I NEED A HERO (𝓒𝓞𝓜𝓟𝓛𝓔𝓣𝓔)

CHAPTER SIX

Nearby, in his hotel room, Tau was also headed for the shower. As he let the hot water wash over him, he was thinking of all the day had brought.

He had enjoyed talking to Elian Cavanaugh about technology and cycles, even when the young man went over his head a bit. Tau hadn't expected to find the prodigy so personable and engaging, but under the genius and social ineptitude, his personality was as warm and vital as his sister's was. Was it nature or nurture, he wondered, or a combination of the two that made them so? It would be very interesting to meet their parents.

As he toweled off and went to the drying tube, Tau was evaluating Orr's statements that he needed to deal with both sides of Nemera's genetics - the Tav and the Mota. He would have to make a study of Mota emotions and culture in order to understand that side of Nemera's nature, but it wouldn't be a trial. He had always been curious about the other races the Roki shared the planet with. It was just one of many things that his parents had tried to discourage. Tau had been an aberration in so many ways.

Fully dry, Tau pulled on pajama pants and headed for bed. Stretching out on the mattress, he let his body relax while his mind was deep in thought. There was a great deal for him to think about, but Rakshasa was not on the list at the moment. With the resources at their disposal, he had hopes that the case would be resolved favorably soon. In a way, the shadowy criminal had done him a favor by bringing him to Simaliki. Pondering that thought he drifted off to sleep.

Morning found Nemera arriving at the station to find Orr and Zuberi already there. A covered stay-hot cup sat on her desk, marked with the logo of a well known coffee house. She grabbed it as she went by, opening the lid to inhale the fragrance, which made her whiskers curl forward in pleasure. It was a smooth blend of coffee flavored with dark chocolate and a touch of cinnamon, her favorite. Both men looked up as she entered the room.

"Morning," they said, almost in unison.

"Morning." She smiled as she gestured at Orr with the cup. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me," said Orr. "Zuberi picked it up."

"Oh, OK." She turned to the Roki. "Thanks."

"I hope you like it," replied Tau, chiding himself for being a bit hurt over the smile he didn't get. He managed to check the flick of his ear. "I like vanilla caramel, too, but that flavor's my current favorite. There's pastries on the desk if you want one. The cream cheese is delicious."

"Hmmmmm." It was the best she could do by way of a response. The possibility that she was doing the man an injustice raised it's head again, and she pushed it down, but with less force than before. Maybe, just maybe, she was wrong. But then Pawar had been nice to her, too, until he realized he wasn't getting what he wanted from her. Of course, she had no indication that Zuberi wanted anything from her at all, and it seemed to be conceited to think he was interested when he gave no indication. She hesitated only a moment before taking a cream cheese pastry. It WAS good. She glided over to listen to Tau and Orr's conversation.

"So is this kind of stonewalling what you've been coming up against with this guy?" asked Orr.

"Yeah. Nobody says a word except to ask for a lawyer, paid for by Rakshasa. And of course they deny being hired to ambush cops." Tau's whiskers drooped. "I was hoping that maybe we'd get a break since Rakshasa hadn't been here long. I guess news travels fast among criminals, too."

"Um," Nemera swallowed the last bite of her pastry. "Was there anything useful in the forensics reports?"

"Not particularly." Tau's ear flattened as he scanned the reports. "Some of the arms were illegal and some of those captured had warrants on them. The Bureau confiscated a load of paper money, but it's a drop in the bucket."