"Brad Ferguson - Rhuum Service" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ferguson Brad)

Kethrommon yet?тАЭ
тАЬNo. We have no need to bother him. We will not be arresting Sir
Kethrommon.тАЭ
тАЬOh,тАЭ Jacobs said, frowning. тАЬDiplomatic immunity, eh?тАЭ
тАЬHmmm?тАЭ the lieutenant said, almost distractedly. тАЬOh, no. We will not
be arresting the Bloxx, because he did not kill Ambassador
Chaylaifa. He has not left his room all evening.тАЭ
тАЬOh? How do you know?тАЭ
тАЬWe do not spy, Mr. Jacobs, but you probably know that the medical
section keeps a passive watch on VIPs at the hotel, should someone
experience a health problem or suffer an accident. Looking at the records
for tonight, we see that Kethrommon was in his room all evening. The
records also let us fix the time of Ambassador ChaylaifaтАЩs death. Only two
persons were with him at that moment: Nasu and Fehlorah.тАЭ
тАЬSo one of them did it?тАЭ
тАЬAlmost certainly. If they did not тАФ if the murderer was someone not
being monitored by the medical section, say a hotel staff member or
somesuch тАФ then they were present at the time of the killing and saw who
did it, and can identify the criminal. It was not one of ChaylaifaтАЩs staff; all
are VIPs and all are monitored, and we can account for the movements of
every one of them. But that is neither here nor there. I suspect the former
chosha did it, using a small knife as her weapon, in the vain hope that we
would suspect Sir Kethrommon and his dagger. The only other suspect is
Fehlorah, and she is too small to have done such damage. I have not yet
confronted Nasu with an accusation, but I will in good time.тАЭ Hrock-Leff
yawned. тАЬPardon me; I was awakened for this. As I was saying, I am in no
hurry to confront Nasu. She is not going anywhere.тАЭ
тАЬExcuse me? The тАШchoh-shahтАЩ? You keep talking about one. Who the hell
is that?тАЭ
тАЬYou have been referring to Nasu as ChaylaifaтАЩs wife. She was not that.
She was his chosha.тАЭ
тАЬWell, whatever. Why did she kill Chaylaifa?тАЭ
тАЬI do not know yet. My initial inspection of the scene suggests that Nasu
was tired of being forced to indulge Chaylaifa in his sexual perversions.тАЭ
тАЬWhat? Chaylaifa was a pervert?тАЭ
тАЬIt would seem so. I believe that the ambassador must have already
thoroughly corrupted young Fehlorah, the thakaтАЩthott тАФ тАЭ
тАЬThe what?тАЭ
тАЬThe thakaтАЩthott,тАЭ Hrock-Leff repeated, more slowly. тАЬMy good word,
Mr. Jacobs. Did you really do so little research on the ways of the Rhuum
before you took this assignment?тАЭ
тАЬUh, wait a minute, there. My own chosha usually does that sort of
thing; IтАЩm the idea man. Lieutenant, we got this job at the very last
minute. I learned all there was to know about the trade deal and what
both sides expected from it. Our job was to bring the Rhumm and the
Bloxx together, take care of the niggling details so that both sides wouldnтАЩt
have to worry about them, lead them to strike the deal they both wanted,
and send them home happy and satisfied. I didnтАЩt think I needed a quickie
degree in xenoanthropology, too.тАЭ
тАЬPerhaps you did, Mr. Jacobs,тАЭ the lieutenant said, the sarcasm lost on