Cats Cradle: All In the Family

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we try to deceive.

Saarrreeaa Meorrrei tapped the datapad with her finger, and slipped it back into her purse as she waited for dinner. Cirr was off at the loading docks, working his new job. Not only did it supplement their dwindling income, but it kept him out of trouble and out of Sasseeri's line of fire.

After Sanis and Saa had gone their separate ways she had cut all business ties with him as well. Money was tight, and Sasseeri found ways to make it tighter.

Sitting here in a mid-to-upscale restaraunt, it was easy to forget the hard times of recent memory, and the harder ones to come. Saa rested her head on her hand, and plinked her fork against her glass.

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

"This seat taken?"

I walked into Saarrreeaa Meorrrei's life like a bad omen of things to come. She was my connection, my link to the untouchables. The real bad guys who hid behind technicalities and polite smiles. Another little fish, but one who knew where the big ones swam.

I parted my jacket just enough for her to catch the glint of the dim light against my badge. It gave my request a bit more gravity.

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

She set down the fork, and smiled, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "jIt jisssn't, although jI don't usssualljy enterrrtajin durrrjing lunch, essspecjialljy wjith no jintrrroductjionsss." Saa sat back in her chair, shoulders relaxed. Her business suit peeked open to reveal cleavage barely hidden by a sheer camisole.

Her mind, however, was racing. A Watch cop? At mjy table? Possibilities for the coming conversation were numerous, and most weren't pleasant.

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

"Zemil Vymes. Night Watch, Coco district."

I did the polite thing, and waited for her to allow me to sit. In mind games like this, its the small things that count.

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

"jI'd rrreturrrn the jintrrroductjion, but jI have a feeljing thjisss jisssn't jyourrr attempt at pjickjing up on a loneljy female."

Saa gestured to the seat across from her, and continued anyway, "Sssaarrrrrrrrreeaa Meorrrrrrrrreji, but forrr the sssake of jyourrr forrrda tongue, call me Sssaa."

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

Her sing-song accent danced circles around my ears. I took a seat, and wasted little time.

"Saa, how long have you worked with the Sector Rangers?"

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

Ah, cut rrrjight to the chassse. Saa didn't change from her relaxed position, but underneath her skin she became alert in a way that prickled the back of her neck. "About fjive jyearrrsss, Offjicerrr Vjymesss. How long have jyou worrrked wjith the Corrrussscant Watch?"

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

I winced almost imperceptibly. It could be considered an offensive question, especially to somebody working in the same field. Then again, Saa was either being played like a fiddle, or she had something on the side of her legitimate job.

"Didn't mean it like that, but if you must know, seventeen years."

I ordered coffee from the waiting droid, who then moved away from the table, giving us space.

"I'm just looking for an angle on a local case here, and I need your help."

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

"All rrrjight. jI'm not rrrealljy well verrrsssed jin the law enforrrcement sssjide of the Rrrangerrrsss, but jI would be happjy to help anjy wajy jI can." It was true, she was an accountant, not as involved as say...Sasseeri...in the practical side of the business. Of either business.

However, if he knew her enough to find her in a restaurant, then he probably already knew what line of work she was in. And if he already knew she was a finanical whiz, then his 'angle' was probably going to be one that could get uncomfortable.

Of courrrssse, jif he doesssn't sssussspect me, then jI can alwajysss ussse thjisss to mjy advantage. That was a lesson her aunt had taught Saa well. Whatever came your way - use it to your own advantage.

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

"I'm investigating a subsidiary of Prent Enterprises, who is a client of yours, if I'm not mistaken. It's listed as a pharmaceutical company out of Kessel. Biolathe Consolidated. They have a clearinghouse set up in Coco district, and it's been hit three times in the last month by a string of high-volume burglaries. I'd like to know what inventory was lifted. Biolathe isn't speaking on it, citing corporate secrecy, but the company isn't pursuing the investigation beyond more than lip service. They've collected on the insurance on the first burglary, but let everything else slide. None of its making any sense."

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

Now that was an interesting line of questioning. "Unforrrtunateljy, jI do not overrrsssee Bjiolathe'sss booksss, ssso jI don't know how jI can help jyou." She'd taken herself out of the loop after her partnership with Sanis had fallen apart. Of course, she could always get back in if she wanted to. Saa tapped her fingers together lightly, claws sheathed.

"Ah, mjy food..." she licked her lips a little as the platter of meat arrived, and looked at her 'guest.' "jYou don't mjind jif jI eat, do jyou, Commanderrr?"

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

"I realize that, but wouldn't the Sector Rangers run an inventory check for shipments that they ran security for?"

The waiter arrived, bringing the felinoid her dinner, and a strategic silence to the conversation.

"Do you mind if I smoke?"

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

She shrugged, "jIt jisssn't gojing to rujin mjy appetjite, jif that'sss what jyou werrre hopjing." She smiled with humor not characteristic of her species, and inhaled the sweet aroma of her dinner. Slabs of raw bantha steak, heated but not cooked. It was easy to imagine it was from a fresh kill, although the blood tasted aged.

Saa lifted the first chunk in her hands, and paused to reply to the Commander's first question. "Therrre ssshould be rrrecorrrdsss, yesss... jI deal wjith numberrrsss asss an accountant, but not thossse kjind of numberrrsss." He lit up a cigar, and she dug in hungrily to her food, silence prevailing for the next few seconds as he puffed on the cigar to get a good smoke going.

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

"Can you pull those inventories? Drop whatever names you need to, and use back channels. Whoever can get me that info. I'd like to see what keeps getting boosted from that warehouse."

I exhaled, studying the felinoid's eyes. She seemed uneasy, but cooperative. In other words, business as usual. Nobody ever really beamed about answering a cop's questions.

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

A flying bit of meat flicked across the table at him and landed on his uniform. "jI told jyou, jI don't have accessssss. Mjy aunt-" Saa stopped her words short, and reached over to him, delicately removing the piece of meat and putting it on her now nearly empty plate.

[Commander Zemil Vymes]

I paused for cleanup, mentally re-aligning myself to tackle the question differently.

"Is there anyone in your aunt's employ that you could pull a favor with? I'm getting stonewalled here and as long as I'm spinning my wheels, this thing isn't getting solved.

Like I said, whatever you can do to ease things along."

[Saarrreeaa Meorrrei]

She burped behind a napkin, and dabbed at the blood on her lips. If he knew anything at all about her, he'd know that she had very few favors to pull. There was the matter of the datapad in the safe deposit box... No one, not even Cirr knew where it was, or that she even had opened a deposit box with a bank on Coruscant.

This Commander might be able to take her out from underneath Sasseeri's thumb. But... if he failed, she would be killed. Frrrell, even jif he doesssn't fajil, jI'll prrrobabljy be kjilled. Sasseeri held grudges, and she already didn't need an excuse to have Saa murdered. Saa would have to tread very carefully.

"jYesss... jit jisss posssjible... But mossst djiffjicult." Saarrreeaa dropped her napkin onto the plate, and reached for her water. "Ljike jI sssajid, jI rrrealljy onljy overrrsssee the accountsss." She put a bit of emphasis on accounts but not much. He'd pick it up, of course, but what he'd make of it, who could tell?