“It’s come back, hasn’t it?”
*
Ian and Sid took turns in the zone booth all afternoon. By six thirty that evening they’d covered the Tyne all the way up to South Benwell on the north bank and the viaduct over the River Derwent where it spilled into the Tyne on the south bank. That was a lot higher upriver than the tidal flow current could carry a body in two hours, but Sid was being super-cautious. In total they found eleven possible gaps in the mesh surveillance, most of them a lot wider than the first by the Tyne Bridge support. After reviewing the entire Dunston Marina, Sid considered it the most likely place; there were just so many boats moored there that weren’t fully covered by the local meshes.
“Eleven?” Eva said when Ian finished the final section. “That’s a lot of fieldwork. And we’ve lost a day as well, so there’s not going to be much evidence left.”
Sid yawned as he stretched his arms out. In front of him, one of the wallscreens was displaying a simple map with each of the eleven gaps. “Not my problem.”
The zone booth door shut as Ian emerged. “Are you at least allowed to cordon off the areas?”
“I don’t know,” Sid admitted. “I’ll have to ask O’Rouke.” Which wasn’t something he wanted to do. He swiveled the chair around. “Abner?”
The two Norths looked at each other. “No, sorry, boss,” Abner replied.
“Seriously, man, no name at all?”
“The genetic sample confirmed he’s a 2,” Ari said. “We have spoken personally to all our brothers. They’re all accounted for.”
“So he was a B or a C,” Sid said.
“Has to be,” Ari agreed. “But Brinkelle’s organization claims none of her 2s are missing.”
“And Jupiter?”
“Aldred talked to Augustine. A message was sent to Constantine. He claims no C 2s are on Earth.”
“This is bullshit,” Ian snapped at Abner and Ari. “You’re covering up for something.”
Abner stood up and walked over to Ian, who wasn’t giving ground. “One of my brothers has been murdered, you cocksucking little twat.”
“Enough!” Sid said.
Ian and Abner glared at each other. Any second now a fist would fly. They didn’t care about the internal sensors and official log. Sid knew he was going to have to get that log altered before the case file was folded and handed over to the prosecution office. There was a bytehead on the second floor he knew could help.
“Abner,” Sid said. “Give me your best guess what’s happened?”
With one final derisory sneer at Ian, Abner turned away. “There’s two possibles here: Either there was a 2 we didn’t know about. It’s unlikely, but not impossible. Or Constantine and Brinkelle aren’t being entirely truthful.”
“Why?” Ian asked.
Abner shrugged. “I cannot think of a single reason.” He shot Ian a look. “Certainly not corporate—not money.”
“Okay,” Sid said quickly.
“There’s a third option,” Ari said.
Abner gave him a startled glance.
“Which is?” Sid asked.
“There have been attempts to imitate us in the past.”
“You said you’d talked to all the 2s,” Eva said.
“We did,” Ari said. “But to be real, that was a thirty-second call to ask them if they’re alive.”
“Pull them in,” Ian said. “Interrogate them. Take DNA samples. It’s the only way to find an imposter.”
“Good luck with that,” Abner said.
“We’d need Augustine’s permission,” Sid mused. He didn’t like to think of the fallout from that request to O’Rouke. Best to sound out Aldred first.
“His cooperation,” Ari corrected.
Sid was about to answer when they all heard a the drone of a helicopter getting louder outside. Lorelle pushed off the console desk, letting her chair roll over to the nearest window, and peered up into the night sky. It had started snowing again. “Kamov 130,” she said approvingly. “Auxiliary tail prop. Those guys are fast. I don’t know an agency that can afford one of those for police
*
Ian and Sid took turns in the zone booth all afternoon. By six thirty that evening they’d covered the Tyne all the way up to South Benwell on the north bank and the viaduct over the River Derwent where it spilled into the Tyne on the south bank. That was a lot higher upriver than the tidal flow current could carry a body in two hours, but Sid was being super-cautious. In total they found eleven possible gaps in the mesh surveillance, most of them a lot wider than the first by the Tyne Bridge support. After reviewing the entire Dunston Marina, Sid considered it the most likely place; there were just so many boats moored there that weren’t fully covered by the local meshes.
“Eleven?” Eva said when Ian finished the final section. “That’s a lot of fieldwork. And we’ve lost a day as well, so there’s not going to be much evidence left.”
Sid yawned as he stretched his arms out. In front of him, one of the wallscreens was displaying a simple map with each of the eleven gaps. “Not my problem.”
The zone booth door shut as Ian emerged. “Are you at least allowed to cordon off the areas?”
“I don’t know,” Sid admitted. “I’ll have to ask O’Rouke.” Which wasn’t something he wanted to do. He swiveled the chair around. “Abner?”
The two Norths looked at each other. “No, sorry, boss,” Abner replied.
“Seriously, man, no name at all?”
“The genetic sample confirmed he’s a 2,” Ari said. “We have spoken personally to all our brothers. They’re all accounted for.”
“So he was a B or a C,” Sid said.
“Has to be,” Ari agreed. “But Brinkelle’s organization claims none of her 2s are missing.”
“And Jupiter?”
“Aldred talked to Augustine. A message was sent to Constantine. He claims no C 2s are on Earth.”
“This is bullshit,” Ian snapped at Abner and Ari. “You’re covering up for something.”
Abner stood up and walked over to Ian, who wasn’t giving ground. “One of my brothers has been murdered, you cocksucking little twat.”
“Enough!” Sid said.
Ian and Abner glared at each other. Any second now a fist would fly. They didn’t care about the internal sensors and official log. Sid knew he was going to have to get that log altered before the case file was folded and handed over to the prosecution office. There was a bytehead on the second floor he knew could help.
“Abner,” Sid said. “Give me your best guess what’s happened?”
With one final derisory sneer at Ian, Abner turned away. “There’s two possibles here: Either there was a 2 we didn’t know about. It’s unlikely, but not impossible. Or Constantine and Brinkelle aren’t being entirely truthful.”
“Why?” Ian asked.
Abner shrugged. “I cannot think of a single reason.” He shot Ian a look. “Certainly not corporate—not money.”
“Okay,” Sid said quickly.
“There’s a third option,” Ari said.
Abner gave him a startled glance.
“Which is?” Sid asked.
“There have been attempts to imitate us in the past.”
“You said you’d talked to all the 2s,” Eva said.
“We did,” Ari said. “But to be real, that was a thirty-second call to ask them if they’re alive.”
“Pull them in,” Ian said. “Interrogate them. Take DNA samples. It’s the only way to find an imposter.”
“Good luck with that,” Abner said.
“We’d need Augustine’s permission,” Sid mused. He didn’t like to think of the fallout from that request to O’Rouke. Best to sound out Aldred first.
“His cooperation,” Ari corrected.
Sid was about to answer when they all heard a the drone of a helicopter getting louder outside. Lorelle pushed off the console desk, letting her chair roll over to the nearest window, and peered up into the night sky. It had started snowing again. “Kamov 130,” she said approvingly. “Auxiliary tail prop. Those guys are fast. I don’t know an agency that can afford one of those for police
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