The Third Lynx Read Online Free PDF Page A

occur to him,” I said. “Meanwhile, we have more immediate problems to deal with. Starting with the fact that our plan of sneaking quietly into the Bellis system is now pretty well shot.”
    Her throat tightened. “Oh,” she said.
    “Well might you say ‘oh,’” I agreed. “We’ve got three stops between here and Bellis. That’s three chances for someone to sniff out the story and load it into a data cylinder bound for the nearest Intragala News office. By the time we make Bellis, the sensational story of Mr. Smith’s murder will be on its way to every corner of the galaxy.”
    “And Mr. Morse will make sure your name is in there somewhere,” she murmured.
    “Definitely,” I said sourly. “Which means that if the Modhri isn’t already aware that we’re on this train, he will be well before we reach Bellis.”
    “Which means we can’t go looking for Korak Fayr.”
    “Not unless we want to do it with a parade of Modhran walkers behind us,” I agreed.
    Bayta turned her head to gaze toward the compartment door. “Do you think that was why he killed Mr. Smith? To alert the rest of the mind?”
    “Who says the Modhri was even involved?” I countered. “There is other crime still going on out there in the galaxy.”
    “I suppose.” She shivered. “It seems like such a horrible way to kill someone.”
    “It’s also very inefficient,” I said. “That’s why the only time you bother with it is for revenge or for information.”
    “Information about what?”
    I shrugged. “All I know is what Smith said before he died. He said someone wanted the Nemuti Lynx. Or maybe the third Lynx—he used both terms. He also mentioned someone named Daniel Mice.”
    “Do you know this person?”
    “Never heard of him,” I said. “But I’m starting to think I should correct that omission. Next station where we have time, I want you to get the stationmaster busy sifting through the master records. If there’s a Daniel Mice riding the Quadrail right now, I want to know it.”
    “All right,” she said. “What about us?”
    I grimaced. “As far as Fayr is concerned, the best thing we can do is turn around and go somewhere else.”
    “You have someplace in mind?”
    “Not really.”
    For a moment we sat together in silence. Then Bayta got up and walked to the display window, gazing out at the faintly lit Tube surface rushing past. “Could Mr. Morse himself be involved?” she asked.
    “There were no obvious blood spatters on his clothing,” I told her. “And his hands didn’t show any bruising or other marks.”
    “Yet he seems very anxious to put the blame on you.”
    “Unfortunately. I’m a very logical suspect.” I said. “I was on the scene, and I have the training to know how to do this.”
    “But you have no motive.”
    “He’s probably working on that as we speak,” I said. “What’s he doing right now, by the way?”
    “He’s in the first first-class coach car,” she said, frowning in concentration. “He’s asking one of the Halkas if he saw anyone going into or coming out of our car in the past three hours.”
    “Can you get that conductor to stay with him?”
    “He was already planning to do that.”
    Which meant Bayta would be able to listen in on Morse’s investigation via her handy little telepathic link. “Good,” I said. “Be sure to take notes.”
    “I will.” Bayta hesitated. “Frank… what did Morse mean when he said you were involved with the Yandro incident, too ?”
    “Obviously, he must have originally recognized my name from somewhere else.”
    “Obviously,” she said patiently. “I was asking where that someplace was.”
    “I have no idea,” I said. “Whatever it was, though, he wasn’t remembering it fondly.”
    Her throat tightened. “He’s not going to let you go on this, is he?”
    “I’m sure he’ll give it his best shot,” I said. “But it’s over twenty hours to Bellis. We’ll think of something.”
    Chapter Three
    Twenty hours