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Tyler had spoken to a few of the colonists who remembered seeing Rosalyn Peterson walking across to the showers and back again, and in the galley area, but that was about it. No one saw anyone attack her or even noticed anyone acting peculiar, but that was to be expected, or Tyler would have already known about it. However, one of the colonist`s remembered that it was the Claytons who had followed Rosalyn into the shower area, the colonist had been walking back from the showers at the time and unfortunately that was all she could remember seeing. She had volunteered the information just in case they needed to know who else was in the showers at the time.
"Well Caroline that was about all that we could expect, but at least we now know that the Claytons were in the vicinity of the showers when Rosalyn Peterson was bitten by something that she supposed was a mosquito." Tyler remarked after the colonist left the office.
"Another small piece of knowledge to add to all the others, but all of it doesn`t add up to much, certainly not enough to accuse anyone of the murder of so many people." Caroline said sorrowfully.
Just then, a member of the ship`s crew brought them a message that they had just received from Special Agent Formby.
"Well this is a little bit more to add to our pool of knowledge." Tyler said with a smile now on his face.
"I think that we now have enough to be able to demand answers to the information that Special Agent Formby has sent us Caroline. However, first I think that we should obtain a set of their fingerprints, and then we will know for sure whether they are the spies or not. Let us invite them over to Alice`s office for a coffee, and ask them why they did not come forward after the re-enactment to let us know that they had followed Rosalyn Peterson into the shower area. When they leave, we can get their fingerprints off their coffee cups. If they prove to be the spies we can arrest them and send them over to the Defiant`s Brigg."
Colin Ryan chose that moment to approach them so Tyler decided to enlist his help.
"Colin will you go and find the Claytons and ask them if they could spare us a minute, tell them they will find us with Alice Tarraway in her office, don`t make anything of it but make sure that they do come and speak to us." Tyler asked.
"Sure, Tyler, from this can I assume that the case proceeds at a faster pace at last?" Colin in turn asked.
"Colin the next few minutes will definitely tell us whether we have been betting on the right horse." Caroline said, repeating another one of Tyler`s phrases, she liked the phrase it sounded just right and flowed evenly off her tongue, though of course she herself had never seen a horse race let alone put a wager on.
"Colin after that will you go and find Appolon, and then would the two of you question the colonists whose cubicles are near to the stairs that lead down to the ship`s hold. Ask them if they saw anybody entering it or just hanging around the area during the morning that the two agents were attacked, or at any other time come to that?" Tyler asked.
"Sure thing Tyler, to hear is to obey oh leader." Colin Ryan said facetiously.
"I am glad to hear that you know your place Colin." Caroline joked. Colin then left them, a smile across his face, but then he normally did have a smile upon his face. This time though it quickly disappeared, for his thoughts were about his friend lying ill in the ship`s clinic. Colin thought over Caroline`s last words, about their hopes that they were about to apprehend the people responsible for almost killing his friend, and the smile returned, even if it was a little grim.
Paul Johnson had also been found, and he was asked to sit in on the questioning, joining Alice, Tyler and Caroline. It was a full office already when the Claytons duly appeared and Tyler greeted them and poured out another two mugs of coffee from the large coffee pot that Alice usually kept filled with hot coffee, and he then handed them over to the Claytons to ensure that he got their fingerprints. The two mugs were china and part of a set Alice used to take away the antiseptic feel of the place.
"Thank you for joining us, Tyler just needs you to clear up a point." Alice said when they had taken the seats Paul and Caroline had vacated to make space for them.
"But of course, anything that we can do for the renowned Tyler Burrows." Johor Rigor said, smiling at Tyler.
"Thank you Mr Clayton." Tyler said smiling. "It is just that we wondered why you never came forward to tell us that the two of you followed Rosalyn Peterson into the shower area the morning that she so mysteriously died."
"I didn`t realise that we did follow Mrs Peterson into the shower area, I am afraid that I am barely awake so early in the morning, I only begin to be fully awake around this time of day." Mariah said answering Tyler`s question.
"And you Mr Clayton, did you not notice Rosalyn Peterson either?"
"No I am afraid not Mr Burrows, I am sorry that neither of us can be of any help to you." Rigor said, looking the picture of sadness.
"That is all right Mr Clayton; we are just clearing away any loose ends that we have before proceeding with the investigation." Tyler said smiling at the couple.
"I hear that you both have just spent three years on Mars, I spent a couple of years there myself in my youth." Paul Johnson said joining the conversation.
"Yes we are geologists and we spent most of our time out in the wilds of Mars looking for rare minerals, it was a lonely life for us as we were away from human contact for most of our time, except for when we came in for supplies, or met with the company`s officials to go over our reports."
"You must have seen much of the Martian wilderness though, I thought it quite beautiful." Paul Johnson said, the picture of innocence.
"After three years its beauty began to fade, and we were more than happy to leave it behind to take up this appointment. If you are finished with us Mr Burrows we should be getting back, for we arranged to meet some fellow travellers for a chat." Rigor said wanting to leave the company of Paul Johnson before they made a mistake regarding their supposed stay on Mars.
"Yes of course, I am sorry to have bothered you both." Tyler said taking their two china mugs from them and putting them down next to the coffee maker. The Claytons did not seem to notice that he had held the mugs by their rims rather than around the middle where the Claytons had each left a perfect set of fingerprints.
"But you must have got the chance to see the Aurorae Planum region on Mars, it is quite spectacular, and surely a must for any traveller?" Paul Johnson asked, not letting the Johor`s escape too easily.
"No we were working on the other side of the planet, and so we never got the chance, but as I said we must leave now." Rigor said as he hurried off after a departing Mariah.
"Strange that Tyler, as the Martian space port is right in the middle of that region, something a geologist should know seeing as how Dylithium was found very near to the space port when it was being enlarged." Paul Johnson said smiling.
"Yes, and from the hurry that they were in to get away from you I don`t think they did know it. But we do have their finger prints on these two coffee cups, and now let us see if either of them will match up with the ones that Special Agent Formby so kindly provided us with." Tyler said.
Tyler had brought down all his equipment to Alice`s small office during the early hours of the morning and he quickly set it up on her small desk. Twenty minutes later and they had two more sets of fingerprints. Tyler then took out a device that he had found amongst Paul Divine`s goods. A finger print analysis device, which was soon purring away as it checked the prints found on the two cups against the ones sent to them by Formby. Moments later a message flashed up on its screen. What it told them was that the first set of prints provided checked exactly with ones left at the Australian murder scene, Mrs Clayton was not only a spy, she was also a suspect in a triple murder on Earth.
"Alice, I don`t think that I have to talk it over with you when I have this sort of evidence to hand, especially when coupled with the other evidence that Special Agent Formby provided us with just one hour ago. It is damning evidence for at least three murde
rs, will you have the Defiant send a security team over to escort the Claytons off this ship and into the Defiant`s Brigg. Ask them to first stop off at the Defender to collect that device that Brian Goddard made for me. When they are safely under guard we will go down into the ship`s hold and try out the device that Brian Goddard sent to us, and hopefully we will find the stolen technology."
Alice Tarraway did not argue, for Tyler had provided her with more than enough evidence to make the need for the Claytons arrest the next logical step, and it would fully comply with the law.
It took the Defiant ten minutes to launch its shuttle craft, for it to stop off at the Defender, and finally to link up with the Constellation, meanwhile a close watch was kept on the two spies by Paul and Tryon to ensure they didn`t get up to anything in the meantime. The security team joined Tyler and Alice, and together they went to speak to the Claytons.
"I have two more questions for you both, can you tell me how the finger prints of Mrs Clayton came to be found at a murder scene in Australia last year, when you were both supposed to be on Mars?"
"It must be some sort of mistake, as you say we have been on Mars for the last three years." Johor Rigor stated angrily.
"Can you also tell me how it is that the CCTV on Mars failed to take either of your pictures when you went through to catch the flight to Earth just a few days ago?"
"We know nothing about the workings of the CCTV cameras on Mars." Mariah Rigor said just as angrily.
"Then can you tell me why a known agent of the planet Aldebra visited you in the space port of Earth, and gave you a package, a Mr Tirana I believe his name is?" Tyler asked the two spies, but they now refused to answer this question.
"Will you tell me where you hid the crate that you brought aboard the Constellation, the one with the stolen technology inside?" The two spies still refused to answer his questions.
Seeing that he would not be able to get any more out of the two people posing as the Claytons, Tyler informed the two Aldebran spies that they were under arrest for espionage and murder.
"Please go with this officer, he and his team will escort you both to the Defiant where you will be put under confinement pending your return to Earth. One more thing will you please take your shoes off as I need to check to see if the footprint left behind by someone who entered the ship`s hold, matches either of yours?"
The two Aldebrans were now temporarily stunned by the events, and so they quietly took off their shoes without argument. Tyler then took a photograph of the soles of the four shoes before returning them to their owners. The Rigor`s both scowled at Tyler as they were first searched by the security team for weapons, and then taken away leaving Tyler and Alice to search through their belongings in the Rigor`s cubicle, and finding nothing amongst them they packed them up and left them at the air lock, pending their collection later by the Defiant.
"Alice I think it is time now to return to the hold of this ship and try out my friend`s device, would you ask the captain to open up the same door that we used yesterday evening."
"Of course, right away." Alice said taking out her communicator. All around them the colonists were talking about the arrest of two of their people. They could hardly believe that the Claytons were guilty of the murder of Rosalyn Peterson. It also added a further story to the many myths already travelling around the galaxy about Tyler Burrows.
Down on deck 'A' they were joined by Caroline and Appolon, who had been busy with Colin. Colin and Appolon had been asking the colonists who were berthed near to the door to the hold if they had noticed anyone entering into the hold, but it appeared that the two Aldebran spies were too careful to be seen entering it, if indeed they had ever entered the hold.
The four of them went as far as the entrance into the hold, whereupon Tyler and Appolon clambered up the stack of goods and followed the greasy footprints that finally disappeared into the mass of goods belonging to the colonists. Here Tyler took out the tracer supplied by Brian Goddard and turned it on. The tracer was similar to a digital Geiger counter with a screen showing the strength of any energy signal that came within its range. The indicator upon it sprang into life instantly it was turned on, and a low humming noise indicated that it was working correctly, the volume of the hum increased the nearer the device got to an energy source. As Tyler swivelled it around three hundred and sixty degrees it registered various amounts of energy. Some came from the components of the Constellation, others from the many trucks and tractors that were stored within the massive load much further away from where they both stood, but the loudest signal came from the powerful engines of the starship, and they blotted out many of the others. However, Brian Goddard had equipped the tracer with two settings, as he had made clear to Colin Freeman. Tyler now switched over to the second setting that was tuned in to the energy signature of Crystillium, and the needle on the device quivered ever so slightly. However, the nearer they got to the massive outer doors of the huge starship the more the needle quivered. Clearly, the two Aldebran spies had wanted to ensure that the crate was unloaded soon after the ship landed on Persephone. The signal showed up clearer, the further away that Tyler and Appolon got from Alice and Caroline, and finally the trail led them to a medium sized crate that bore the name of Hardin, and that looked very much like the crate in the photograph supplied by Special agent Formby. The tracer now began to buzz just a little angrily, and the optical indicator had grown brighter the further forward they had walked until the needle was stuck on maximum, all three of the signals were indicating that they were on top of whatever was emitting an energy signal. Hardin of course was one of the miners that the Claytons would have had to work with, Tyler remembered the name from amongst the names on Paul Divine`s list of possible suspects, he was a miner from Texas. The crate was screwed down and Tyler shouted over the mass of goods to Alice who was waiting with Caroline at the entrance to this Aladdin`s cave.
"Alice I need an old fashioned screwdriver, I saw one amongst the Clayton`s possessions, could you go and get it, and maybe Caroline can bring it over to us." Tyler called across the packed hold.
"Ok Tyler, be back in a minute." Alice called back.
"Tyler this might finish our work here, maybe we will see Orion again soon." Appolon said hopefully.
"Yes my friend, we should soon be back home amongst our friends and family, I know that you miss your family a lot." Tyler replied for he too felt that this matter was coming to a finish and that they could soon return home.
Caroline then appeared from out of the mass of crates and boxes brandishing a screwdriver, it was of the sort that Tyler was familiar with; it was similar to a Phillips screwdriver rather than an electrical one that was used by everyone in this century.
"Here you are Tyler." Caroline said smiling at her husband.
The screwdriver fitted the screws perfectly, and this indicated to Tyler that the Claytons had put Hardin`s name on the crate to conceal it, should they ever become suspect. Of course, whatever finger prints were found inside of the crate would finally decide the question for them. It took only two minutes to take out the screws and lift off the lid to reveal a highly technical device protected by bubble wrap to prevent it being damaged. Also inside of the box was the air pistol plus a small box of darts, ones that so resembled the mosquito that Rosalyn Peterson had thought that she had killed. Alongside that were the bottles of perfume and the canister of shaving lotion that combined had brought down the two agents, there was also the portable hard disk drive that carried the software for the Matter Transporter, and last of all the laser torch that they had used to cut the gas pipe. There was enough evidence to convict the two spies, but only if even more of their fingerprints could be found, either on the crate itself or on the contents within the crate. The Claytons had put all of these items into the crate after their attack on the two agents. This, at a time when all of the other colonists were trying to get some much needed extra sleep to make up for the amount that they had all lost when they were all woken by the ex
citement going on down on A deck.
"You have found it Tyler, now we can all go home." Caroline cried out gleefully.
"Yes, and because of the line of footprints we didn`t need to search the entire hold. Right Appolon, let`s take this crate and return to the main part of the ship. The crate was not particularly heavy, Appolon hefted it up, and between the three of them, they manhandled it across the many obstacles that were between them and the door of the hold, to look down upon an expectant Alice.
"Do you have it?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes, it and more, hopefully enough to leave all the ends of the problem nice and neatly tied up, for if we can find some more of their fingerprints they will not be able to wriggle out of this one, what we have in this crate should prove that they are very guilty." Tyler stated.
The equipment that Tyler used to find fingerprints was still set up in Alice`s office. It took Tyler just twenty minutes to match all of the fingerprints he found on the items within the crate to the ones that they had taken earlier from the Claytons.
"Alice will you send a message to the Defiant, tell them to come and collect the crate. Do not forget to tell them to take all of the evidence that we have amassed that gives definite proof as to the guilt of the Claytons. After that, maybe you could send a message also to Special Agent Formby back on Earth, giving him the good news and thanking him for all his help. Tell him that I will send him a fully documented report later today."
Tyler then borrowed Alice`s camera again and took photographs of everything that was in the crate, the collection of fingerprints and the shoe prints, he would send the photographs all of these objects to Special Agent Formby.
Just then Doctor Schwartz phoned down and spoke to Alice, she was just about to tell the others about the call when the communicator given to her by Dave Reynolds, to allow her to speak with the Defiant, sprang into life, it was the Captain of the Defiant. Alice not wondering what the reason was behind the call immediately told him all of her good news before he could utter so much as a single syllable. However, the reason behind his calling them was not good news.
"Mary Clayton went wild when she arrived aboard the Defiant, she grabbed a Phaser from one of the security detail and killed one of the security men and badly injured another before we managed to subdue her. We will send the shuttle across to the Orion Defender to collect our First officer, and then to the Constellation to pick up the crate and of course the evidence, we will also transfer Mr Burrows and his friends back to the Defender. We have to return to Earth at our best speed to get our injured crewmember into a hospital, if we do that now we can save his life. If we continue on to Persephone, he will die before we can get him back to a hospital facility that has the necessary expertise to be of any use to him. Please ask Mr Burrows and his friends to be ready to leave in five minutes, if they can be at the air lock as I want to get away as soon as is possible. Oh and thank them all for seizing our two murderers. What about the two agents, do you want us to take them back to Earth?"
"No Captain, they woke up just five minutes ago, I have just heard the good news from our doctor. He says that they want to stay with the ship until we reach Persephone, maybe if Tyler can continue to escort the Constellation in his ship as far as Persephone." Alice said. She gave Tyler and his friends another of her looks that said sorry, but do you mind helping us out once more?
Tyler looked across to Appolon who simply nodded glumly, if the fates had decided to forestall his return home, Appolon thought, what was a mere warrior to do.
"We should be at Persephone within another twenty four hours my friend; I will just have to contain myself for a little longer, and then our return will be all the sweeter."
Appolon and Tryon spoke each day to their families on the ship`s radio, and so at least they were not cut off from them, but all the same, their hearts did ache for their loved ones. As indeed must the hearts of the other members of the Defenders crew ache for their own families.
"Doctor Schwartz also told me that his two patients wanted to talk with you all, to thank you, but I don`t think that the captain of the Defiant wants to hang about." Alice said to Tyler and the others.
"No I think that you are right there, the two agents will just have to wait to thank us when we are all safe and sound on Persephone. Come on everyone we have to get this crate and ourselves to the airlock." Minutes later and the shuttlecraft from the Defiant arrived to pick them up and to take them back to their ship.
David Reynolds was there to greet them all as they stepped through the airlock and into the small shuttlecraft. When Tyler boarded the shuttlecraft, David Reynolds approached him, took Tyler`s hand in his own, and shook it.
"Tyler congratulations on your success, well done."
"No problem Dave, call me anytime that the detectives on Earth are stumped." Tyler joked. "Drop by whenever you are passing Orion, Dave, and we will put the kettle on."
The shuttlecraft soon reached the Defender, and the men of Orion re-boarded their craft to the sound of thank you from the shuttlecraft crew, thank you for a job well done. Once on board the Defender, they were greeted by the cheers of those Orionists that had stayed behind to operate the ship under David Reynolds brief command. On the screen set upon the front wall of the bridge of the Defender, the crew watched as the Defiant pulled away and rushed back toward Earth to save their stricken shipmate, unfortunately the crew of the Defender would not be going home just yet.
For twenty-four hours, the Defender followed the Constellation until the two ships finally reached Persephone. During the journey, Caroline spoke to Tyler in the privacy of their cabin.
"We have left a ship full of colonists whose main reason for leaving Earth, and travelling far from their homes and loved ones, is so that they can afford to have a family. Tyler we already live on a planet where we can afford to have a family, would you mind very much if we started a family soon?"
"Would I mind, of course not, I too want a family, two sons to carry on where we leave off and a daughter who looks just like you, and who will keep the boys in check. We can start a family whenever you want."
"Tonight seems as good a time as any, don`t you think?" Caroline asked, smiling mischievously up at her man.