Free Exodus: Empires at War: Book 2 by Doug Dandridge Page B

Even the
murder weapon had been destroyed.  But someone had to be responsible, and the
investigators went about their jobs with fire in their eyes.
    Dr. Lucille Yu was
brought into an impromptu office where several investigators from the civilian
organizations sat with a pair of Naval Intelligence officers.  The eyes of the
men were a combination of hard and shocked, and the scientist could imagine
what was going through their minds.  Their beloved Emperor, the one they had
been charged with defending with their lives, was gone.  Along with him had
gone the one who would have succeeded him.
    “We have some questions
for you, Doctor Yu,” said a hard faced black man in a suit which screamed
government agent.
    “And you are?” she
asked.
    “Senior Inspector
Jiminez with the IIB,” said the man, looking down on her as if he wanted to
step on her.  “And from here on I will be asking the questions.  Is that
understood?”
    “Maybe I should have a
lawyer present,” she said, trying to appear confident and knowing that she was
failing miserably.
    “You can talk to your
lawyer later,” said the man with a cold smile.  “Right now you need to talk
with us.”
    “But my rights.”
    “Damned your rights,
woman,” growled the large man, glowering down at her.  “We’ve have the
sovereign of the Empire assassinated while visiting your station.  Along with
the Heir and the Empress.”
    “And all the chief
staff of the station,” chimed in another of the investigators.
    “With the exception of
you,” said Jiminez.  “Why did you leave the tour before the assassin struck,
Dr. Yu?”
    “I was called away,”
she said, a shiver coming over her as she thought about how close she had come
to death.  And sorrow at all that had died, especially her friends and
colleagues.  “There was a problem with the negative matter production that they
wanted me to look at.”
    “And they couldn’t have
sent you the information?” asked Jiminez.  “Or asked the negative matter
expert?  Dr. Gomez I believe.  And please sit down before you fall over.”
    Yu sat in the offered
seat, with the investigators all circling her like a pride of carnivores
waiting for the kill.
    “I don’t know what I
was thinking,” said Yu in a quiet voice.  “I had to be near the central control
room in order to look at the data in real time and suggest the adjustments,”
she said in a strengthening voice.  “And Dr. Gomez was such a fan of the
Imperial Family I thought he might enjoy their company more than I.”
    “So you didn’t like the
Imperial Family?” asked one of the military investigators, looking at a flat
comp and making notes.
    “I didn’t say I didn’t
like them,” said Yu, shaking her head.  “I adored the Emperor.  But I don’t
really like parties all that much.  And Gomez always went on about wanting to
talk with the Emperor.”
    “So you really don’t
know anything about this assassination?” asked Jiminez, looking down at her. 
“I would like to believe you.  I really would.  But I can’t take that chance. 
We have some techs with a mind probe here.  So I guess we’ll just have to use
them.”
    “But,” said Lucille,
thinking of the very unpleasant procedure which some people equated with mind
rape.  “I’m telling you the truth.”
    “Perhaps you are,” said
Jiminez, motioning for one of the other plainclothes investigators to come
over.  “But we can’t take that chance right now.  I need to know as much as I
can about what happened here.  I’ll apologize later if I’m wrong.”
    The other large man
grabbed Lucille Yu by the arm and pulled her out of her chair.  Before she
could gain her balance or protest she was hustled from the room.
    *     *     *
    “You really think she
had anything to do with this mess?” said one of the naval investigators.
    “I don’t know,” said
Jiminez, frowning as he thought of a seated Emperor killed on his watch.  “It
may not