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Raven met Leith at the designated spot the next morning, her stomach fluttering with nerves. She was concerned about the reaction the humans would have to her, along with successfully concluding their investigation, and she was also anxious about seeing Leith again. Would he be as cold and distant today as he had been yesterday?
She joined him in the antechamber, where MX and Heather also stood, and her heart sank as she realized he probably would. He barely glanced at her and only nodded his head once, never breaking off conversation with Heather.
Raven stood there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot as she wondered what her purpose or role was. MX looked equally mystified, and the two humans continued speaking in hushed tones. They didn’t appear to be excluding the two cyborgs from the conversation, despite speaking in a lowered voice. They just seemed to be acting discreet.
Finally, Leith moved his chair away from Heather and took up a position beside Raven. “I thought we could interview people today, RVN...Raven. I wanted to start with Heather, because she and MX have their own work to do.”
“Is Heather under suspicion?” asked Raven.
Leith shrugged a shoulder. “Patrick Sanchez was her grandfather, and Elena Sanchez was her great-grandmother. Do you know who Elena Sanchez was?”
Before Raven could answer, MX squared her shoulders and said, “She was the human I killed, Raven.”
Raven nodded, having already remembered that for herself after reading the debriefing. “Do you believe Heather had anything to do with this?” She was addressing Leith.
“I don’t believe so,” said MX. “I was here when the explosion took place, and Patrick tried to get her to leave, but she refused. He told her she would be a victim of her own decisions before he stormed off. He knew she was in the vicinity when he overloaded the environmental controls, and he had no regard for his granddaughter’s safety.”
Leith looked impressed. “Exactly, but I think we should rule out everyone who might be a possible liability. Heather, were you aware that your grandfather was opposed to the cyborg and human treaty?”
Heather didn’t hesitate. “Of course. He never really made it a secret, did he?”
Leith shook his head. “And did you know he was actively plotting to sabotage the truce?” When Heather shook her head, he asked, “Are you aware of anyone who might be conspiring with him? Before your grandfather killed himself, he intimated to Gwen that there were other humans in the enclave who felt the same way. The question is, are there others who are willing to act as Patrick did?”
Heather shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t answer the last question, because I don’t know. I don’t know who else might’ve been involved either, but I can tell you some of my grandfather’s closest friends. You know Boris?”
Leith nodded. “I had planned to interview him. Anyone else?”
“He often played cards with Michael and Loretta, along with Boris.” Heather lowered her voice lightly. “And Grandpa didn’t know I knew, but he was casually seeing Elle. I guess he thought I’d disapprove or something, since she’s fifteen years younger than he was, but it didn’t matter to me. Grandma’s been dead for years, and I liked seeing him happy. You have to believe that if I had any idea what he was thinking or doing, I would’ve told you or Gwen earlier.”
Leith nodded. “I do believe you.”
Raven gulped when Leith suddenly turned his piercing gaze to her. She waited for him to speak as she curled her hands against her sides and struggled with a feeling of guilt she had no reason to feel.
“Are you satisfied of Heather’s innocence, or are there questions you would like to ask her?”
Raven quickly shook her head. “I think you covered everything.” Truth be told, she was feeling overwhelmed by the rapid-fire interrogation, which left her wondering what possible use she could be to find other humans who were opposed enough to the treaty to actively do something to sabotage it.
Looking content, Leith turned back to Heather. “Why don’t you and MX start on your assignments then? Thank you for your time, Heather.”
Heather nodded, and then she nodded again at MX before leading him away.
She stood there awkwardly for a moment, finally crossing her arms over her chest. “What do we do now?”
“I thought we could start by interviewing Boris, since he was Patrick’s closest friend. After him, we’ll talk to Michael and Elle, and anyone else who might offer a lead. Does that sound like a plan?”
Raven nodded, wondering if he was just asking her to be polite, or if he would defer to her if she had a better suggestion. It was a moot question, since she didn’t have a better idea, never having conducted such an investigation before. She was there to find a mate, and she was confident she could do that, assuming Leith had even a hint of reciprocal interest. However, she wasn’t confident in her skills when it came to solving the mystery of who was working against the cyborg/human alliance.