Inspector Rames

Chapter 11

We entered the world of darkness and green holograms that was Ryker's Repairs without knocking. When my eyes had adjusted to the gloom, I saw Ryker James sitting at the back, watching us with a dismantled tabphone in his hands. He was silent.

"You know," I said eventually.

"I saw an article on Xplora." His voice was gruff. "You've come to talk to me about her."

"Yes," Alex said. "And we'd like to look around the workshop in case there's something belonging to her that could help."

Smooth.

"She had a little workspace, but she spent more time observing than helping." Ryker stood up and came to us, rapping the nearest table. "Here. I don't know if she put anything in the drawers."

Alex snapped on a pair of black nitrile gloves and opened a drawer. At a glance, I saw lipstick, a hair bobble, and a safety pin. Not very helpful.

Something crashed in the back of the workshop. Ryker sighed. "Indium!"

"When did you last see Bryony?" I asked.

"Yesterday, when you took her away."

"Did she seem nervous before that? Afraid?"

"No. She was absolutely fine."

"Did you know that she was taking crimson?"

He looked away, flexing his metal fingers. "I suspected it. But she never kept any here as far as I'm aware."

"For your sake, I hope she didn't. Do the names Kaden Novick or Rex Lukens mean anything to you?"

"No."

"Kaden Novick was her dealer. She was walking to meet Jason Castle-Ackerman so that they could visit him when she was murdered on Kings Road. I have to ask where you were between four and four-thirty this morning."

"At home, asleep." He treated me to a long, hard stare. "And no, no one can testify to that. Like I've said, I live alone."

Alex slammed the second desk drawer shut. "Nothing of interest in there. We'll have to search the whole premises to be sure she hasn't left anything lying around that could help us."

"No." Ryker folded his arms across his chest. "I know how this works. You'll tear the whole place apart and leave me to clear up the mess."

"This is important, sir," I said. "Your employee has just died."

"If it matters to you that much, get a warrant." He turned away. "But you'll be wasting your time. You should be looking at Maxx."

"Your ex-fiancée was murdered mere feet away from your shop," Alex said. "Bryony was your employee."

Ryker glared at my sergeant, hot fury rolling across his face. "You're trying to goad a confession out of me, but it won't work, because I didn't do it. Get out of here."

***

Applying for a warrant to search Ryker's Repairs was the first thing we did when we got back to the station. We applied for one to search his flat too, just to cover all bases. Alex was pleased.

I was pleased when my tabphone rang. Nina was requesting a video call.

"Got him!" were the first words she said when I answered.

Alex pulled his chair over to my desk so that we were sitting side by side, both watching her.

"Rex Lukens?" I confirmed.

"Yeah. He's in an interview room, ready for me to take the tabphone through and get you to chat. That is, if you're okay with me being present, too? It's just that my governor would rather I was, seeing as he's our criminal."