Titan Song Dan Stout (top 20 books to read txt) 📖

than me. Better dressed and better groomed as well. One wore a suit, the other a sweater pulled over a shirt and tie. Fairly thin fabrics, even on the sweater. These were people accustomed to staying in the warmth of the city’s center, and their fine watches and recently shined shoes made it unlikely they were police.

The one with the pencil-thin mustache inhaled, then said in a rush, “Yes, there is a deceased individual, but as I say—”

“Then it’s hardly under control, is it?” I said. “In fact, judging from the press scrum going on outside it’s not going to get under control anytime soon. And since I don’t see another Homicide detective crew anywhere around here, that means we’re first on scene, so this is our case. And that means that you’ll do as we say, or you’ll be squeezed into the back seat of our Hasam and hauled downtown.”

The tiny mustache guy blinked, his mouth slightly open. The one with the shaved head and flushed face threw in his own thoughts. “There’s no call for rudeness—”

“This is my polite voice,” I said. “But I’ll escalate this shit faster than you can blink, and you’ll be explaining to the owner of whatever boots you lick how the Hells you ended up needing to be bailed out of the Bunker.”

I turned to the DO. “What’s the story?”

Before they could speak, the Barekusu let out a rumbling sigh, a sound both soothing and unnerving. “I killed a man, Detective. That is why you are here. To hold me accountable.”

The Barekusu reared back slightly, and the horn plates over her eyes raised far enough for me to see more of her bisected eyes. She looked mournful and serious, but I didn’t have enough firsthand experience with Barekusu to say for certain.

The mustache guy started to speak up but I cut him off. “Save it, Pencil-thin.”

His lips twitched, as he tried to parse that out. “Excuse me?”

“Are you her lawyer?”

“Ah. No. I’m from the mayor’s office, and I’m here to help.” The man put extra emphasis on “mayor’s” and “help,” letting me know he really meant “someone more powerful than you” and “tell you what to do.”

I jerked my chin at the bald guy. “What about you? You the mayor’s man as well?”

Baldy was a little more subtle. “I serve with the Assembly of Free States delegation. I’m simply here to provide assistance and support at the request of Ambassador Paulus.” He was sophisticated enough to realize that was all he had to say. He wasn’t smart enough to realize that it made him a threat in my eyes. Although knowing that his boss was going to end the day in handcuffs, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

“Great! So the two of you can provide help and assistance by getting the Hells out of this room. Wait in the outer chamber until we’re ready for you.”

Baldy retreated a step, but Pencil-thin didn’t quite understand the lay of the land. “We were here, and can verify that this situation—”

I shouted over my shoulder: “Patrol!”

Pencil-thin shook his head. “Detective, I don’t think—”

One of the patrol cops poked her head in the chamber, and I said, “These two men are material witnesses. Escort them to the outer chamber. Do not let them leave. Do not let them use the phone. Do not let them use the restroom. Understood?”

The patrol nodded. That wasn’t good enough. The task I was assigning her was essential.

“What’s that?” I demanded.

“Understood.” She glowered, probably thinking I was an authoritarian SOB, but it was crucial that those two men not contact their superiors.

“Good,” I said. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready for them.”

Pencil-thin and the AFS man stared.

“I’d go, if I were you,” said Jax. “He wasn’t joking about the back of the Hasam being uncomfortable.”

The two political hacks shuffled out of the room with wide eyes and muttered protestations. They’d probably forgotten what it felt like to butt heads with someone who didn’t care about their job titles.

The DO looked like she needed to lie down. “I should go, too. I’m not even supposed to be here. I’m not a field operative.” Her mandibles twitched faster and faster, and her voice was starting to sound constricted. “I was here to see Serrow speak. I don’t know what I’m doing.” That explained why I hadn’t recognized her, and why the political flacks had been able to push her around.

Serrow said something then, but she said it in the DO’s own language. Her deep lowing, plus snaps from all four hands, made a shockingly accurate replication of Kampi. The DO’s eyes lit up, and both she and Ajax stood a little straighter. A compliment from a Barekusu had that effect, even if she was a murder suspect.

“You should stay,” I told the DO. “I’ll need to talk to you in a little bit. First, we’re going through this whole thing step by step.” To the Barekusu, I said, “Why don’t you start from the beginning.”

25

THE BAREKUSU AND I STUDIED each other.

Barekusu had the reputation of having a herd’s natural defenses and mind-sets. Typically peaceful and orderly, they were quick to protect each other when threatened, closing ranks against outsiders. In that way, they weren’t unlike cops. I wondered if they had high rates of divorce and alcoholism, as well.

“How would you like me to begin?” Serrow shifted on her hind legs, giving me a glimpse of one eye, the quartered pupil darting in four separate directions at once. The horn slats let them survey their surroundings, shading their eyes and making it hard to see where they were looking. An innate sense of direction combined with their peripheral vision gave them an uncanny knack for situational awareness. It was difficult, almost impossible, to sneak up on a Barekusu. Which is why I chose to tackle her head-on.

“Start with why you came here, end with why you killed someone. We’ll see where we go from there.” I positioned myself