Once Upon a Pet Show (A Redpoint One Romance) (29 page)

"And yet, he was a victim as well," Vallory
started.

"He intended to kill your daubpups," Officer
Redsong said, her voice hard. "Let us deal with the intent. Yes, he
lost his animals temporarily, but he had no right to go after
yours."

"Temporarily?" Damien repeated. "You found all
of the missing animals?"

The story was short and sweet, but clear.
Damien shook his head at Tish and Rachel's actions to gain entry to
the warehouse. All animals still there, but on the verge of getting
shipped out. Once the members in the warehouse were caught, the
small group had started blaming each other, revealing the full
extent of the four-person group.

Of a member rigging a hacking signal into the
regular pet show security system, masking the first few thefts. How
they used the freight elevator in the utility room of Vallory's
building at the pet show to smuggle pets out without anyone seeing.
Using the carts for carrying supplies to move them through the
crowds without anyone noticing.

"The maintenance area requires a pass to
enter," Damien said as the story paused. "That means an inside
person. Who was it?"

"A vendor," Rachel said from where she leaned
against the railing surrounding the raised portion of the central
platform.

Vallory's lips compressed together and
thinned. "Mr. Pyman!"

Officer Redsong softly chuckled. "No, Mr.
Pyman is simply the local grouch and instigator of trouble. We
found no connection with him and any of the criminal activity. The
inside person is someone named Ruth Mishley."

Damien knew he was staring, but he couldn't
help it. "Little Ms. Mishley?"

"She wouldn't hurt a fly," Vallory added. "And
from what I understand, she's been at the show forever. Everyone
knows her."

"The perfect person for an inside position.
Our preliminary investigation indicates a worsening financial
situation. We'll know more soon," Officer Redsong said. "I believe
one of her pets won a prize. The prize has now been revoked and
awarded elsewhere."

Little Ms. Mishley. Yeah, no one would suspect
her. Damien would have never done so.

"In any case, Ms. Schist, your name is
officially cleared. And we thank you for volunteering to help us
with the case," Officer Redsong said. "If there are no more
questions, I'll return to my department. I want to tidy up this
investigation as fast as possible. And, it appears you have a new
arrival."

Vallory looked surprised to find so many
staring straight at her. She turned questioningly towards Damien,
who pointed at the floor at her feet.

"How did they get down here so fast?" Arthur
demanded as Vallory quickly zeroed in on the new arrivals. "We
aren't in a ring here. We're in the main body of Redpoint
One."

"How did they move so far from the pet show
this last time? Or any of the times?" Damien answered. "How do they
do what they do with the station? I don't think anyone
knows."

Vallory reached down and pulled first Penny,
and then her baby, to her lap. "Damien's right. I don't know how
they move so fast, as I've never caught them doing it."

"I believe Vallory is the current expert on
the animals. If she doesn't know, then the answer is unknown."
Damien shrugged.

"Another reason we should talk about your
future on this station," Director Stemski said, with a nod at
Vallory. "We need your expertise."

"Then I'll leave the situation in your hands."
Officer Redsong left, with several of the other maintenance crew
drifting off to continue their own duties, the main points of
gossip finished and the rescue over.

"It's not as if other things on this station
are strange or outright weird. This is just something else. Like we
need more strange and weird," Tish said with a grin that revealed
the dimple in her right cheek.

Rachel frowned, and pointed at a nearby
console. "Speaking of weird, why is there an alarm in Tech Block
69. Isn't it still closed off?"

"It is," Arthur answered. He mounted the step
onto the platform and moved to the console. "Power? Did someone
send anyone into the area?"

No one owned up to it, but not only could
Damien see the readings for the power usage in the area, but he
could also see the sensors picking up at least three
life-forms.

"Do we have another group of squatters?"
Damien asked. "We've had a big influx of new visitors to the
station during the show. Some may have decided to see if they can
stay without paying rent."

"Not again," Arthur mumbled. "I'll take care
of this."

"I'll tag along, just in case you need
backup," Officer Redsong said, turning to follow him as he headed
out of the room. Zane closely followed.

"It's too bad the rooms aren't fixed up,"
Damien said, smiling at how the daubpup baby had climbed onto
Penny's back and was dozing off even while clinging to its mother's
long silky fur. "Close to where I work, but they were designed as
family housing instead of secure locked-down small
apartments."

Vallory pulled Penny closer to her chest,
rising from the chair. "Family? As in, more than one person? Are
you suggesting something?"

Another subject he would have shied away from
just a short time ago. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, not
caring how it looked to anyone else in the room. "Something else to
talk about. Perhaps an apartment somewhere for two?"

Vallory's face turned red, but her smile
didn't diminish. Then he noticed her glancing off to the
right.

He turned to find both Tish and Rachel leaning
against the rail watching them both. Tish sighed happily, while
Rachel's mischievous expression told him that she would soon pay
him back for all his past teasing.

"Are you two done?" he demanded.

"It's about time you found someone who can
handle you," Rachel said. Yep, she intended to torment him. Too bad
she'd forgotten he could still torment her about her new love in
Ignacio.

"It really is too bad those apartments aren't
usable," Tish said, propping her head up in the palm of her hand.
"It seems like there are going to be several families around here
before too long."

"What's wrong with them, anyway?" Vallory
asked. "You are the maintenance crew. Can't you fix
them?"

Hopefully she asked because she had in mind
what he did. The daubpups belonged here at Redpoint One, which
meant Vallory did, as well. So many of his worries and concerns no
longer applied.

"I always wondered about that. Has anyone put
together a list of things to fix?" At the shake of their heads,
Tish pushed off from the rail. "Then I say we do it. Let's see what
it would take to get it usable again. Our crew needs the extra
room, and they deserve to have somewhere to live where they can
have a family life."

Tish didn't wait to hear anyone else's
opinions. She called for her bots, grabbed a maintenance epad from
off a console, and headed for the door.

"I'm in. Looking around to see what needs
fixing isn't lifting a finger," Rachel said, closely following. Her
two bots closely followed.

"Any reason we can't join the inspection crew?
I want to see this place." Vallory didn't wait for an invitation.
She adjusted Penny and baby in her arms, and headed out the door
after the other two women.

"Right now?" Damien asked.

"Of course, right now. Now that the daubpups
have a place, I need to find one for me," Vallory said as she
reached the door of the maintenance platform.

Damien's bot whistled at him, looking first
after Vallory and then to him. As if wanting to follow, but not
wanting to leave him behind.

Damien stepped off the platform, knowing when
to give in. "Okay, fine. We'll go."

The bot took off after Vallory in response.
Yep, they better get their situation resolved soon. Even his bot
wanted her around. As for the station, it probably already thought
of her as a denizen.

It didn't take long to catch up. Out of the
maintenance platform, turn right, up a flight of stairs, and to the
left. The door that usually sealed the section lay completely open.
Just inside another set of stairs led to a second story of other
apartments, but he didn't have to search for the source of the
invasion.

Not with Zane's loud, "What did you
do?"

Followed by Rachel's loud laughter and, "I
knew they were up to something!"

Which also clued him in on the
culprits.

Damien's bot stopped with a small group of
other bots in front of a ground-floor open door with light
streaming out into the wide hallway between the apartments. Vallory
stood just outside, staring into the room. So did Penny, who still
lay cradled in her arms. Tish stood on the other side of the door
with the same shocked expression.

He arrived to find Rachel inside, silently
laughing, while Arthur and Zane's expressions alternated between
shock, amusement, and outrage.

Three older woman stood at the back of a
living room filled with padded chairs and a couch of all shades of
brown. Not one of the pieces of furniture filling the space matched
the others. Same with the chairs around a dining table to the
right. Large paintings of blocky children playing hung to the side
of the entertainment system cabinet. On the opposite wall a tall
painting of a wilting flower drooped over the couch.

A couch Daisy was still trying to tug a bright
flower cover over and tuck the edges into the cushions.

Velda crossed her arms, glaring right back at
them. Siggy did the same thing from in front of his igloo at the
end of the couch. "We aren't ready for you yet."

"You aren't supposed to be in this area,"
Arthur said. He pointed at the door. "How did you get in
here?"

"The door opened for us, of course. How does
anyone get into a room," Eddie said crossly. "Did you think we
broke in?"

"Really, Arthur. As if we would do that,"
Velda said, transferring her glare to him.

"The station again." Zane shook his head. "I
always said it gave the three of you too much leeway."

"Go, get out." Velda pointed to the same door.
"We'll call you when we're done, even if it won't be a surprise any
longer."

"Arthur is boss here, Velda. This area is
closed for a reason," Zane said. "Are you aware most of the systems
in this area aren't functioning properly?"

"Including life-support," Damien said. He felt
the heat of Velda's glare, and chose to remain with Vallory, far
out of reach.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you in here?"
Zane demanded.

Daisy blinked fast, as if blinking back tears.
"We want you to stay. We thought this would help."

She continued to tug at the couch cover with
one hand until she gave a big sniff, and turned to do it properly.
Siggy came over to try to help, grabbing a corner of the cover in
his teeth and pulling. Daisy shooed him away after all he managed
to do was pull some of her work out from under the
cushions.

Shaking hands pulled and tucked until the
cover was tucked in properly. Now the dirt-brown couch was brown
along the sides and along the floor, but bright white with fuchsia
and yellow flowers down the middle and over the bottom cushions.
Siggy jumped on top and promptly fell over. He jumped right back up
and started jumping along the length of it, growling at the
material.

What strong words could not do, Daisy's quiet
heartfelt ones did. Zane paused, letting his arms drop. "What do
you mean? Help how?"

Vallory set Penny down, glancing back at
Damien. "I bet you could fix the life-support systems."

"It's not a matter of if I can, it's a matter
of finding the time," Damien said back quietly.

"Out with it," Arthur said, but Damien noticed
his voice had also softened.

Velda and Eddie stood tall and firm in front
of them. With stiff lips, Velda said, "The station is glad Zane is
back, and so are we."

"So, we decided to make it even better. To
give him a place he could live and be comfortable. A place designed
with security in mind but also for families," Eddie
finished.

"And this is the result?" Zane asked, the
shock back in his voice.

Daisy jerked upright, whirling on him.
"Listen, I know the furniture is not the best, but we had to work
with what we could find at the current yard sales. Just give me a
few weeks, and I'll have all this traded out and looking great.
Don't insult the effort."

"I'm not insulting you, Daisy," Arthur said,
suddenly sounding weary. "But, seriously, this area is not safe for
you. Not as it is now."

"Then make it safe." Velda said, tapping the
toe of her high-heeled boot on the floor in a fast rhythm. The
movement captured Siggy's attention, as if it were hypnotizing him.
"You're supposed to be the station maintenance crew, and you won't
make time to even house yourself? Sounds a bit upside-down, Mr.
Bossy."