Time to redirect the freak woman to different fields of investigation. “However, Officer Perez, as distressing as it is to learn that Chad finally met a bad end, I have my own complaint to make. Yesterday, my people were threatened at gunpoint by one of the local ruffians and his sister. Said I could call him mister. She was called Kylee. Shouldn’t be too hard to find. He was the bit of human flotsam delegated to deliver our luggage from the landing field to this hovel. I want them arrested and charged with brandishment, threatening behavior, assault with a deadly weapon, intimidation, malfeasance, and anything else you can find in the legal codes here.”

Perez’s lips twisted in what might have been amusement. “According to the version I heard, your valet Ednund was about to inflict a beating, and the only reason weapons were drawn was to allow them to depart the premises without violence.” Perez pointed a finger at Ednund. “Is it true that your valet here was acting upon your orders?”

“Hardly!” Falise cried. “The sewer-born wretch was acting insolently, insulting. No doubt seizing the first opportunity to vent his displeasure and resentment of his betters.”

“You want to press charges, that’s fine.” Perez told her with sigh. “I’ll schedule an inquest as soon as we can get around to it. Meantime, you don’t have anything to offer on Chad Grunnel’s death?”

“Nothing.”

“He had no enemies? No one who will profit from his death?”

Falise barked a bitter laugh. “I didn’t say that. Every Grunnel with a pulse has enemies. We all do. And just about everyone here will profit from his death in one manner or another. Cinque, Bartolome, and myself are minus a potentially dangerous rival. Grunnel assets on Capella III have been dealt a serious blow.”

Falise narrowed her eyes to deadly slits. “But then, even you, Officer Perez, are a suspect, are you not? Didn’t you have words with Chad at the landing? Didn’t we hear him threaten you? Perhaps, Dear Officer, he might have stewed on his rage. Unable to sleep, he went stalking out into the night, fit to pay you back for the indignity you inflicted so publicly. And, well, alas, when he found you, things just got a little carried away?”

Perez barely reacted. “Nice try.”

“Ah, was it a try? Or a direct hit?” Falise pressed fingers to her cheek, expression thoughtful. “Wonder what we’d find if we dug into your records, Officer Perez? Didn’t I see somewhere in the briefing materials that you’d not only killed people on demand but even murdered Supervisor Clemenceau when you put a bullet in his head?”

Perez fixed those chilling and unearthly eyes on Falise. “Did you specifically come to Port Authority to make enemies? Because you’re off to a real good start.”