Doctor Who: Ultimate Treasure by Christopher Bulis Read Free Book Online

uncomprehendingly. The word on the lower levels is that Hok was expecting the delivery of something important, and that he'd also contacted Alpha recently. Qwaid, Gribbs, and Drorgon have been seen in the area close to Hok's shop several times in the last few days. Based on all known factors, the computer assessed them as the most probable suspects.'
    'Only a seventy-three-percent probability,' Vorland reminded her, consulting the case file again. 'You say here that the perpetrators wore glimmer masks. Perhaps two were human and one Cantarite. There are no usable bio traces to tie them in with the scene of crime. The murder weapon is still missing. Then there's this character out of a storybook who may or may not be connected with the first three, and who may not actually exist.
    And all this on the word of two tourists you obviously suspect yourself, yet who have no apparent link with Alpha. Have you changed your mind about them?'
    'I'm beginning to believe they might just be innocent bystanders like they say, sir, though I still think there's something odd about them. I'll know more when the reports come through from Earth.'
    'And this "Falstaff"?'
    'No trace yet.'
    Vorland sighed. 'It's a mess. You daren't proceed further against Alpha until you've sorted out these other loose ends, and by the time you do the trail will have gone cold.'
    'Which is why I want to put Alpha under close surveillance right now.'
    'Forget it, Inspector. The waters are already too muddy on this one. I want Alpha put away as badly as you do, but I never underestimate him. If we touch his men he'll have alibis arranged for them within the hour. Make one move directly against him without solid evidence to justify it, and he'll be calling down the civil rights charter on us and talking about police harassment, which will simply make it harder to make a move if and when we ever have something stronger to use against him.'
    'But a citizen of Astroville has been murdered!'
    Vorland shrugged almost indifferently. Old Hok? You pulled him in a few times yourself, didn't you?'
    Jaharnus stiffened. 'Minor import infringements, selling suspect antiques to tourists, that sort of thing. An old alien who lived close to the edge as best he could. Maybe he stepped over the line a couple of times.' She got up to leave. 'But he never harmed anyone in any way that mattered - and he still didn't deserve to die like that!'
     
    She strode out of Vorland's office, managing to scrape her tail across the door as it closed behind her and hoping it left a mark.
    The first thing she found when she got back to her desk was a belated message from traffic control informing her that Alpha's ship had left the city several hours earlier, destination unknown.
    Had he run to avoid answering awkward questions, or was there some other reason for his departure? She felt the yoke of depression settle more heavily on her shoulders. By now, Alpha was probably out of their jurisdiction. And if Vorland wouldn't fund a standard surveillance operation, he certainly wouldn't stand for the cost of sending a police interceptor after him. In any case, Alpha probably had a perfectly legitimate reason for his sudden departure all highly polished and ready to wheel out should it be needed.
    Still feeling dispirited, she checked on the activities of Peri Brown and the Doctor. At least she had been able to arrange standard monitoring on them without any problems, as they were still the nearest things they had so far to either witnesses or suspects.
    A minute later she was frowning over the reports. What had possessed them to make for the Central Archive so suddenly?
    Still frowning, she called up the directory for the number of the chief archivist.
    The first thing Qwaid noticed as he entered Alpha's stateroom was a glass and a half-empty decanter on the desk beside the computer screen. Then he realised Alpha's skin seemed a shade darker than usual.
    'Here they are, Qwaid,' Alpha said almost mildly,