"Xris," Parker said gently. "I'm trying to help."

"Yeah, sorry. I could have been anywhere. It was routine for me to check out for an afternoon or an evening. I went to bars, I went to the vids. I went to the Bureau to see if they'd turned up anything on Rowan."

"If you had gone to the Bureau, you would have logged in, right? That was standard procedure. They'd have a record, wouldn't they?"

"If they did, I'll bet they don't anymore," Xris predicted.

"Well, I'll check it out." Parker made a note. "Did you know then that Rowan had gone undercover to take out the Hung?"

"No, I did not," Xris said emphatically. "I only found that out when I hired the private eye to track down Rowan. The Bureau knew where Rowan was, but Amadia""

"Who's that?"

"Jafar el Amadi. He was my boss, the big boss. There was only one guy above him and that was Robison. Andrew Robison."

"The current director of Internal Affairs?"

"Yeah, that's him. Amadi's retired now, but he used to be in charge of the Hung investigation. He lied to me about Rowan. When I went looking for my former partner, Amadi said they had no idea where Rowan was. According to him, they suspected that the Hung were putting Rowan up in a tropical paradise as a thank-you for all his help. In reality, Amadi knew Rowan was sitting in a courtroom behind laserproof gla.s.s ripping the heart out of the Hung operation."

"So they lied to you about Rowan's whereabouts. I'm afraid that doesn't help us much. The Bureau had good reason for keeping him undercover. What happened after that?"

"When I was discharged, I quit FISA. I searched for Rowan for a year, then I ran out of money and I had to find work. Because of my special 'talents' I was offered a job in the old Democracy. A corrupt senator had been kidnapped and it was my job to either rescue him or, if I couldn't do that, I was to see to it that he didn't spill what he knew to his captors.

"I put a team together, some people I'd come across during my years in the Bureau. We handled that job to the satisfaction of all parties, with the exception of the senator, and our reputation spread. In the meantime, I invented some missiles that were effective against the energy-sucking Corasians. Then I joined up with Lady Maigrey Morianna and Lord Derek Sagan. I helped bring King Dion to power and made a fortune in the process.

"Now I had the cash necessary to hire the best agents in the galaxy. They tracked down Rowan, told me that he had died in a hospital during routine surgery." Xris emphasized the words. "They gave me the death certificate. I have it at home. I framed it."

Parker was grim. "Say things like that and the jury won't even have to leave the jury box to deliberate. They'll just p.r.o.nounce you guilty on the spot. So you quit searching for Dalin Rowan?"

"Yes," Xris lied calmly. "There was no reason to search anymore. I knew where he was."

Parker gave a wry smile. "I think that's the first completely true statement you've made to me."

Xris smiled, a smile that warmed the shadowed eyes, if it didn't quite make it all the way to his mouth. "What more do you want me to tell you?"

"I want you to tell me the truth," Parker answered, frustrated. "The whole truth! Not a bunch of half-truths and evasions. Even if it looks d.a.m.ning. You claim you're being framed. All right. Perhaps I can find a witness ora""

"I am telling you the truth!" Xris said. His shoulders slumped in fatigue. His body sagged, a spasm of pain contorting his face. He clenched his jaw, braced himself on the table with his good arm, forced himself to sit up straight.

"Look, Nate, I was searching for Dalin Rowan! Don't you think if I'd have known he was in the same hospital I would have met with him, talked to hima""

"Killed him."

Xris was silent, then said, "Yeah, maybe."

Parker rubbed his hand over his face. "The Bureau has a witness who says that you were in the hospital that night, Xris."

"Of course they do," Xris said bitterly.

"Not only that, but this nurse swears that she saw you going into Rowan's room. Fifteen minutes later, Rowan was dead."

"Planned it out real well, didn't they? Have you read the witness's statement?"

"Yes. I've got it, if you want to see it. The prosecution provided it."

"What sweethearts! Doesn't that strike you as odd, Nate? Since when does the prosecution hand over all the incriminating evidence to the defense?"

"Sure it's odd! This whole blasted case is odd!" Parker stood up again, walked around the small room again, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. He turned to face Xris. "d.a.m.n it! Tell me what you know."

Xris met the attorney's gaze straight on. "I can't."

"You'll go to prison. You could end up on death row."

"So I'll go to prison."

"What about execution?"

Xris was silent.

Parker sighed, shook his head. "Whatever you're hiding, whoever you're shieldinga"it had better be worth it."

"It is."

The attorney sat back down. Bringing up another file on the computer, he activated the file for Xris to see and hear.

"This is her statement."

A middle-aged woman appeared on the screen. She was stout, with iron-gray hair cut short. She looked very competent, very professional, very believable. She sat stiffly upright and glared into the vidcam as if she dared it to contradict her.

Some unseen person began asking questions. The voice sounded like that of Agent Fisk.

"Are you Ms. Ella Rothschild, age fifty-seven, currently head ward nurse at the Lester Smith Mercy Enlightened Hospital?"

"I am," she replied.

"Now, then, Ms. Rothschild, I want you to understanda""

"The next few minutes is all legal stuff." Parker fast-forwarded the file. "This is it."

The nurse was nodding her head. "Yes, sir. I was a shift nurse then, working at the Kurt Lens Hospital for Corrective Surgery. I was doing my rounds when a mana"well, I call him a man, but he was really more machine than mana" entered the ward."

"Go on, Ms. Rothschild," Fisk said.

"He was dressed in a janitor's uniform and he was repairing one of the cleaning 'bots. I remember thinking to myself that he was newa"I didn't know we had any cyborgs on staff. Also that he was there ahead of the time the janitorial staff normally came on duty. I didn't pay much attention to that, because I just a.s.sumed that since he was new he wanted to make a good impression."

"Look at this vid shot, Ms. Rothschild. Is this the man?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Note for the record that the witness has identified Xris Tampambulos. Please, go on. What did the cyborg do, Nurse Rothschild?"

"He worked on the cleaning 'bot, made a few adjustments to it. Then he said he wanted to watch the 'bot operate for a while, to make certain it was okay."

"Just a moment, Ms. Rothschild. Had you noticed the cleaning 'bot malfunctioning before this?"

"No, I had not." She stared coldly at him. "But then I wasn't being paid to notice the cleaning 'bot at all, was I?"

"No, I suppose not, Ms. Rothschild. Please continue."

"He escorted the 'bot down the hall and I heard it start up. I finished my rounds and was entering the patient's files into the computer when I noticed that the janitora"I mean the man I thought was the janitor, the cyborga""

"We know who you mean, Ms. Rothschild. Please continue."

"Anyway, I noticed that he wasn't around. And the cleaning 'bot had gone completely out of control! It was spewing water and disinfectant all over the floor. I went to find out what was going on and that's when I saw him come out of the patient's room."

"Who did you see come out of the room, Ms. Rothschild?"

"The janitor! The cyborg! That man, there!" She pointed.

"Please note that the witness has again identified a vid of the suspect Xris Tampambulos. Now, Ms. Rothschild, what happened then?"

"I told the cyborg to take the 'bot down to maintenance, then come back and clean up the mess it had made."

"How did the cyborg react when you saw him coming out of the patient's room?"

"He seemed agitated, upset. His face was flushed as if he had a fever and he was breathing heavily. I thought perhaps he was upset because the 'bot was misbehaving. Perhaps he thought he was going to be fired."

"What did he do?"

"He grabbed hold of the 'bot and lifted it up off the floor with one hand. Those 'bots are heavy! I don't mind telling you I was frightened. He looked so wild and fierce and he acted so strangely. He mumbled something I couldn't understand and then he left, hauling the 'bot into the elevator with him."

"What did you do then?"

"I was shaken. I sat down at my desk to recover. I'd only been sitting there a few moments when the alarm went off in the patient's room, the alarm which indicates cardiac arrest. We reacted stat, but there was nothing we could do. The patient was dead."

"Do you recall the patient's name?"

"No, I do not. That was a long time ago. I suppose there are records."

"Does the name Dalin Rowan sound familiar?"

"It might. I don't know. I don't remember."

"I see. What makes the cyborg stand out in your mind, Ms. Rothschild?"

"First, he murdered my patient. I knew that the moment I entered the room. The patient had been recovering nicely, no problems. The next moment, he was dead. The cyborg murdered him."

"But there was no murder investigation. The police have nothing on their files about this case, Ms. Rothschild."

"That was the other reason I remembered it. I wanted to go to the police, but I was told by the hospital administrator that if I did, my job would be in peril. I needed that job. I was a single mother with two children to support."

"Yes, Ms. Rothschild. What did you think had happened?"

The nurse stiffened. "It was my guess that the hospital administration was afraid that they'd be sued. After all, it was one of their own employees who'd gone berserk and murdered a patient. So I kept quiet. It wasn't any of my business anyway. I wasn't about to lose my job over it."

"Let the record notea"" Fisk began.

Parker shut him off.

"Well?"

"She's a d.a.m.n good actress," Xris said. "It's obvious. The Bureau hired her, told her what to say. Do you think I'd do something that stupid? Be that clumsy? I was a trained government agent, for G.o.d's sake! I was trained toa"" He saw where that was going and stopped.

Parker finished for him. "You were trained to kill people. Now, there's a wonderful defense! And if that nurse is a liar, she's a good one. The jury will believe her, no doubt about it. That was a nice touch, her not wanting to lose her job. The jury will be able to identify with that in a heartbeat."

"What do you mean, if she's a liar?" Xris asked, his tone hard.

"Let's say I believe you. Let's say that after ten years or so the Bureau decides to track you down and prosecute you for a murder that never happened, only now they say it did happen and they've cooked up files and hired actresses to prove it. Why are they going to all this trouble, Xris? Just to put you under the disrupter? A guy standing on a street corner with a blaster is cheaper and easier."

Xris smiled, a smile that touched both his eyes and the thinly drawn lips. "Yeah, I can see your point. Sorry, Nate. I guess if I can't present a case solid enough for my own attorney to believe me, then it'll be pretty tough for me to convince a jury."

"We can try. The Lord knows I'll give it my best. But I have to be honest, Xris, it doesn't look good. And this is a capital offense and this is a planet that uses capital punishment. You still refuse to tell me what you know?" Parker regarded him hopefully.

Xris sat in silence.

Parker sighed. "Very well. Here's the way I see it. If we take this before a jury, the odds are good they'll come back with a guilty verdict and they'll recommend death."

"I understand," Xris said.

"I hope so," Parker said coldly. "They don't fool around with the death penalty on this planet. They allow one appeal and it goes through the judicial system at light speed. Most people sent to death row are put to death within three months of sentencing. Tell me what you know, Xris! Whatever you say to me is confidential. Who are you shielding?"

Xris smiled again. "You'd be surprised to hear me say I was shielding the corpse, wouldn't you?"

"All right, if that's the game you want to playa""

"What about a plea bargain?" Xris asked abruptly.

"On a murder charge?" Parker frowned.

"I've been doing some thinking," Xris said. "It's just a hunch, but my guess is that the Bureau doesn't want me to go to trial. They don't want me dead. h.e.l.l, like you said, they could've taken care of that themselves years ago. They want information. I'll agree to provide it, but it has to be on my terms."

"I don't know...."

"First, I talk, but only to Amadi. Not to Fisk or that kinetic whirlwind Rizzoli."

"You said Amadi had retired."

"Yeah, well, I know for a fact that he isn't spending all his time on the golf course. I talk to Amadi or I talk in open court and to the press. See which they like better."