Incident [TEXT]

A little panic creeps in, but the urge to deny the veiled accusation muscles its way into the fore of your mind and overrides it completely. Barely even pausing, you continue with your response.

“Of course not. Dupont could not have written my name because he didn't know it.”

Drake raises her eyebrow.

“You're certain?”

You tilt your head and look at her, hoping your growing concern isn't showing.

“That was just a hypothetical question, right? About the name in the blood?”

Your hands clench into fists as she gives you a little shake of the head, and reaches for the file. Opening it so only she can see the contents, Drake slips out a photo and lies it in front of you. You stare at it blankly. Your eyes unfocus, not wanting to see it, but only for a moment. Feigning complete ignorance of everything they put in front of you won't help.

It's almost exactly what you expect. Almost in that only your first name is present. Exhaling slowly, you examine the crudely daubed letters. The area of floor panelling the word is written on is well lit, and at the time of the photo being taken the colour of the name was beginning to fade from that characteristic bright red. You're hoping that the letters might have been misconstrued somehow, so it is alternatives that you look for. A large, smeared blood stain encroaches on the bottom of those six letters, but only enough to cast the 'U' into doubt. And even then, the inner curve is still clear... How about the 'S', then? The writer trailed off here, so the shape is compromised slightly – but not enough.

It's exactly what it looks like. You don't think they would fake this. And even if they were that desperate to get a suspected sparker behind bars, they wouldn't do it unless they could get you on that charge. One sparker running around unregistered isn't an issue. The problem starts when people think they can start getting away with it, so they would almost certainly use the opportunity to make an example of you. Not something they can do with a murder charge. No, this isn't faked. You just have impossibly bad luck.

“Some other Alexus? Did he know any?” It's a stab in the dark, but you're not keen on the alternative. You don't like that he knew your name. You don't like the implication that the Myriad, if he was indeed a member and the group does indeed exist, was or is in any way aware of you. You wouldn't like it even if you weren't planning to steal from them.

Another unfortunate implication of Dupont being Myriad is that the organisation is going to be very aware of his death and probably very interested in who was responsible. Add in the detail about Myriad members tending to be powerful and cunningly placed, and there's probably a member in this building right now. Maybe several. If the Myriad thinks you killed one of them, you don't like your chances.

But Dupont must have written your name for a reason, right? You didn't kill him, and he must have been aware of that. He was surprisingly lucid for someone who was bleeding out. If he gave you the gyroscope (and you think he did) as well as wrote your name on the floor, then that means something. If you're lucky, he was actually naming you as the successor of the cube. For some reason. It seems unlikely that he would have named you for that just because you were there. And he must have recognised you somehow...

How and why did Dupont know you? That seems like the most important aspect of this.

Drake shrugs, and your attention snaps back to her. “We don't think so, but it's difficult to say for sure. Alexus is hardly a common name, however. Wouldn't it be too much of a coincidence?”

“Probably, but it's the only possibility that makes any sense to me.”

Somebody said Dupont was a headhunter, didn't they? One of the Riisneians. And Number 6 said he wasn't the only one who thought you were a sparker. You assumed he was referring to the police, but why not the Myriad too? You must have something good to want to hide it, and if Esser was speaking the truth then the Myriad is all about unusual sparkers in less than fantastic circumstances. You're not doing that badly yet, but if the sparker rumour succeeds in squashing all of your business...

DCI Drake says nothing as she returns the photograph to the file. You have a few questions, so you start with the obvious.

“I was wondering... where was this written? The name? I don't recall seeing it when I was present at the crime scene. And I assume it would have been mentioned during the first questioning if the police had known about it then... so where was it hiding?”

“You're correct in thinking that we were unaware of it at that time. It only came to our attention late last night when the body was moved.”

“So it was underneath? Underneath Dupont?”

“Yes.”

“At least that explains why he turned himself over when I was out of the room. To write the name.”

“It would seem that he didn't want you to see it. A reaction that only makes sense if he knew your name, and that you might see it.”

It would also seem that you walked right into that one.

“Are you sure? He was dying of blood loss. It's possible he wasn't even aware I was present.”

She shakes her head. “Consider this: he was dying, as you say. Surely the most comfortable place to write would be away from his body? Somewhere within easy reach of his arm? And instead he chooses to move his body, possibly lift himself up from the floor, and write underneath himself. And however he did it, he would have to pull his arm close to himself. Not the easiest way to do it at all. Writing the name was obviously important to him, but writing it in the place that he did also had its own importance. And if he wasn't hiding it from you, then who? The police? We would find it when we moved his body. Who does that leave?”

“I don't understand, then. I didn't know him.”

You reach for another question, something to distract her from her damning conclusions.

“You say you found the name last night. Why have you only just contacted me now?”

“We had more pressing problems around the point we discovered the name. This interview seemed like something that could wait until a more reasonable hour.”

Either they know you're innocent and that you wouldn't try to get away, or... what? They suspect you but don't have enough evidence? Why wouldn't they at least make an effort to pin you down the second they saw your name written apparently in Dupont's own hand? You're starting to wonder if you were too quick to dismiss the idea of being framed. After all, they don't have to stop at a murder charge. If they can 'prove' a sparker was responsible, and also that you killed the victim, then they have you.

Panic seeps back in, this time to stay.

Seemingly satisfied that you were done with your own questions, your interrogator poses another.

“I'd just like to check: where were you last night between one and two in the morning?”

You inwardly shriek. Running around the Old Bank and chatting with cannibals, that's what! Only Kierkgaard, Number 6 and Esser can back up your alibi. Considering that one's a serial killer and another a wanted criminal, your best bet lies with the one who would prefer to see you dead. Who is also a criminal, come to think of it. They just haven't found enough evidence to convict her yet.

How do you respond to this?