The Nobinata Gambit by Val Roberts

Author:Val Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wylde Hare Press
Published: 2014-09-23T02:27:38+00:00

Chapter 7

When she was gone, Meong motioned him to sit again. “Did she tell you Jester Junichiro attacked her in her office?”

“She mentioned he had done something out of character.”

“Hmm.” The older man sat across from him and crossed his ankles. “I wonder about that. Akiko had become suspicious of him several weeks ago. She had a surveillance camera installed in her office that also covered the hallway outside, as well as commissioning a meiko-style wig with a vid recording rig built into it. She captured the entire assault and immediately sent it to the authorities.” He chuckled. “Of course, it ended with my sparkling girl beating the stuffing out of old Junichiro, so it was humiliating for him as well as career ending.”

“Ah.” Shakiro looked out the window. “She didn’t mention that. Perhaps she felt she didn’t have time.” But he could understand why she had been suspicious and frightened enough to take Hitsugaya-style precautions. Suggestions and innuendo were hallmarks of the Junichiro everyone knew and put up with for the Emperor’s sake. Outright threats and sexual assault were something new. Coupled with remarks about violent regime change the morning after Lee Tan had been left, headless and gutless, on the original landing shrine was something else again. “It sounds well-done of her, though.”

He leaned forward, looked Hitsugaya in the eye, and asked a direct question. “Have you read the preliminary report on the Lee Tan crime scene, Meong-sama?”

“I have skimmed it, but I confess to a weak stomach and have not read it closely for that reason.” Meong held eye contact, which would have been rude if they weren’t agreeing on the importance of the conversation.

“I have toxicology information now. That is why I requested this appointment.”

Meong now leaned forward, too interested to pretend nonchalance. “And?”

“Lee’s blood contained enough tranquilizer to put down a tiger. He could not have been conscious when he died. It was murder.”

Meong sighed. “Poor Lee Tan. He was one of the most intelligent politicians of his generation.”

“Was he likely to have been approached by anyone interested in sendoh?” Shakiro didn’t have a complete profile of the victim, which made for large holes when considering who might have killed him. The place to find such a profile was here, and the hands to open it and let him read were Hitsugaya Meong’s.

“I cannot think of any reason why someone of that persuasion might think Lee Tan would be sympathetic, since he was proud of his connection to the Imperial family and tended to vote in the Emperor’s favor.” Meong shook his head. “It would be more likely that they would have detained him because he had said or done something they found offensive.”

“What do you think a mastermind of a shadowy plot against the Imperial government might find offensive?”

“That would depend upon the nature of the mastermind.” Meong made a helpless gesture. “That is what I find particularly maddening about this whole thing—there is no hint of the mastermind, only a few puppets who

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.