Judith (Queen's Birds of Prey 3)

Piper glanced down at the paperwork she’d been handed. Pulling out the second set of pictures, she stared it for several seconds before something about the name occurred to her. Reaching out to the others, Piper asked if one of them could look something up for her. It was Duncan who answered her call.

Sure. I’m sitting in front of the computer now. What do you need? She told him what she thought she’d found on the files. That shouldn’t take long. So, you think this is a family affair, do you? Well, well, well. You’re correct. Mrs. Patti Hanger is the sister to Mr. Denny Martin. And guess what? As you have figured out, Mr. Martin has a stepbrother who also suffered a tragic fire to his home. Mr. Garland’s home was a total loss as well. Let me check on something else for you here.

When Peck asked her a question, she asked for a moment. Shuffling around the papers, she was getting a better timeline of the things going with the fires. Then Duncan got back to her with more information.

They used different insurance companies for each home. Garland actually went to one out of state to cover his ass. Also, I was able to pull up some records with rental storage units. Each of them rented two storage units a week before the fires. I’m sure if we were to go and look, we’d see pretty much the same furniture in them that they’re claiming to have been destroyed in the fires. What else can I do for you, Piper?

You’ve done more than I thought I’d have right now. She smiled at Peck when he asked her if she

was going to answer his question, a question she had no idea he’d asked. I have to go. Pecker head is wanting some information from me.

Duncan was laughing as she closed up the connection. He was still there, of course, but he was no longer speaking to her. When Piper asked Montgomery for a wipe-off board, he said he had one in his office. While it was being brought out, Piper made notes on the timeline of each of the fires and what the families had done leading up to it. This was going to be epic.

She was invited to have lunch with Montgomery after the arrests were made, and everyone was finished laughing. It had been funny, and having all her ducks in a row like she had really put Peck on the defense. He also was fined for contempt of court when he wouldn’t shut up while she was explaining her information.

Declining the invite was overrun when Montgomery took her by the hand and nearly dragged her to the little café inside the courthouse. She’d not even been aware there was one here. Enjoying a nice thick roast beef sandwich, Montgomery told her what his plan was for her.

“I’m not sure you heard, but I’m moving. Soon.” He told her it didn’t matter where she lived, so long as she was able to go to suspicious fire scenes. “You’re meaning all of them, aren’t you?”

“I am. You’ll be well compensated. Insurance will be paid by the state you’re working in. Also, all hotel and accommodations you need to stick around for a couple of days will be paid directly to you. For all court appearances you need to be in on, like today, you’ll be given a bonus if you win—which I have to admit, you really did a bang-up job on this one.” She thanked him and thought about the deal he was offering her. She asked about her art. “Yes, I did explain to the governor that you were a renowned artist, and that would take you out of commission for some time. It was explained to me that the scene would be held until such time as you could go and look it over. You’re getting just about anything you want or need in this, Piper. I’ve never seen them bending so far over for someone before.”

“You said I was getting just about anything. What is it you think I should ask for too?” He laughed. “I’ve known you a long time, Montgomery. Spill it.”

“Piper, you’ve made me what I am today. I hope you know that. Without you picking me up out of the gutter and giving me a good knocking around, I’d be dead. Or wish I was.” She told him it wasn’t that much. “It was to me and my family. I will never, for as long as I live, forget what you did for me and my family. Ever. In answer to your question, the only thing I can see you might want to ask for is that you don’t give them an answer right away. Perhaps they’ll sweeten the pot for you. So to speak.”

“You sly old devil you. You already told them I was going to be a hard sell, didn’t you? Just to make them think on ways to improve my package.” He told her she’d taught him that. “So I did. I’ll need time to think, as you suggest—about a week. I should be in my home by then and things going in the correct direction for me. I need this move. I need to be with my family.”

“I understand that. The six of you, you’ve been together longer than most housing developments have been. I’m incredibly happy for you and your family.” She nodded and told him she had to get going. “All right. I’ll tell them you need the week. If you need more, which I’d not push if I were you, then that’ll be all right as well.”

Piper felt good as she was making her way back to her apartment. She felt so wonderful, in fact, that she decided to go and see about finding some furniture for her home. According to Duncan, it would be finished in a few days, as well as her studio. Going into the large warehouse they stored their things in when they redecorated, Piper knew just what she was looking for. It was time to have some of her own kind of fun.

~*~

Jude waited in the waiting room for Tracy to be examined by a doctor. She had to have a physical to enter the local school district. Abe was with Duncan seeing another doctor. Tracy was as nervous as Jude was about coming here. Doctors hadn’t played a large part in her life until now. Nervous over what? No clue, Jude thought. Just something she was feeling about her children a great deal lately.

Abe and I are finished. I’m glad you were able to find him a doctor that specialized in trauma patients. He examined him and said he was fit but small for his age. Also, he asked Abe if he wanted to talk to him alone about anything. The kid surprised me and told the doctor that for now, he had a new family, and we were helping him. She felt her heart swell up with the thought of being able to help this child. He’s really smart too. Tomorrow when we take them to be tested for their grade to be put in, I’m going to crow like a rooster when they tell me he’s brilliant.

I hope you’re not disappointed. Duncan told her he could never be disappointed in their children. I’m awfully glad to hear that. By the way, I need to take Tracy shopping. They don’t have too much in the way of clothing. But I did tell her we’d find a place that wasn’t Walmart. It’s not that it’s a bad place to shop, but I want her to have something that is her style. Not something that was on sale and all she could have.

Abe is the same way. I told him he was going to need a heavier coat and some boots. He was thrilled to know he could have them both at the same time, and they’d be new. I hate that these kids, all of them, were treated like they were. I’m not discounting the things that Hanna did to them in this, but they should have had a great deal more than she was providing for them. Jude agreed with him. All right. We’re going to the mall. Maybe we can meet up later and have dinner together. I know it’s New Year’s Eve, but I can’t think of a better group to be bringing the new year in with than my new family.

When Tracy came out to the waiting room with her, Jude didn’t ask her what was said. Instead, she went up to pay for the visit and to set up a second one in six months. As they were going down to the main floor in the elevator, Tracy started laughing. She asked her what was so funny.

“You’re about to bust, aren’t you? In wanting to know what sort of shape I’m in.” Jude felt her face heat up in embarrassment. “You can ask me, Jude. I won’t get all pissy with you. I’m fine, he told me. Undernourished a bit. I told him where we were coming from, and he said he was glad I’ve become a family member of yours. He told me you helped him get through med school.”

“I provided him the money to go to college. What he did with it was whatever he wanted. What kind of food did he recommend for you to eat? By the way, Abe is fine as well. Undernourished, the same as you. We plan on making sure you have anything you want to eat—I guess within reason. You don’t want to get too over nourished, do you? You can if you want. Whatever makes you happy.” Tracy told her she made her happy. “Thank you. I’m so glad to hear that today. It’s been a rough morning for me.”

“Anything I can help you with?” Jude thought about it and decided if she really wanted to help, she’d let her. “I’m game for just about anything. I sort of owe you for saving us.”

“You don’t really think that, do you?” Tracy turned to look at her as they were in the parking garage. “I mean, we didn’t take you in because we wanted you to owe us something. You don’t believe we did it for any other reason than we wanted you two to become our family, do you?”

“Honestly?” Jude nodded, getting herself ready for some sort of horrible thoughts coming from Tracy as to why they’d adopted them. “When you and Duncan first told us what you were doing, I was ready to take Abe and head out. I don’t have any idea where we might have ended up—probably on the wrong end of something bad. But I saw you holding Abe. He was asleep in your arms as if he belonged there.”

“Just me holding him? That got you to stay?” Tracy told her it was because he’d been asleep. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be dense here, but why did that make you want to stick around with us? I’m assuming you trusted us for that reason.”

“No. It was because Abe trusted you. Enough so that he was able to fall asleep without me there to keep him safe. He trusted that you’d not hurt him. Not make him feel like he had to have someone protecting him while he was resting. He trusted you. And in turn, I did as well.” Jude looked at Tracy. “Do you understand now?”

“Yes. I do. And I want to thank you for telling me. I don’t know what I’d do if I were to find either of you gone from the house. I would move heaven and earth to keep you both safe.” Jude thought about what she was saying. “I know you and Abe have only been with us for about a week now, but I feel as if you’ve opened up a part of my heart that I hadn’t realized was closed off. Duncan moved in there too but in a different sort of way. I’ve fallen in love with both of you. You mean more than anything to me.”