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"Why would you help a con artist like him? He causes trouble wherever he goes."
I assumed this was Gravix attempting to play devil’s advocate. I leaned back against the sink, scooping a spoonful of oatmeal. Clumpy, but it tasted pleasantly of cinnamon. "I’m not blind to his past. Do I believe people can change? Eh, maybe, but I’m a detective. Facts mean more to me than plausibility. It’s my job to find the truth, even if it means temporarily working with someone who used to be on the wrong side of it."
Whoops. I caught my slip. I said used to be. Klinn could still be about that criminal life. On the other hand, I was beginning to see the effort he put in to turn it around.
Zorbluk, appearing to be deep in thought, stroked his chin. "Klinn said you’d help because you don’t wanna have a rep as a shitty detective."
The thought made me cringe on the inside. Outwardly, I shrugged. "Is that such a terrible motivation?"
"Hmm, guess not."
Gravix came at me with another framing of his question. "So, you’re saying you trust the Ventivore who once sold used hovercars that barely flew straight?"
I stifled a laugh. "Klinn used to be a used hovercar salesman? He does get around."
Gravix and Zorbluk exchanged a quick glance, their skepticism still clear. Gravix uncrossed his arms. "We’ll take your word for now, human. Don’t think we won’t keep an eye on you."
They gave me their mean mug stares while they left me with what they just said to chew on. Please. Could anything about them be scarier than their table manners?
I finished my oatmeal and washed the bowl before leaving. As I rounded the corner, I collided with Klinn. "Oof!" The impact sent me stumbling backward. I quickly regained my balance. “Sorry."
He gave a shrugging smile. "My fault, too."
"I didn’t see you."
His eyes regarded me with a playful blend of humor and doubt. "You mean, in a dim gray hall, you didn’t see a blue-green contrast?"
"Stop. You know exactly what I meant." I watched his lips as he smiled again. Just the small act made me think of the kiss we shared yesterday at the bar on Malecor. It was supposed to be a fake kiss, meant to fool the patrons into thinking we were a horny, drunken pair out for booze and booty.
None of this was real. So why was my heart jumping and my breath speeding through my chest like our lips were meeting all over again?
"It’s good you’re up early." The flicker of humor that had danced in his eyes extinguished. "I need to tell you something. We have to make a little detour."
I noted his change of expression and shift in energy. "We’re still looking for Riven, right? What detour are we talking about?"
Klinn’s eyes averted from mine towards the direction of the ship’s cockpit. "We ran into a bit of a financial hiccup in Malecor. The cost of fuel these days is through the roof."
I waited for him to land his plane and get to the point. "Does that mean you didn’t get as much fuel as you needed and you’re going to another station to find less expensive fuel?" I tried to figure out what he meant by detour.
"We got enough fuel to get to the closest of Xaxos’s moons. The guys and I had to come up with a plan. Instead of a direct flight, we'll be making deliveries of our replicas to some well-to-do clients along the way back to Xaxos. It should more than cover the expenses."
I nodded, understanding the predicament. "Why not just let me contact my agency so they can get more investigative eyes and technology on this? It’d be easier."
"No." His flat-out rejection echoed in the corridor. "If I wanted a bunch of law enforcement agents on my tail, I would’ve stayed in that grungy little cell in Illinois."
"I’m a law enforcement agent," I pointed out.
"Yeah, but I trust you."
I was quiet for a moment, surprised at his admission of trust. Was he being genuine, or was this another persuasive speech to keep me onboard with his plans? "If I find out you’re lying to me, Klinn, don’t think for a second that I won’t be on your, oh you get what I mean."
"Finish your sentence, detective. I don’t want to misunderstand you."
I didn’t acknowledge his playful taunt. My mind returned to our next set of goals. "This detour might take a little more time, but I'm sure you can speed up the deliveries, so we won’t get too far behind, right?"
He gave me an ambiguous look. "It's not as easy as it sounds. These clients can be a little –what's a nice word? Eccentric. The process of making deliveries to them requires a delicate touch."
No way was I going to stay missing from my agency any longer than I had to. A spark of determination, along with impatience, lit up within me. "I used to deliver pizzas to pay my way through college. How hard can it be to take stuff to people, even bougie ones?"
