The Ghost Of Alastair Xero Part III: A Reeves Calder Mystery

“Absolutely not! I mean, who the hell do you think you are, Mr Calder?” Administrator Archie Sanders’s scowl is a work of art when he says it. You could feel so much deeper than the contempt. 

“Detective. It just makes sense. She died in the hallway. The karfuffel blah blah is right there!” Couldn’t he give it a cool name like Corpses Bane or Jessica?

“Security logs show no entry to the Kartoffelsalat. It is a priceless heirloom. I have checked and the crew of the ship are accounted for before and after the incident.”

“You don’t have a security chief to do that? Why haven’t I seen any security in the crew areas?”

“We have a small force that patrols the guest areas. I personally oversee security for the staff and appoint crew as needed for tasks. There’s very little crime here, detective. The occasional drunken brawl but never a murder.” 

VHS really was doing the least possible to support this station. It made me wonder how much longer the site was viable to them. 

“Administrator Sanders, systems can be hacked. Logs can be faked. If you let me into your systems completely—.” 

“Oh I’m sure you’d love to get your unaffiliated fingers in our computer system. But there are no suspects. Unless you plan on prosecuting a leaky coolant pipe?” 

Corporates hated unaffiliated with a passion. They couldn’t rectify the idea that someone wouldn’t want to be a frustrated colonist or a frustrated contract slave. 

“My citizen status has no bearing on this case. In fact it’s the only thing keeping me from tunneling Inter-Gal— ,” That and the fact they would take three days to get here, “they would do the prosecuting. My role usually ends after the perp tries to kill me and I blow something up.” 

“Are you threatening me, Detective?” He stood a little and leaned over his desk. He looked a lot like a child’s stretched out drawing of an adult. 

“Not in the slightest. That’s just generally how things tend to go. I’ve already missed my rocket-ball game so things are absolutely starting to go sour. If she was killed, intentionally or not, whoever is behind this is a lot more nervous now. And nervous people do increasingly stupid things.” 

“This is ludicrous! Chateau Gliese is the premier destination in the system. We do not employ murderers or thieves. We also do not let second rate unaffiliated private eyes into our system.” 

Second rate. A compliment, “You know who else makes increasingly stupid decisions?” 

He huffed. “Who?”

“People who are concerned with appearance over reality,” I stood up as well. “If I’m right then this could happen again. You can’t pass off that many accidents. If you let me do my job Inter-Gal will get a nice little report and Vertz, Holland and Schwartz can do whatever it is they do to thieving murderers.” I gave him a pat on the bicep. 

He looked at my hand for a moment. I could feel muscles tense and see his chest hold in a gulp of air until his face turned cherry. Then the air came out in a soothing breath. 

“They want to shut it down, detective. They are looking for any reason. They want to increase warehouse space and bring in drones.” 

“I can understand your frustration.” 

“I can’t start over. They’re not going to make me an administrator anywhere else. I’ll still end up better than half of these people. Most of them will be digging ore on some planet with no atmo.” 

“All the more reason to do this quietly. Imagine when the company finds out that you caught and cleaned up the entire operation?” 

“You would do that for me?” He produced his first almost smile in probably his entire life.

“My fee would increase. But what does an unaffiliated care if the unicreds clear?” 

I could see him running the numbers in his head. 

“I will allow limited access to the system. Door logs etc. No employee files. That still requires a warrant.” 

“I also have a list of people I want to talk to.” 

“Fine, fine. But remember, if this proves to be foul play, you find the perpetrator we will quietly hold them until VHS security arrives. At which time I will give a wonderful review of your help as I tracked down the culprit.” 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

~~

“Not happening,” Level 4 Warehouse supervisor Derrick Masters looked completely uninterested in the conversation. 

“Supervisor, try to understand. Whatever is going on starts here.”

“Our N2 losses are at acceptable levels. There is no missing nitrogen to look for. And my workers need to fill orders. Or did y'all suddenly figure out how to survive without food?” 

“Charlie Kilroy, Priya Malik and Linus Hightower— all persons of interest.” 

“All good workers with impeccable records. That’s the most I’m going to tell you. Archie Sanders doesn’t control a fluxin’ inch of warehouse space. They can speak of their own free will but I’m not letting you corner anybody at work.— contract workers got some rights, you know?” 

I walked away from the exchange cursing under my breath. They were all so afraid of being bought out and replaced with robots that everything was just business as usual. Like the accounts department was a predator that senses movement and they could dodge it by staying complacent

Well in my mind that’s just complicit. 

Justice doesn’t care about your profit and loss statement. I’ve seen it take down entire industries. All of them had one thing in common— they were already drowning. Chateau Gliese was a sinking ship and everyone was polishing the titanium. 

Velouria Drake deserved better. And I was gonna get it for her.

~~

Larry Singh was a very pleasant man. His smile could light up a room. Not in the way Kilroys could. More like a child’s mascot. I decided I should start slow. 

“Mr Singh, did you murder Velouria Drake?” 

“Did I what? I couldn’t— I wouldn’t— that’s not, no. I want a lawyer!” 

“That’s all fine and well, but it’s going to take at least seventy two hours for anyone to arrive and I’m a private detective so I don’t have to obey any laws.” I folded my arms and tried to look menacing. It’s tough in a jeffcap. 

“That can’t be true!” His smile was broken in half. 

“It isn’t true,” Watson whispered. 

I stood, “shut up!” I said to both of them. 

I started to pace around the table in a circle. I watched his head shoot back and forth. 

“I have a theory. Let’s see if we can play it out together. One!” I held my index finger in front of his face. “You’ve been helping smuggle nitrogen off of the station on the— you know, the ship.”

“The Kartoffelsalat?”

“AHA!” He jumped. “So you admit to it?” 

“Admit to what?” 

“Muder most foul, my boy!” I leaned in and whispered, “murder most foul.” 

“I swear I don’t know what you’re talking about— I don’t even know that lady! Check the logs! I wasn’t anywhere near there!” 

“So far the logs show exactly that. Nothing. It only shows the weekly flights.” Watson chimed in. 

“Logs can be faked, Larry. Murderers have no problem faking logs! You know what this company does to vicious murderers?” I poked his chest, “They put them in a fully charged survival pod. With enough air and supplies for weeks, “ he looked confused. “Then they push you out into deep space— will your air run out first? Or your food?” 

Singh recoiled as far back into his chair as he could. 

“Isn’t that the plot to that awful movie we watched the other day?” 

I ignored Watson and continued, “So what’s it going to be, Larry? Time to tell the truth!” 

“Look— sometimes I scam an extra uniform or I take an apple without scanning, they’re always half rotten anyway. Who’d pay for that? But I’m not helping anyone steal anything and I DID NOT KILL ANYONE!” 

He buried his head in the table and started to sob. I stared at him for a bit. Partly out of pity and partly to see if he’d peek to see if I was looking like a tantruming toddler. 

“Are you quite satisfied, Reeves?” 

I stepped off to the side so I could talk quietly, “No, I’m not. I don’t think this guy knows anything but both techs would have to be involved. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.” 

“It still doesn’t make sense if they can’t store the nitrogen until they meet with a buyer.”

“I have to check out the ship.” 

“Admin Sanders was adamant about it staying closed until the launch tonight.” 

“Then I’ll go for the ride. Check the ship out. If Kilroy shows up—.”

“Charlie Kilroy?” Singh popped up with a weird look, “You think he’s involved in this?” 

“I’m open to a lot of possibilities. I was hoping for a ghost— what does Charlie Kilroy mean to you?” 

He seemed to argue with himself for a minute.

“Look— please don’t tell Admin. I’m begging you.” 

“I can’t promise anything until I’m sure you didn’t kill anyone.” 

“Right. Okay. A few months ago Renee and I brought dates on our maintenance flight.”

“Renee brought Charlie Kilroy. Who did you bring?” 

“Priya Malik.” 

The four to twelves themselves. 

“Have they stayed in touch since then?”

He hung his head, “No. Not really. Shame too, I liked her.” 

It was a shame. 

~~

“I don’t know anything. I didn’t do anything. I’m not telling you anything without a lawyer.” Renee Simpson has a marvelous poker face. It’s a shame it didn’t work on Kilroy. 

“I don’t think that you did. At least I’m hoping you didn’t. I’m hoping you just made a really stupid mistake. I know Priya Malik and Charlie Kilroy were on the Kartoffelsalat a few months back. What’s the matter? No second date?” 

She didn’t budge but this was my first real lead.

“My father was a contract worker. I’m not looking to mess up anybody’s buyout. You broke a rule. I like rule breakers. What I don’t like is people who hurt innocent folks like the late Ms Drake.” 

That last spark found the tinder, “That piece of scrap.” 

“You do know him. Have you ever let him on the ship before?” 

“Not at all. It took me a week to talk Larry into it— and then I had to get him a date.” 

“I bet Kilroy was all too ready to suggest someone.” 

“You think they killed her? Why?” 

“I don’t really know that part yet. But what I do know is that they will kill if they have to.” 

“We got drunk. All of us. I reported a passing comet that required a detour. It extended our tour by five hours. It’s not abnormal at all. The ship is practically stealth, they can’t track us so we orbited a nearby moon and—.” 

“Perks of the job I guess. So I assume there’s plenty of times either of them could have tampered with things.” 

“I passed advanced quantum physics. I’m going to be an engineer, an institute is buying out my contract. How could I be so dumb?” 

Not hard. The guy was mind numbingly beautiful. If I was that pretty I wouldn’t have to hop around the galaxy making people mad at me. 

“I’m coming with you tonight. Consider me your date. But I'm the only one getting lucky. I’m searching the entire thing— stem to stern. You and Mr Singh are going to help.” 

When Renee looked at me I felt what it was like to be in the room with Genghis Khan, “If you promise me one thing.” 

“What would that be?”

“I get to throw him out of the airlock.” 

~~

The ship was marvelous by all accounts. Even at two hundred years old it beat anything I’d ever been thrown off of. And I’d been thrown off of some pretty swanky boats. The gilding was gilded. It was also highly secure. I lost Watson as soon as I passed through the airlock. I noted the Q-Delancey security panel. Very reliable, almost hack-proof.  

The tour took an hour and a half and was mostly uneventful. They stopped once because an antimatter tube needed changing. And once more so I could search the entire engine room for the canisters. 

Before I lost contact Watson was only able to link to maintenance feeds. Power was optimal. Water levels were low which was normal for a show ship. ArtiGrav was good. Nothing a low level mechanic couldn’t see. 

Renee was especially furious.

“I’m gonna rip his lungs out.”

“We need evidence first.” 

“They have to be here somewhere, if they were making trips every night we’d notice the missing antimatter. One extra trip would barely register,” she pounded her fist on the water tank.

“We tried everywhere though— careful. Those tanks are old. As good as this ship is, you wouldn’t want to flood it.” 

“These tanks are empty. The company won’t buy new filters so the water would just get sour.”

“Wait! What did you say?” 

“I said the company's cheap. The tanks are empty.”

“That’s it! Watson checked the maintenance logs. The tanks were listed as low, not empty!” 

Her face got an excited expression. She bolted to the engine room and found what we were looking for. A hatch in the maintenance room, big enough for a person to enter and clean the tanks. Or fill them with at least twelve canisters of N2.

“We have to get these off of here,” I said. 

Larry joined us, “Sanders wants us back at the station. He keeps saying this is just a normal ride and the ship is precious.” 

Renee looked at me. Her face a collage of emotion, “I don’t know what to do.” 

“If we had a magic wand— but don’t worry. All I have to do now is figure out when they’re making the actual drop.” 

“And how they’re getting on the ship,” She reminded me. 

~~

“Something doesn't feel right. How are they getting in? They can do everything else without detection except get past this lock.” 

I came back an hour after we said our goodbyes and now stood at the door to the Kartoffelsalat. 

“I see no errors or traces of any deception. Whatever it is, I cannot find it. Therefore it cannot be human.”

“You have a very high opinion of yourself.”

“I have a low opinion of humanity.”

“All that aside how did three random N2 workers outsmart the galaxy’s smartest intelligence?”

“I am working out every scenario, sir. The Finrock three thirty one is really a good lock—.”

“Did you say Finrock?” 

“Three thirty one. Why?” 

“Because I’m standing in front of the airlock and this panel is a Q Delaney. They changed the lock entirely. They have the old panel active somewhere. They’re probably linked. When the Admin flips the switch the door opens and no one’s the wiser. When they activate this panel it doesn’t get logged anywhere.” 

As soon as I finished the door whooshed open. Charlie Kilroy stood with a twinkle in his eye and a glittering smile. 

“I guess that means no one knows it’s opening right now,” he said. Flux, he was hot. I mean, if you’re gonna be taken prisoner. There’s worse options. 

Because Kilroy also had a gun. 

“Reeves?” 

“Watson, I’m going to be stepping away for a bit. Love you, buddy.”

I never heard an answer as I was pulled forward onto the ship. I didn’t fight much. It didn't seem like the time. Soon I was on the bridge of the Potato Salad with Priya Malik.

“What is he doing here?” 

“I heard him snooping around the airlock and figured we’d kill two birds with one stone. We sell him to the outlanders,” Kilroy grinned proudly and flexed. Nevermind. That totally turned me off. 

It made sense though. Outlanders were colonists on the fringes. Unclaimed and harsh planets. Decades off from companies raising the capital to take over. Most were hardworking people who didn’t like the settled systems and weren’t dumb enough for corporate space. Some were people who preferred the lack of law enforcement. 

“You’re selling the N2 to narco farms.” See? I am a great detective. 

“Mr smarty-pants,” Priya said. 

“Detective smarty-pants.” 

I heard footsteps from behind. Not long after a third worker, with a freshly split lip, emerged pulling someone out of the hallway to the cabins. 

“Linus, I presume?” I said 

“Who is this guy?” He looked at Kilroy. 

“Who’s he? Who’s that?” 

Linus pulled his quarry forward. Renee was near animalistic. She was sweaty and looked exhausted. She also looked like a cornered tiger ready to claw someone. 

“Ain’t this a treat? Hey, Renee! If you wanted to get together all you had to do was ask.” 

A wad of spit hit him in the face at the speed of light. It extinguished the twinkle in his eye immediately. 

“Two of them?” Priya exclaimed. 

“All the better. You know how much they pay for healthy bodies,” Linus answered, sounding way too excited. 

The ship rumbled as it disembarked. I looked at Renee who met my stare with anger and fear. The answers to this case had come together so quickly but one thing still plagued my thoughts. 

“Does anybody know who won the rocket-ball game?” 

Will our dashing do-gooder derail the dastardly devils deviant deeds?

Can courageous Calder crack the cold criminals' calculated crime?

Did Watson record the rocket-ball game?

Find out next time on the thrilling conclusion to 

The Ghost Of Alastair Xero—