“My folks and the other Jedi think it was Alema Rar.”
“Who’s she?”
“A crazy Dark Jedi with a grudge against Aunt Leia. She liked using poison darts, and we know that was…. the cause of death.” If Ben avoided personalizing the crime for just a few hours while he was working, he could hold it together. I’m not forgetting you, Mom, I fust have to do this. “Alema’s dead now, so we can’t corroborate anything.”
Shevu snorted in mock amusement. “You have to learn not to mislay suspects, Ben. It’s a bummer when it comes to squaring the custody records.”
“She slugged it out with one of the Jedi sent after her. It was her or us, really. She kept trying to kill Aunt Leia.”
“That explains why you look so much older these days.” Shevu made that huh noise again. Ben knew he disapproved of boys of Ben’s age being sent into live-fire situations, but he didn’t understand that it was different for Jedi. “Okay, Jacen is the prime suspect. A couple of days ago, he killed a lieutenant on the Anakin Solo, just like that, in full view of the bridge crew. He snapped Lieutenant Tebut’s neck without even touching her, and threw Captain Nevil across the deck.” Shevu emerged from the kitchen with two steaming cups. “See what I mean about fingerprints?”
Ben should have been shocked. He tried hard, but all he had was a sinking feeling that the only beings who couldn’t see Jacen for what he was were Jedi, and his family at that. Jacen was leaving a trail of bodies.
“He even tortured me, “Ben said, realizing it sounded self-pitying as soon as it left his lips. At least he was still alive. “Dad fought with him and stopped me killing him.”
Shevu’s face was instant cold control, as if he was reining in an outburst. “He should have let you. Jacen Solo’s a nut-ter. A psychopath.”
“Jacen’s not mad. He’s a Sith. You know what that is?”
“Frankly, no.”
“It’s a Jedi who uses only the dark side of the Force. Not a Jedi at all, really.”
“A bad guy. But not illegal. Wrong cult.”
“Yes. I suppose.”
“Okay, crazy, Sith, ethically alternative, whatever you want to call it-Jacen demonstrates a tendency to extreme personal violence, and my cop’s gut tends to take notice of that. What’s your theory on your mother?”
Ben could deal in basics with Shevu. “Jacen was in the right place, he had the means to do it, and I think his motive was that she found out he was a Sith. I don’t have evidence linking him to the scene except he found me with her body, and he shouldn’t have been able to. The only thing I can pin down is location.”
“Crime scene’s compromised now, I suppose.”
“I recorded it.”
“Good man. We’ll make a CSF detective of you yet.”
“I’ve been telling everyone Jacen did it, but with Alema firmly in the frame, they all think it’s my grief talking. I suppose it’s easier to think the perpetrator wasn’t a member of the family. So I need your help, sir.”
“Drop the sir. It’s Lon.” Shevu slurped his caf. “The vast majority of murders are carried out by people who are close to each other-family, lovers, close friends. Emotions run high, they have easy access, one thing leads to another…. you get the idea. The random homicidal maniac is still pretty rare, even in the lower levels of Galactic City. And yeah, I’ll help you. This is a murder investigation.”
Ben never expected otherwise. He’d judged Shevu right, but he was also putting the man in danger. “Can I ask what happened to Shula? Looks like you scrubbed the place clean of her.”
“I sent her back to her parents on Vaklin, for her own safety. We got married in secret and then I got her off Coruscant, and got rid of everything here linking her to me.”
“Why?”
“Because people who oppose Jacen Solo end up a bit dead, and I’m building a file on him. The situation’s going to get a lot worse. Once I got Shula to somewhere safe, my only dilemma was whether I wanted to see him impeached and charged by the Alliance, or whether it would be more satisfying to see Fett or the Jedi Council get him. I think Fett’s revenge might be more fun.”
Shevu’s dislike of Jacen’s methods had been obvious since the time Jacen had killed Fett’s daughter under interrogation. Ben hadn’t realized it had developed into full-blown hatred. “Let’s do it together, then.”
“Whatever it takes, and I’ll stay on the inside as long as I possibly can.” Shevu looked resigned. “And he likes to have me around, even on the Anakin Solo.”