The Coroner

July 22 - Alliance Monitoring Station, Turrent's Moon

"Only the Valkyries can choose the slain." - Njal's Saga

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A lamp to one side. A glass of Chablis the other side. There was a deep, comfortable chair. Black vinyl. Easy to clean. Just wipe it down.

The occupant, bound and gagged, with her eyes held wide open by a harness, was Captain Manda Soldi Westminster. My forensic examiner, and one of the investigators on my team.

A wide screen loomed overhead, cycling the fruity oaty bar commercial. Large sound speakers poured music into the room, also on a loop. Wagner's "Ritt der Walküren".

Excellent sound reproduction, I must add.

"Hello Captain...." I began, loud enough to be heard.

"Mmmmph." she managed to say. Could have been 'Major'. I do not speak mumble.

"I don't want to stop your... session," I said, "but when you have some time we will need to review your current caseload."

She nodded and pointed her toe to a button on the console.

I continued. "I have forwarded the file on Winterwolf's adopted sister... It had been misfiled." I came across it quite by accident while tracking information on Cody Winterwolf. I sent a copy both up and down the chain.

Captain Westminster nodded.

I followed the pointing toe. "That button?" I asked. Best to confirm before touching anything.

Captain Westminster nodded again.

I pressed the button indicated. The music stopped. The chair released her with a distinct series of clicks.

The Captain rose from her chair and proceeded to unlatch the head harness, releasing her eyelids.

"Would you like a hand removing that?" I asked charitably.

"Pfah, hah." she said as she cleared her mouth of the obstruction and shook her head a bit, "Sorry Major, testing....It's normally on a timer."

"Of course," I replied. There are time limits to legal restraint. Just follow the clock. Release then reapply.

"Time awareness distortion," she explained, "Perfectly legal form of interrogation."

"And you test the methods on yourself," I remarked. "That is admirable."

"Time awareness distortion is an amazing phenom," she elaborated, "Like Ravel's Bolero, by only modulating the pitch it created the illusion of an increase in the tempo... or the Japanese Tea Ceremony, condensing long periods of time. This one is designed to make relatively short periods of time seem unbearably long. You can keep a prisoner here for an hour or two and he will think you kept him awake around the clock."

I glanced up at the commercial image still cycling. It was annoying after the first few times. "I can see that happening...."

"This is at the slow setting," she continued, "We change it. Likewise the looped music. It could be used unethically to foil a prisoner's testimony, but we would never do that."

"It would be unethical and counter-productive," I added. "We want our charges to stick."

"Like you said," she concurred, "It is just a means of interrogation. Like coffee and irregular bathroom breaks...and bad lighting. Testing makes me a bit irritable... or so I am told."

"I won't keep you," I promised, "I just wanted to hear about your progress and to book an appointment with you to review your personnel file."

"Long overdue," she agreed.

"How is your case coming?" I asked, "Any more on the body that was claimed to be Winterwolf's?"

"Did you get my report about my confrontation with Deputy Snoodle?" she asked.

"I did not.. the last communication was a copy of your message to her."

"Both she and Sheriff Gallagher obstructed and were defensive regarding a simple request," she said, "I think they should be made subjects of interest in the investigation."

Captain Westminster handed me a sheaf of paper. It was a transcript.

She elaborated, "I communicated with Sheriff Aeon requesting the names and the ID numbers of the troopers who transported prisoner Winterwolf to the Ticonderoga. He said that he did not have time. Likewise Deputy Snoodle purposely obstructed and feigned malfunction."

I did not reply but shook my head slowly as I listened and read.

The Captain continued, "I used typical provoking techniques to see if she would react defensively. The body delivered to me by the Ticonderoga was not Cody Winterwolf."

"I suspected as much," I remarked.

"I thought it was merely mischief on the part of the rogue ship," she added, "but apparently Snoodle and Aeon are involved."

"See where this leads," I instructed, "Do you need manpower? resources?"

"I only need a dog," she replied, "I know where to get one. Winterwolf will be easy to find now that I know who is harboring him."

The charges against Winterwolf were growing.

"With the body they delivered to you," I said, "we might have another charge against him..."

"True."

"...accessory to murder in the very least."

"What do you want me to do with him after I collect him?" she asked.

"Follow the dead body as though a normal murder investigation. The Marshal that Winterwolf shot has a claim too remember."

We would question Winterwolf, then hand him over to the Marshal. He could handle storage while we built our case.

"Do we have priority on him?" she asked, "Murder versus aggravated assault."

"We don't know who murdered this John Doe," I cautioned, "It could have been done on his behalf."

There was always a chance that this occurred without Winterwolf's knowledge.

"See where the facts point," I added, "There is enough to detain him at least."

"Finders keepers?" asked the Captain. She was eager.

I gave the order. "If you can find him, bring him in."

"Yes, Ma'am," she saluted. "Can I have Gage help me?"

"Indeed. He helped search Winterwolf's ship."

"I will requisition a bloodhound," she added.

"Very good. Carry on Captain."

"Thank you Major."

I turned to the door. My enthusiastic officer quickly added, "I have a new flash grenade I am working on. Will work special on Winterwolf. Light and sound sensitive."

"Don't damage the eyes," I reminded her as I left the laboratory.