“Jessica, Jessica June-James. What a ring to it.” Detective Zander stood over the desk. “Look. I don’t know how to say this.”

  “You’re firing me?”

  “I am. Look. I didn’t say anything and won’t to Johnny about how exactly Mochi ended up flushed down the sewer. I have my ideas how that went down. You don't need to explain. But I can’t have someone married to a Hoshaness working my front desk. Besides, he has plenty of wealth you shouldn’t need to work.”

  “He’s different. He’s not like his family.”

  “Of course he’s different. And not like his family. If you know something on his family, speak up. No, don’t do that. Keep your head low. And I hope I’m wrong, for your sake I do. It’s not Johnny. Maybe I could swing, keeping you around until it caused a ruckus, but then I would have to leave station. Might do that anyway. This place is too nice for me. No truth is, and you saw the books. I can’t afford to keep you."

  Jessica collected her things and left. Detective Zander sat at his desk and missed a call on Jessica’s. He swapped to her desk findling with settings and set up a new message. “This is the office of the resound Detective Shilo Zander. General investigator and expert counter espionage. Leave a detailed message outlining assessed risk, pay, and expected duration. And he—I’ll get back to ASAP.”

  Good Enough. He hit the confirmation button and leaned back in the front chair until a knock woke him up. “Come in.”

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  “I said come in. Right. Button to open the door is here somewhere.” No, not the silent alarm. He pressed the door release button. “Try again.”

  A plozun squeezed in, its sides rubbed on the door frame but its eyebrows only crested the desk. A bad odor of rotten eggs and something long forgotten, molding in the deep dark corner of a refrigerator followed.

  “How can I be of service? Sorry about the door. Would you care for some orange juice?”

  The plozun wobbled on its two stocky feet. The smell of rotten egg intensified. “No.”

  Was it the acid helped or was it to stay away from citrus fruits? “Suit yourself.”

  "Is the detective in?"

  "Oh, yes. In fact I am the detective. I know what it is." Zander left to retrieve his fedora from his desk. "There. It's the hat. Oh and also the little receptionist sign here. Place is a bit of a mess, I confess but there's only one way to go from here."

  The plozun blinked at him.

  "Up. Only direction to go is up. Is that a hint of sweetness in the air? You're not like the normally cheerful plozun that I know."

  The Plozun walked to the chair and jumped up into the seat. His short legs dangling from the chair reminded Shilo of humpty dumpty.

  The Plozun said, "No, I suppose not. It's been a terrible week and I'm afraid you caused quite the stir in our family."

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  "Oh, I hope this isn't about quadratops damage a spaceship."

  "Well it is about that planet. But no I don't know what damage you speak of."

  Detective Zander settled into the chair and flipped open the notebook. "Please enlighten me. You don't mind if I take notes." The sour smell strengthened in the room. Zander pinched his nose close. "I think I'll just--yep here it is. I'll just record the session."

  The Plozun said,"As I was getting to the planet with the quadratops, it is owned by my family. We had no particular interest in the place. Much too hostile of a place for us. Sand and teeth, not a lovely spot. But your recent trip there showed that there was green diamond and some very precious metals in that vein as well."

  "So you're taking your claim back? I'm pleased this will all work out so well for you. I'm not sure I see the case here."

  "Oh, I haven't got to that yet. We wouldn't know where to turn to but your name popped up with the report on the find and my family. Well we don't agree on much but we do agree that we need to find the correct will and last testaments."

  Detective Zander leaned forward and despite the smell scribbled some notes. "Go on, I expect this is going somewhere."

  "This minor issue is the ownership of the planet is in disagreement. See my father passed away recently and as the planet was not particularly desired by any of his surviving family the planet is not listed in the current will."

  "Oh, well that seems to be a case for probate. I'm not sure I could help unless you need a witness statement for my discovery of the Smith's attempting to rob your family, my usual hourly rate of course."

  "Oh, no I am interested in hiring you to find the will. I can only pay ten thousand credits now but if the mineral rights do belong to my side of the family as I suspect they should there would be a bonus."

  "A bonus, how much of a bonus?"

  "Maybe twenty thousand more."

  "That could be enough to pay rent here and get my rocket ship fueled up. Find a will huh. Do you have any clue where it might be?"

  "I would think at our family mansion. We have checked all the usual places. I may be sending you on a wild chase here. The will existed, that I know. The latest will does not mention the planet rights, it's possible my father destroyed the previous and lapsed the other."

  "Wouldn't there be records of this sort of thing?"

  "Usually. Oh it's been a journey, his end was so unexpected. But my father was so organized this has the family scrambling to make sense of it all."

  "My condolences. Um..."

  The smell changed to a musty mold. "You can call me Vance. And my father often went with Patrick, our names are quite particular."

  "Very well Vance. I'll take the case and begin investigation for the will at your family mansion. Could you provide your information here, and this form as well. One family will to be found."