Star Wars_ Coruscant Nights II Streets of Shadows - Michael Reaves [92]
“Yes. But certainly you far more than your mate.” Lifting his gaze, he looked past the noble. “Isn’t that right, Baroness Umber?”
She looked straight at him. Unfamiliar as he was with her kind, he could not read her expressions properly. But there was no mistaking the anger that flowed through the Force.
“I would not deny it.”
“Our droid”—and Jax indicated the watching I-Five—“succeeded in gaining access to your banking records.” He glanced at Haus. The Zabrak said nothing, but he was watching Jax very closely.
“Really, Pavan! This is too much!” This time Umber was unable to keep his outrage under control.
Jax met his irate gaze without flinching. “Over the past three standard years you spent a considerable sum on the works of Ves Volette. So much, in fact, that your credit rating and ability to spend and borrow became impaired.”
Umber could only sputter indignation. “I had it under control. At all times. Aside from the affront to my privacy, I fail to see how this has any bearing whatsoever on the identity of Volette’s slayer.” He turned toward Haus. “Prefect, surely this is a contravention of some investigative procedure.”
Haus shook his horned head slowly. “Let’s see where he’s going with it.”
“Someone else was worried about your finances as well, Baron,” Jax continued. “Someone who apparently felt otherwise about how well you had them under control. Someone who was not quite as overcome by the Caamasi’s creations as you were.” Again Jax shifted his attention to the Baron’s mate.
There was no question now about the uneasiness and anger that were flowing through the Force. He pressed on.
“You were the one Dejah’s neighborhood acquaintance saw near Volette’s studio that night, Kirma Umber. The witness said the individual she saw was larger than most Vindalians. I still don’t know much about your species, but I know that the female is always larger than the male.
“You followed your mate because you feared he was about to purchase yet another of Volette’s works, thereby further damaging your fiscal standing. After the Baron left, you confronted Volette and threatened him. Probably ordered him not to sell to the Baron any longer, or at least until you could get the family finances restabilized.”
She was staring at him. “Many humans have vivid imaginations. I have to say that yours, Pavan, is far more florid than most.” Her tone was calm, but what he sensed from her was quite different.
“Independent voice and artist that he was, Volette refused. You attacked him. Maybe not with the intent of killing him, but with enough force to stab him. Then you fled.”
Baron Umber was staring at his mate. It was plain that he wanted to say something but could not find the words. Kirma looked at him, then back at Jax.
“You know something. I don’t know how, but—yes. I followed my mate, and I confronted Ves. I did ask him to stop selling his work to us. But it had nothing to do with finances. When the Baron says that he has them under control, I know that to be true. He loves Volette’s work, but he would never risk the family’s financial stability in pursuit of anyone’s art. Such a thing would be positively un-Vindalian.”
“Then why?”
“You should know.” Taking a step forward, the Vindalian female raised an arm and pointed. “It was because of her.”
Unbidden, the attention of everyone in the room shifted immediately to the startled Zeltron. Dejah gaped at the Vindalian, looked at the Baron, turned back to the Jedi. “Jax, I—I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
Umber spoke up without having to be prompted. “There was … an attraction between us, I admit.” He turned to his mate. “But that was all. Nothing happened. Kirma, I had no control over my reactions when I was in Volette’s dwelling and she was present.” He gestured helplessly. “She’s a Zeltron.”
“Better you had stayed clear of her presence,” his mate murmured.
“How could I do that?” he protested. “She was always there. When I was choosing