Caves of Steel - Isaac Asimov [88]
An alpha-sprayer had many uses, but killing robots was not one of them, not a legal one, at least.
Baley said, “He held it to his head mica first, I take it.”
Dr. Gerrigel said, “Yes, and his positronic brain paths were immediately randomized. Instant death, so to speak.”
Baley turned to the pale Commissioner. “No mistake? It really was an alpha-sprayer?”
The Commissioner nodded, his plump lips thrust out. “Absolutely. The counters could spot it ten feet away. Photographic film in the storeroom was fogged. Cut and dried.”
He seemed to brood about it for a moment or two, then said abruptly, “Dr. Gerrigel, I’m afraid you’ll have to stay in the City a day or two until we can get your evidence down on wire-film. I’ll have you escorted to a room. You don’t mind being under guard, I hope?”
Dr. Gerrigel said nervously, “Do you think it’s necessary?”
“It’s safer.”
Dr. Gerrigel, seeming quite abstracted, shook hands all around, even with R. Daneel, and left.
The Commissioner heaved a sigh. “It’s one of us, Lije. That’s what bothers me. No outsider would come into the Department just to knock off a robot. Plenty of them outside where it’s safer. And it had to be somebody who could pick up an alpha-sprayer. They’re hard to get hold of.”
R. Daneel spoke, his cool, even voice cutting through the agitated words of the Commissioner. He said, “But what is the motive for this murder?”
The Commissioner glanced at R. Daneel with obvious distaste, then looked away. “We’re human, too. I suppose policemen can’t get to like robots any more than anyone else can. He’s gone now and maybe it’s a relief to somebody. He used to annoy you considerably, Lije, remember?”
“That is scarcely a murder motive,” said R. Daneel.
“No,” agreed Baley, with decision.
“It isn’t murder,” said the Commissioner. “It’s property damage. Let’s keep our legal terms straight. It’s just that it was done inside the Department. Anywhere else it would be nothing. Nothing. Now it could be a first-class scandal. Lije!”
“Yes?”
“When did you last see R. Sammy?”
Baley said, “R. Daneel spoke to R. Sammy after lunch. I should judge it was about 13:30. He arranged to have us use your office, Commissioner.”
“My office? What for?”
“I wanted to talk over the case with R. Daneel in moderate privacy. You weren’t in, so your office was an obvious place.”
“I see.” The Commissioner looked dubious, but let the matter ride. “You didn’t see him yourself?”
“No, but I heard his voice perhaps an hour afterward.”
“Are you sure it was he?”
“Perfectly.”
“That would be about 14:30?”
“Or a little sooner.”
The Commissioner bit his pudgy lower lip thoughtfully. “Well, that settles one thing.”
“It does?”
“Yes. The boy, Vincent Barrett, was here today. Did you know that?”
“Yes. But, Commissioner, he wouldn’t do anything like this.”
The Commissioner lifted his eyes to Baley’s face. “Why not? R. Sammy took his job away. I can understand how he feels. There would be a tremendous sense of injustice. He would want a certain revenge. Wouldn’t you? But the fact is that he left the building at 14:00 and you heard R. Sammy alive at 14:30. Of course, he might have given the alpha-sprayer to R. Sammy before he left with instructions not to use it for an hour, but then where could he have gotten an alpha-sprayer? It doesn’t bear thinking of. Let’s get back to R. Sammy. When you spoke to him at 14:30, what did he say?”
Baley hesitated a perceptible moment, then said carefully, “I don’t remember. We left shortly afterward.”
“Where did you go?”
“Yeast-town, eventually. I want to talk about that, by the way.”
“Later. Later.” The Commissioner rubbed his chin. “Jessie was in today, I noticed. I mean, we were checking on all visitors today and I just happened to see her name.”
“She was here,” said Baley, coldly.
“What for?”
“Personal family matters.”
“She’ll have to be questioned as a pure formality.”
“I understand police routine, Commissioner. Incidentally, what about the alpha-sprayer itself? Has it been traced?”
“Oh, yes. It came from one of the power plants.