. "Jali didn\u2019t have any appointments until ten, so after assuring Xhen he would be in later he went to an apartment building in the mid-levels of Eastport. He got out of a turbolift on the eleventh floor and knocked on a door with the number thirty-eight emblazoned on it. Elya Vertey opened it, her eyes were red and puffy. \u201COh\u2026ah\u2026Mr Dawler.\u201D She examined Jali almost fearfully. \u201CI heard how you found my husband, but perhaps it isn\u2019t really necessary\u2026\u201D She cringed and started to shut the door. \u201CDid you have any idea about this?\u201D Jali asked after a rather long silence. Jali smiled. \u201CTrust me, it has.\u201D"@en . . "43"^^ . "y"@en . . . "The White Twi'lek/Chapter 6"@en . "The White Twi'lek"@en . "Jali didn\u2019t have any appointments until ten, so after assuring Xhen he would be in later he went to an apartment building in the mid-levels of Eastport. He got out of a turbolift on the eleventh floor and knocked on a door with the number thirty-eight emblazoned on it. Elya Vertey opened it, her eyes were red and puffy. \u201COh\u2026ah\u2026Mr Dawler.\u201D She examined Jali almost fearfully. \u201CI heard how you found my husband, but perhaps it isn\u2019t really necessary\u2026\u201D She cringed and started to shut the door. Jali put his foot between the door and the doorframe. \u201CThere have been a few developments since then,\u201D he told her, his voice low and soft, his eyes boring into hers. \u201CI thought that I should share them with you before I do anything else.\u201D Once again, her eyes traveled down Jali\u2019s form. \u201CAh\u2026oh\u2026well\u2026you had better come in then.\u201D She opened the door wider and closed it behind Jali. It was not the first time that Jali had spoken to a widow when he was investigating her husband\u2019s death, it had happened several times with the Security Force as well as when he had investigated Tollan\u2019s death last year and spoken to his wife Verda the morning after. That was why he hadn\u2019t wanted to take Xhen along, there was every chance it could all go wrong with him present. Elya showed him into a modestly furnished sitting room, and, after declining any refreshments, Jali told her the sum of what he had found last night. For a moment Elya sat there, turning over this information, her eyes still slightly fearful. \u201CDid you have any idea about this?\u201D Jali asked after a rather long silence. Elya shook her head. \u201CNo, not really, but\u2026\u201D Her voice trailed off and she stared into space. \u201CI do remember Lucen saying things, about how not everyone is honest any more, and something about credits changing hands, but I really wasn't sure what to make of it.\u201D \u201CHe probably did that deliberately,\u201D Jali suggested gently, \u201Cdidn\u2019t want to get you involved, to get into any danger.\u201D \u201CI suppose so,\u201D Elya agreed, her voice shaking slightly. \u201CThere\u2019s something else I remember, I once suggested that if he didn\u2019t like it where he worked that he should try and get another job.\u201D \u201CAnd what did he say?\u201D Jali asked. \u201CHe didn\u2019t want to let those murglaks get away with it,\u201D she replied. \u201CIt\u2019s just\u2026\u201D She took a deep breath and leaned back so her eyes were on the ceiling rather than on Jali. \u201CI can\u2019t understand why the Security Force would dismiss something like this, they think that Lucen got waylaid, robbed and hit on the back of the head\u2026 but\u2026but\u2026\u201D Jali proffered a small smile. \u201CYou don\u2019t think so?\u201D Elya shook her head, looking as if she was going to cry but seeming to take a hold of herself. \u201CBut really, I shouldn\u2019t be telling you this, not now anyway.\u201D She reached for a purse on the couch. \u201CHow much is it that I owe you for that one day?\u201D \u201CI just want to ask you one question first,\u201D Jali asked. \u201CDo you want me to look into this?\u201D \u201CI\u2026ah\u2026\u201D Elya faltered, but Jali could tell that she did want him to investigate her husband\u2019s death and she had brought him into her apartment for that very purpose. \u201CI can tell you right now,\u201D Jali continued, \u201Cthat there are several avenues of enquiry that I\u2019d like to check out. The Twi\u2019lek woman and her friend, for instance.\u201D \u201CI see,\u201D Elya said, her voice measured and controlled. \u201CI\u2019m just wondering about\u2026the\u2026\u201D \u201CAs for fees,\u201D he went on as if she hadn't spoken, \u201CI probably would charge a bit more for a murder case, but\u2026\u201D He let the word hang in the air for a moment then made a chopping motion with his hand. \u201CThis time I think I can make an exception.\u201D Elya balked at this. \u201CThere\u2019s no real need to\u2026to\u2026\u201D \u201CI said it would be no problem,\u201D Jali reassured. \u201COh, oh, all right then,\u201D Elya said, still a little nervous about all this. \u201CSo we have a deal?\u201D Elya nodded. \u201COkay, for starters I need to have a look through your husband\u2019s personal effects, and there may be a few more questions I need to ask.\u201D \u201CThey sent a box with some stuff from his locker,\u201D Elya said. Jali smiled. \u201CGood, then we\u2019ll start with that.\u201D Elya brought out a sealed carton and placed it on the low table. Jali removed the lid and examined the contents. The first item he laid his hands on was a datapad. Jali activated and scanned the data entries, he could see the details of ships that had arrived and what cargo they had carried, but he knew he would have to search for a long time before he could find anything useful. Chances were, the memory banks had been cleaned before the datapad had been given back to Elya, but there still could be something on there. There were several other items of no consequence. A marker with the word \u2018Idobal\u2019 printed on the side that had a wet nib, but it left no mark when Jali ran it across his hand. There were several memos printed out on flimsies and quite a number of printed receipts. The last one caught Jali\u2019s eye, it had a series of words written across it, but he could only make portions of some of them out. El\u2026t\u2026n, Orve\u2026h, Pr\u2026thiu, S\u2026g, Sk\u2026on, \u2026lium \u2026 Jali wasn\u2019t sure about the others, but the second word looked like orveth to him, which was a gas commonly used in blasters. His own blaster even had a few cartridges. \u201CDo you mind if I take these?\u201D he asked Elya, showing her the datapad and the receipt. \u201CBe my guest,\u201D she agreed, \u201Canything that can help find out what happened to him.\u201D There were several appointments waiting for Jali when he arrived at the office, and it was a few hours later when Jali got the chance to examine the datapad more closely. As he had suspected, anything relating to Lucen Vertey\u2019s work had been wiped, all the appointments, contacts and calendar entries. Jali was looking through a set of extended notes that Vertey had written in the weeks prior to his death when there was a knock at the door. \u201CDo you have a minute?\u201D Xhen Rinner asked. \u201CCome in, come in,\u201D Jali replied, not taking his eyes off the datapad, \u201CI was going to call you over, anyway.\u201D For a moment, Jali didn\u2019t say anything, he seemed to be coming to some sort of decision. Finally, he spoke, putting aside the datapad for now. \u201CI know it\u2019s only your second day here,\u201D he began, \u201Cbut things have a way of turning out differently than we expect.\u201D Xhen smiled mildly. \u201CSome might say it\u2019s the will of the Force,\u201D he said. Jali dismissed it with a wave of a hand. \u201CWhatever, but I'm going to put you on your own on a case sooner than I expected,\u201D Jali explained. \u201CA lot sooner,\u201D he added, with emphasis. Xhen glanced at the datapad on Jali\u2019s desk. \u201CLet me guess, the Vertey case?\u201D he asked. \u201CI thought it was all over like a dead gundark when we found him.\u201D \u201CSo did I,\u201D Jali admitted. \u201CBut I wasn't satisfied, so I did a little poking around.\u201D Xhen raised an eyebrow, but didn\u2019t comment. \u201CAnd now you think there\u2019s something more?\u201D Jali nodded. \u201CYeah, but it\u2019s a long story,\u201D he explained. He gave Xhen a brief outline of his conversation with Kremoine. \u201CSo I told I told Elya this, and she wants me to look into it.\u201D \u201CShe asked you?\u201D Xhen looked surprised, almost startled, at this revelation. Jali looked slightly affronted by this. \u201CIt\u2019s not solicitation, if that\u2019s what you mean. People do have a right to have answers when they want them.\u201D \u201CWell, you can\u2019t argue with that,\u201D Xhen laughed dryly. \u201CSo, you were saying?\u201D \u201CI want you to take over the Lanco case,\u201D Jali told him. \u201CIt\u2019s very straight-forward, just long and involved. I\u2019ll get him in tomorrow and you can talk to him yourself. You right with that?\u201D Xhen shrugged and smiled. \u201CHey, what\u2019s ever fine with you,\u201D he agreed. \u201CIf you think I\u2019m ready\u2026\u201D \u201CI reckon you are,\u201D Jali said. \u201CAnd in case you\u2019re not, I\u2019ll be keeping an eye out anyway.\u201D Xhen laughed again. \u201CYou can\u2019t help poking around, can you?\u201D \u201CBad habit,\u201D Jali said with a shrug. \u201CCould get you into trouble one of these days,\u201D Xhen said darkly. Jali smiled. \u201CTrust me, it has.\u201D From Star Wars Fanon, a Wikia wiki."@en . . . . . .