Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

Esprit was given a life on Earth. It doesn't include a criminal record. She has never explained why she left Vegas for Detroit, though, which she finds very convenient.

She pauses by Det. Dahlia's desk, looks at her pointedly, and then looks at the door to the stairwell. Follow her?

Esprit attempts to lead Det. Dahlia to the furnace room, where it will be both private and noisy. So it should be obvious that Esprit probably wants to discuss something private. That is what everyone uses such rooms for! Unless Det. Dahlia wants to be paranoid about it.

Esprit attempts to hand Det. Dahlia a case file full of faxes from a department down in Vegas.

It's a case file for a 'Muzzle'.

Has him down as wanted for a few minor crimes. Then blackmail. Then murder. It's a classic story - a lone PI, lacking the support of brothers and sisters in uniform, slowly goes bad. None of it is, in the grand scheme of things, particularly bad. He'd never make a 'Most Wanted List'. The case was closed almost a decade ago when he was presumed dead, but a body was never found. All of the officers involved have died, one or way the other, through the years. Only Esprit's still alive, and it's not like Muzzle would have ever seen her face - she was a helicopter pilot, not a detective then. If Det. Dahalia wants to call Vegas and check it, they'll have these same files there, but no one who can discuss it with her. Besides, it's been ten years. Who would remember, anyway?

There are some physiology notes on Muzzle. They suggest that he isn't human. Not that he's metahuman, but he's just plain not human, having more in common with the arsenic bacteria in Mono Lake than he does with any chordate. They suggest he's a cyborg, too. They suggest he has a telepathic link with an ultratech car that can hear a screw drop five miles away and enhanced visual reception. None of this illegal per se.

In the grand scheme of things, it's small potatoes compared to someone like Lord Chumley, who is crazy enough to go hunting Soviet tanks and has the money and equipment to do so. Indeed, Esprit's already told Captain Fanzone, who grunted something about how he hates machines and told her she was still on the Angry Archer case and not taking this on. The Archer is a threat now. This guy was maybe a threat a decade ago. Don't worry about it yet.

Esprit crouches down and attempts to place a hand on Det. Dahlia's shoulder. She says quietly, "You knew you were a cop." She leans in closer, trying to hover her nose just in front of Det. Dahlia's, and even more quietly, she asks, "Who knows who's the hunter?"

"Hoped he didn't recognise me," Esprit says softly, rocking back and away on the balls of her feet, which explains why she acted so strangely, "Cap'n says not to go chasing. Still on the Archer case."

Now, if this is an Autobot, she's an Autobot who either doesn't remember who she is or is an excellent actress. For now, Det. Dahlia will do more damage to the Autobots alive than dead.

Esprit deliberately quotes, "Ash to ash and dust to dust, there's nothing here that's safe to trust."

She's curious. Esprit implied that Muzzle was thought to be dead. Will Det. Dahlia finish the couplet? Det. Dahlia didn't finish ''Who knows who's the hunter', but her reply had the feel of a quote...