Inspector Rames

Chapter 30

We took Ronan down to the police station while a couple of PRBs made a more thorough examination of his flat. Just ten minutes after we'd settled Ronan in an interview room, Dixon received a report from the robots to say that they'd found a little more evidence and were bringing it down to us.

"After you've interviewed Ronan," Dixon said to me, "I want you to go home. You've had a shock, and it's going to catch up with you."

I straightened my back. "But, sir -- "

"No more arguing. I've let you do what you like today, but now that we have the murderer in custody, you'll follow my orders again. Alex can take you home."

I twisted my fingers together in my lap. "Yes, sir."

"Talk to Cassia. See if she can leave the mortuary early and keep an eye on you."

"I don't need keeping an eye on, sir."

"Do you want to be taken off this investigation?"

"No!"

"Then I suggest you do as I say." His gaze moved over my shoulder before I could argue again. "Yes?"

I twisted around in my seat. Laney was standing in the doorway. "Ronan Lewis' solicitor is here, sir."

"Thank you," Dixon said. "Tell them my officers will be another few minutes."

***

"This interview is being video-recorded and may be given in evidence if your case is brought to trial. We are in an interview room at Socrico Police Station on 13th February 2186. The time is 16:00. I am Detective Inspector Amber Rames. The other police officer present is Detective Sergeant Alex Sullivan. Please state your full name and date of birth."

"Ronan Lewis. 2nd July 2155."

"Also present is Ronan's solicitor. Ronan, I will remind you that you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

I laid a hand-written receipt for cyanide on the table, found by the PRBs at the bottom of the sugar jar. Alex added the duelling pistol we'd discovered in the kitchen and the one we'd taken off Ronan's person, plus a paper printout displaying several shots of Evan's ski-masked killer pushing him in front of the train. Ronan's solicitor leaned forward and inspected the evidence, even though we'd been obliged to explain it to him beforehand.

I tapped the receipt. "We found cyanide in your kitchen, Ronan."

He shook his head. "Okay, I shouldn't have that. But no one's been killed with cyanide. I don't get -- "

My temper flared. "I was almost killed with cyanide this morning. You gave it to Evan Archer with the instruction to put it in whatever drink I ordered at Coffee Glitch. You wanted me off the scene to shake up the investigation. This receipt confirms that it was you who made the illegal transaction for potassium cyanide yesterday afternoon. You were panicking as we started to close in."

Ronan sat back, his eyes wide. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"We spoke to you about Duty Bank yesterday. Is that what you killed Kristina and Zed for?"

"I would never kill Kristina!" Ronan's voice rose. "Never! I was angry, but I never stopped loving her! Now that she's gone, I wanted some photos of her around the flat. Real photos I could treasure. I thought it would be cheaper if I printed them myself. I bought the cyanide to act as a fixer to stabilise the images. You have to believe me."

I remembered the photo paper Alex had found at his flat. But I shook my head. "Cyanide is an unusual option for a fixer. And I thought you were a struggling architect. Photo paper is very expensive."