Less Than Human Read Online Free PDF Page A

whatever wiped the welder’s log, but he was hit, and the line actually stopped at 5:20.”
    “Maybe the safety precautions developed a problem.”
    “In that case he definitely wouldn’t enter the work envelope.”
    “So you’re saying somebody else altered the safeties?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t know. Normally I’d say no, not without leaving traces that I’d find.”
    “Have you got any concrete proof it wasn’t an accident?” Ishihara scrunched the empty cigarette packet and dropped it on the
     floor.
    McGuire glared at him and bent to pick it up. She scrunched the packet harder than he had. “I’ll know m … more when I’ve had
     a chance to go through the program. You can’t smoke in here,” she added, looking pointedly at the closest NO SMOKING sign.
    “I’ll go outside then.” He stared her straight in the eye—wasn’t that what foreigners expected? “Nice meeting you, McGuire-san.”
    “I can’t say the pleasure is mutual.”
    He got a real kick out of how she changed the usual polite expression.
    He didn’t go outside immediately. As he spoke to McGuire he’d seen a man in overalls enter the factory from a side door and
     go to the glassed-in booth in the back.
    The technician was sitting in front of a computer and jumped nervously when Ishihara tapped on the glass.
    “Yes?” He opened the door about three centimeters.
    “Assistant Inspector Ishihara, West Station.” Ishihara flashed his ID perfunctorily. “You on duty tonight?”
    “Y … yes.” The man brushed a long fringe out of his eyes. He was young, probably in his mid-twenties, with slanted fox-eyes
     and a dissatisfied expression.
    Ishihara pushed the door open farther with his foot. “Nasty business, this.” He jerked his head back in the direction of the
     accident scene. “Just wanted to ask you a couple of questions about the deceased.”
    “I wasn’t here,” the man said quickly. He had a high, petulant voice.
    “What’s your name?”
    “Sakaki. Tomihiro Sakaki. Look, detective-san, I have lots of work to do because we’re behind schedule …”
    Funny how people think bluster will hide the tremor in their voices. “Was Mito a friend of yours?”
    “No.”
    Pause. Sakaki looked pointedly at his computer.
    “Did he have any personal problems?”
    “Not that I know of.”
    “Just wondering if he had anything on his mind, that’s all. He might have made a mistake and turned off the safety devices.”
     Ishihara wasn’t going to mention McGuire’s opinion.
    “That’s probably right.” Sakaki was sweating.
    Mind you, Ishihara was sweating, too. The factory was damn hot. “Could be the power cut off for a second.”
    “Could be.”
    Ishihara considered shaking Sakaki up a bit. One of his coworkers just had his head smashed in, and this bastard wouldn’t
     even be honest about basics. He was probably worried about some petty misdemeanor—had some Bettaspecific hardware tucked away
     in his apartment or something.
    No, leave Sakaki for now and come back and question him if necessary. First, see what McGuire finds in the robot’s program.
     And run a background check on the factory, the company that owned it, personnel, and suppliers. Including Tomita’s gaijin
     robot expert. And especially close-mouthed Sakaki here.
    “If you remember anything, give me a call.” Ishihara shoved his card into the breast pocket of Sakaki’s overall. “Anything
     at all.”
    “Yeah.” Sakaki leaned away from the contact and shut the door.
    He could be ex-gang, mused Ishihara. Got the right attitude. Or even still affiliated, maybe doing petty theft or dealing.
    In the loading bay, McGuire stood outside the robot’s cage. She looked very small in the middle of all that machinery. He
     decided to keep the constable outside until she finished.
    The evening hadn’t even begun to cool off, but it still felt better outside than in the ovenlike factory. Ishihara’s sweat-soaked
     shirt clung to his back and