Questioning the witness

Posted on Sat Jul 1st, 2023 @ 7:40pm by Lieutenant Rohan Read

2,380 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 6 - Point Of Enlightenment
Location: Interview room

Read walked into the interview room with a cup of coffee in one hand and a PADD in the other. It had been a couple of hours since Niska's arrest. The security team had taken the time to search Niska's premises and storage areas.

"Ms O'Trei, can I get you anything to eat or drink?" He asked as he set down his own drink and PADD.

“I’ll take a glass of water and some proper clothing. You do realise I’m naked under this short robe,” she told him.

Read nodded and moved back towards door and requested the water. A few moments later another security officer appeared with the water. He took it off them and headed back over to the table and placed it infront of Niska.

With the bar owners robe coming apart and revealing more breast than Read wanted to see, he leaned over and released the hand cuffs.

Niska stretched her hands but did not say thank you to the officer. She shouldn't of been put in these things in the first place. She retied her robe. He didn't deserve the privilege of that view either.

"Right, you have a legal right to representation but I personally feel this could harm any defense you might have as legal advice is generally to keep quiet." Rohan explained.

“As I already said Lieutenant, you have a fully fledged betaziod officer who can confirm to you that I’m telling you the whole truth. Start being smarter. Get him in here.

And believe me, It’s you who is going to need legal representation when you’re red faced at arresting the wrong person and I sue you personally for the loss of my takings until this ridiculous charade is at an end,” Niska told him calmly. “Let’s hope you can afford both that and child support as Zions not going to release your balls until that kids flown the nest believe me. Oh and I’m part betaziod. She was telling the truth.”

Rohan sat down, "I know you were telling the truth. I've already spoken to the Betazoid officer, who had confirmed this. However, Starfleet Security has reported unregistered dilithium crystals being moved in this Sector.

They were found in your order of yamak sauce. So, we need to establish why this has happened. Help me, help you."

"Perhaps you ought to investigate the supplier company or consider how a shipment of sauce could have been intercepted and tampered with. Your Federation has many enemies yes? Easy way to poison people on your station if you tamper with the food sources coming in," Niska said. "Who have you managed to piss off lately not including myself and Zion Lieutenant Read?"

"Oh I intend to follow all avenues of investigation, Ms O'Trei. However, I want to start with you." Read replied, ignoring Niska's insistence of trying to get Zion into the conversation. He activated the PADD on the desk and slid it towards the barkeep. "These images were taken of the yamak sauce in your stores. Most contained a dilithium crystal. There was no other evidence found in our search. Can I ask why you needed to order so much yamak sauce in the first place?"

“Well chef wanted to enter this years biggest keibatian kebab contest and it’s the condiment of choice,” Niska said sarcastically.

Sighing and frustrated she then added,

“Come on Lieutenant Read nobody orders that much Yamak sauce. Im running a business and clearly you have no clue how much things that have to be handmade cost nor the shelf life on it.

You already heard by your own ears from my chef earlier that the company sent far too many,” Niska said rolling her eyes at him. Who did he think he was Dixon Hill?

"If you knew there was too much, why accept the order?" Read asked, before taking a sip of his coffee. "Surely, if a large quantity of an item you ordered arrives you just take what you need and send the rest back. Why pay for the extra

“Ive only just found out about it today. You were stood right next to me when i asked chef if any sauce had come in. He then informed me that to big a shipment had and he was planning to speak to me,” Niska said the incredulously.

“Lieutenant are you sure your a security or intel man when you seem to remember nothing?” She asked.

“Okay lets predict your next question why did chef accept it? Or any of my other staff? Do you know how busy we are feeding everyone on the station? A huge chunk of your people by the way? If it came inin a busy period we likely didn’t get to count everything at that moment. But apparently you knew about it spying on us? Why didnt you leap into action and seize it as soon as it landed through through your system if it was so suspicious?” She countered back?

“Why wait to publicly humiliate me and damage my business?”

"Look, I just want you to answer my questions. I may already know the answers but when they come from you they carry more weight. I understand where you're coming from I really do. I've read your file, your hear to make a clean slate for yourself, which you have so far. But is the yamak sauce order and acceptance due to poor staff training or something more sinister. Is your relationship with the stations chief of security an honest one or is it to blindside her so you can get away with more." Read explained. "I need to investigate the whole process, not just what ive heard in a bar during a search. I'm happy to work with you on this but you need to give me things in return. Answer my stupid questions, if everything is legitimate then you'll be released and our investigation will more forward. Your reluctance to answer questions doesn't do you any favours."

“First of all you don’t have squat on me. Any file you have will barely touch the surface and contain what has been “allowed” to be known. Your baby ensign Bobbys got more on me than you and that’s because he’s smart enough to figure out you catch more flies with honey. But you have the guist, I got out, no I clawed my way out of a very bad situation in a world I’ll tell you for certainty you wouldn’t survive 5 minutes in and yes I’ve been going straight for years now. At the arse end of the universe, keeping my nose down and clean.

Second of all my relationship with your boss is between me and your boss. And none of your god dam business. You think she’s stupid then? That I can pull the wool over her eyes and do insipid things and crimes on this station. I dare you to go admit that to her,” Niska said simply. “Or perhaps your goal here is to slam something on me and claim she’s compromised because of our relationship. Are you angling for Tias job perhaps,” she mused.

Ask yourself why would I answer your questions when you haven’t even provided me with adequate clothing despite my request, your attempts of rapport are aggressive and you have already lied to me. Send in any other officer and I’ll cooperate. But you, no you even advised me not to have legal representation. To me you come across as a bent and crooked officer,” Niska told him simply.

"I have enough to hand you over Starfleet and they'll throw you in a high max prison and throw anyway the key. You have illegal dilithium in your possession. The buck stops with you. Follow the process and be helped." Read stated as he sat back in his chair and folded his arms. "For the record, I don't want the Chief job, hell I don't want this one either, but here I am."

"You have nothing. They tried to throw me in a max prison before. On Nigelos 5. I was innocent that time too. In fact your precious Starfleet are one of the reasons why you have very little to go on with me.

Good luck," Niska told him calmly. "Keep making threats. Please do keep going. On top of the basic rights violation of keeping me naked in a tiny robe your heading towards being sacked."

Rohan closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I really want to help." Read started, his tone softened. "I don't understand why you won't answer simple questions to help get you out of here and help us investigate whats really going on. Smuggling dilithium crystals isn't really your sort of thing to get involved in. So someone is stitching you up, but who?"

"You have threatened me. You have humiliated me publicly and you have insinuated things against my character that could be damaging to the relationship I have with my girlfriend. And given yourself motive to be trying to damage her reputation too. I DO NOT trust you," Niska told him firmly. "You are not listening too and reflecting on what I am telling you."

"I haven't intentionally threatened you. I just want you to realise how serious the situation is. I haven't intentionally humiliated you or damage your relationship. I merely want the truth." Read paused for a moment to evaluate the situation. "I'm sorry. I'm used to dealing with hardened criminals so take the hard line all the time.

"So, you told me it was a mistake by one of your staff to take delivery of the sauce. Have you used this supplier before?"

"You are not used to dealing with hardened criminals Lieutenant," Niska almost laughed at that one.

"I have told you we are a busy place and possibly there was not enough time to take stock of the stocks when the deliveries landed. And when I say deliveries that's not just sauce. I will own one thing Lieutenant. Clearly I need to hire more people and pay more attention to the scheduling to be able to deal with the rush of customers and the stock taking when deliveries appear at the same time. I have used the same suppliers since the day I set up in this place.

But no one, myself included has plotted to poison anyone on this station with illegal dilithuim crystals. First of all you are all my customers. Why would I spend all the money I have to deck it out, bring in holosuites for you all if I wanted to poison you? And second of all if I truly wanted to smuggle something like that do you honestly think I would be stupid enough to do it in my business premises? To risk my business. That I have sacrificed everything for.

And you did intentionally threaten me. This interview was not going your way so you decided to try scare me with the threat of jail and throwing away the key. Your words."

"They were my words, and again I'm sorry for using those tactics." Rohan replied, honestly. "Why do you keep suggesting the dilithium would posion people? The yamak sauce isn't contaminated by having the crystals in there."

"If you ingest any kind of crystal when your body is not accustomed for such foodstuffs, it can make you sick. If your going to put it in a sauce which is used in a restaurant people will ingest it. Perhaps poison is the wrong word. But they would get sick. I assumed they were in small pieces to hide in the sauce," Niska said. "The sauce is contaminated and infused with the crystal.

"They weren't small pieces, they were long crystals. I'm guessing cut to size to fit on the sauce jars. Probably to be used in a warp engine or power generating device." Read replied.

“Small, long. Whatever. Niska is nothing to do with it and you shouldn’t be working on any guesswork. At the end of the day they are sat in sauce. I didn’t put them there and I was just as surprised as you to find them in there. Once a jar had been opened and I had found them I would have reported it.

That said I do not believe It’s a controlled substance. How is it illegal if every spacefaring civilisation including your precious Federation uses them?” She demanded. “Owning dilithium is not illegal. Most warp powered vessels use Dilithium. I know it’s rare but Your Federation doesn’t have a monopoly on the supply regardless to how it has landed in my possession.

You concern here is who were they intended for and what that party intend to do with them. As I have nothing to do with this I cannot give you those answers. I can only give you my suppliers and that's Jass'rah. Go speak to him,"

Just at that point the door to the interview room opened and Kaylee stepped in. "Lietenant Read, Niska is to be released right now. This interrogation is over." And from behind Kaylee could be seen someone looking rather official, who was stepping as well. It was a woman with blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun, carrying a brief case in one hand and in the other a bag over her arm which contained clothing for Niska.

"My name is Miss Kathryn Steele, I am your legal counsel, Miss O'Trei. Please come with me." the woman said pleasantly to Niska but cast a cold gaze at Read. "This should have been brought to my attention immediately."

Kaylee looked over at Read, a definite look of dislike in her eyes. "This isn't over Lieutenant Read." with that she looked at Niska, "Miss O'Trei. You are free to go."

Rohan stood up and straightened his uniform. "Until next time, Ms O'Trei." He said with a respectful nod before looking in the direction of his colleague who he gave a stern look too.

"If your still an officer," Niska said pointedly back to him. "Thank you," she said to Kaylee and her lawyer exiting.

 

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