be grounds for dismissal, I’d think,” Karis added, sounding hopeful.
“For anyone else, yes,” Richard said, “but Dr. Addams often gets preferential treatment.” He looked hard at Alex.
“What’s that mean, Dick?” Alex asked, emphasizing the last word.
“My name is Richard,” he replied curtly.
“I’m being friendly. What’s it mean, Dick?”
“Just what I said.”
“Say it again,” Alex suggested. “This time in English.”
Richard puffed up his thin chest and pushed his narrow face toward Alex. “Everyone knows Dr. Addams crosses all lines of protocol, blatantly ignoring code, using methods only her Supervisor countenances, and she gets away with it because…” He paused. “Do you really want me to go on, Alex?”
“Yes,” he said distinctly. “I do. For the record.”
“I don’t,” Paul jumped in. “And neither does anyone else.”
Alex made a fist and hit it against the table. Everyone jumped except Regina.
“Let him talk, Paul,” he said. “I won’t be held hostage by innuendo and supposition.”
How, Alex wondered, would he respond when Richard said something about empaths always covering for each other? Of course they do because no one else will? Or what would he say when Richard asked point blank if he and Jaguar were lovers? Yes we are, and I’m damn proud she wants to be. And then what?
In this moment of white-hot rage, he didn’t care. He’d quit. Go to the home planet with Jaguar and have something like a real life. They’d always be welcome with her people in New Mexico. He stared at Richard, daring him to say what was on his mind.
Richard stayed quiet. Alex had a low-key demeanor which made people forget he was over six feet with a build to match, but those in the room who’d seen his rare displays of anger didn’t want to be on the receiving end. And regardless of how they viewed the empathic arts, everyone there knew he’d gone head to head with a Telekine and won. They didn’t want to mess with someone who could do that. Especially now, when they saw the anger flashing in his dark eyes.
Regina was the first to break the silence.
“This meeting,” she said firmly, “is about Francis Durero, not Supervisor Dzarny or Dr. Addams, both of whom have gone above and beyond their duty, risking their own lives more than once in service to this system. Everyone here knows that. And any question of professional misconduct is a serious matter to be dealt with through official channels, not casual slander. That,” she added, her voice full of reprimand, “is very bad form.”
The others looked down at their folders, away from Alex. Regina turned a reassuring face his way, but it didn’t matter. The main point was already lost.
“At any rate,” Susan said, speaking his thoughts, “she’s going to One. Right?”
“That seems to be the consensus,” Regina said hesitantly.
“What about backup?” Alex asked. “I could release a worker. Two workers. She should have someone there to help out.”
“Kind of you to offer,” Regina said, “but it’s not necessary. We’ll provide what she needs.”
The others nodded. Alex bit at the inside of his mouth to keep from screaming at them. It would obviously do no good.
“There’s still one thing you haven’t considered,” he said.
“What?” Talek asked.
“That she’s right,” Alex said.
There was no response. They didn’t seem to understand his words. He continued. “Look at her record. She’s difficult, she blows things up, but she has a 100 percent average of being right. In fact, I already assume Francis didn’t kill Diane Lasher. And I’ll back her on that.”
A long pause followed as they absorbed his words. Alex turned to Regina. “Even if you don’t believe it, we have to assure her safety in an unresolved murder investigation. You’ve already had one Teacher killed.”
Susan whispered something to Talek and he laughed uncomfortably.
Alex whipped around to them. “Please share,” he said. “I could use a laugh.”
“Oh, Alex,” Susan said. “Stop being so portentous. I just said maybe we could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Gotta love a happy ending.”
“Susan,” Karis said, over the general response of shock.
“I was joking,” Susan said. “I mean, it’s a joke, what Alex says. If Durero didn’t do it, that means—well, it’s ridiculous. Jaguar—Dr. Addams—is just being contrary. Give her some time with Durero and she’ll see that.”
“Don’t give her too much time,” Alex suggested mildly. Everyone turned to him, and he smiled. “It took her about ten days to shred the VR site. How long do you think it’ll take her to deconstruct a bubble dome?”
“I hope that isn’t a threat,” Susan said.
“Not at all. But if there’s anything at all to find, Jaguar will find it.”
To his surprise, her face blanched. She turned decidedly away from Alex and to Regina. “I won’t waste any more breath on this. Are we done?”
“We are,” Regina said. “This meeting is dismissed, and I thank you for your time.”
Alex sat in a state of smoldering anger as the others packed up to leave. Regina leaned over and patted the back of his hand. “You’ll tell her, won’t you? It’ll be better coming from you.”
“Sure,” he said. “Throw me to the big cats.”
Regina laughed, looked around. The only person still lingering was Paul Dinardo. She cast him a smile. “Could we have the room for a minute, Paul?” she asked.
He shrugged, got up and left. Regina turned back to Alex. “Alex, just so you know, I hoped this would happen. I want Jaguar on One.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why, Regina?”
She looked around, as if suspicious of listeners. “There’s been a big push for this execution, but people don’t realize how bad it makes us look. The media’s always right on top of this kind of thing. I’m hoping she’ll find some way to get us out of it. If anyone can . . . ”
She left the sentence unfinished, but Alex knew how it ended. If anyone can, it’s Jaguar. Any impossible task, any difficult, dangerous or unpleasant job went to Jaguar, who would see it done. That was, unfortunately, pretty damn accurate. She’d earned a reputation for taking on the worst of the worst with success. Sometimes he felt pride in her ability to do so. Other times it bugged the hell out of him.
“That’s not exactly fair to her, is it?” he asked. “Make her go back to a place that can only hurt like hell, on a highly vexed job, with as much resistance as possible?”
“But that’s where she’s in her element, Alex. We both know that. And don’t worry about what Susan said. I’m sure she’ll be perfectly safe with us.”
“Will you provide the bodyguard?”
“Would she trust any bodyguard on One?”
He shook his head. Of course she wouldn’t. Rightly so.
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Regina said, “And if she establishes a presence for a while, they’ll all be satisfied. Frankly, I think they just need some time to get over themselves and do the right thing. Tell her that, will you? It’s just a little tedium, then she’ll be back to you.”
“Back to work, you mean,” Alex amended.
“Yes.