Shadow Unit 5 by Emma Bull & Elizabeth Bear

Author:Emma Bull & Elizabeth Bear [Bull, Emma & Bear, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: crime, science fiction mystery, bau, behavioral analysis unit
Publisher: Emma Bull
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Out of the corner of his vision Solomon Todd watched Chaz make his measured way down the aisle, eyes on the floor, like a prisoner being moved. Had Falkner fired him? No, there were still impossible things, even in this world. Even Reyes wouldn't do it, though Todd was fairly sure the recurring sight of Chaz in the bullpen gave Reyes a case of the Conscience that would make a plague of boils seem like an inconvenience. Reyes might be as lapsed as he liked, but he was still capable of wanting to walk to Santiago on his knees.

Chaz and Lau passed beside Brady's chair. Lau gave him a one-cornered conspiratorial smile. Chaz, fishing in his pocket and pulling out his phone, either didn't see or pretended not to. Once Lau was past, he put the phone away.

Well, Todd thought. That would have been on the list of impossible things.

Daphne Worth was not so easily trifled with. She stood at the corner of Chaz's desk. Chaz's chin came up as he approached, and the muscles of his throat flexed tight. But Worth crouched by the scattered objects that in quieter times lived on Chaz's desk, picked up the lamp, and set it in its accustomed place.

Chaz watched, as if trying to decide among several actions. Todd couldn't imagine what the others were, but the one he settled on seemed pretty good. He squatted, picked up his wireless keyboard, and set it in front of his monitor.

Together they returned order to Chaz's desktop. Chaz worked with brisk precision, as if the surface were a game of Tetris. Worth quickly adapted, simply picking things up off the floor and handing them to him. Chaz never lifted his eyes from the stuff he was shifting and, temporarily, at least, Worth put up with that.

When they finished, she asked, "Go for coffee?"

Chaz raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, I'd drink something else and suffer nobly while you drank coffee."

One corner of Chaz's mouth rose, but that lasted barely long enough for a sighting. "No thanks." A sideways glance at Worth. "But thanks. For the help."

She stepped forward and touched her fingers to the desk, as she might touch someone else's arm. "Platypus—"

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

Worth pinched her lips together between her teeth. "Later, maybe." She walked away, toward the kitchenette, which would give Chaz wider margins than if she sat at her desk nearby.

Todd, however, was already at his desk, which butted up to Chaz's. And he already had coffee.

If anyone had suggested one ought not profile one's teammates, the team would have regarded the anyone as if he were speaking Finnish, which Todd was pretty sure no one on the team spoke. It wasn't a skill to be turned on and off, like playing softball. Or maybe it was just like that: after enough practice, if something came hurtling toward you, you put up your glove and caught it.

So it wasn't Todd's fault if he couldn't miss the way Chaz lowered himself into his

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