Diamond casebooks - Cpt 1 -part 3

My arse, I think, but say. "Okay, so as I see it, when you are near this item you'll know what it is and where it is, right?

"Is that not what I articulated?

I smile and turn my attention back to the percolator.

Week old cold coffee is better than none!

Standard passenger transport en-route to Japora.

Our allotted cabins are reasonably comfortable. Apri spends most of the uneventful journey so far secluded in her cabin stating she requires downtime. Most of my time aboard has been spent in communication with a couple of long-term nefarious characters that base their own illegal operation on Japora. I'd used them before on several occasions to track a target down. Thus far, my labours had been fruitful.

Razal Fizz, as Holburn had said, is a small time hood of no real criminal background. Hacker on the other hand is a different matter. Hacker holds a reputation of being a 'heavy' and is currently wanted on a few planets for assassination and corporate espionage. Seems like Hacker knows what he's doing. Luckily for Hacker, Japora has no extradition treaty with the worlds he is wanted on, so makes an ideal base for his operation.

As I take a slow walk back to my cabin all that keeps filling my mind is, what the hell did they steal that's so damn important to Holburn? And why does he need it returned within two weeks? I knock on Apri's door and am answered by silence so continued on to my cabin. Once inside I slump onto the bed, close my eyes and drift off.

"ATTENTION, docking at Japora space-dock two in fourteen minutes, the ships intercom blasts out waking me abruptly from my slumber.

I grab my blaster from the bedside table and check it is fully charged before slipping it into its holster and quickly strapping it neatly under my left arm. Grabbing my jacket I head for Apri's cabin. Tapping on the door, I hear her answer.

"Enter.

When I walk in she is standing at the portside observation viewer with her back to me looking out at the quickly approaching space-dock with the green globe of Japora filling the backdrop.

"You ready? I politely inquire.

"I am always ready Mister Diamond, came her reply as she turns to face me.

"Er¦ look. As long as we have to work together on this you may as well drop the mister and just call me Diamond, okay?

"If that is what you wish,

I nod in agreement.

We pass through space-dock customs without bother and transfer to the space pod that will ferry us down to Japora's immigration centre where if all went well, and I was sure it would, we would be released into the public domain. How wrong could I be?

Japora security was waiting for one of the passengers. Apparently this guy had done the dirty on the resident high-minister's daughter and was being returned to face a blood-klan trial. Unfortunately this guy wasn't of a mind to wait and had the help of an accomplice to make a dash for freedom. The escape failed however, but the accomplice managed to evade capture. The officials closed down immigration until such time he was captured. This results in everyone being interviewed and having their identity records checked. Three hours later Apri and I step out into Japora's night and look out over the expanse of Devil City.