Velda gave a nod of greeting. “I need to speak to the full Planetary Admin Committee. Please ensure they are all in the main conference room in thirty minutes.”
“Not . . .” The receptionist cleared his throat. “Not all of them are in the office yet.”
Velda tilted her head. “Then call them in. Tell them it’s an emergency.”
He nodded a few times too many and then caught Ethan’s gaze over Velda’s shoulder and went a little glassy-eyed.
“You’re involved,” Ethan said, walking up behind Velda and leaning past her to rest his elbow on the counter. “You know what Nostrada was up to.”
“What?” His voice was thin and reedy. “No, no.”
Velda took a step back and studied him. “Commander Hyt is right. You do know something. What is it?”
The receptionist shook his head, his hands gripping the edge of the counter. “I don’t know anything.”
“Leave him to me,” Ethan said to Velda, never taking his gaze off the receptionist. “Do what you need to do in Nostrada’s office. Make sure the seal is untouched. If it isn’t, come get me.”
“Thanks.” She sent him an amused smile and walked away.
“What did Henry Nostrada do?” the receptionist asked.
“You tell me . . .” He peered at the receptionist’s ID. “Fayvin.”
“I don’t know.” The glassy eyes were back. “I swear.”
Ethan stared at him, and he shrank away, backing up and stumbling over the chair behind him.
“The Protection Unit will be here to turn this place upside down shortly. After they’ve finished cleaning up what’s left of Henry Nostrada and his apartment,” Ethan said.
“What’s left?” Favin’s gaze shot up to his, the blood draining from his face.
Ethan softened his tone. “Henry Nostrada’s apartment was blown up earlier. It’s likely he’s dead.”
Fayvin’s eyes went really wide. “Who did it?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out. Whatever you know, whatever you did, you need to tell me.”
“All I did was tell Commander Harden he wasn’t here yesterday afternoon, even though he was.” Fayvin looked up. “But that’s because Henry asked me to! And I kept the package for him that he asked me to store under the desk until he came in to collect it today.”
“Give.” Ethan held out his hand, and Fayvin bent down and withdrew a package from below the counter and handed it across. It felt like documents. “What else?”
“Nothing, I swear.” Fayvin sank down into his chair. “I can’t believe he’s dead.”
“I’m sorry.” Ethan tapped the counter and walked in the direction Velda had taken. Behind him he heard Fayvin calling the people in the office for the meeting Velda wanted to hold.
That get together should be interesting. Neither he nor Velda thought Nostrada had been in it alone, but whether his co-conspirator had only been Commander Ferris Harden, or whether there were more people involved, including someone else in the Planetary Admin office, they couldn’t be sure.
Hopefully the meeting would help them find out.
He found Velda standing in the middle of Nostrada’s office, arms crossed, staring at the desk.
“No luck?” he asked.
She shook her head, then went still when he waved the package Fayvin had given him.
“The receptionist?” she asked.
“Nostrada asked him to keep it safe for him until he could come collect it,” he said.
