BEGINNING OF STORY
PREVIOUS (PART 30)

“That’s a lovely scent you’re wearing, Diane,” I said as I peered through my binoculars at the guards in front of the villa Senator Gredler was staying at.
She was looking at the same with her binoculars. “Same as all the other times you’ve been around me.”
“No, there’s something different. I smell…” I paused to sniff a bit. “Gun oil… gun powder.”
“Was at the range this morning and I have a gun powder based gun as backup. Cleaned it before I came to pick you up.”
“Revolver?”
“Yes.”
“Good choice.” The jacket was hanging off one of the guards such that I could see the handle of the weapon he was carrying. “See that. See the gun on that one guard?”
“I see just a little of it. What about it, Rico?”
“You can tell from the marking that it’s a FR-76 Blaster. Quality firearms made on Sindel 7… a planet pretty much owned by the Randatti. Almost no one other than Randatti thugs can get their hands on such weaponry.”
She set down her binoculars. “When you’d become the expert on the criminal syndicates?”
I put away my binoculars and smiled at her. “Been doing some reading. Those are Randatti thugs; no doubt about it.”
“I said Gredler was dirty… but how does this help us catch the assassin?”
“It’s just all parts of the puzzle.” I looked around at the little forest area we were hiding in. The sun peeked through the green leaves. “It’s really a nice day, isn’t it?”
“Rico, do you know how much trouble I could get in if Morrigan tells the Chief what I’m up to? And I have this crazy feeling she might be a bit vengeful right now. I’m not supposed to get anywhere near Senator Gredler… and this might constitute illegal surveillance.”
“Cold feet?”
“No. I’m saying I need a better reason for doing this. I’m not going to be able to arrest the Senator because you think you saw a suspicious gun. As for the killer, do you really expect we’ll just run into him out here?”
“Possibly, but I don’t feel like waiting.” I stood up. “Let’s go talk to those guards.”
I started heading back down to the road to walk towards the entrance to the villa, Diane grudgingly following. “And what’s the point of this?”
I chuckled. “I think it’s what the killer would do.”
“They’re not going to want to talk to us… and I’m not going to risk my badge right now to force it.”
“I think they’ll want to talk to us.”
The guards eyed us very threateningly as we approached. One was human, the other was some enormous alien with a face like a bulldog.
“I’m Detective Thompson,” Diane said as she showed her badge, “and…”
The guards ignored her and stared at me. “YOU!” the large one shouted, beginning to reach for his gun.
I smiled, baring all my teeth. “Me.”
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