Chapter 1: To Free a Mocking Bird
It read 2305/05/21 that day. The rain was pelting against the shutters, making it hard to continue the catnap that I had started. Work was slow now that the frontier was stabilizing. Crime wasn’t as rampant as it used to and all that had been in lately were sappy men and women who needed me to find out who their spouses had been spending time with. The money in jobs such as these was about equivalent to that of a butterfly in the fields. It comes and goes but never stays long enough to help. The red letters were starting to stack up as it were. Lazily I looked over at my nightstand/desk and smiled at the picture. My old man and I were grinning at the camera with our first big catch behind us being dragged away by the officials. Papa… what would you do at a time like this I wonder… He never worried about these things it seemed. He even put every bit of cash he had to send me to the Space Academy. I took my two years and returned as a certified homicide d**k. But my real calling was helping out my father with his business so I spent my required time and joined him. What fun times we had together… hmm seems like I had drifted off. I do that on days like this but any who, what was I saying again? Oh yea that day…
It started off like most days, warm and stuffy as I sat in my room watching the fan spin, stirring the dust off various trinkets. I let myself up a butt and let the smoke escape slowly while the rain continued it volley against the shutters. It was that stuffy heat and the steady cadence that sent me into an unstable sleep. The sound of the buzzer going off shook me from it for a moment before I was pulled back only to be yanked again by the same buzzer. Sleepily I trudged over to the door to hit the intercom.
“Yea?” my voice was deeper than usual with a gruff edge thanks to the sleep that still lingered in me.
“Umm… Is th..this O…O”
“O’Brian? So what if it is whatcha want?”
“Ah yes.. ummm I have a job for you… you see my..”
“Hold on babe I’ll letcha up. Then ya can tell me everything.” I pressed and held the button until I saw her outline behind the glass of my door. Opening I found she had a look of surprise as if she wasn’t expecting me to be right there. Tossing the now dead f** in the sack on my way back I motioned for her to come in. She was a fair dame or as my old man would say she was a Tomato. Never understood why a pretty gal was a tomato but then again he called me that so I never looked too much into it. Anyways the broad that sat before me was done up in some high fashion suit, some hyper retro s**t. I sat before her in a cropped white tank, a pair of black stripped pants and some boots with my Pop’s old Fedora over my white and blacked streaked hair that had been done up in a quick twist. I propped my boots up on my desk and rested my hands on my stomach.
“So what’s the problem Babe?” My voice was softer then what it had been over the speakers which seemed to startle her even more. She shifted uncomfortably and looked around finding the Snap shot of my Father on the wall.
“Are you Mister O’Brian’s daughter?” She said in a breathy voice as if she wasn’t sure she was in the right place.
“I am, so what was that you were saying about a Job?”
“Oh… umm well it’s actually for Mister O’Brian… when will he be back?”
I opened up my top drawer and took out two glasses and a jug of Tiger milk. “He ain’t gonna be back.” I opened up the flask and poured myself and the lady a slosh and placed the flask back up. Handing her the tumbler I took a sip and watched her try to search for the right words as this seemed to shock her even more. Lighting up another butt I took a long drag, “He took the big sleep about 7 years ago last month. I’m his surviving partner and kin now why are you here sister?”
“I was sure that Detective Murray said Mister O’Brian…”
Of course that do-gooder Murray was the one that sent her. He was a white d**k up at the Johns H.Q. “Well he probably just said O’Brian. Now tell me what’s up. I ain’t got all day. Ya said ya had a job for me now what is it?”
She took a sip from the tumbler and winced slightly. She was defiantly a upper crust dame, probably used to brandy and wine. She recomposed herself and set down the tumbler and stared at me steadily. Taking a deep breath she started her story.
About 30 minutes later she finished with my handkerchief in her hands dabbing her eyes so not to smear her delicate make-up. After refilling my tumbler, I took out my note pad to look over the facts.
“So basically your Husband has been arrested for a murder that doesn’t belong to him?” I sighed and shook my head. The palooka was arrested after his finger prints and DNA had been found at the scene of the crime. Mister and Misses Harper were returning from their honeymoon and were staying at the Crowned Plaza Hotel in the Theta District on Sentra 15. Young Mister Harper went out to get something for his wife and when he came back he was covered in blood. He was paler than the bed sheets and in a cold sweat. Misses Harper asked what had happened and if he was hurt blah blah blah when the police came in. They took Misses Harper down to the station with them to question her. When they were sure she had had nothing to do with it she was released. Her husband was posted with no bail. Apparently the body was so mangled that they weren’t even really able to identify the sex or species of the victim. The only true link they have to Mr. Harper and the Vic was the blood. It was interesting enough that I promised her I would look into it. She was practically sparkling with joy when I told her what my going fee was, then her face dropped faster than a Sarilian falling on Geba, a planet with 10 times the normal earth gravitational force. A serious look cast over her face as she tried to negotiate with me but eventually gave in. This ruled her out of the framing and so I lowered the rates to their usual 125 a day with expenses, which were meant anything from bribes to bail to food and everything in between. Though I’m proud to say I’ve never been on the other side of the glass door. With everything set, I escorted Mrs. Harper out the door and closed it behind her. Sighing I looked up at the ceiling and stretched. It seemed like I had finally landed a fair catch. Now to get to work.
