Tek Money by William Shatner Read Free Book Online Page A

the way I treat that partner of yours. Tell me the truth—or at least part of it.”
    â€œOkay, we’re working on the Traynor case.” Gomez left the vicinity of the body.
    â€œThat I heard earlier in the day. How’d you end up at Lorenzo’s Tek parlor here?”
    â€œIt’s the one Traynor visited on his last night out. I was planning to persuade Lorenzo to confide in me.”
    â€œWho tipped you that this was the place Traynor’d been coming lately?”
    Gomez smiled, settling into a chair near the policeman’s. “I hope this won’t change the warm feelings you have for me, Drexler, but I don’t ever give out the names of my sources of information.”
    Drexler watched him for a moment. “And I suppose you don’t know anything about who ordered Lorenzo to slip Traynor a sizzler?”
    â€œWould I be here if I did? This was my first stop on the road to enlightenment,” he said. “Any notions of your own?”
    Drexler laughed. “I’ll write up everything I know and send it to you.”
    â€œEverything okay back there?” called a female voice from out front.
    â€œThe forensic bots here, Cathleen?”
    â€œThey came with me, yes.” A plump blonde young woman, uniformed, stepped into the Tek parlor. She wrinkled her nose upon sighting Gomez. “You going to haul Gomez off to the pokey, lieutenant?”
    â€œ Chiquita , after all we’ve meant to each other—how can you think I’d commit any sort of illegal act?” He left the chair.
    â€œI’d toss him in a cell,” she advised Drexler.
    â€œNo, no,” he said. “Gomez has promised to cooperate with us. Every single clue he unearths, he’s going to turn over to the SoCal police.”
    â€œOh, sí. ” He crossed to the doorway. “I’ll even have them giftwrapped.” He stepped across the threshold. “ Adiós , colleagues.”
    Outside, he went striding toward the lot where he’d left the agency skycar.

9
    W HEN THE VIDPHONE on the dash of his skycar buzzed, Jake hit the auto/answer key.
    A mechanical version of his voice said, “Please leave your message now.”
    Bev appeared on the small rectangular screen. She was seated at her desk, face pale, hands folded. “Jake, Jabb Marx will be spending the day at the Santa Monica Emergency Center,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I’ve persuaded him not to take any legal action against you for assault. For now—well, I think you ought to stay away from me and the office. We’ll be better off working separately on this Flanders-Traynor business for a while. I’ll … I’ll probably get in touch with you again in a couple of days.” Then her image was gone from the screen.
    After a moment Jake said aloud, “I’m not getting off to a very impressive start on this case.”
    â€œBeg pardon, sir?” inquired the voice of the car computer.
    â€œNothing. Talking to myself.”
    â€œWould you care to have me patch you through to one of the agency therapists?”
    â€œNot just yet.”
    The computer said, “You have been, if I may mention it, unusually tense of late, sir. Is there anything I can do?”
    â€œI appreciate your interest,” said Jake. “But I don’t think I’m far enough around the bend to need advice from my car. But thanks.”
    â€œAs you wish, sir.” The computer fell silent.
    Jake punched out a flight pattern that would take him to the Palm Springs Sector.
    Gomez took a careful step backward, made a go-away motion with both hands. “I don’t want to take a card.”
    The magician doll was nearly three feet high, dressed in a glittery tuxsuit and top hat. He had a perpetual grin under his slick, dark moustache. “Don’t be a schmuck,” he urged, fanning out six bright playing cards. “Take one, for Pete’s