Blue Raspberry #17
Challenge: Blue Raspberry 17. interrogation
Word count: 533
Project: Stone & Waters
Rating: PG-13
Note: This scene takes place later in the story. There is a rather major spoiler.
The thief lifted his head as Jade walked in. His eyes weren't brown as she'd first thought, but very dark blue, and they glittered with intelligence. This was no petty thief, but a man who made a living stealing from others. She lowered herself into the seat opposite and considered her tactics.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked, genuinely curious.
He shook his head. "No. Should I?"
"My name is Jade Waters. I am - was - Alexander Stone's personal assistant."
"And this concerns me why?"
Jade bit back a retort. She blew air through her nostrils and fixed a smile on her face. "Alexander Stone was murdered last night. You were in the same area at that time." Canting her head to one side, she widened her smile. The cold edges of it felt as it her skin were about to split. "Which is why it should concern you."
The thief's eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing me of murder?"
"Are you admitting to it?"
"Miss - it is Miss, isn't it?" He paused and she nodded. "Miss Waters, I admit to being a thief. I admit to being a damn good one, and to be a good thief one has to be all but invisible. Committing murder is not invisible."
"But you were in Corridor Tango between eleven and one last night."
He gave her a thin smile. "Perhaps."
"You have no ID," Jade reminded him. "No pass. So no, I don't know who you are, but I can imagine that you are wanted by at least one police force back on Earth. Right now, the very least you are guilty of is theft and boarding a spaceship without proper identification. I suggest that you cooperate. Otherwise you'll be facing a murder charge."
"You couldn't make that stick." He waved a hand, the motion hampered by the metal cuffs around his wrists. "You don't have any evidence."
"Alexander Stone was a registered private investigator. He had contacts with several police forces in America, with the FBI and CIA, and with the UK's Security Service. His death won't go unnoticed."
Jade held the thief's gaze, hoping the lie wasn't evident on her face. He had no motive for killing Alex, and she didn't believe he'd done it, but he'd been in the area at the time - the possibility he'd seen something was large. She couldn't let that slip through her fingers. Not when she'd nothing else to go on.
"You'd fabricate evidence against me?" He arched an eyebrow. "No, I don't think you would. Getting the right person is too important to you. So what do you want?"
"I want to know what you saw. I want to know who you were casing, why and what you'd planned to take."
"And in return? What do I get out of this?"
Jade glared at him. "You get away with a simple burglary charge instead of everything else I could throw at you. I can talk to security at the station. I could persuade them to trial you there instead of on Earth."
The thief sat back in his chair. "All right, Miss Waters, I'll deal. I'll tell you everything I know."
Word count: 533
Project: Stone & Waters
Rating: PG-13
Note: This scene takes place later in the story. There is a rather major spoiler.
The thief lifted his head as Jade walked in. His eyes weren't brown as she'd first thought, but very dark blue, and they glittered with intelligence. This was no petty thief, but a man who made a living stealing from others. She lowered herself into the seat opposite and considered her tactics.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked, genuinely curious.
He shook his head. "No. Should I?"
"My name is Jade Waters. I am - was - Alexander Stone's personal assistant."
"And this concerns me why?"
Jade bit back a retort. She blew air through her nostrils and fixed a smile on her face. "Alexander Stone was murdered last night. You were in the same area at that time." Canting her head to one side, she widened her smile. The cold edges of it felt as it her skin were about to split. "Which is why it should concern you."
The thief's eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing me of murder?"
"Are you admitting to it?"
"Miss - it is Miss, isn't it?" He paused and she nodded. "Miss Waters, I admit to being a thief. I admit to being a damn good one, and to be a good thief one has to be all but invisible. Committing murder is not invisible."
"But you were in Corridor Tango between eleven and one last night."
He gave her a thin smile. "Perhaps."
"You have no ID," Jade reminded him. "No pass. So no, I don't know who you are, but I can imagine that you are wanted by at least one police force back on Earth. Right now, the very least you are guilty of is theft and boarding a spaceship without proper identification. I suggest that you cooperate. Otherwise you'll be facing a murder charge."
"You couldn't make that stick." He waved a hand, the motion hampered by the metal cuffs around his wrists. "You don't have any evidence."
"Alexander Stone was a registered private investigator. He had contacts with several police forces in America, with the FBI and CIA, and with the UK's Security Service. His death won't go unnoticed."
Jade held the thief's gaze, hoping the lie wasn't evident on her face. He had no motive for killing Alex, and she didn't believe he'd done it, but he'd been in the area at the time - the possibility he'd seen something was large. She couldn't let that slip through her fingers. Not when she'd nothing else to go on.
"You'd fabricate evidence against me?" He arched an eyebrow. "No, I don't think you would. Getting the right person is too important to you. So what do you want?"
"I want to know what you saw. I want to know who you were casing, why and what you'd planned to take."
"And in return? What do I get out of this?"
Jade glared at him. "You get away with a simple burglary charge instead of everything else I could throw at you. I can talk to security at the station. I could persuade them to trial you there instead of on Earth."
The thief sat back in his chair. "All right, Miss Waters, I'll deal. I'll tell you everything I know."