Read AfterNet 01 - Good Cop Dead Cop for Free Online Page B

hello.”
    Yamaguchi had finally recovered her poise. “Yes, sir, thank you.”
    “Is your partner here?”
    “Yes he is.”
    “May I speak to him?” he asked.
    “Anything you say, sir, is translated for him, so you’re already talking to him.”
    “Say hi for me. Tell him I like his police department,” Munroe said.
    “Munroe says hello, and he wants me to say he likes your police department.”
    By now, two other people Yamaguchi and Munroe didn’t recognize had joined the group and a round of laughter greeted Munroe’s remark.
    “Does he? Well, good. Look, would you mind accompanying me as I introduce the two of you to some people.”
    She nodded, and said, “Alex says he’d be happy to … uh … ”
    Montoya looked at her with a grin. “I think the expression is a dog and pony show. Yes, I want to show you off to some people, with your permission.”
    She nodded again and Montoya led them to another group of people clustered around the conductor, Marie Alton, the star of the evening.
    Montoya made introductions to the group and the conductor was intrigued. “I understand that the disembodied can’t hear, so I certainly appreciate your spending an evening at a concert that might have been boring for you.”
    Yamaguchi could hardly believe what Munroe was asking her to relay.
    “On the contrary, I had a very good time and I was actually on stage toward the end of the performance. Although I can’t hear, I can still recognize the harmony of your orchestra.”
    The conductor nodded her head graciously at this and lifted her glass. Yamaguchi shot Munroe a silent “you went to see the blonde, right?”
    “Quiet. They’re eating this up,” Munroe told her. He gave her more poetic observations of his time on the stage to relate.
    Yamaguchi was soon fielding questions for Munroe left and right. “No, I can’t see other disembodied people.” “No, I can’t pass through walls.” “Yes, I don’t need to sleep.”
    After ten minutes, many of the standard questions had been asked and answered. Again she marveled that people always asked Munroe questions to which they already knew the answers. Nobody ever asked him questions like, “How do you spend all that time?” to which she’d enjoy really knowing the answer.
    Chief Moncrief pulled her aside after the questions had died down. “Good job, Yamaguchi. I appreciate you keeping Munroe in line.”
    “Actually, he was good as gold, sir,” she answered. “And you know, he is listening.”
    “Yes, I know. But remember, I hired you, Munroe, and I know the Seattle chief of detectives pretty well, so I also know your reputation. So, thanks to both of you. It will be remembered.” The chief returned to the group that had begun reforming around the conductor.
    “Sounds like you made major kiss up points, Linda,” Munroe said.
    “You didn’t do so bad yourself,” she muttered.
    “Talking to your partner?” a man asked her. He’d joined the group after the introductions so she didn’t know who he was, but he looked familiar. He was handsome, tall with short blond hair and blue eyes and around 40 to 45. Then she saw the “AV” pin on his lapel.
    “Sorry, just curious,” he apologized.
    Munroe sensed another field and he knew the man was carrying a portable terminal, but like his partner’s, it wasn’t set for anonymous access.
    “Yes, I was,” she said. “Talking to my partner, that is.”
    The man stuck out his hand. “Bill Rybold,” he said. She reached out to shake his hand but quickly moved it to cover her mouth when she sneezed.
    “Um, Linda Yamaguchi,” she said, and took a tissue out of her bag. He took back his hand.
    “And your partner is … Alex Munroe, correct?”
    “Yes, I’m sorry, I should have said. I know you, don’t I?” she asked while dabbing her nose.
    The man grinned. “I don’t think we’ve met. I would have remembered. You might have seen me on television or in the newspaper.”
    “Oh sure,” she said.