Reunion - Michael Jan Friedman [94]
But not enough of it, apparently; the captain of the Lexington was still alive. The murderer cursed softly. He knew now that he should have inflicted a few more wounds before he fled. But if he’d stayed a little longer to do that, some crewman might have stumbled onto the scene.
And he couldn’t afford to be found out. Not then-and not now. There was still so very much to do. Turning the knife in his hand, he admired its cruel, cold lines, its sturdiness. It was a good tool; it had been made well. As well as the knives that Gerda had owned — comb then, that was no surprise, considering Gerda and Idun had gotten them from the same source.
Idun … it was strange to see her again, after all these years. She was even more beautiful than he remembered
just as Gerda would have been, if she’d lived. It made him ache to think about that. If she’d lived … Straightening,- he put the thought from his mind. There was no time for sentimentality. He had to think— to prepare.
What was that line from Robert Frost? “Miles to go before 1 sleep … was He smiled grimly: Rising, he crossed the room and slipped the blood-blackened blade beneath his mattress-pushing it in just enough so that it couldn’t be seen.
Eventually, he knew, someone would suspect him and search his room. And the knife would be found. But by then, it would be too late for those who had wronged Gerda Asmund.
And he would no longer care what they did to him. Picard was sitting in his ready room, reviewing all his options, when Beverly reached him.
“It’s Greyhorse,” she said without preamble. “Greyhorse is the killer.”
Picard started. A chill climbed the rungs of his spine. “How do you know?” he asked.
Crusher’s voice was trembling. “One of Jack’s tapes. He and Vigo saw Greyhorse and Gerda embracing.” Thecaptainthoughtabit.gerda … and Greyhorse? “He never told me.”
But then, he wouldn’t have. That was why people had trusted Jack Crusher. He would sooner have died than given away a confidence. “If Gerda and Greyhorse were involved-was the doc-tor began. “Hold, Doctor.” Picard didn’t wait for the rest. “Lieutenant Worf,” he called out.
“Worf here,” carne the reply.
“I want Doctor Greyhorse arrested and confined to his. quarters. This assignment takes priority over all others-including the hunt for Commander Asmund.”
Picard could imagine the confusion on the Klingon’s face. But to his credit, Worf’s hesitation lasted only a moment. “Aye, sir. Worf out.”
Picard was silent a moment.
“I thought I knew him, Jean-Luc,” Crusher said. “I worked with him for a year at Starfleet Medical.”
She sounded as if she were on the verge of tears. “I thought I knew him, too,” he said. “I thought I knew them all.” When the doors opened on the cargo deck where Asmund was hidden, the first thing she did was check the power charge on her phaser. Not that it was at all necessary-she already knew how many shots it had left. But her instincts compelled her to make sure. The second thing she did was move forward into a crouch. Her legs hurt in a number of places-small injuries she must have suffered when she was thrown about the brig. But she had to endure all that now just as she had managed to endure the pain in her temple for the last hour or so.
It was disappointing that they had thought to look for her here so soon. She hadn’t had nearly enough time to consider what had gone before-to come up with even a halfway reasonable theory as to who the murderer might be.
Of course, it wasn’t necessarily a security officer who’d just entered. It could have been a crewman coming down for supplies, or to make sure the environmental controls
were working. After all, there were certain containers that carried temperature-sensitive cargo.
But Asmund had to be ready for the worst. She had to assume that Worf or someone, else had outguessed her. As the doors whispered shut again, she heard voids. 7Wo of them. Or more. Leaning forward a little more, she strove to hear what they were saying. But they had stopped. Definitely security, then. A couple of cargo handlers wouldn’t have had