Kresh walked back the way he had come, and soon had his answer. There was a slumped-over shape he had not paid much mind when he had first rushed down the hallway. It was another SPR security robot, this one blasted out as well. Except this one had not been killed with a single neat shot through the chest. It had been scorched on the left arm, had its head half-melted off, and then taken a final bum hole through the chest. Three shots at least, from increasingly close range. It looked as if this robot had been on the move, trying to react, and had nearly reached its attacker before it finally went down. Kresh felt more certain than ever that there was something suspicious about the ease with which the robots in the bedroom had died. He went farther down the hall and saw two more SPR robots, both shot through the head and the chest. The one in front of the entrance to Grieg’s office had been shot the same way.
He stepped back into the bedroom where Donald was waiting for him. “Donald,” he said, “who manufactured these security robots?”
“The models used here are manufactured by Rholand Scientific, “ Donald said-
“Good, “ Kresh said. “Then Fredda Leving can examine them without a biased opinion. Hand me the voicephone and connect me. ”
“Sir, in terms of security, may I remind you that Fredda Leving was present last night and may well have had the opportunity to tamper with the robots-”
“In terms of security we will be utterly paralyzed if we are too careful. Fredda Leving was not part of this, I can tell you that straight out. ”
“I agree that the balance of probabilities weighs heavily against suspecting her,” Donald said. “However, these robots have clearly been tampered with, and she was perhaps the only person who was present who had the expertise for that job. My First Law potential does extend to preventing you doing professional harm to yourself, and to the potential harm to others if an investigation this serious and dangerous were suborned. I must therefore point out there is no logical basis upon which she can be excluded absolutely.”
Kresh took a deep breath and forced himself not to explode. Handling robots could be a damned nuisance, but it was only made doubly hard by losing one’s patience. Of course the same thing was true of people: You were forced to deal with unreasonable demands by being excessively reasonable. “Donald,” he said in a calm, slow voice. “I agree with you that there is no logical basis for excluding Fredda Leving as a suspect. However, I can assure you that there are reasons, outside of logic, that make me utterly certain she had nothing to do with this.”
“Sir, you have said yourself, many times, that any human being is capable of murder.”
“But I have also said that no one human is capable of every murder. Fredda Leving might kill to defend herself, or in a fit of passion, but she is incapable of involving herself in this level of brutality. Nor is she much good as a conspirator, and this was clearly a conspiracy. Fredda Leving was not capable of this killing, and she would have no motive for it. Indeed, I cannot think of anyone with a better motive for keeping the Governor alive. Listen in and monitor her voice-stress if you like, but give me the phone and make the connection. That is a direct and absolute order. ”
Donald hesitated a full half second before responding. Kresh thought he could almost see the First and Second Law potentials battling it out with each other. “Yes, sir,” he said at last, and handed over the phone.
It was a sign of just how rattled Donald was that he would kick up such a fuss over such a minor point. The sight of the Governor’s corpse had upset man and robot. Both of them knew that was not merely a dead man-it was, in all probability, a whole planet suddenly thrown into peril.
With a beep and a click-tone the phone line connected. “Um-um-hello?”
Kresh recognized Fredda’s voice, sleepy and a bit muddled. “Dr. Leving, this is Sheriff Kresh. I’m afraid I must ask you to return to the Residence immediately, and to bring whatever technical equipment you have with you. I need you to examine some, ah-damaged robots. ” It was a clumsy way to put it, but Kresh couldn’t think of anything else he could say on an unsecured line.
“What?” Fredda asked. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Damaged robots,” Kresh repeated. “I need you to perform a fast discreet examination. It is a matter of some urgency. ”
“Well’ all right, I suppose, if you say it’s urgent. It will take me a while to get to the Limbo Depot robotics lab and collect some examination gear. I didn’t bring anything with me. I’ll get there as fast as I can.”
“Thank you, Doctor. “ Kresh handed the handset back to Donald. “Well?” he asked.
