SPINS

Chapter Six

Day 3 - in an Alien Murder Investigation

I didn’t know how Deepy would be received but Jack and I took him to work the next day. I supposed we could have found doggy daycare but I didn’t have the time to find one. Mom would be home pretty soon, so Deepy could hide in a corner of my office for the time being.

Jack set up a spot for Deepy with his favorite blanket, toys, and water dish, and then disappeared to begin his investigations, I assumed.

I sat down to make a list. Lists were a happy activity since I discovered it was so easy to forget an item that needed to be done. Since yesterday had exhausted me, I had spent no time making lists in the evening.

First up, whether it should be or not, was my mother’s poisoning. I needed to talk to the Bremen ambassador, Mugon-Dite, regarding the food dish he had given her. Before so I decided another conversation with Raj might be in order.

“Raj, how’s your day going?” I stifled a laugh at the look on his face in response to my question.

“Depends on your point of view. Three murders overnight, so I’m a little busy. What can I do for you?”

“Any other details I need to know about Mom’s condition? I know it’s not your area, but you do have resources at Burnaby Hospital.” Raj had lots of connections.

“Her main condition is still an allergic reaction. A rough one, I have to say, but she’s definitely on the mend. I’d like her to remain until tomorrow, but I’m not her doctor. However, I managed to get another ER doctor assigned to her, so she should feel more comfortable.”

“What can we do about that previous jerk?” My mood plummeted as I remembered the words Mom had spewed.

“Not much. You could lodge a complaint through the hospital, but I’d wait until Tracy’s home. In the meantime, details may be remembered.”

Diplomatic as always, Raj was correct. Mom’s situation was not to be rushed into, and I had other topics to pursue in the meantime.

“Okay. I’ll be patient. I’m going over to the hospital soon, just to let you know. I’ll update you later.”

“Then I’ll try and get over fairly quickly, too. Tracy will need a second opinion to reinforce the idea of staying for another day.”

I laughed. “Of course. You’re the best. See you later.”

Doing a little paperwork, I realized my cases were under control except for the murdered Tristorian, and I was avoiding the Burnaby Hospital and Mom. Deepy appeared content residing in the corner of my office, so my mind was relieved over his situation.

I walked into the detective area. “Harrison, Jack, I’m going to the hospital to check on Mom. Raj wants her to stay another day so I need to do a little persuading. Anything I should know about what you’re doing?”

“We’re investigating,” said Jack. The two of them were not successful in holding back their smirks.

“Nothing new, though,” Jack added. “Are you taking Deepy?”

“I don’t think so. If Mom sees Deepy she’ll want to go home. Can you guys keep an eye on him for a couple of hours?”

“If we get to take him for walks, and play with him in your office, we certainly can,” said Jack.

I suspected Harrison wanted to burst out laughing.

“Okay, okay, for the time being, my office is yours. After I return, disappear quickly.”

“Thanks, Sarge. We do need more space to plan our investigation. We’ve been finding all sorts of people who were at the Aquarium banquet, and also at the banquet where your mother was poisoned. We have a lot of people to talk to,” said Harrison. “So we want to be efficient with our interviews.”

“Okay, I’ll get back as soon as I can. Perhaps I can help with the interviews. In the meantime, don’t trash my office.”

They were puzzled as to how to take my remarks, so I left before I got quizzed. A little uncertainty wouldn’t hurt my authority, and I thought I’d been funny.

At the hospital, Mom sat up in bed and glowered at a nurse.

“Mom, how’re you feeling?” I asked, giving her nurse a smile and nod.

“Just fine, so I want to go home. However, this hospital is a little archaic and doesn’t realize how robust seventy-year-olds are. I’m back to normal, and need to get on with my life.”

The expression on the nurse’s face gave me the impression of relief someone else would help with a cranky senior. “Your mother, Assistant Commissioner Tracy Dominion, insists she’s feeling fine. Her blood tests indicate otherwise.”

I smiled. An out was an out, in any language. “How so? What indicators were found?”

“Several components of her blood, such as potassium, are very low. And her blood factors also need topping up. We recommend a few shots. Then if her blood returns to normal, leaving here tomorrow would be appropriate.” The nurse happily delivered these details to me.

“Thanks. Your report was very clear.”

“Yes, it was. Thanks, Cheryl.” Raj had popped in without anyone noticing.

“Madame Commissioner, you are stuck here for another day. So stop harassing the poor, overworked nurses and staff. They’re here to help, you know.” Raj shook his finger at Mom.

“Cheryl, I apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I’m not used to being sick, even if it was only food poisoning. I’ll be a model patient—for the next little while.”

Mom made everyone laugh, even Cheryl.

“Madame Commissioner, it’s time for a rest. Everyone out, please. Madame Commissioner thinks too much, and needs quiet space and time.”

Raj and I exited as quickly as we could. I did whisper to Cheryl, “Thank you. Mom’s not an easy patient.”

Cheryl shook her head, grinned, and returned to settling Mom down for a rest. I suspected Cheryl had a great deal of experience dealing with difficult patients.

While Raj and I walked down the corridor, I spotted the Bremen ambassador. “Ambassador Mugon-Dite, what’re you doing here? Have one of your Bremen become sick, and cannot be treated by your staff?”

“No. Visit Assistant Commissioner Dominion. Hospitalization concerns. You visit?”

Everyone called the Bremen Terses. In any discussion or explanation, their words were stripped down as far as I could imagine. And yet, we managed to understand them—most times.

“Yes, we were just there. Ambassador, this is Dr. Raj Inder, our Medical Examiner. He’s also a friend of the family. Mom’s doing quite well, but will probably stay in the hospital until tomorrow. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Related?” Mugon-Dite appeared confused.

“Yes, she’s my mother. I thought our names would have given you the connection.”

“Oh.” He sighed. “Names mean much more, much less. Depends on race. Agree?” Mugon-Dite peered around the waiting area. “Visit Commissioner Dominion? Food for her. Like at banquet. Enjoyed.”

Raj and I both froze. “Ambassador, Tracy, ah, Commissioner Dominion is in the hospital with food poisoning. A particular Bremen component of your dish is poisonous to humans. You wouldn’t have known, as the item has only been recently introduced into human society. Your banquet may have been the first time. You cannot give this dish to Tracy. Two allergic attacks in two days could prove fatal. I suggest you take it back to your kitchens and do research. We do not blame you because you wouldn’t have known. No one knew.”

I thought Raj’s patience and explanations were wonderful. Thank goodness, we’d intercepted the ambassador.

A noticeably upset Ambassador Mugon-Dite was without words, for a moment. “Do? Commissioner Dominion important.”

“She’ll be fine…this time. Please be careful with any future banquets, or meetings with multiple species. Complications can always arise, but research could help.” I suspected, after his initial shock, the ambassador would be on high alert.

The ambassador glanced vaguely around the area surrounding us. Obviously in distress, I softly suggested, “Ambassador, please go back to your embassy and talk to your kitchen staff. I’m sure that’ll solve your problem. You just need to get procedures in place.”

“Excellent idea. Contact for further information. Thank you, Detective Sergeant Dominion. My regards to mother.”

A befuddled Ambassador Mugon-Dite started walking the wrong way, but I pointed him toward the entrance.

“Raj, Mugon-Dite seemed sincere, don’t you think?” I asked, after the ambassador was out of earshot.

“Yes, I do. It’s a wake-up call for the aliens, though. They need to be more proactive. Actually, it’s a wake-up call for everyone. Too bad your mother had to be the one to trigger the awakening. However, this won’t be the last time. The global health system needs to be updated, and that’s on my plate.” He glanced at me. “Tari, you may want to update the BPC about allergic reactions.”

While I traveled back to the office, I thought about Mom. She was in great shape for a septuagenarian. I figured her physical well-being could last another fifty years. And I hoped I’d inherited her good health. Now, I just needed to find a romantic partner for her. I had to laugh—I suspected she wouldn’t be impressed by my current thoughts.

I arrived at empty office, so I went back out to the detectives’ area to see where Deepy hid. No evidence of Deepy, Harrison, or Jack but, before I had a chance to quiz a detective, Inspector Haydn arrived, so we went into my office.

“Any progress? On the Tristorian death, I mean.”

Inspector Haydn appeared slightly gray. Stressed, I suspected. Dealing with aliens would do it to anyone.

“Oh, not yet. I’ve put Harrison and Jack on as the major leads, as I have numerous reports and reporting to do with the BPC. Harrison and Jack are good detectives, as you know, and I’ll assist and make suggestions whenever I can.”

Just then, Harrison and Jack returned with Deepy and filled my office doorway. “Whose dog is that?” asked Hayden.

“Oh, of course, you don’t know, Thomas. Mom took sick after a banquet yesterday and is in Burnaby Hospital. She had a strong allergic reaction to a Bremen dish she was served personally by the Bremen ambassador. I saw the ambassador at the hospital, just now, carrying another dish of the same food. He had heard she was in the hospital and knew she enjoyed his dish yesterday. Ambassador Mugon-Dite became quite upset after I explained the situation. I believed him, though.” I turned to Harrison and Jack. “Guys, you may want to find out why the ambassador gave Tracy that dish. Who suggested it to him?”

Hayden glanced at Deepy. “Oh, sorry. Deepy is Mom’s dog. She’ll be out of the hospital tomorrow, so Deepy is spending the day with us. I didn’t have time to find doggy daycare. I suspect Harrison and Jack needed a break from their sleuthing and took Deepy for a walk.”

Harrison unleashed Deepy and set him on his bed. “I’ll give the ambassador a call,” said Jack. “Good item of interest you found, Tari,” he added.

Harrison and Jack disappeared before Hayden could ask more questions.

“I think I’ll go over to the hospital and visit Tracy. I’m sure she needs some distraction. Anything else I need to know?”

“Just don’t ask her about her first ER doctor, Thomas. He was a jerk and she may take some action after she’s out of the hospital. Raj had another doctor assigned to her, so the situation is under control.”

“Interesting. I shall keep my eyes open, and report back to you, Tari.” We both laughed.

After Hayden left, I called Harrison and Jack in. “I think I got out of that sticky situation with your help, guys. Hayden is off to visit Mom, so all seems well. Now, what do you have for me?”

“Tracy’s dog poops a lot,” said Jack.

I shook my head and tried not to smile. “The Tristorian murder case?”

Harrison laughed. “We’ve found at least a million people to interview—human and alien. I also want to dive deeply into the information retrieved by our sweepers. Especially, in the two places we know the Tristorian had been. By that, I mean the suspected death site and the location where he ended up. Knowing the makeup of the DNA, or alien equivalents, found in those two places may help us uncover clues to the murderer, or perhaps not. We need to refine good sleuthing when aliens are involved.”

“I agree, Harrison. And I know you two are the best at what we need. Hayden also does, or he wouldn’t have left without a word of protest about Deepy. Is Mom’s dog happy?”

“We’ve been spoiling him, so the answer is yes,” commented Jack.

“Hopefully, not too much spoiling, as he needs to return to Mom tomorrow. Now, I need to report to …”

Dino burst into my office. “Tari, what happened to your mother? What happened to Tracy? Will she be okay? I need to see her. Where is she? Can she have visitors?”

Harrison and Jack disappeared. “Dino, take a deep breath. Mom’s okay but very exhausted from her allergic reaction to the food the Bremen ambassador gave her.” Dino, like most Rheinon, was excitable and wordy.

He wobbled his head. “May I visit?”

“I think she’d like you to. Of course, keep your energy level down, or the nurses may kick you out. Nurse Cheryl almost made Raj and me disappear today until she found out who we were.” Perhaps a slight exaggeration for Dino’s benefit.

“Are you going now?” I asked.

“Yes. Is that appropriate?”

“Of course. I have a question for you, though. I now need to report to the BPC daily. What time is good for that?”

“They meet most days around two in the afternoon. Yesterday was an anomaly, for some reason. Why do I not visit your mother, and then return here and we can go to the BPC together.”

“A good plan. See you soon.”

Dino scurried out of my office, and then Harrison and Jack popped in.

“Guys, what can I help you with?” I hoped they wouldn’t take long. I needed to get some work done.

“You look like you need food. Harrison’s running out, so what do you want?” asked Jack.

“Not hungry.” And my stomach hadn’t growled.

“Okay, Harrison, I’ll tell you what she wants,” replied Jack.

I bristled, and then realized I’d reacted as Jack had wanted me to. “Ha, boy. You are in so much trouble. Harrison, get me a sandwich of some kind. I’ll be meeting the BPC at two-ish, so not too much garlic.”

We all laughed; the situation had been diffused.

Deepy eyed me and then went back to sleep. Such a dog’s life.

Over lunch in the detectives’ room, we discussed our most recent case. “Any details back from the sweepers that’ll help us design our investigation?”

“We have Chrissy’s clothes and shoes report. The only notable detail is that Tristorian blood was found on her shoes. Of course, she was walking around the body, so that detail doesn’t surprise me,” announced Harrison.

“That’s pretty quick work by the lab,” I commented.

“Oh, I have friends in the lab, and they love to work on alien substances. They’re trying to build up a database of clues to help us,” said Jack. “They do love us, and our alien murders. I’ve had requests for more Rheinon blood, though. Their database is a little low with that race.”

I stopped laughing long enough to say, “Let me see what I can do with the BPC committee, for future murders, of course.”

Dino didn’t show, so I left for the BPC meeting alone.

“Detective Sergeant Dominion, I am glad you could make today’s meeting. As you now know there is a meeting every day when a murder has occurred on a member planet.”

“That’s my first question, Leader Arack. Why was I not informed some time ago that I should be attending these meetings? As a member of the BPC, of course. As you know, I found out about the procedure yesterday. So, please forgive me if I have offended anyone by any absence.” I decided my words were to the point and waited to hear responses.

“I apologize for the lapse, Detective Sergeant Dominion. Please join us every day at two in the afternoon. We always have something to discuss.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Leader Arack, and other members.” I bowed. “Now, as for the murder of the Tristorian at the Aquarium, we have some clues. They do lead us to further investigations, but not to the killer, as of yet. You may not realize, but murders often take months to solve. So far, our investigation is proceeding normally.”

“Of course, Detective Sergeant Dominion. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?”

“Yes, there is. You all know of my mother, retired Assistant Commissioner Tracy Dominion?”

I saw nods, and such, around the conference table.

“Well, she’s in the hospital because she was poisoned at a banquet. The Bremen ambassador brought her a special dish of food. Unknown to everyone, humans and Bremen alike, a component of that particular dish is extremely allergic for humans. She’s on the road to recovery but will not leave the hospital until tomorrow. The delay is partly a combination of the toxicity of the contaminant and her age. However, she’ll be back to normal after suitable rest.”

“We must punish the Bremens,” said Leader Arack.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate, at this point. I talked to Mugon-Dite, the Bremen Ambassador, and he honestly had no idea the food was poisonous to humans. We need further investigation before we censure anyone. However, I’d like the BPC to caution all races to be very careful when offering foodstuffs to other races. We need to have a food committee overseeing all restaurants, banquet halls, and such, on all planets. This can be a deadly problem for any race.”

“Detective Sergeant Dominion, you have brought a serious concern to our attention, and we thank you. Appropriate actions will be taken.” Leader Arack appeared distressed.

“Please let me help. Perhaps we can have a subcommittee of the BPC to look into how to implement an educational system on each planet. I do not want further murders to investigate.”

“Of course, Detective Sergeant. An excellent idea. I will contact you with details,” Leader Arack replied. “Anything else you can tell us about the murder of Myth Soong?”

I essentially told the BPC committee, again, that we had no suspect, as of yet, but we were busy eliminating numerous people. I made a point to remind them that a banquet consisted of many participants and serving and cooking staff. Many, many.

I hoped they were satisfied because I needed to get back to work.

“Thank you for your time, Detective Sergeant Dominion. Give our best wishes to your mother, and advise her we will try to put safeguards in place so this does not happen again.”

I scooted out of there because my mind was full of questions that needed answering.

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