Star Trek: Deep Space Nine s02e08 Episode Script

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 infive 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! 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 wefound.
- 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 toview 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.
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?