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Takkar saw it that way remained to be seen.
    * * *
    “I’m not sure what you think I would know,” Krestone told me. “I’m assigned to Lavinda Majda’s guard, and her husband Prince Paolo. I don’t interact much with Prince Dayjarind.”
    We were in the living room of my palace suite, relaxing on large pillows on the floor. The black lacquered table between us reflected the crystal goblets of wine a servant had poured and the matching decanter he left on the table, half full of a red liquid. It was all gorgeous, but really, how could anyone enjoy a drink packaged like that? You couldn’t swig ale from a crystal goblet.
    “I’m talking to all the palace guards,” I said. Which was true, though that was partly so it didn’t look as if I had singled out Krestone. Of all the people I’d dealt with here, she struck me as the one most likely to offer useful information. I doubted the Majdas were deliberately making matters difficult; they wanted me to succeed. But they rarely if ever had strangers prying into their private lives, and they raised barriers without realizing they were hindering my work.
    “I wondered when you last saw Prince Dayjarind,” I said. “I’m trying to get a sense of his actions before he disappeared.”
    “Three days ago,” Krestone said. “It was a few hours before he disappeared.” She picked up her goblet, which startled me. Then again, she was no longer on duty. During her free time, she could drink whatever she pleased. Well, what the hell. Even if it looked too perfect to consume, the wine was still just wine. I picked up my goblet, too.
    “I saw him that morning.” Krestone took a swallow of her drink, then blinked at the glass. “You know, this is actually good.” With a rueful smile, she added, “When it comes to liquor, I’m more of a shoot-’em-first-and-ask-questions-later type.”
    I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yah.” I took a swallow of wine. Ho! Good hardly described that blissful moment. I said only, “It’s not bad.”
    Krestone grinned, and we both drank some more. Then she said, “Dayj came by Paolo’s office that morning. He wanted to return a book Paolo had lent him.”
    “Did Dayj seem upset?”
    “Maybe a little distant. He’s often that way, though.” She shook her head. “It’s hard to say. I was outside. Only his guards went inside Paolo’s office with him.”
    “Did they talk long?”
    “A few minutes.”
    I nodded, disappointed. Dayj’s guards had told me the same. “Had you seen him with anyone unusual recently?”
    “Never. Just his family, and of course Captain Ebersole, Hazi, Oxil, or Nazina.”
    That was quite a list. “Who are Hazi, Oxil, and Nazina?”
    “Bodyguards attached to the palace,” Krestone said.
    Oh. No surprise there. I’d have to check my notes, but I’d already talked to Duane Ebersole, and I was pretty sure Hazi, Oxil, and Nazina were also on my list. No wonder Dayj was going stir crazy, with so many people constraining his life.
    “Do you remember anything else?” I asked.
    “Nothing, sorry.” As the captain put down her drink, the comm on her gauntlet pinged. She tapped the receive panel. “Krestone here.”
    Takkar’s voice rose out of the comm. “Heya, Kres. You busy?”
    “I’m off right now,” Krestone said. “What do you need?”
    “We could use your help. We’re doing shift assignments.”
    “Be right there,” Krestone said. “I was just talking with Major Bhaajan.”
    Takkar’s tone cooled markedly. “Well, fuck. She causing you any trouble?”
    Krestone glanced at me with a look of apology. Into the comm, she said, “None at all.”
    I spoke, raising my voice enough so Takkar could hear. “Got a problem with me, Chief?”
    A silence followed my question. Then Takkar said, “Krestone, we’re at the station. Come when you can. Out here.” The comm fell silent.
    Krestone gave me a rueful look. “Sorry about that.”
    “No problem.” I shouldn’t push Takkar, but you could