straus said.
"Me too," Addicock agreed.
"The crime scene is on the way," Addicock said. "Let's swing by it."
Straus nodded abstractly. He was currently engaged in an acrimonious discussion with his wife about the safe house. "Mathilde, I know it's inconvenient, but I hope it won't be for long. You'll be safe there. We can't afford a bodyguard service, you know that."
He winced at her answer. "Yes, I know your father can afford it, but—at least promise me you'll stay at the house until he can get the bodyguards in place."
Addicock pretended she hadn't heard. She knew a big part of Straus's family issues stemmed from the fact his wife's family was wealthy and he only had his cop's salary.
Addicock and Straus arrived as Randal and Devon were mounting their sleds to leave.
"A moment please, Mr. Langeton," Addicock called.
Randal put his sled into park and waited for them. Neither he nor Devon turned off the motor.
"Was there something you wanted, detective?" Randal asked.
"Several things actually," Addicock said. "What happened here?"
"My fiancée and Tash Higgens came by the lab offices to get some information her father asked for. When they left, the men in the sled tried to get into their vehicle. When they couldn't they followed them. The men in the sled ran into them several times to force the girls to land. I assume it was an attempt to kidnap them."
"I see," she said. She glanced at Straus who was still frowning at his com link. "Why do you think someone would attempt to kidnap your fiancée, Mr. Langeton?"
"Judith told me she intended to speak to Gusset's roommate today. Presumedly someone is afraid she might have learned something about who really murdered Gusset."
"You're assuming neither your father nor Miss Garneys killed her."
"They didn't," he said flatly.
"How do you know that?" she challenged. "Were you there?"
"You know where I was," he replied. "As I told the officer last night, a valuable piece of data technology is missing from the lab. Both my father and Professor Garney's had access to it. They would have had no reason to steal it. Simone Gusset was involved in a few illegal activities. I suggest you start looking into them instead of harassing innocent men."
"But you refuse to tell us what exactly is missing."
"Get clearance and I will. Until then, you don't need to know what it is, only that it's missing."
She stared back at him for a moment with her cop's stare. It usually worked to intimidate suspects. It failed today.
"If there is nothing else—"
"Actually, there is. An attempt was made to kidnap Detective Straus's daughter today. It could be a coincidence and not related to this case, but as your attorney reported being threatened as well..."
"I see," he replied. "I suggest you keep an eye on Gusset's roommate. She could be in danger as well. Now, if you don't mind, I need to check on Judith."
He put the sled in gear and sped off, followed by Devon. Addicock stared after the two men before she contacted her captain to request a patrol sled check out Gusset's apartment.
When Judith and Tash arrived at Randal's home, they found Ava there.
"They let Dad come home," Ava told her sister. "Mom and I've been looking for you. Where were you?"
"Looking into a few things," Judith replied. "We spoke to Simone's Gusset's roommate. It turns out she's a cousin. She gave us an earful about stuff Gusset was into. It isn't good."
"Then they'll have to let Dad and Professor Langeton go, won't they? They have to see they're innocent."
"I'm beginning to think it isn't so simple," Judith said. "A couple of guys tried to grab Tash and me when we left the lab today."
"Grab you? Why?"
"I don't know. Maybe Randal will have a few ideas. He told us to come here."
"Allison finally fell asleep," Professor Langeton said from the doorway. He looked tired and rumpled. "This has been hard on her. Did I hear you say someone tried to grab you girls?"
"Yes," Judith said. "Randal sent us here. I assume he's on his way."
"It might be a while," Tash said. "As we left, I saw both sleds fire at the one who tried to run us off the road. They might have to deal with the police about that."
A robot server brought in a tray loaded with small sandwiches, a coffee pot, and cups which she sat on a coffee table. "Shall I pour, Miss Judith?" she asked.
"Who ordered tea?" Judith asked.
"I did," Randal said. “Are either of you hurt?” he asked Judith. He didn’t mention the gut-wrenching fear which had overtaken him when he realized the criminals were trying to kidnap her.
“I’m fine,” Judith said impatiently.
“Tash?” Devon asked.
“We got a little banged up when they kept ramming us, but other than a few bruises, we’re fine.”
Randal came over to give his father a hug. "How's Mom?" he asked.
"I put her to bed and gave her a sedative. She didn't sleep last night," he said.
Judith lifted the pot to pour the coffee. Tash took hers and a small sandwich.
"I think it's time someone told us what is going on," she announced. She fixed Randal with a severe eye. "This isn't only about the stolen data crystal, is it?"
"Well, it's a big part of it," he said. "But you're correct, it isn't all of it."
Judith glared at him. "You joined them, didn't you? The Black Templars. They're the ones who insisted Dad and the Professor keep Gusset on the payroll after she tried her blackmail stunt, aren't they?"
Everyone except Professor Langeton looked at her.
"What, or who are the Black Templars?" Tash asked.
"Better tell her son," Randal's father advised.
He scowled. "Alright, but none of you can repeat this. Yes, Judith, I was invited to join the Templars. They're the ones who sent me to earth with the virus to protect our colony from being discovered." He looked at his father. "The rest is your story."
"Yes. Well, as it happens Agustin and I are also members. A few months ago, we were asked to employ a lab tech named Simone Gusset because they wanted to keep an eye on her. They think—thought she was a member of an organized crime ring involved in a lot of criminal activities."
"What activities," Judith demanded.
"Well blackmail, obviously, embezzlement, grifting and scams, even a few designer drugs."
"Were you supposed to allow her to embezzle your company? To blackmail you?" demanded Allison. She had followed her husband.
"I thought you were going to sleep a little," he said.
"No, you wanted me to sleep, Timothy. I never said I would. I'm not a child! I'm your wife! I have a right to know what is going on."
He sighed. "Yes, you do."
"I think all of us want to know, Dad," Randal said.
"I had already told Mathieu I intended to pull the plug on the operation. Agustin and I didn't mind helping out with their investigation, but we weren't going to allow her to steal from us or ruin our marriages."
"Do the police know any of this?" Ava asked.
"I don't know," Timothy Langeton replied.
"Judging from my conversation with those two detectives, I'm betting they've been told squat," Randal said.
"There's something else," Timothy Langeton said. "Mathieu told me today there has been a series of disappearances. All the people who vanished have relatives connected with investigating a crime cabal called the Red Conclave. When we reviewed their investigations, all the investigations seem to have stalled. The templars think the conclave is keeping the missing people somewhere as hostages for their relative's behavior."
"I want a list of who's vanished," Randal said.
"I'll see if I can get you one," his father said.
