Dana Cartwright Mission 1: Stiletto (14 page)

“Admiral Cartwright just left.”

“He’s on you, then?”

“Suspects infiltration…”

“Obviously… Don’t need an Admiral to tell us that.” Kieran scowled.

“He gave permission to interrogate Doctor Garcia. Would you like to join me?”

Kieran grinned. “Absolutely!”

The last person Dana expected to see exiting Ambassador Cray’s room was DOC Cartwright. He had on a navy blue business suit, with a soft blue silk tie. His reading eyeglasses, which he rarely let anyone ever see, were on the tip of his nose. His eyebrows met when he frowned down at her.

Her first instinct was, “Checking up on me?”

“Nonsense! Visiting an old friend.”

She feigned surprise. “You know an awful lot of Ambassadors, DOC.”

“I’ve been ‘around’ for a lot of years, my dear.” He unfastened the button of his suit coat, the only outward signal DOC ever gave that he was now relaxed and in his element. “He’s resting, at the moment. Very appreciative that you ordered him out of solitary confinement.”

Dana chuckled.

DOC disapproved of coffins and android nurses, unless the patient was comatose. “Are you planning to do his eye surgery?”

She shifted her stance nervously. “When I’m satisfied his condition is stable. Perhaps tomorrow.”

“You did take the week off,” DOC reminded. “I think you should allow another surgeon to take over the case.” His face still held the frown. “Very insensitive of you to claim a patient while on leave.”

Dana’s eyebrows shot upward. “The ER was overwhelmed. Doctor Calagura assigned me to the case.”

“Yes, well… Francis violated Center policy. You are not certified for either of your current cases.”

“What!”

“In fact, I have a mind to haul you before the review board — to teach you a lesson about ethics.”

“I beg your pardon! To teach
me
a lesson? I think you’ve overstepped your authority, Doctor. And I am more than qualified to handle this case; and you know it. I’m a neuro-ophthalmologist! And the Ambassador requires eye surgery!” Dana stared back at him, the back of her neck burning with fiery anger. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

DOC lectured, “You are emotionally involved with your patients, Doctor. Apparently, you missed the lecture about such unethical matters at medical school.” He scolded her. “Do your homework, girl? Your behavior is unacceptable. You are a doctor. Stop acting like a lovesick schoolgirl! Alphan males never, ever marry human females. So put an end to this nonsense right now, before you regret it.”

Dana’s face drained of emotion. She finally understood what DOC was doing. He was a master at manipulation. Well, not this time.

“I am not a human female, Doctor, am I? Or, have you forgotten? No, you haven’t forgotten. In fact, you’ve been reviewing my ‘sealed’ records, too? Or do you already know what’s in there and have, all these years, refused to tell me?” She waited for one of their colleagues to pass in the corridor, before confronting DOC with Kieran’s suspicion. “I bear a strong resemblance to the Galaxea Ambassador, Solon. Is he my father? He is a good friend of yours, too.”

DOC scoffed, but was clearly ruffled. “Grandson of the Galaxean Empress, Solon? You set your sights far too high, my dear.”

Dana knew he was lying; or, more accurately, skirting the issue. “So, you do know!”

He groaned and started away. Dana tracked him with her brown eye, his limp far more pronounced than in the past; his spine stiffened, a clear sign of anger. She knew all his moods.

Dana found the exchange extremely disturbing. DOC’s attempt at manipulating her hinted there most certainly was more to this situation. It would have to wait. She tapped the door and stepped inside Ambassador Cray’s patient room.

Dana took in the room and was immediately disappointed to see another doctor bent over her patient. She crossed to Cray’s bedside. “Good morning, Mister Ambassador.”

Cray looked around with his right eye and smiled. “Good morning, Doctor Cartwright. Meet Doctor Santero of the Alphan delegation.”

Santero glanced her way, but didn’t look up from his scan of Cray’s injured eye. He had to bend hard at the waist to do the examination. When he finally stood up, he towered over her, easily two full meters tall. Though he had gentle facial features and a minimal smile, his spine was stiff with age.

Dana guessed from his formal tunic and full-length, silver cloak he was royal family, or close to it, a dignitary in his own right.

“A pleasure, Doctor Santero.” Dana quickly assessed the situation and asked Cray, “Have you requested my removal?”

Ambassador Cray nodded, offering, “DOC suggested Doctor Santero take over, since you were on vacation. Wouldn’t want to interfere with your rare leisure time.”

Dana kept her facial expression neutral. “How thoughtful of you.” She addressed the android nurse and made a point of logging off the case, per the patient’s request. “Please get well soon,” she said, turning to leave. “I don’t recall Doctor Santero having MCE credentials. You may need our Chief of Staff, Doctor Calagura, to sign off on any medication changes.”

Santero shrugged. “No need. We’ll be moving the Ambassador up to
The Flamebearer
shortly. I will perform the surgery there.”
 

Dana nodded, keeping her disapproval to herself. “It’s been my pleasure, Ambassador Cray.” She started for the door.

He called after her, “Thank you for taking such good care of Colonel Jai, too. He is improving very rapidly and ready to return to my security detail, or so I’ve been told.”

Dana offered a smile, but slipped out to the corridor without comment.

Kieran struggled to keep up with Colonel Sierra, biting back the pain radiating down his legs. He didn’t want to admit his distress but, damn, something was still not right with his spine.
 

Fortunately, the MAT pod deposited them on the brig level of Station One, very close to the security officer’s desk at the reception area; and Doctor Garcia’s cell was first in the row.

Garcia bolted to his feet upon seeing the two SSID agents. After the invisible gate dropped and they stepped inside his tiny cell, he nodded to both, his gaze lingering upon Kieran Jai. “You’re looking well, Colonel Jai. Fully recovered?”

“Close to it. Thank you for asking. Doctor Cartwright ordered aquatic therapy. It’s helped a great deal.” Kieran forced a smile. It didn’t fool the doctor, but then it was simply small talk.

“She’s a brilliant young doctor.” Garcia stressed the word ‘young’ as if insinuating something more.
 

Kieran caught his meaning. “Her file is quite impressive.”

“Is that why you were reviewing her personnel file?” Colonel Sierra asked.

Garcia’s demeanor changed rapidly to a frown. “I have been advised by legal counsel to not answer questions regarding the matter.”

“Good advice,” Kieran said. “You are aware that we also have the task of investigating the crash of Ambassador Cray’s shuttle, which I was piloting, and the assault upon the dignitaries at the Meeting of the Masters.”

“What?” Garcia looked truly shocked. “You don’t think I had anything to do with either, I hope? I’ve been locked up here, with only my legal counsel as visitors.”

“Someone broke into Doctor Cartwright’s apartment. You had access to the address.” Kieran Jai took a step closer and made an offer. “If you are innocent, Doctor, as you claim, you should be more than happy to cooperate. In exchange, I will offer this; I will guarantee all charges against you are dropped.”

Garcia stiffened, wondering, “Do you have that authority?” He looked to Colonel Sierra and received a nod.

“All record of this nonsense will be wiped from my records?” Garcia asked.

Kieran answered, “Affirmative.”

Garcia deliberated. “The truth is; my adopted brother March Baker vanished three years ago, without a trace. His DNA and Dana Cartwright’s are nearly identical. They could be twins. Master Captain Aimes Martinez, of the Galactic Colonies of Enturize, sealed his birth records, and no one can explain why. I would like very much to find my brother. I wondered if Dana Cartwright’s personnel file contained a clue.”

Colonel Sierra raised an eyebrow then commented, “Interesting!”

“Who investigated your brother’s disappearance?” Kieran questioned.

“That’s just it… The Star Service refused to tell me. March left the Galaxean Science Academy after class one day and was never seen or heard from again.” Garcia frowned and shook his head.
 

“Did he have a history of abrupt departures? Foreign travel?” Colonel Sierra queried.

“Strange that you ask that… He had just returned from a medical conference at Station Four. I met him there and we visited. He had booked passage aboard a privateer. I don’t recall the name of the vessel. I was with a group. Nothing out of the ordinary transpired, until after he’d already returned to Galaxea.”

Kieran Jai puzzled over the information. “So you ran the scan on Dana Cartwright and reviewed her file for strictly personal reasons?”

Garcia nodded. “And I shared the information with no one. I swear.”

“Well, that’s not exactly accurate, Doctor. You mentioned it to me,” Kieran reminded.

Garcia sighed. “Yes, in the privacy of the sickbay aboard
Navitor
.”

Kieran stared at the doctor. He sensed no deception whatsoever. “I believe you.” He went out to the detention station to enter an order for the release of Doctor Arturo Garcia and to reverse all charges, and that all notations should be removed from the doctor’s record.
 

He then ordered the security officer to return the Doctor’s voice-badge.

“You’re free to return to
Navitor
, Doctor. I’ll contact Captain Ensoto personally,” Kieran assured. “We shall consider this just a terrible misunderstanding. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Garcia forced a smile, affixed the voice-badge to his collar and asked for a MAT back to the
SS Navitor
.

Colonel Sierra looked to his immediate superior. “I vaguely remember that case… Quite puzzling.”

Kieran signaled with a finger to his lips. “I’ll meet you back at HQ. We need to pin down all the other people who accessed Dana’s records.”

Sierra nodded and transported away.

Kieran turned to the security officer. “Did you keep a recording?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good… Let me have a copy. That’s an order.”
 

The officer frowned, but complied.

Dana returned to her office, dejected and confused. There was no sign of Kieran, but there was an envelope from Greg with the tickets for the closing ceremonies. “At least one person in my life follows through. Five more days of leave and no plans. If only I had my padlet!”
 

Sierra had taken it for prints. He needed to give it back or replace it! When she tapped her voice-badge and requested him, the system seemed to pause for an inordinately long period of time before responding, “Colonel Sierra is off-world.”
 

Rather than leave a message, Dana decided to teleport to her apartment to relax and sulk.
 

Inspector Regis had other plans for her. He and two assistants were waiting at her front deck.

“Ah, Doctor, perfect timing. Was hoping to review some things with you about the crash.”
 

Dana scowled, but invited them in to sit on the sofa.
 

Regis had his padlet ready and indicated he was recording. “Would you mind going over the events again? You were on the landing zone level...”

“No, I was on the Observatory upper deck, watching the full moon rise and had about given up, when the shuttle appeared from the North. I descended to the landing level and was accosted by one of the security tubs.” She rolled her eyes. “It happens every time because my eyes are mismatched and the tub isn’t programmed for such a discrepancy.”

Regis nodded. “Oh, yes. Go on, please.”

Dana repeated much of their previous conversation then waited for the inspector to ask any clarifying questions.

He showed her a still frame image on the pad let. “Do you recognize this image?”

The scene was after the EMTs had arrived and were setting up the coffin.
 

She responded, “Yes, those are the two men from the med evac shuttle.”

Regis pointed to a third man in the frame. “Who is this?”

She answered, “That’s Chief Rocky Antonio from ground control.”

In the next frame Regis showed her, a similarly clad man was in the left background. “Do you recognize this man?”

“No.”

Regis showed her a scene from the Meeting of the Masters event where Ambassador Cray and the other dignitaries were assaulted. In the image, the same man was pictured, but this time in an SSID uniform.

“Same man?” Regis asked.

“Apparently...”

That seemed to satisfy Regis. “Do you recognize any of the others as having been on the landing zone the night of the crash?”

“Sorry... I was too far away from the other men on Rocky’s team to see their faces. And none of these others are familiar to me.”

“Doctor? You told me two of the drone ships pinged against the shuttle. No one else recalls that happening.”

“Except for the man at the lobby doors, I was alone at the time. People began to pour out of the Observatory after the crash. I distinctly recall the shuttle hovering... As if hesitating or waiting for landing instructions... That’s when two of the drones collided with the sides of the shuttle.”

“That’s not supposed to happen, of course,” Regis injected. “In fact, it has never happened before in the history of Blade Class shuttles.”

“It was as if their programming was...” Dana paused.

“Go on.”

“Inspector? You are aware that one of the android nurses in Colonel Jai’s patient room at MCE was hacked, and very nearly killed him with a medication toxic to Alphans.”

Regis nodded. “There was an investigation. Have you seen the report?”

“No, I haven’t seen any results. Perhaps Doctor Calagura, as Chief of Staff, received the report.”