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About time, Elvie greeted them. A monitor sprang to life and filled with a close-
up shot of a hull. There s the ship.
That view s a bit close, isn t it? Rick reached for the panel.
She s already docked with us. We were just waiting for you to saunter out of your
cabin.
Then why didn t you send us to the main hatch? Thomas frowned and set off
back down the corridor, pulling Harriet along behind. I don t like strangers wandering
around my ship!
I am the ship, Tommy. The AI s tone was tart. Besides, this isn t a stranger.
They rounded the corner and stopped. A petite, middle-aged human brunette in a
dark blue business suit she could have been one any of the corporate drones they d
met in the past stood patiently by the airlock. Whatever Elvie s claims to the contrary
were, Thomas had never seen her before.
Harriet shrieked, swept past him and gathered the woman into a hug.
Although we ve never met formally, I don t feel that we re strangers. Bernie
LaJunta s sexy voice filled the space around them. Her liquid brown eyes met his over
Harriet s shoulder. Her voice and smile zinged along his nerve endings, making every
bit of his libido stand up and take notice. He tried not to gape. You must be Thomas.
Of course, and this is Rick. Thomas pulled the tatters of his concentration around
himself and sketched a bow. We owe you a great debt.
It has been paid in full. I have a lot to tell you.
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Rogues
Rick shook himself and spoke. Then shall we sit down and make ourselves more
comfortable? He glanced at Thomas. I think the lounge is the best place. Elvie, can
you
Already ordered. Bernie likes the same tea you do, Ricky, and the cookies are just
about done.
Thank you so much, Elvie! And have you made contact with Argent?
Yes, Bernie, and she s as delightful as you said.
So that s why Elvie had been distracted. She was no doubt getting to know and
catching up with her sister in Bernie s household. Thomas bowed again and let Rick
and Bernie precede him. Harriet was still wrapped around Bernie like a ribbon.
He busied himself getting them all settled in the lounge. He and Rick had to settle
for sitting next to each other. Harriet was glued to Bernie s side.
Very nice, Bernie praised the refreshments.
Thank you, Elvie simpered. I ve just given Argent the instructions. A little token
of my appreciation.
I m honored again by your kindness, Elvie.
Thomas hadn t believed Rick when he said that Bernie had conquered the prickly
AI in only a few minutes. Now he understood.
Well, let s get down to business. Bernie folded her hands in front of her and
leaned forward. Right now, I am in the company of heroes. Expect to see your names
and pictures in news vids everywhere over the next few days.
You four have managed to break open a case that has baffled the auditors for
months. We ve traced transactions through the system and lost them every time.
Someone was fiddling with the records but we couldn t pinpoint just who it was.
So Harriet s old boss was involved in more than just the vaccine smuggling and
planetary takeover business? Rick bit into a cookie.
Yes. Add embezzlement, smuggling, insider trading, outright theft, kidnapping,
torture, rape and murder and a few other felonies here and there. You provided us with
detailed evidence that he was moving up a few levels in his criminal career, planning
genocide on Deltan.
As far as your ship s mortgage goes, that was an offshoot of his loan skimming
operation, we think a recent development. He saw an opportunity to ensure the
colonists didn t survive and get his hands on the vaccine shipment at the same time. If
the plague got out of control, he had a bolt hole all ready.
And how did he cover his tracks so thoroughly? Harriet asked.
He d been working with an accomplice in IT who disappeared when the case
became public. He was picked up at home, stuffing credits into a suitcase and
irradiating data crystals. There were enough left for us to piece together his role in
things. We hadn t looked at that particular department, since he wasn t in a job that
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Liddy Midnight & Cricket Starr
would normally have access to the records we were examining. But he d held several
different positions over the years and he hoarded passwords and access codes.
She sipped her tea. The best thing was that I now have a new job. Two actually. I
now run the entire audit practice at Galaxy. And I ve been offered a seat on the board of
Mullens & Forth, the largest auditing partnership in Sector Five.
Wow! That s a plum! Harriet breathed. Her eyes were wide and riveted on
Bernie.
Harriet, honey, I know you ve wanted a desk job for quite a while and right now
you re at loose ends. It ll take some time thank goodness it s not my responsibility!
to unravel and then rebuild your old department. I d like this opportunity to steal you
away and have you work for me. As the new head of Auditing at Galaxy, I d like you to
take my old job. I am officially offering you a position as Lead Auditor for
Collateralized Long-Term Loans.
That s fabulous! Harriet grinned through her sniffles. I can t believe it. You ve
just handed me the job I always knew I was born to do.
Thomas could feel her slipping out of their lives. He looked at Rick in dismay. How
are we supposed to compete with Harriet s dream job?
We can t. We ll have to find a way to hang around.
But we belong out there, between the stars. And so does she. Even as he expressed the
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