Memoria Read Free Page B

without a fucking motive. And you're gonna find it for me." He smoothed out his thick gray hair and rested his hand on the detective's shoulder. "Now go and talk to him. You're good at that. Strike a chord and try to wheedle out whatever it is he has ... "
    "Bud," at work, Freeman avoided being too familiar with his boss and old friend, but the moment called for some informality. "What're you driving at? If this Shelby is innocent, he has nothing to worry about. He'll be out in no time, no charges filed. It could be manslaughter for all we know. He could have taken their lewd games one step too far and didn't notice that he'd-"
    "Very well," the police chie f dismissed his ideas with a shrug . "Just go through the file and have a heart-to-heart with this Shelby before his brief arrives."
    Freeman nodded and returned to the paperwork . He knew what his old friend had meant to say. There had been no murders in New York for over five years now. Sur ely Jessup had already had the T own H all on the line demanding to get to the bottom of it ASAP. He wouldn't be surprised if Memoria's expert and mnemotech team made it to the station before the man's lawyer did. The Mayor had his head firmly implanted up the corporation bosses' asses. Nothing new there. The suspect was a government lawyer so they should expect DC calling in no time.
    Freeman turned the page, thinking. Jessup had passed his anxiety onto him. Scanning pages of small print, he marked out that Shelby had done some serious boxing in the past although an injury to his forearm had prevented him from pursuing a professional career. Freeman made a mental note. The suspect also had a record of police assistance: when Shelby had been twenty years old, he'd defended a fellow trainee student against some hoods. Later in court, Shelby testified against them. The fellow student had apparently been an acting assistant city attorney.
    Freeman snapped the file shut, checked his holster and left the observation room, leaving Bud Jessup alone with the recording system.
    When he entered the interrogation room, Shelby still sat staring at the desk, his left hand feeling his empty right wrist: the electronic bracelet had been removed a s part of the arrest procedure.
    The detective flipped the camera on. "Feel strange, eh?"
    "What does?" the suspect raised his eyes at Freeman .
    "The bracelet. Feels funny when it's not there, doesn't it? As if a body part's missing."
    Shelby didn't answer. He sat there staring blankly at the desk.
    "Never mind," the detective sat at the desk opposite and placed the file in front of him. "It won't last. Once we're finished, you'll be returned to jail. There, they'll give you the bracelet back, after they've changed the encoding."
    He clenched his hands and got serious.
    "My name is Ed Freeman and I'm investigating the murder case which lists you as the main suspect at the moment. I'm informing you that under the ninety-third amendment, your name is now on the special category list, the electronic bracelet is temporarily confiscated, and you're deprived of your right to erase your memories. If you refuse to cooperate, we will have to contact Memoria for their expert and mnemotech team. In this case, you'll have to undergo a memory scan."
    The detective paused, watching Shelby. "Want to make a statement?"
    Shelby raised his head. For a few moments he studied the detective and asked in a calm voice, "Where's my lawyer?"
    "He's on his way."
    Freeman couldn't help admiring the man's composure. He undid his sleeve buttons and started rolling them up, exposing thick hairy forearms. "I could turn the camera off, you know. Want to say something off record?"
    Shelby placed his elbows on the desk and rubbed his handcuffed wrists. He glanced at the mirror partition behind Freeman 's back and returned the man's stare. "You have a good face, detective. And I appreciate your trying to speak with me off the record. But," he shook his head, "I won't speak to you without my