l didn't kill him, you know.
A lot of people believed it was me. That shape-shifter thought so.
- But he was wrong. - lt was a long time ago.
Say what you will about Cardassians. They could keep the power on.
- Would you like more ice? - l'm fine.
You were always very kind. You made life a little easier.
l ran a black market. Never thought of myself as kind.
There was always extra ginger tea for me, wasn't there?
You didn't call me to Bajor to talk about tea.
No.
- l need a favour. - For old times' sake?
- l'm still as kind as ever. - l can pay you.
My husband had a strongbox in our shop on the station. Bring it to me.
- What's in it? - Nothing anyone would value.
- Except you. - Sentimental reasons.
Why not take a sentimental journey back to the station?
l couldn't stand being in the shop where my husband was murdered.
Maybe you'd rather not let Odo see you there.
l'm sure he's forgotten all about that by now.
Can you neutralise the security system?
lt's behind the panelled wall on the left as you enter.
Four panels in, five up.
Four in, five up.
l can pay you five bars of latinum.
- Five? - And, as always, my...
...personal gratitude.
A day, maybe two.
Commence station security log. Stardate 47282.5.
At the request of Commander Sisko,
l will be recording a daily log of law enforcement affairs.
The reason for this exercise is beyond my comprehension.
Humans have a compulsion to keep records and lists and files.
So many that they have to invent ways to store them microscopically,
otherwise their records would overrun all known civilisation.
My very adequate memory not being good enough for Starfleet,
l am pleased to put my voice to this official record of this day:
Everything's under control. End log.
When we get to the entrance, stay flat against the wall.
l can release the lockseal in 25 seconds.
But somebody will see us. Let me do it.
You? We'd be at it all night.
All night? No, only about ten seconds.
How would you release a pulsatel lockseal in ten seconds?
You have one on the storeroom door.
lf you forget to leave me the desealer, l have to open the storeroom.
- Without my knowledge? - To serve a customer's needs.
- ln ten seconds? - You forget fairly often.
We'll see how you handle the desealing rod.
l have my own. Nog made it for me.
The boy's always been clever with his hands.
Time this, brother. You'll be very proud.
There. You see?
Thief! Don't deny it. You've been stealing from me.
Tomorrow morning l'm changing my entire lock system.
Four in...five up.
Here. lt's behind this one.
Watch the Promenade while l burn off the panel.
The glare could attract attention. l have a better idea.
l brought along a small vial of magnasite drops.
- What are magnasite drops? - They eat through duranium.
One on each corner and the panel will fall off.
ln the Gamma Quadrant we did very good business.
l had to keep your profits safe, but you had the key to the vault.
You got into my vault with that?
l burned off your floor plates,
but l replaced them out of my own salary.
- Should l take it out? - Don't touch it!
Don't you touch anything ever again.
- Just a piece of paper? - A treasure map, perhaps?
- What does it mean? - l have no idea.
Eight names, all of them Bajoran.
l want to get a picture of this list. Get me an imager.
You can't be in here. We're closed.
Well, if you really want a drink...
She sent you, didn't she?
She knew you couldn't resist opening it.
Sorry.
Yeah. Me, too.
Brother!
Brother? Brother?
Help! Somebody help!
My brother's been killed!
10 cc of cortolin! l want an anti-grav lift!
What kind of weapon? l am waiting for an answer!
My best guess is a compressed tetryon beam weapon.
That's consistent with what l'm seeing.
- Doctor? - Thoracic cavity rupture.
Extensive neural trauma. Now!
Rom says it was a robbery. He doesn't know if anything was taken.
Security's stopping everyone, but the assailant may already be on a ship.
Delay all outgoing vessels as long as you can.
We've got to get him to the surgery.
He's dying, isn't he? What will l do if my brother dies?
You'll have a lot to do once this place is yours.
But if he dies... Mine?
''Wives serve, brothers inherit.'' Rule of Acquisition number 139.
- l hadn't thought of that. - Really?
l had. lt's a solid motive for murder.
Yes, actually. l have heard of a few untimely deaths that seemed...
You're not suggesting that l...
l've had my eye on you, Rom. You're not as stupid as you look.
l am too! l would never...
- lt's his own brother. - Stay out of this, Commander.
The Ferengi would sell their own flesh and blood for a Cardassian groat.
He's a family friend. His son is close to my boy.
You can tell his son that dad's going to prison on Meldrar l.
- 200 degrees in the shade. - l didn't! lt's not true!
Oh! lrony of ironies.
l finally get the bar and l'm falsely accused of my brother's murder.
As a friend, if you know anything that might be helpful,
you should tell us.
lt was a list. The man who shot my brother stole a list.
- What kind of list? - Of names.
Eight Bajoran names. lt was in this box we...found.
- Found? - ln a manner of speaking.
You...
My brother was hired by someone on Bajor to retrieve it.
He didn't tell me who. l tried so hard to earn Quark's trust.
- Now l can never earn his trust. - Just his share of the profits.
All l know is that the box had been hidden years ago.
- How many years ago? - l'm not sure.
When the Cardassians were here. The ship's store was the chemist shop.
- The chemist shop? - That's right.
Here? This is where you found the box?
Behind a duranium wall panel. l'll show you which one.
Do you want me to open it? l can do it in ten seconds.
- You asked to see me? - Yes, please come in.
l'm Gul Dukat. We've met before.
- Have we? - l wouldn't expect you to remember.
l was a guest at the reception at the Bajoran Centre for Science.
lt must have been two years ago.
When the Cardassian High Command was invited to...view me.
- You were very amusing. - Was l?
You did a Cardassian neck trick. Brought the house down.
The scientist who worked with me thought you'd find it entertaining.
He made me practise for weeks on the Cardassian neck trick.
Gul Hadar couldn't stop talking about it.
He wanted you to entertain the troops.
l, on the other hand, began to wonder if you couldn't provide
a more valuable service for the Cardassian empire.
l've stayed informed about you, Odo.
Ever since you walked out on your Bajoran keepers.
l could learn more outside a laboratory.
You've become quite the student of humanoid nature, haven't you?
- What is it you need, Gul Dukat? - Have you ever seen a dead man?
Yes. ln your mines.
Oh, those are casualties.
This...
...is murder. l've decided you're going to investigate it.
Me? Why me? l'm no investigator.
But l suspect you'd make a good one,
shape-shifting your way into places the rest of us can't go.
l have no intention of being a Cardassian agent.
Not an agent. An investigator.
There's a difference?
We can't have these Bajorans murdering each other, can we?
l'm talking about order here, justice.
There's little justice in your occupation of Bajor.
Don't push me, Odo.
My superiors would have me solve this murder
by rounding up ten Bajorans at random and executing them.
l'm hoping you'll give me a better alternative.
These Bajorans won't talk to us, but they seem to trust you.
You used to sort out petty disputes concerning food, blankets.
- They come to you. - l'm considered a neutral observer.
Of course. You're not one of them. For that you should be thankful.
So...
here's one more petty dispute.
Only this time, l'm bringing it to you.
Find the murderer.
Are there any witnesses?
l'm sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs Vaatrik.
Odo will be investigating your husband's death.
Perhaps you two already know each other.
- Have you been into the shop? - No, l don't use chemicals.
l've assigned this space to you. We'll get you anything you need.
Madam, my sympathies.
Good hunting.
- l'm sorry for your loss. - Thank you.
Do you have any idea who might have done this?
- l have a very good idea. - You do?
- May l be honest with you? - That might be helpful.
My husband was having an affair.
A girl showed up on the station a couple of weeks ago.
He became infatuated with her.
- Why are men like that? - Believe me, l have no idea.
We had two wonderful years together until she arrived. And now...
- You loved him very much? - Of course.
Then perhaps you could explain something?
Mr Vaatrik died two hours ago. You haven't shed a tear.
- What makes you think...? - l'm an observer, Mrs Vaatrik.
When a humanoid cries, the epidermis swells noticeably.
Your epidermis is perfectly normal.
- l've been too angry to cry. - Of course.
You were about to accuse this other woman of the murder, l believe?
He confessed his indiscretion to me, but said it was over.
And she killed him in a jealous rage. Do you know her name?
No, but l can point her out to you.
Move along. Step back from the gate.
Attention. All bio-organic materials
must be disposed of according to regulations.
When was the last time you saw Mr Vaatrik alive?
At dinner. He went back to the shop to do some work afterwards.
You don't live in community quarters.
We were assigned a private room. At least we had a little privacy.
There. That's her.
Odo. We haven't picked up anyone. l can't hold up traffic any longer.
l'm sure he disposed of the weapon before he left.
l heard about the list Quark got.
Rom said it was hidden there during the occupation.
l wonder if it has something to do with Vaatrik?
l've been wondering the same thing.
Security log, stardate 47284.1.
ln this job, there is no unfinished business.
This assault on Quark reopens a five-year-old murder case
that l've never, not for a moment, closed.
Patience is a lost virtue to most. To me, an ally.
l barely saw it. l don't remember any of the names.
All right.
Let's just relax for a moment.
- l should get back to my bar. - He's not dead yet, Rom.
He's not being kept alive artificially, is he? He wouldn't want that.
No, he's clinging to life all on his own.
- Typical. - All right, let's try again.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath.
Clear your mind of everything in it,
if there's anything there.
Breathe.
Breathe.
- Now, what do you see? - The bar.
- Yes? - With my name on it.
The past, Rom, not the future.
The box opens. There's a piece of paper inside it.
- Yes, l see it. - Quark unfolds it.
There's a list of Bajoran names.
The one at the top catches your eye.
- And the first letter is... - ''C''. lt's a ''C''!
And the next letter is? Skip to the last letter in the name, Rom.
- lt's an ''O''! - Starts with ''C'', ends with ''O''.
- There's a mark in the name. - An apostrophe.
- Ches'so! - You're sure?
- Maybe. - Maybe?
lt's something like Ches'so. l think.
Call me if you remember something else.
Anything?
- Ches'so. - Might be the first name on the list.
Remember anyone from those days on the station with that name?
No, but l wasn't here very long.
- So l recall. - We never talked about it.
- We never had to. - l would have been executed.
You were innocent of the crime l was investigating.
- That wouldn't have mattered. - lt mattered to me.
Do you mind if l join you?
A pretty girl like you shouldn't be eating alone.
l don't do whatever it is you want.
No, you misunderstand.
l'm sorry. l can see how you could.
- Let me start over. - Are you a security officer?
- How did you know that? - You are, aren't you?
- Unofficially, l suppose. - What's that supposed to mean?
Gul Dukat asked me to investigate the murder
of a Bajoran man named Vaatrik. l understand you knew him.
- Who says l did? - His widow.
- l suppose she told you l killed him. - Did you?
No.
On the contrary, you were in love with him.
- No. - But he was in love with you?
No.
- Not much of a romance. - lt wasn't a romance.
- Why did he tell his wife it was? - Ask him.
lf you were having an affair, l'll find out about it.
l've been here for two weeks. l met the man right after l arrived.
He had Pyrellian ginger tea. l don't know how he got it,
but l happen to like ginger tea. We became friends.
Maybe he was attracted to me. lt never went anywhere.
Why do you think Dukat wanted you on this investigation?
- l'm sure he had a reason. - Why not his own people?
No Bajoran would talk to them.
That never stopped the Cardassians before.
They have ways of getting their information.
Something to think about.
Where were you last night?
l was at the bar. The Ferengi are allowed to hire Bajorans for dog work.
- lt's better than the mines. - You haven't been in the mines.
Your hands.
You're not bad at this.
My last job was at a replicator plant on Bajor.
You can't quit those jobs. What happened?
l hit a supervisor...
...for trying what l thought you were trying a few minutes ago.
l appreciate your restraint this time. You're not leaving the station?
lf l were, would you have the Cardassians stop me?
Yes.
Then l'm not planning on leaving the station soon.
Let me tell you something.
Unofficially or not, you're working for the Cardassians.
You'll have to choose whose side you're on.
- l don't choose sides. - Everyone has to choose sides.
What are you talking about?
- You knew nothing about a list? - Nothing.
Why would your husband have hidden a list of Bajoran names?
l can't imagine. Are you sure it was his?
Maybe the Cardassians put it there before they left.
Someone on Bajor told Quark where to find it.
l wish l could help. l like that little Ferengi.
Don't write his eulogy yet.
l thought you said...
- The Federation doctor saved his life. - Good for him.
Does the name Ches'so mean anything to you?
l don't think so. Who is it?
Just someone l'd like to talk to. Thank you for seeing me.
lf this has anything to do with my husband's murder, l want to be of help.
There was one other thing.
Your power was recently terminated for lack of payment.
That's right.
Yet you transferred funds to the power company this morning.
l don't appreciate you looking into my private affairs.
Just part of a routine investigation. Where did you get the money?
A loan from a friend.
Of course. And your friend's name?
This has nothing to do with your investigation.
Then you won't mind giving me the name.
l'm sorry. My friend is married. l won't drag him into this.
Security log, supplemental.
The Ferengi holds on to life like it's gold-pressed latinum.
Maybe he doesn't want his brother to get the bar...
...or maybe he knows he's the only witness l have.
The next few hours will tell the story. We've done everything we can.
l'll keep you updated.
Good news and bad news. l found our Ches'so.
- Who is he? - A Bajoran mining engineer.
- Very active in charity work. - What makes you think it's him?
Some connections from my past suggested he might be.
The bad news is he's dead. Drowned in a pond
on his property last night.
l'm responsible.
l mentioned the name Ches'so to the Vaatrik woman.
lf she recognised it as Ches'sarro and thought that he might lead us to her...
- Security to the infirmary. - Acknowledged.
Major, advise the medical examiner that l want an autopsy on Ches'sarro.
His death is to be treated as a homicide.
l'll need the communication records for the Vaatrik home.
Have the bank keep a supervisor on duty.
- l'll need bank records, as well. - Whose?
l don't know yet.
l want round-the-clock armed security on Quark. No visitors.
Stop by one of the holosuites. Two programmes for the price of one.
l'm looking for the proprietor of this establishment.
- Does he owe you money? - No.
- Are you here to arrest him? - No.
Then you've found him. Quark, at your service.
First drink on the house. An old Cardassian tradition.
l don't drink.
- A soft drink, then. - l don't drink.
That's why we don't see you around here much.
l'd like to ask you a few questions about the death of the Bajoran chemist.
You're the shape-shifter.
You're the one working for Dukat.
l'm not working for Dukat. l'm just trying to solve a murder.
No, l've heard about you.
You do some Cardassian neck trick. Am l right?
- Not any more. - That could go over big here.
l'm checking on the alibi of a young Bajoran woman.
Red hair, named Kira Nerys. She says she was here last night.
- She wanted a job. - How long was she here?
- Long enough. - Long enough for what?
You know.
No, l don't. Why don't you tell me?
She was showing me her...
...initiative.
- ls that a sexual reference? - These jobs are hard to come by.
Her credentials were very impressive.
- Listen, what's the problem? - The problem is you're lying.
l want the truth or l'll turn you over to Dukat and he can get it.
l didn't realise we were dealing with a murder.
She didn't pay me enough for that.
She paid you for an alibi?
How will Gul Dukat react when l tell him about that?
lt'll cost me a case of Cardassian ale.
Two cases at the very least.
A broken alibi? ls there someone you want me to arrest?
- Not yet. - Soon. l need a name.
You'll get your name when l'm certain it's the right name.
Listen to the way he speaks to me, Quark.
You're not afraid of anyone, are you, shape-shifter? Not even me.
l was right about you.
You are the man for this job.
l feel you and l have got off to a bad start here.
Let me make it up to you. You need anything?
A little ginger tea? No, you don't drink.
Chocolate?
Maybe companionship?
You look like you lost your best friend.
- ls Quark...? - Quark is stable.
- What's this? - The list.
l assembled it from the Vaatrik woman's records.
She's been talking to these people,
which she had never done until two days ago.
When the list was stolen.
Every one of them has transferred 100,000 Bajoran litas
into her bank account.
Blackmail? What did they have to hide?
That they'd come out of the occupation with that kind of money.
- They worked with the Cardassians? - Selling out their own world for a profit.
Collaborators.
Not even a Ferengi would do that. lt explains a lot of things.
- Can you charge her? - Not yet.
l'll ask the Bajoran authorities to transport her here for questioning.
Nobody ever had to teach me the justice trick.
That's something l've always known, a racial memory from my species.
lt's the only clue l have to what kind of people they are.
Are these thoughts appropriate for a Starfleet log? l don't care.
There's no room in justice for loyalty or friendship or love.
Justice, as the humans like to say, is blind.
l used to believe that. l'm not sure l can any more.
Yes, l lied about my alibi. That doesn't make me a killer.
Where were you when he was murdered?
Asleep, alone.
No one saw you in the community quarters?
l wasn't there. l've found a small corner...
- You're lying. - l...
Don't bother. Your whole face changes.
l should have seen it before. You don't lie well.
Thanks.
Why don't you start telling the truth?
Whose side are you going to be on?
- l'm not going to play your game. - You'll have to choose.
That's why l was given this job, why you come to me with problems.
l'm the outsider.
All l'm interested in is justice. lf you're innocent, you'll go free.
lf not, l'll turn you over to Cardassian authorities. That's the only choice.
l didn't kill him.
When he was killed, l was on level 21.
21? Ore processing?
Check the Cardassian security logs. You'll see a breach on 21last night.
l'm in the Bajoran underground.
l came here to commit acts of sabotage against the Cardassians.
The ore processor was damaged by a sub-nucleonic device
at 25:00 hours last night. lt'll be out of operation for two weeks.
Give the mine workers a little time off at least.
l'll describe the device l used if you still don't believe me.
That's why you needed an alibi.
lf you tell the Cardassians the truth, none of this will matter.
l'll be executed for the sabotage. They hang rebels.
- ls this her? - l told you when l have the...
ls this her?
No. You can go.
lf you're lying, shape-shifter...
lf you know so much about me, Gul Dukat, you know l don't lie.
l am convinced that she did not kill Vaatrik.
- ls it too late for visitors? - No visitors permitted.
Perhaps you could put these in water?
Odo to Bashir. Report to the infirmary immediately.
lt's over, Rom. You're a hero.
- l am? - You saved your brother's life.
l've never seen him before in my life.
Your communication records indicate that you made calls to his home.
You also transferred money into his account two days ago.
- l want to confer with my advocate. - l'll make the arrangements.
Meantime, the two of you can introduce yourselves to one another.
l don't care what you think you know,
you will never be able to prove that l killed my husband
because l didn't.
l know.
When did you realise?
lt occurred to me when you got the name Ches'sarro so quickly.
Your underground friends must have suspected him
of being a collaborator.
Once l knew the names were a list of collaborators,
the murder of Vaatrik made sense for the first time.
He must have been a collaborator, too.
He had the money for ginger tea. He had the private quarters.
l never had a motive for his murder until now.
He kept his wife in relative luxury. She surely wouldn't have killed him.
So who would kill a Cardassian collaborator?
Someone in the Bajoran underground.
A colleague of mine was given the job of sabotaging the ore processor.
- Vaatrik was my responsibility. - You were here to execute him.
l was here to find the list, the names of the Bajorans selling us out.
Vaatrik was their direct link to Dukat.
That must have been why Dukat chose me to investigate.
He had to stay far away from this incident
so as not to endanger his Bajoran sympathisers.
Obviously, l never found the list.
But that's what l was looking for when Vaatrik walked in on me.
- l didn't have a choice. - l misjudged you, Major.
You were a better liar than l gave you credit for.
You were working for the Cardassians.
l haven't been for more than a year.
You've had that time to tell me the truth.
l tried to tell you the truth 100 times.
What you think of me...
...matters a lot.
l was afraid...
That it might affect our friendship?
Maybe it doesn't have to.
Will you ever be able to trust me the same way again?

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