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.doubt about it Rigor mortis set in faster than normal even assuming she diedno more than fifteen minutes., after she started for her cabin That speed implies her metabolism was racingwhen she died probably.from a struggle not just the strangulation panic itself,."Plus her hyoid bone was broken It's a bone in the throat just above theAdam's apple The cord couldn't,.,.have damaged it but manual strangulation would Someone must have started tostrangle her breaking the,., bone and finished the job with the cord when she was too weak to resist ",.Page 73 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe air temperature on the bridge seemed to drop as Rory spoke I felt chillyfor a moment until the heat.of anger started warming me said nothing Fenn Melgard would not want me to bethe person who found,.him."All right " Bella said "We'd better warn the search party ",."Right " I said At the console I summoned Bensode When he responded from ahallway comm panel,.,.and indicated he was alone I said "Doc has got evidence that Jenni Sonders wasmurdered Warn the rest, ,.of the crew and have each of them issued disablers If anyone sees Melgard theorders are to sound the., alarm; I don't want anyone going after him alone " As I talked I looked atBella to see if she objected to., anything I was saying She didn't.When I switched off Rory raised his eyebrows He said "I thought you figured hewasn't on the ship,., anymore that the search was more a formality than anything else "."I did But I'd prefer to have the passengers a little upset than to take achance of losing anyone else "."I agree " Bella said "It's enough to make me want to retire " Bella probablywasn't any nearer to wanting,.retirement than I was; she just said things like that whenever things gotunpleasant for too long."Nothing else has gone wrong?" I asked more out of politeness than from anysuspicion,."No At least nothing like Sonders or Melgard One of the passengers got off atTangent just to look.around while we were docked She never got back on So now we'll get a reprimandfor leaving early or.some other nonsense "."Who was it?" I asked.Page 74 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlBella leaned back farther in her chair "Marj Lendelson She boarded at Vestry ".I remembered her Middle-aged formal a wintry smile Coincidences are alwaysworth examining but., ,., there was no obvious link between Lendelson and either Fenn Melgard or JenniSonders.I also remembered my instructions to Bensode I rose from my chair and moved tothe weapon locker I.found a disabler and clipped it onto my belt "I'll be rejoining the searchparty unless you've got anything.else " I said to Bella,.Bella shook her head dispiritedly Maybe she actually w considering retirementthis time.as."Cheer up " I said and foolishly added "What else can go wrong?", , ,***"You want to wh ?" Wade Pesek Midsel squinted at me through the gap in thedoorway to his and atTara's cabin He looked even sleepier than normal."I said I need to search your cabin " I tried to give the appearance ofpatience but my irritation had been., gradually growing during the long day "Jenni Sonders didn't commit suicide "."You mean she was murdered? So there's a murderer on the ship?""We don't know Someone familiar with jumpsuits could have left the ship atTangent But we're making a.thorough search to be sure ".Wade looked at his wristcomp apparently realized his mistake and glanced backat the master clock, , display near his door "Do you have any idea what time it is?"."Don't tell me; let me guess I know it's late We usually schedule ship-wideemergencies just after lunch.so no one has to be bothered too much but our scheduler is on leave and hersubstitute just doesn't, understand the rules I can't wait until Marlys gets back "Page 75 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html.For a moment Wade did nothing more constructive than blink at me Finally thesarcasm must have.penetrated because he said "All right Just a minute." and shut the door., ,.From Wade's vantage point just inside the door he should have been easily ableto read the poster, explaining among other things that what I was doing right now was in factlegal, ,.I stood in the hall less than a minute before the door slid open again.Wade barefooted was dressed in a turquoise robe The hem of the robe was farenough from his lifebelt, ,.field that it looked soiled He curtly gestured me inside The Peseks' cabin waslarger than the last few I.had searched A small entrance L opened onto a brightly lit bedroom On one sideof the bed the wrinkled.bottom sheet showed where Wade had been before he answered the door.On the other side of the bed sat Tara also dressed in a turquoise robe Sheaverted her gaze as though,., she was embarrassed but her robe exposed far less skin than Amanda's dinnerdress had The bed was,.the same size as the one in my cabin, but somehow this one looked smallerbecause there was someone else on it."I apologize for the intrusion " I said I entered the bathroom and found anempty shower and nothing,.except a neat array of perfume soap and tooth spray near a haphazard pile ofunderwear depilatory, , , cream a bank stick and a comb I moved fast enough that a glance at thereflected image of my face in the, ,.mirror showed my head just beginning to turn that direction.Back in the bedroom I cautiously opened the closet and found nothing moresuspicious and threatening, than a row of clothes on hangers.I said nothing more and I was moving back toward the front door when Taraspoke "You said that Jenni.was murdered?"I almost didn't make out her words because at the same moment she had spokenWade had said "I, , , intend to file a complaint you know ",.I ignored Wade and looked at Tara "Yes, she was.The ship's doctor isconvinced Besides the fact thatPage 76 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html.I'd believe him anyway I'm satisfied by what he says The crewmember we'researching for may be the,.killer "
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