Page 48 of Mongrels United
She buried herself in a review of open projects, to catch up on any progress made in her absence, then began prioritizing next steps, and delegating them to the appropriate people.
It was all familiar work, and her emotions settled and her usual demeanor reasserted itself. The office filled with people as the normal workday began. The work was absorbing and interesting, even the routine, recurring tasks, which all impacted the ship and everyone on it.
How could anyonenotlike such meaningful work?
Grady was on the verge of taking a break when Jackalyn Westcott moved into the suite and headed for Grady with a grim expression.
Grady met her halfway along the big table and raised her brow. “Uh-oh…?”
Westcott’s unhappy expression intensified. “It’s good and bad,” she said simply.
Grady didn’t hide much from her staff. She had learned that morale increased when they felt they were involved in significant work. So she didn’t pull Jack aside or lower her voice. “Tell me.”
“We found who is responsible for the attack on your father,” Jack said, not lowering her voice, either.
Grady couldfeelthe attention around the big table swivel to her and Jack. Voices trailed off.
“Who?” Grady asked, fighting to keep her tone even, despite her heart jumping and her gut clenching.
Jack sighed. “You ain’t gonna like this, Grady.”
“I haven’t liked any of it, since I knew he’d been attacked. Tell me.”
Jack’s lips thinned. “Vasanta Berggren.”
Everyone at the table behind Grady gasped, as she whirled to look at Vasanta at the big table. Vasanta’s workstation was empty, though. It often was. Vasanta spent a lot of time carrying messages and collecting items. She was an older woman on her third career and happy to start at the bottom and do all the grunt work, for the opportunity to work on the Bridge.
Or so she had told Grady, a year ago, when Grady had hired her.
Grady turned back to Jack.
“I’ve got her at the station,” Jack said. “We’ve talked. Now it’s time you spoke to her.”
Grady could feel herself slumping. “You’re sure it was Vasanta, Lieutenant?” She badly wanted Jack to be mistaken. “Vasanta is…she’s loyal and hard working…”
“Best come and talk to her,” Jack said gently. “Then you’ll understand.”
Grady held her pad out to Luus, who said as he took it, “I got things here, Grady.”
“Thanks,” she said stiffly and followed Jack to the door of the suite.
Chapter Twenty-One
A Bridge Guard waited inside the guard station interview room with Vasanta, looking relaxed, his expression neutral. He nodded at Jack as she and Grady entered, and slipped past them.
Jack moved over to the table.
Vasanta had pushed her chair away from the table and turned it on a slight angle. She sat with one leg crossed, her hands in her pockets. Grady couldn’t see her foot beneath the table, but wouldn’t have been surprised if she was swinging it. There was an air of complete unconcern about the woman that was baffling, if Jack was right about her being responsible for the attack on Grady’s father.
Vasanta looked up at Grady. There was a defiant look in her eyes.
Grady could feel herself slowing down, caution easing through her synapses. She would have to weigh her words, here. Vasanta had the Look. It was the expression unrepentant political criminals wore.
Was Vasanta a Must-Have? Was that what she had carefully hidden when Grady had been probing her background before offering her the job? Enough ethics wouldn’t make her do whatever she had done to injure Grady’s father.
Or had they? There had been more than one political extremist in human history who had committed the worst atrocities in the name of their cause, acts that their cause would revile under other circumstances.
It just remained to be seen which stripe of activist Vasanta was.
