“Probably best if you let that one go, bruv.”
Connor’s tone hardened, which made Trevor’s next line of questions more difficult.
“Fine. I’m curious. What would happen if you saw him now?”
“I’d walk the other way. I won’t dishonor the uniform.”
“Good. Were you wearing the uniform last night when you visited the Alhambra bloc?”
Connor’s somber expression did not budge. Why not even the slightest tinge of surprise? Did he anticipate the question?
“What’s this, bruv? You’re keeping tabs on me?”
“You went to Alhambra. Yes?”
“I visited a mate.”
“Strange word choice since we’re talking about Thomas Quinlan.”
“Never saw that bastard. He lives in Alhambra?”
“Flat 1538. But you’d know that. You were seen on his floor approaching his flat. Why meet with Thomas?”
Connor contorted his features as if he’d been hit upside the head.
“Bruv. Are you serious right now? I never met with Quinlan. I wasn’t on his floor.”
Trevor wanted to believe.
“Visiting someone else, were you?”
“Not me.” Connor winked. “Somebody’s got you bamboozled. Quinlan accuse me of something?”
“No. Thomas has been missing for hours. He’s gone dark. LinkPass says he never left, yet he did. Strange thing. It also shows you never hit any access points inside Alhambra. But the secure cams show you entering the lobby and leaving an hour later. Anything you’d like to share?”
Connor shifted his body into full denial mode, right down to the flailed arms which protested his innocence.
“I dunno what in ten hells you’re up to, but something’s not screwed on right. It’s the job. Being Governor’s gone to your head.”
Predictable deflection.
“Wish I could blame the job. I’m just trying to understand, C. Thomas’s disappearance makes as much sense as your denial of meeting him. If it were this alone, I’d have waited to say something. But it’s not, by a long shot.”
“Oh, yeah? What else you got, bruv?”
That sounded like a challenge. Trevor pushed onward.
“There are huge gaps in your LinkPass history. I see everything in public locales, right down to the store where you bought your beige ensemble. But as soon you enter residential areas, you vanish. Can you explain?”
“Technology’s great until it’s not?” Connor chuckled. “Right now, Trevor, I want to knock the shit out of you. Tracking my movements? The hell are you thinking?”
Connor played it by the book, much like he learned ages ago when Trevor called him ‘the brat.’ The boy became well practiced at wearing down his older brother with denials and recriminations. Some things never changed.
OK. Here we go.
“In the last four hours, five people on this station have been reported missing or found dead. Thomas did not report to work. He has no history since last night. Shireena researched his private data spool. He was profiling a man named Niles Acasta, who has direct links to Black Star. Mr. Acasta is also missing. We have evidence he and Thomas met yesterday while Acasta cleaned the ARS in Haven.
“Neither left the station. Two women living in Episteme were reported late to work. Deputies found them dead in their flats. Lifetechs haven’t reported the cause. The fifth person lives in Harmony. Nowhere to be found. No history since last night.”
Connor whistled.
“Damn, bruv. That’s brutal. There hasn’t been a day like this since Hoshi Oda made those three students kill themselves.”
“How would you know, C? You’ve been away for ten months.”
“C’mon, Trevor. I assumed. After you cracked down with Shadow Gambit ... look, maybe these five slipped through the cracks. Another Black Star cell? I recall what you said before I left: There’d be more. Just a matter of whether you’d suss them out in time.”
Trevor still wanted to believe, but logic stared him in the face.
“The last three I mentioned haven’t been vetted. If they’re part of a cell, we’ll find out. Here’s the headline, C. You spent a couple of hours in Episteme. Your public access points take you near the bloc where those women were killed.”
“Near? Are you serious right now?”
“Very. So I’m going to ask straight up, because I want to give you a chance. I want to believe you were not involved.”
Connor shook his head and groaned.
“You sure I can’t have a drink?”
