Vision in Silver(207)
“It sounds like a movie,” Stavros said. “Does the hero get to mate with many beautiful women?”
“Probably. Nicholas Scratch was oddly unavailable when I tried to talk to him, so I couldn’t ask about his sexual exploits.”
Montgomery winced. Simon noticed it. He was sure Burke had too.
“Suddenly the HFL’s great scheme to ship supplies to Cel-Romano falls apart.” O’Sullivan stared at Burke. “Did Felix Scaffoldon know you had found the jewels?”
Burke gave O’Sullivan his fierce-friendly smile but finally said, “He did accuse me of swapping the gemstones for fakes, but that’s a defamatory accusation. I handed over the bear, as he requested. I had nothing to do with whatever he found inside.”
“Since this supply scheme of the HFL’s depended so much on everyone making a profit, isn’t it odd to hide the fortune inside a child’s toy?” Stavros asked. “It assumes the toy will not be damaged or lost. It also could put the child in danger.”
“Did put the child in danger,” Vlad said. “Hiding the jewels that way is either arrogant or stupid.”
O’Sullivan looked at all of them. “Or habit? Maybe the person who hid the jewels in the bear used to hide things in toys when he or she was a child. Does that fit anyone connected with the thefts?”
“I can think of one person,” Montgomery said very softly.
“Lieutenant?” Burke asked.
Montgomery shook his head.
“Which still begs the question,” O’Sullivan said. “Where are the real gems?”
Vlad smiled, showing a fang. “Consider them lost for good.”
O’Sullivan blinked. “Gods,” he breathed. Then he said nothing else.
“You’re quite clever for a human,” Stavros said as he studied O’Sullivan. “I hope you will continue to be clever in the days ahead.” He sat back. “Based on that hope, I will talk to you as Vladimir and Simon talk to Lieutenant Montgomery and Captain Burke.”
“That’s a generous offer,” O’Sullivan finally said after a heavy silence. “Why make it now?”
Henry stirred, his first movement since the meeting began. “Because of what is coming.”
Simon glanced at Henry. <Let’s show them why first.>
Tess set the pink diary in front of Montgomery, who sucked in a breath. Simon pushed one folder toward Burke and the other toward O’Sullivan.
Gently, because Montgomery had been gentle with the terra indigene’s grief, Simon said, “This is what the humans were looking for when they searched your apartment, when they broke into the efficiency apartments here. This is why your mate died . . . and why humans hunted the Lizzy even after that Scaffoldon took Boo Bear back to Toland.”
He sat back and let them read.
After a few minutes, Montgomery closed the diary and said, “Gods, Elayne. You died for this? For this?”
Burke and O’Sullivan closed the folders. Both men looked sad and . . . embarrassed.
“Your reaction is not what we expected,” Stavros said.
“This is rubbish,” O’Sullivan said. “I’m sorry for what it cost you and your daughter, Lieutenant, but this is rubbish.” He looked at Stavros. “You’re a lawyer. You know what is said here about the HFL is only the word of a woman who would be labeled hysterical, jealous, and vindictive. There’s no proof that the shortages people will be facing in Thaisia are the result of a farming association selling its crops to Cel-Romano under the table to get around the limit of goods that can be exported. Or that a steel company was doing the same. And without the real jewels, we can speculate about the insurance scam, but there’s no proof that Leo Borden or Nicholas Scratch knew the jewels were in Elayne Borden’s residence, let alone that one of them put the jewels into a child’s toy as a hiding place.”