Justice (15 page)

“
You were with Geron in the dark?”

“
Yes.”

“
So how did he come to be outside the dome, poisoned, when you
were safely ushered away by your security guard?”

Meaghan
hesitated. “We got separated.”

“
How, exactly?”

“
It was dark. There were lots of people. I could feel Bruce
holding my arm, but when the lights came on Geron wasn’t
there.”

“
You don’t think that sounds a little convenient?”

Meaghan’s eyes
flickered to Nova’s face, red flooding across her cheeks. “What are
you suggesting?”

“
Nothing. But at this stage, you, your security guard, and
Dustin are the last people to have seen Geron alive.”

“
It was dark! Bruce could only keep track of so much. Geron
must have pulled away, and Dustin too. They were both gone when the
lights came back.”

“
Why would he do that?”

“
I don’t know! Why do men do anything?”

Nova looked
hard at Meaghan’s averted face. A thick layer of makeup covered
most of her skin but it couldn’t hide the thin wrinkles spreading
out from the corners of her mouth. A tremor wobbled her voice, and
Nova was sure she wasn’t being entirely truthful, but there was
only so much she could do with the information she had.

“
And how would you describe your relationship with Geron?”
Nova asked, changing tact.

“
We have…
had
a very loving relationship,” Meaghan replied, glaring at
Nova.

“
Why did you fake a pregnancy when you were first dating
Geron?” Nova asked without batting an eyelid.

Meaghan sprung
to her feet and glared down at Nova, practically spitting with
anger. “How dare you ask that? That you would even suggest I
would—”

“
We both know you did. What I want to know is why,” Nova said,
holding her hand up and interrupting Meaghan’s tirade.

“
This is absolutely ridiculous. You’re acting as if I’m a
suspect! I loved my husband very much. Why would you want to hurt
me even more? You monster!”

Nova stared at
Meaghan without saying anything.

“
I don’t know why you’re in charge of this investigation.
Bruce should be handling this. He would be doing a much better job
than you.”

“
Why?” Nova asked when Meaghan ran out of breath.

Meaghan’s lips
closed tight and she crossed her arms over her chest.

“
Alright, let’s try something else. I want your full recount
from that day, from the moment you woke up,” Nova said. She decided
to leave Meaghan’s fake pregnancy alone for the moment. The truth
about that would come to light soon enough.

For a few
moments Meaghan continued to say nothing. The two women glared at
each other across the desk.

In the end,
Meaghan let out a frustrated sigh and began to talk.

“
I got out of bed with Geron, just like every other morning.
We packed for the trip here—”

“
You stayed on your home planet the night before the
ceremony?” Nova interrupted.

“
Yes. Geron wanted to wait until the planet was officially
opened before staying here.”

“
Go on,” Nova said, waving her hand.

“
It would be a lot easier if you’d stop interrupting,” Meaghan
said through clenched teeth. Nova responded with
silence.

“
After we were packed I didn’t do much until lunch. I ate with
some of my friends, the same as I do almost every week, and then I
got on the transporter with Geron.”

Meaghan gazed
out of the window, as if caught in a memory of her husband. “It was
a short trip which we spent talking. Once we landed I went to my
room to get ready for the ceremony.”

“
Where was Geron at that time?” Nova asked.

Meaghan waved
her hand through the air. “I don’t know where he was. Probably
getting ready.”

“
You had separate rooms?”

“
Yes,” Meaghan glanced at Nova from behind lowered lids.
“Because his business can keep him up late, we decided it would be
best……”

Nova nodded
and gestured for Meaghan to continue.

“
After I finished unpacking I laid down for a nap. There
wasn’t much else to do in this ridiculous dome. Two hours before
the ceremony I woke up and got dressed. I had people doing my hair
and makeup.” Meaghan patted her hair as she spoke. It was far from
the immaculate state it had been in when she stood on
stage.

“
Geron joined me, and Dustin not long after that. We walked to
the landing bay to receive some of Geron’s more valued guests
before going up on stage for the ceremony.”

“
You were with Geron for the whole evening?”

“
Yes,” Meaghan said, thinking. “Oh, wait. No. He walked away
for a little to take a call, right before his speech.”

“
What about your son?” Nova asked.

“
He’s not my son!” Meaghan’s voice filled with unexpected
venom.

“
I’m sorry. Geron’s son,” Nova said.

“
That lazy brat just stood leaning against the landing bay
wall until we went up on stage.”

“
Where were you when the lights went out?” Nova asked, moving
to the important questions.

Meaghan’s face
reddened, but she refrained from an outburst. “I don’t remember
that much.”

“
It was only a few days ago. Do your best,” Nova replied, her
tone firm.

“
I was standing on stage watching Geron. He’s such a wonderful
speaker…
was
such
a wonderful speaker.” Meaghan’s voice faltered. “I was standing on
stage and the lights flickered. Everything went dark, and right
away someone, Bruce, was ushering me off the stage. There were
people walking next to me, but I don’t know who they were. I
couldn’t see a thing.”

“
Was Geron with you?”

“
Yes, I heard him and Dustin talking.”

“
Go on,” Nova said.

“
I remember tripping in the dark. I fell over, but Bruce
helped me up. The other voices were gone and we didn’t make it very
far before the lights came on again.”

“
Did you know where to find your husband’s body?” Nova
asked.

“
Of course I didn’t know where to find his body! I couldn’t
even believe that he was d-dead. When I heard you’d brought him
inside, I ran straight to the shipping bay.” Meaghan collapsed into
sobs. Nova couldn’t make out much except Geron’s name.

She tapped the
desk as she waited for Meaghan’s crying to subside. When it receded
to muted sniffles Nova resumed her questions.

“
How did you fall?” Nova asked.

“
I tripped. It was dark!” Meaghan said through gritted
teeth.

“
Did it hurt?” Nova asked.

“
Yes.”

“
Can I see the bruises?”

Meaghan’s eyes
whipped to Nova’s face and narrowed into a glare. She pulled her
loose shawl closer about her shoulders.

“
No you may not! It was dark and I tripped, that’s all there
is to it.”

Nova’s
expression was stern as she stared into Meaghan’s eyes.

“
I don’t know why you’re even questioning me,” Meaghan said
her voice rising higher with each word. “It’s that ingrate son of
his you should be talking to.”

“
Dustin?” Nova asked.

“
Yes. Lazy, good for nothing.”

“
You think Dustin killed his father?” Nova raised an
eyebrow.

“
All I know is that I didn’t do it,” Meaghan said with
finality, leaning back in her chair. She folded her arms across her
chest and refused to say another word.

Nova looked
down at her desk, considering what the woman had told her. “Okay,
you can go. Remember you’re confined to the dome, just like
everyone else,” Nova said.

Meaghan stood
with a huff and stalked out of the sliding metal door.

Nova sighed as
Meaghan left. This was going to be a long couple of days. She took
a few moments to run over the interview in her mind, and also to
turn around and gaze out of the window at Drigoon.

She supposed
some people might find the green planet attractive. To Nova it
looked like an unruly mess. She thought she caught sight of an
orange monstrosity walking through the trees, but it disappeared
before she could get a proper look.

“
What did you think?” Nova asked Cal when she turned back from
the window.

The robot
hovered to one side, unobtrusive but observant.

“
Meaghan Feders seemed genuinely upset at her husband’s
passing. Voice analysis revealed extreme vocal inconsistencies, but
the cause of these is unknown. Systems suggest it may have been due
to anger, sadness, frustration or lying.”

“
Is there some way you can narrow that down?” Nova asked,
staring at the robot even though there were no eyes to stare back
at her.

“
Having had limited interaction, I don’t have a standard
register to gauge the voice patterns against. Probability suggests
the inconsistencies were most likely due to her being
upset.”

“
What about the bruises?”

“
Her reluctance to prove her bruises seems odd, but she is
likely suffering some medical instability with the shock of her
husband’s passing. No conclusions can be drawn from it. A brief
medical scan revealed no major injuries, but then people don’t
always suffer injury from falls.”

Cal’s
analytical voice droned on, but the information was unhelpful. Nova
rubbed her eyes. It was getting late. Her muscles still ached from
her trek through the jungle and they were no closer to finding the
real killer, if there even was one. How long would they let her
keep the dome closed?

Nova sat back
in her chair and watched as Dustin sauntered into the room,
followed by two Hunters. The young man’s dark hair stood in unruly
bunches, and he sneered at the guards as they marched out of the
room.

“
Dustin, please have a seat,” Nova said, gesturing to the
chair.

Dustin sat
down with a thump, the sneer remaining on his face. Nova took her
time to study the boy. He was clearly the rebellious type, and just
as clearly wasn’t upset by his father’s passing. She glanced at
Dustin’s hands, noticing that they were smooth and unblemished;
definitely the hands of a rich man’s son, not the hands of a
worker.

“
You know if you want to just stare at me I can give you a
picture,” Dustin said as he watched Nova’s eyes move over
him.

“
Hmm. As much as I would love that,” Nova said. “I’m afraid we
must get down to business.”

“
Oh, okay let’s do it,” Dustin said, rolling his eyes. He
rubbed his hands together and leaned forward in his
chair.

Nova didn’t
smile at his antics. He was clearly compensating or hiding
something.

“
How was your relationship with your father?” Nova said,
cutting straight to the point.

Some of the
humour in Dustin’s eyes disappeared and he pursed his lips.

“
Fine.”

“
Really?” Nova asked, her gaze steady.

“
We didn’t talk much,” Dustin said under his
breath.

“
What about your mother?”

“
My mother is dead,” Dustin said, all hint of humour now gone
from his voice.

“
How?”

“
Crashed her ship into a mountain.” He glared down at the
table as he spoke.

“
What about your step-mother, Meaghan?”

“
She’s not my mother!” Dustin’s voice cracked and for a moment
the twenty-two year-old sounded much more like a seven year
old.

“
What is your relationship with her like?”

“
Cold.”

“
Cold?”

“
The bitch hates me. What do you want me to say?” Dustin’s
yelled.

“
Let’s go back to the beginning. Tell me about your day, from
the moment you woke up,” Nova said.

“
I spent the day trapped here in this dome because of you,”
Dustin said.

Nova’s gaze
hardened. “Let me be more specific. Tell me about the day of the
ceremony.”

“
I woke up at about midday,” Dustin said with a
sigh.

“
On your home planet?” Nova asked.

“
No, I spent the night on Tabryn.”

Nova’s stomach
clenched at the mention of the desert planet. There were too many
memories littering its sandy surface and she’d only recently
managed to get away from it.

“
And then?” Nova prompted.

“
There were like a million messages from
The President
on my comm-device.
‘Don’t forget the ceremony’, ‘you’re expected to be at the
ceremony’. Whatever. The only reason I’m even here is that the old
man threatened to cut me off if I didn’t show.”

“
Cut you off?” Nova asked.

“
Yeah you know, no more credit for me.” Dustin rubbed his
fingers together.