KILLER PLANET

At the same time, Fabio was drinking a glass of wine at Mrs. and Lord Gloucester’s mansion.

“Seventy-five patients murdered in the past twenty-five years,” said Nefertiti. “And by one of our dentists! What a gem Doctor Caicedo! Our community is devastated.”

Fabio looked at Whitney, who came in and served the dessert.

“But the doctor claims to be innocent, doesn’t he?”

Whitney smiled flirtatiously at him.

“Thus he claims it,” ​​agreed Nefertiti, “the very wretched!”

“Why are you so sure he murdered his patients?”

“They discovered a syringe with poison in his pocket,” Nefertiti continued, “and only a few minutes after his last victim died.”

Fabio blinked his left eye at Whitney. The maid’s face flushed as she smiled.

“Did you know him?” Fabio asked Lord Gloucester. “I mean, Doctor Caicedo?”

“Oh yes,” said Lord Gloucester as he wiped traces of sauce on his plate with a loaf, “I was even one of his patients. I want to thank you, Mister Saint-André, for your concern about Cleopatra’s death.”

“As you know,” said Nefertiti, “the matter is already dead and buried.”

“So they say,” Fabio agreed, crossing the cutlery on his plate; “however, I cannot abort my research at this time.”

“My secretary,” said Lord Gloucester, with growing irritation, “transferred twenty thousand pounds this afternoon to your personal code.”

“I appreciate your diligence, Lord Gloucester.”

“That is the only thing I expect from you,” Lord Gloucester replied as he rose from his seat, “your thanks. Now excuse us.”

Nefertiti got up. Lord Gloucester took a few steps in silence. Suddenly he turned around and looked defiantly at Fabio.

“Are you still a practicing Catholic?” he asked.

“As a sinner, I am,” replied Fabio. “Or at least I try.”

“You’ve been without a Pope for 17 centuries,” said Lord Gloucester, “and without priests for 15 centuries, something that has given you an air of independence. But to be frank, I don’t trust guys who attribute any triumph or success to God’s will.”

“The chief inspector, Mister Keiichi, has gathered enough evidence to show you’re your daughter was murdered,” Fabio replied.

“Impossible!” Nefertiti exclaimed with manifested wrath.

Whitney dropped an empty wine glass on the floor, which exploded into thousands of pieces.

Fabio raised his parsimonious face. Whitney trembled at the angry sight of Lord Gloucester.

“Would you leave us alone, Mrs. Rush?”

“But ...” Whitney stuttered. I must collect the pieces of glass.

“You can pick them up tomorrow morning.”

“As the lord orders.”

Whitney hastily withdrew.

“Who murdered Cleopatra, then?” Lord Gloucester asked.

“I don’t know ...” Fabio replied, “I don’t know yet.”

“Do you suspect anyone?”

“Several guests, Lord Gloucester,” Fabio replied.

“Even us?” Lord Gloucester asked in amazement, his face turning pale, his eyes dark as black coal.

Fabio faced Lord Gloucester with a haughty look.

“How sad,” said Lord Gloucester. “You will get fifty thousand pounds more once you get done with this, Monsieur.”

“Thanks again,” Fabio murmured.

“Now, again, excuse me.”

Lord Gloucester left the room with the expression of someone who had just finished playing his role in a play.

Nefertiti leaned back and grabbed Fabio’s right arm.

“I am ready to help you solve this mystery, Monsieur,” she said, feeling every muscle in his arm.

“Thanks, Lady Gloucester.”

“I see you are a strong man,” said Nefertiti. Can I touch your biceps?

“I’d rather not ...”

Nefertiti ignored his wish and felt Fabio’s stomach.

“I notice fatty tissue,” Nefertiti said, turning around. “An extraction would do you good.”

“I’m not an athlete,” Fabio replied, taking a small notebook out of his jacket.

“I never got along with Cleopatra,” said Nefertiti as she sat back in her chair. “Did you know that I taught her how to play the violin? ”

Fabio denied it with a slight movement of his head.

“Have you ever heard of Eleutheria?” Fabio asked.

Nefertiti blushed. Fabio got up and examined the hallway.

“Eleutheria?” Nefertiti murmured. “The Greek word for freedom ...”

“Also a pagan word to invoke Moloch, an Assyrian god who used to demand the sacrifice of children in exchange for earthly concessions.”

“I did not know it.”

“It’s also the name of a private company. According to my inquiry, you have been an active member of this group since 3886.”

Nefertiti gasped.

“Yes,” she hesitated. So…

“How was Cleopatra like?” Fabio asked. “And how is Anaximandra like?”

“We are about a hundred and fifty women and men, Monsieur Saint-André.”

Fabio went to a shelf and reviewed a series of DVDs from various dramatic series.

“May I know the purpose of Eleutheria?” he asked.

“It’s a private society, Monsieur.”

“I get it. Are you a degenetization activist, Lady Gloucester?”

Nefertiti backed away.

“What an offensive question. Of course I am. In fact, I’m one of the leading advocates for the rights of male and female breeders on this planet.”

Fabio removed a DVD cover from the stand.

“Do you like Aliens movies?” he asked.

“Sorry?”

“Movies of invading monsters from other galaxies,” he said, handing her the DVD.

“Well ...” Nefertiti examined him. Many young people like it, yes.

“Weren’t you afraid to see how this ugly creature gives birth to so many monsters in such a short time?” Or worse yet, to see how their offspring are nurtured at the cost of our lives?

Fabio noticed a thin book placed on television: a handwritten leather edition, with gold engravings, of the book by Robert Louis Stevenson: “New Arab Nights.”

“I understand your point of view, Monsieur Saint-André,” said Nefertiti, clearing her throat. “But as a man, I don’t think you’ll be able to judge the disadvantages of bringing children into this universe.”

“I don’t know of any other universe, Lady Gloucester. But please, let’s ‘blame no one.’”

Nefertiti coughed in an effort to hide her surprise.

“Do you have anything else to ask me, Inspector?”

“Thanks for dinner. The dessert was excellent. Good night.”

Fabio got up quickly, kissed the air on Nefertiti’s left hand and walked away to the hall, from where he spotted his gravitaxi descending at the door of the Gloucester mansion.

Fabio adjusted his Arab cap to the coolness of the evening breeze. He asked the robotaxi to wait and examined the frontispiece of the mansion for almost a minute, until he met Lord Gloucester’s stern eyes from the shadows of a balcony. Fabio got into his gravitaxi, which immediately rose into the air away from Lord Gloucester’s inquiring gaze. Fabio could see how, with tears in her eyes, Nefertiti approached Lord Gloucester to hug him.

Severus and Martha descended in a graviferrari on the terrace of a hotel in Piccadilly Circus. A footman received them and led them to an elevator on the 78775 floor.

“I can help you with your move tomorrow morning,” said Severus.

“That’s very nice of you,” said Martha. But it won’t be necessary. We only have our luggage. Also, it would not be appropriate for a lady.”

“Still, your husband ...

“Yes?”

“Well, he’s in his 40s already. You are not yet 30.”

Martha looked at him with impatience.

“You have absolutely no idea how happy we are.”

“Sorry ...” Severus stammered, “I didn’t mean ...”

They entered the elevator.

“I know you want to impress me,” Martha said. But what you did is what we call on Neptune, a faux pas, a misstep.

Severus grabbed Martha violently and kissed her. Her eyes were puffy. Martha laughed.

“Are you done?” she asked.

Severus leaned down to kiss her again. Martha hit him in his testicles and Severus fell down sore to the ground.”

“I told you I wasn’t interested in sleeping with you. Where is your word? Aren’t you a Martian knight?”

“I’ve liked you since I saw you first.”

“What a pleonasm!” Martha replied. “Didn’t you say those same words to Cleopatra?”

“How ...” Severus gasped.

“Don’t lie to me! I’ve recorded what happened from my pupil camera and it’s already in my cell code.”

Severus stared at her in horror. Eye cameras were owned by billionaires, and could only be carried with sidereal permission.

“Please forgive me!” He gasped. “I’ll help you to discover the murderer!”

“Quid pro quo,” Martha agreed.

“The Gloucester hired me to hit Cleopatra on the calf.”

“Did she have an embryo?”

“Yes,” Severus’ voice was tremulous, “but she survived and was brought to Eleutheria.”

“Are you sure?”

“Not really,” Severus widened his eyes at her, “but that’s what I heard.”

“What else do you know?”

“I just wanted to save Cleopatra from an unwanted marriage,” Severus said, raising his arms in surrender. “I hope you understand me, Martha ...”

“Madame Saint André,” Martha corrected him.

The elevator opened in front of the hotel reception. Martha stepped over a purple rug into a conference hall and lay down on a wide leather settee. Severus closed the doors with his fingerprints.

“Now, would you be so kind as to tell me who else conspired against Cleopatra?” she asked, lighting a cigarette.

“God!” Severo sobbed.

“All members from Eleutheria?” she insisted as knocks were heard on the door.

“Did you make an appointment with someone else?” Martha asked. “And at this hour?”

“I didn’t!” Severus said in a shaky voice.

Severus wrote on the palm of his hand and projected from his ring the three-dimensional image of Inspector Keiichi and two policemen.

“He’s a friend of mine,” said Martha. “Come in!”

The door to the compound opened and Keiichi entered, escorted by two guards with annoyed expressions.

“Inspector! What brings you to my hotel?” Severus muttered before being interrupted by Keiichi.

“Martha!” Keiichi said. “Fabio asked me to pick you up in the lobby. I was waiting for you when I saw that you both entered from the elevator into this room.”

“Is Fabio outside?” Severus asked.

“Actually,” said Keiichi, “he will be here in a minute.”

“Are you all right?” Martha asked, noticing Severus’ nervousness.

“We found Doctor Philippe,” said Keiichi.

“Mrs. Grave’s lost guest?” Severus asked.

“Fabio should know of it,” Martha said, looking at the screen of the projected screen, where Fabio’s imposing figure increased in size as he got closer to the door.

Severus turned off the projection and Fabio entered immediately with a piece of paper in his hands.

“Inspector! I was just looking for it!”

“Fabio!” Keiichi said. “You and Martha will come with me immediately.”

Fabio raised his head and remained silent for a few moments, studying the scene.

“Now?” he asked.

“Immediately, I’m afraid.”