"I see," said Jetaal, satisfied. Nalah was difficult to pin down, but like any consummate merchant, she knew when to cut her losses. Jetaal just had to make sure cooperation was the most economic route. "You recalled bringing this single bottle from its storage container in the cargo bay to the cantina. You left it here for several hours, unattended. Was it behind the bar?"
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Nalah nodded quickly. "Yes, I brought it up. And I left it closer to the front than where I remember it picking it up for Steele. As I said, Swifty is lousy, I just assumed he moved it."
The Ferengi grumbled, "You can never trust a male with important business things. Now nobody will want this new tea and the profits at the lounge will plummet!"
The Ferengi grumbled, "You can never trust a male with important business things. Now nobody will want this new tea and the profits at the lounge will plummet!"
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"We've cleared the rest of your inventory, and the people here are kind," reassured Jetaal. "The faster we sort this out, the more quickly you can count on business as usual. This may seem simplistic, but please try to remember. You mentioned you left the bar for several hours after you delivered the bottle to the cantina. Did anything delay your return? And do you recall anyone unusual at the bar between the time you brought the bottle up and when you consumed the poisoned tea?"
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Nalah's almost persistent grin seemed to wane. It took her a bit longer than usual to respond.
"I hope you are not forgetting the Lieutenant's trip to sick bay was a joint one."
She pursed her lips. "Erm, I was um." She quickly glanced at Shan's picture. "Swifty does not understand romance. Shan left the station and I feel so lonely now." Nalah's gaze fell on the floor between the desk and her feet. She looked sad. "Sometimes I just want to admire his pictures and Swifty keeps mocking me when he sees me do it."
Nalah wiped... something from her eyes, if there were tears, they were fairly invisible.
"He is my hero. I admire his poise. Yes. His - his stature."
"I hope you are not forgetting the Lieutenant's trip to sick bay was a joint one."
She pursed her lips. "Erm, I was um." She quickly glanced at Shan's picture. "Swifty does not understand romance. Shan left the station and I feel so lonely now." Nalah's gaze fell on the floor between the desk and her feet. She looked sad. "Sometimes I just want to admire his pictures and Swifty keeps mocking me when he sees me do it."
Nalah wiped... something from her eyes, if there were tears, they were fairly invisible.
"He is my hero. I admire his poise. Yes. His - his stature."
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Jetaal blinked for the first time in several minutes. "I see," she repeated at last, her neutral tone bordering on gentle. Her eyes returned unbidden to the small framed image of the diminutive Lt. Jal'Shan. Jetaal immediately ordered her mind to mind its own business and returned to the matter at hand.
"But no one stopped you or spoke to you? No circumstance, unusual or common, prevented your return to the cantina?"
"But no one stopped you or spoke to you? No circumstance, unusual or common, prevented your return to the cantina?"
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Nalah kept looking at Shan's holo for a few seconds.
"One day you'll understand where the real bargain is to be made." She said, clearly not talking to Jetaal. She then took a deep breath to recompose herself, and turned to face the Security Officer.
"Well, I went to check the latest shipments, of course. Who do you take me for? I don't spend all my time looking at pictures."
"One day you'll understand where the real bargain is to be made." She said, clearly not talking to Jetaal. She then took a deep breath to recompose herself, and turned to face the Security Officer.
"Well, I went to check the latest shipments, of course. Who do you take me for? I don't spend all my time looking at pictures."
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Jetaal did not comment on the percentage of time Nalah might spend gazing longingly at Lt. Jal'Shan.
"I will investigate those shipments," promised Jetaal. The time had come for candor. "Miss Nalah, you say that you sampled this tea yourself before you purchased it. In reviewing the holofeed of the incident, I heard you remark that you were going to try to the tea yourself, as if you were unfamiliar with its flavor. Can you explain that discrepancy?"
"I will investigate those shipments," promised Jetaal. The time had come for candor. "Miss Nalah, you say that you sampled this tea yourself before you purchased it. In reviewing the holofeed of the incident, I heard you remark that you were going to try to the tea yourself, as if you were unfamiliar with its flavor. Can you explain that discrepancy?"
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Nalah tried to hide any change of expression, but her eyes betrayed her. Her gaze became a lot more focused, as if she had to employ more effort to formulate the next answer. Her body weight shifted slightly backwards on the chair, as her posture perked up, perhaps giving the impression she was tensing up.
"Did I?"
She paused, trying to think of something, but was she going to be quick enough?
"Did I?"
She paused, trying to think of something, but was she going to be quick enough?
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Jetaal knew that her low blinking rate had the effect of unsettling her more moist-eyed colleagues. She made an effort to blink more frequently when in their company to make them feel more at ease. She did not make that effort now.
"Think carefully," suggested Jetaal, "and take your time."
"Think carefully," suggested Jetaal, "and take your time."
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Nalah, who until then had generally maintained eye contact like a good salesperson and only really broken it to glance at Shan's holo, didn't really feel like looking at Jetaal's eyes at the moment. The Security Officer was mocking her now. Nalah knew that.
But she was a career woman.
A powerful career woman.
More or less.
Regardless, she was not going to give up just yet.
"Well, I meant... Maybe it wasn't cold anymore..."
But she was a career woman.
A powerful career woman.
More or less.
Regardless, she was not going to give up just yet.
"Well, I meant... Maybe it wasn't cold anymore..."
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"You are an experienced Assistant Bar Manager," countered Jetaal politely, "and a successful entrepreneur. From what I have seen of your operation in my investigation, you mind your bottom line very carefully, and you know your products well. If you had to consume your own wares regularly just to make sure they were a suitable temperature that would be ... uneconomical."
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Nalah nervously tapped the desk with her finger nails – long finger nails.
"It was a new product, it needed special attention."
"It was a new product, it needed special attention."
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"Clearly," agreed Jetaal, "as you only decided to taste it yourself after you had served it to Lieutenant Steele."
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"I-I... I panicked okay?" Nalah shot a worried glance at the other woman, but she quickly looked away.
"I was worried.... Erm... I suddenly thought that if it wasn't good enough he would have complained. I was trying to preemptively..."
Nalah just stopped in her tracks and her shoulders slumped as she turned her face back to Jetaal. Her teeth were exposed by a shy, embarrassed smile, which was asking for mercy this time, rather than projecting confidence.
"Why would I poison myself? I was not a forward thinking business woman that day. I made a mistak-who doesn't make a mistake? I should have checked it before, rather than panic because I forgot to do it."
She sighed. "My three brothers! They will be starving because I made a bad business decision."
"I was worried.... Erm... I suddenly thought that if it wasn't good enough he would have complained. I was trying to preemptively..."
Nalah just stopped in her tracks and her shoulders slumped as she turned her face back to Jetaal. Her teeth were exposed by a shy, embarrassed smile, which was asking for mercy this time, rather than projecting confidence.
"Why would I poison myself? I was not a forward thinking business woman that day. I made a mistak-who doesn't make a mistake? I should have checked it before, rather than panic because I forgot to do it."
She sighed. "My three brothers! They will be starving because I made a bad business decision."
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Jetaal considered. Nalah poisoning herself would have been an excellent ploy to avert suspicion, considering the average reaction time of the emergency medical teams. She did not think it would productive to point that out - or that Nalah had increased her number of incompetent brothers to three.
"So you did not sample the tea yourself when you purchased it on K-7. You brought the bottle up from storage and left it unattended for several hours. It was in a different location upon your return and did not have its transit seal intact, but you chose to serve it to one of your guests anyway. Are there other details not yet discussed you would like me to include in my report?" she inquired politely.
"So you did not sample the tea yourself when you purchased it on K-7. You brought the bottle up from storage and left it unattended for several hours. It was in a different location upon your return and did not have its transit seal intact, but you chose to serve it to one of your guests anyway. Are there other details not yet discussed you would like me to include in my report?" she inquired politely.
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"Tell my brothers, I am sorry."
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Jetaal rose from her seat. "I will note it. Thank you for your time, Miss Nalah. Please remain on the station for now. I will advise you if we need to speak again."
"Fine, fine."
Nalah nodded and stood up in unison with Jetaal. She accompanied her to the door.
"Are you sure I can't interest you in that Chinese set?"
Nalah nodded and stood up in unison with Jetaal. She accompanied her to the door.
"Are you sure I can't interest you in that Chinese set?"
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