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  “I am so sorry about your mom and dad,” Kathryn stated sincerely. “Your uncle deserved what happened to him. And I am glad that your cousin turned out to be a good guy. But you know how they will spin it. You will be labeled a convicted criminal, a revolutionary, a traitor to your own family, or worse. I can understand why they want you gone, at least until the election is over. Anyway, I thought that you should know.”

  The room was blanketed by an awkward silence.

  “If that story gets out,” Conor stated. “Michael will stand by you. You know he will.”

  “That’s the problem,” Kathryn replied as she pulled up a chair and sat down.

  “I will cross that bridge if we get to it,” Alex stated. “I appreciate you sharing this information with us, but let’s stick to the point. Michael had nothing to do with the Chief Justice’s murder. Your constant poking around is bound to attract the attention of the videopapers sooner or later. I am asking you to stop. Your actions are endangering Michael’s candidacy. Michael deserves better. He has done nothing wrong. You should know that by now.”

  “It is true that I have not found any evidence to implicate LaRocque,” she stated. “But someone killed her and I am not going to stop until I know who did it.”

  Alex sighed, knowing that he was left with two choices. The only way to stop her was to either kill her or invite her in.

  “Okay,” Alex continued. “How would you like to work with us?”

  “What?” she asked.

  “I want to hire you,” he said. “Give you full access to all of our records. You can snoop around to your heart’s content.”

  “Are you serious?” she asked.

  “It’s the only way to convince you that we had nothing to do with the Chief Justice’s death,” Alex stated. “Besides, although you are annoying, you are also very intelligent and persistent. Those are qualities which I greatly admire. As the campaign moves forward, we will need all the help we can get. A person with your talents could prove useful. What do you say?”

  Kathryn sat back in the chair, obviously interested, but not quite sure.

  “If I had to guess,” Alex added. “Just a guess mind you. I would guess that Respoola or one of Brandix’s other cronies was involved in the Chief Justice’s murder. After all, Brandix is interested in controlling the Court, as is Justice Casseday. Casseday and Kartini were political allies. You can bet that she was working behind the scenes to ensure that he got the Chief Justice position after her retirement. So, erasing her helped Michael, but it also helped Brandix.”

  “I did not think of that,” she admitted.

  “If you work with us,” Alex continued. “You will have access to all sorts of classified information. You will also have direct access to both Brandix and Respoola. Although it is very unlikely that you could find any direct evidence linking Brandix to the crime, there is always an off-chance that you could find something implicating Respoola. I couldn’t care less about him. If you should find something that incriminates him, I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

  Kathryn reached over and shook Alex’s hand.

  “Let’s talk salary,” she stated.

  Chapter 15

  KATHRYN’S ADVENTURE

  Something was not right. Opening his eyes, he peered into the darkness. The clock on his nightstand read 5:13.

  “Not again,” he thought to himself.

  Remembering Alex’s advice, he sniffed the air and immediately recognized the scent.

  Rolling out of the bed, he stated, “Lights on, please.”

  The ceiling glowed soft white, filling the room with just enough light to see. Grabbing a robe, he dashed across the room and placed his palm on the door’s exit pad just as Kathryn was about to ring the doorbell.

  “Whoa!” she gasped as the door disappeared.

  “Sorry,” Conor stated, trying to suppress the wide grin spreading across his face. “Did I startle you?”

  Kathryn looked up and down the corridor, making certain that she had not been followed, and rushed past him into the room. The door reformed behind her. Taking a chair from in front of his computer, she placed it next to his bed. Turning her attention to the bed itself, she straightened the blankets, rearranged the pillows, and pulled the bed covers tight. She then hopped onto the bed, sat cross-legged, and announced with a broad smile, “That’s better. Don’t you know anything about making a bed?”

  “I was asleep when you showed up,” Conor answered, sitting in the chair, facing her. “I don’t normally make my bed until after I’ve gotten up and showered.”

  “Did I wake you?” Kathryn asked in a mocking way.

  “It’s 5 in the morning,” Conor answered. “Of course, you woke me up. You interrupted a very pleasant dream too.”

  “Really?” Kathryn asked. “Was I in it?”

  “I said that it was a pleasant dream,” Conor answered.

  “Very funny,” she responded, brushing back her long reddish-brown hair, pulling it into a tight ponytail, and tying it in place with a yellow ribbon. “It wouldn’t be the first time, you know.”

  “For what?” Conor asked, obviously confused.

  “That a boy dreamed about me,” she answered with a sly grin.

  “I was not dreaming about you!” Conor exclaimed, his voice rising. “Why would I be dreaming about you? You’re nothing but trouble. Now, come on, its 5 in the morning. This had better be important.”

  “Oh, it is,” Kathryn answered, getting serious. “I was thinking about what happened yesterday. You know, about the conversation I overheard concerning Alex.”

  “What about it?” Conor asked, fighting back a yawn. “I thought that we went through all of that yesterday and that everything was settled.”

  “I still think that we should tell LaRocque about the conversation that I overheard,” she said, very seriously.

  “Where did this “we” come from?” Conor asked. “I work with Alex, Kristi, and Michael. I hardly know you. Alex said that we should let him handle it. That’s exactly what I intend to do. He knows what he’s doing.”

  “Have you ever considered that Alex may have his own agenda?” Kathryn continued. “My father has direct access to the Consortium’s infractions list. I used his passcodes to access those files and Alex has a list of infractions that filled over five screens. He’s hiding something, I can feel it.”

  “I don’t suppose that you asked your father for permission to access those files,” Conor stated. “Seems to me that accessing a classified government database without clearance is a serious infraction. In fact, I bet that you are compiling a pretty long list of infractions yourself.”

  “That’s irrelevant,” Kathryn continued. “The point is that Alex is not trustworthy.”

  “And what makes you think that I am?” Conor asked, his tone clearly showing his growing distain for Kathryn’s vendetta against Alex.

  “Because I accessed your file and guess what?” she asked.

  “What?” Conor asked.

  “Nothing,” Kathryn replied. “There was nothing at all. You don’t have a single infraction. Not even a warning letter. You’re cleaner than the inside of a sisterion clamshell.”

  “That doesn’t mean a thing,” Conor answered. “I don’t care if Alex has 100 pages of infractions. Whatever he has done in the past, whatever he has been accused of, I don’t care. I have faith in him.”

  “Famous last words,” Kathryn continued. “Sounds to me like you idolize him. Better be careful there. You can’t place too much trust in anyone. As my father always says, if you expect the worst from people you will never be disappointed.”

  “What a terrible way to live,” Conor answered. “People are not perfect. Many are unbelievably self-centered. Others are outright cruel. But I just could not live my life like that. I always assume the best in people.”

  “You are so naïve,” Kathryn interrupted. “It’s like you were born yesterday. You wait and see, with an attitude like that you are going to ge
t crushed like a bug.”

  Conor bristled at the words “like you were born yesterday.” Kathryn had no idea how very young he actually was and he had no intention of telling her.

  “I guess that we will have to wait and see about that,” Conor answered, recovering his composure. “By the way, if I am supposed to be so cynical about everyone and everything, why should I trust you?”

  “Because,” Kathryn stated with a wickedly beautiful grin. “I am the only one who had nothing to gain from Kartini’s death. Everyone else has motive. Therefore, I am the only one who can be trusted.”

  Conor rolled his eyes.

  “What?” Kathryn asked, obviously surprised by Conor’s flippant attitude.

  “I don’t know you,” he stated. “I don’t know anything about you, other than you wear heather perfume.”

  “You like my perfume?” she asked seductively.

  “Stop that,” Conor stated. “I was not flirting with you.”

  “Sounded that way to me,” Kathryn stated, smiling.

  “You know exactly what I mean,” Conor continued. “I just don’t give my trust away. It is earned. Alex has earned my trust. You have not.”

  “Well then,” Kathryn stated with confidence. “I will have to work on that, won’t I?”

  “Yes, you will,” Conor stated.

  “I must admit,” Kathryn continued, as if it was the first time that the idea of taking Conor seriously had crossed her mind. “You are an interesting person. Very interesting indeed. Much more complex than I had originally thought.”

  “Thanks, I think,” Conor stated, wondering where she was going with all of this.

  “I have great intuition,” she continued. “It’s a gift. I can tell things about people. Their tendencies. I have a very good feeling about you, and my intuition is never wrong. It tells me that you can be trusted. Perhaps, with time, you will come to trust me as well.”

  “We shall see,” Conor answered.

  “By the way,” she started.

  “Now what?” Conor thought to himself.

  “I was wondering if you would take a little trip with me,” Kathryn stated.

  “Where?” Conor asked.

  “I have discovered a way to reach Brandix’s personal suite, in the courthouse, without being detected,” Kathryn answered, her voice trailing off into a whisper. “A friend of mine has an internship with the Interstellar Court’s legal research department. She overheard a conversation about a meeting that’s supposed to take place this afternoon in Brandix’s personal suite. She told me that she overheard the names Marilyn Hunt and Justice Casseday being mentioned. I suspect that a deal is about to be made, one that could decide the outcome of the election.”

  “Politics is all about making deals,” Conor answered. “There’s nothing wrong or unusual about that.”

  “Don’t you get it?” Kathryn asked, obviously frustrated with Conor’s lack of political guile. “If LaRocque is innocent, as you claim, then it is very likely that one of the people at that meeting ordered Kartini’s murder. I, for one, want to know who did it. Don’t you?”

  “Of course,” Conor admitted. “But how would listening in on the meeting help us find the murderer?”

  “Who knows?” Kathryn asked. “Maybe someone will say something. In any case, Brandix is LaRocque’s sponsor. That means that the two of them are linked, arm-in-arm, for just about forever. Personally, I’d like to know what kind of person I was going to be allied with for eternity. The kind of deals they are making behind my back. Wouldn’t you?”

  “I guess,” Conor answered. “But it doesn’t really matter. The courthouse is well-protected by armed guards and robocameras. We would be spotted right away.”

  “Did I mention the secret passageway?” Kathryn asked.

  “What secret passageway?” Conor asked.

  “The one that was built eons ago as part of the Interstellar Court’s emergency escape system,” she replied. “It’s a big secret, but I found out about it using my father’s passcodes. There is an emergency escape tunnel that leads right to their personal suites. The tunnel is protected by electronic detection devices. So, I can’t bring a listening or recording device, nothing mechanical. But there are no guards. And there are no robocameras.”

  “If it is so easy and safe, why do you need me?” Conor asked. “Why don’t you go alone?”

  “Because if I learn something interesting, I will need someone to corroborate my story,” Kathryn answered.

  “I’ll tell you what,” Conor said. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Great!” Kathryn shouted, waving her fist triumphantly in the air. “I knew that I could count on you!”

  “Don’t celebrate just yet,” Conor warned her. “I’m not sure that I should do this. We could get in a whole lot of trouble if we’re caught. And we both work for Michael. If we get caught, it could cause him a lot of trouble.”

  “You worry too much,” Kathryn stated as she slid off of the bed, headed for Conor’s computer, and hit the link to the hotel’s dispensary.

  “I’m starved,” she stated, flipping through the offerings. “I’m in the mood for scrambled eggs. You want anything to eat?”

  Conor blushed as he realized that he had been sitting in his robe and was not wearing any clothing underneath.

  “Scrambled eggs works for me,” Conor called out as he grabbed some clothes from his dresser and headed for the bathroom to get changed. “Go ahead and order for both of us.”

  Kathryn took a small rectangular device from a drawer and pressed the green button on its side. A small table, large enough for two, unfolded itself. She placed the table in the middle of the room, pulled two chairs over to the table, and sat down, waiting for the food to arrive. Conor emerged from the bathroom just as the food arrived at the door. The robot, which looked more like a mobile oven than a robot, beeped as Kathryn reached inside its belly and removed a large plate of scrambled eggs, several toasted wheat cakes, and a pitcher of orange drink.

  “I ordered a large, single serving,” Kathryn stated, placing the plate in the middle of the table. “We will have to share. I thought it best to make it a single order. That way, no one will suspect that I was here. I found extra utensils and another drinking glass in your nightstand. I hope that you didn’t mind me going through your nightstand. I didn’t see anything embarrassing.”

  “No problem,” Conor stated as he sat down across from her and grabbed a fork. “And good thinking about the single order.”

  “Now isn’t this pleasant?” Kathryn stated as she began to eat. “Maybe we should do this more often.”

  Conor smiled as Kathryn smiled back at him. For some reason, the friendlier she was, the more nervous he got.

  “Do you still think that we shouldn’t tell LaRocque about the conversation I overheard?” Kathryn asked, munching on a wheat cake.

  “Absolutely not,” Conor answered, taking a sip of the orange drink. “Alex knows what he’s doing.”

  “You are far too trusting,” Kathryn stated matter-of-factly. “Just how long have you known Alex?”

  “A very long time,” Conor answered, trying to hide the fact that he was lying.

  “How long is a very long time?” Kathryn asked. “And stop avoiding my questions. You’re making me nervous.”

  “I make you nervous?” Conor asked.

  “Maybe nervous is the wrong word,” Kathryn admitted. “But I have noticed that whenever we have been together I’ve done most of the talking. So, you are either incredibly shy or you are hiding something.”

  “Who, me?” Conor replied defensively. “I have nothing to hide. I am as clean as the inside of a sisterion clamshell, remember?”

  “Very funny,” Kathryn stated, pausing to wipe her mouth with a napkin. “But there is something about you that is different. I can’t put a finger on it, but I will. Just give me some time.”

  “What do you mean?” Conor asked. “What is so different about me?”

  �
��Like I said,” Kathryn answered with a coy smile. “I’m not certain yet. But something tells me that I should stick close to you.”

  “Your intuition again?” Conor asked.

  “I guess that you could call it that,” Kathryn answered. “Or, maybe it’s just because you’re so cute.”

  “Cute?” Conor exclaimed, totally embarrassed.

  “Now, now,” she stated with a disarming smile. “Don’t tell me that I’m the first girl to tell you that.”

  Conor was completely flabbergasted. He didn’t know what to say next. His face turned a light shade of red as he placed his fork down onto the table top.

  “I’ll take care of this,” Kathryn stated, picking up the now nearly empty plate that they had shared. Conor watched her closely as she walked across the room and deposited the plate and their utensils into a cleansing unit. She pressed the on button and the machine began to hum.

  “She’s beautiful,” Conor thought as she waited for the cleansing unit to run through its cycle.

  “Not bad,” Kristi’s voice announced in his mind.

  Conor nearly jumped out of his seat.