The robot secretary returned to the chair and read her mail.
"It is official. Your manager terminates your agreement with the Grand Galactica based on our refusal to pay his client."
"That would be us," Zana said with a glance at the detective, who nodded one head.
Rivqua added, "Thanks for the welcome by the way. Not quite warm enough for us around here, unfortunately."
Now the other head nodded, not taking it personally one bit.
"I just want make it perfectly clear that it is not about refusal, so much as inability," the secretary explained with apologetic irritation. "There is a distinct difference!"
"It's perfectly clear that whatever difference it is, it makes no difference to us and we're outta here for said reason," Zana said. "Good day to you all."
"Hey, wait a minute!" cried the lawman as they turned to go.
They ignored him but Rivqua stopped and looked back. "Just out of curiosity, Inspector. Any developments on the dead manager, Fadda Bing?"
"Well, he ain't warmin' up the morgue any. He's still quite dead. Listen, you can't just-"
"What did he die of? It was pretty dramatic, in a chemical reaction kind of way. Certainly to us witnesses."
"Forensics are analyzin' the toxin as we speak." He threw a quick eye at the wall clock. "Unless they've been careless and dropped dead from it themselves. Wouldn't be the first time neither, freakin' CSI amateurs." He went on with a gesture, "I'm sorry, until I've solved his murder you two can't-"
"Have you contacted any family?" Rivqua went on, backing away. "Anyone coming to claim the body?"
"None as far as we know. Now you two just hang on a second!" He raised a hand like a traffic cop.
The secretary spoke up, "Mister Bing doesn't - didn't - have any family."
"No kiddin'," the detective snapped, one head glaring at her. "I sure wish you'd told me that yesterday, would've saved me a bunch of phone calls!"
Just then the elevator pinged. The door slid open and inside stood a family of purple-skinned aliens. Mum and dad and two little kids, who each had an antenna on the head and was impossibly cute. But they looked scrawny and their clothes were old and worn. With the manner of someone who knew he didn't belong up in the penthouse floor, the father pulled his cap off and approached the Blonde Plutoz with a sad face.
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