Gone Nova (Backyard Starship Book 19) by J.N. Chaney & Terry Maggert

Author:J.N. Chaney & Terry Maggert [Chaney, J.N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Variant Publications
Published: 2024-02-11T08:00:00+00:00

Perry got a break almost immediately, even before we’d finished doing our preflight on the Fafnir to depart Earth and go looking for a new point-defense gun for the Frankie. It came from Oberin, our red-light camera baron in Defiance, Ohio.

“It turns out he got an offer to buy out his whole operation,” Perry said. “It was for a fraction of what it was worth, and he told the interested party to go pound sand, but he was quite happy to share the Offer of Purchase with me. It contained, in one of its appendices, a list of nameless, numbered corporations who were putting up the money for the offer—which was a mistake on their part. Numbered corporations don’t exist in a vacuum. Netty-P and I have already been able to trace the funds back, through the usual labyrinth of shells and subsidiaries and stuff, to four of your legitimate corporate partners.”

As he spoke, a list of four corporations appeared on the Fafnir’s cockpit display, along with details tying them to the Offer to Purchase made to Oberin. I recognized two of them, a pharmaceutical company and a shipyard, both based in Tau Ceti. The others were an Eridani shipping company and a mining consortium operating in Wolf 424, but registered in the Seven Stars League.

I smiled. “Yeah, they got sloppy, didn’t they? They didn’t count on Oberin cooperating with us.”

“Why would they? He’s a money launderer. They probably figured the last thing he’d want to do is get involved with the Guild,” Netty-P said.

“Okay, yeah, this is perfect.” I turned to Perry. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but as a Master, I can go ahead and issue formal notice to these companies that we’ll be investigating their ties to a money-laundering operation.”

“You can, yes.”

“And for reasons of operational security, to avoid compromising other investigations, I don’t have to give them any details about that money-laundering operation, do I?”

“No, you do not.”

“And if I wanted to suggest that there might be a press release about this whole situation, the fact that this investigation is ongoing, I can do that too, right?”

“You sure can. And then you’ll get to enjoy the shitstorm that will follow, because these companies will immediately profess their innocence and announce their intention to vigorously defend themselves in court⁠—”

“But they wouldn’t have to do that if said press release never gets, um, released, right?”

“Sounds a little like blackmail,” Torina said.

“That’s such an ugly word,” I replied. “Unsavory, even.”

She shrugged. “I’m not objecting or anything. It was just… an observation.”

“A good one, boss lady. And of course, there’s that risk you were talking about, the kind that would make their investors start looking for other places to park their money,” Perry said.

I smiled and nodded.

“Exactly. Now, it’s not often we get such a break in a case so fast, so I want to strike while the proverbial iron is hot. Bird, please craft all the requisite missives and things we’ll need to make this happen.”

I turned to the flight controls.

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