Chapter 13

"I want you to write that letter," Margret said confronting Marlin as he finished a repair on the old militia tent he used for his trips. What with him now having company for all of them there was a lot less staying on the spare cot in some farmer's house although haylofts were always welcome.

"I want to do the interview," she finished taking a deep breath.

"I thought you might," he replied calmly packing the tent away.

"Mandy's right. You are one tricky son-of-a-bitch," she groused.

"Me? What have I done other than give you the opportunity to see justice done and possibly prevent what happened to you from happening to some other poor girl in the future?" he asked.

"You knew I would if for no other reason than I want to do the right thing by Tess," she said. "Do you really think all that crap you were telling her was true?"

"I think it is highly probable," he shrugged. "Nobody knows all the reasons for some of your thinking and beliefs, probably not even you."

"So you think if I confront this thing that happened then I will be well and everything will be wine and roses?" she scoffed.

"No. Unfortunately it's never that easy, now is it?" he smiled sadly. "What I do hope is that this will help get you started on the path to being the best you can be. Completely healed? That's a goal but what if it never happens? You still have to live your life."

"Yeah, fix my little brain fuck and settle down with a nice guy and have another two or three kids. Like that will ever happen," she snorted.

"Or find another woman who you makes you happy," he shrugged again. "There are many paths to happiness and I'm hoping you find one of them for your sake and Tess's."

"I tried that once or twice and it didn't work out too well," she muttered.

"That's a shame," he sympathized. "Given your distrust of men it would have been easier if your orientation was more to the feminine side or at least bisexual. I don't know if you will ever be able to really trust any man ever again and having another woman for the emotional closeness we all need would be nice. Not to mention the sexual loving that most of us crave."

"It wouldn't bother you if I was a ... lover of woman?" she asked shocked.

"Why should it?" he grinned. "I am, and I fully understand it. Look, I already have three beautiful, intelligent and loving women who keep me on a short leash. I'm not looking for any more lovers, wives or bedmates. I am attracted to you of course. You're a Hawking woman and nothing else really needs to be said. However it takes interest from the other side to attract my emotional interest and I'm pretty sure you don't have any such interest."

"That's for fucking sure," she grinned back at him.

"So if I was single and I made my play for you I would have been shot down," he continued. "Seeing that I'm not single and have no intention of ever making a play for you the who or which sex you do sleep with is of no concern of mine."

"I'll bet it would to my mom and sisters," she answered grimly.

"You don't give them enough credit," he admonished gently. "What they really want is for you to be happy. I'm willing to bet they couldn't care less if it is a woman or a man that gets you there."

"Do they ... you know ... when all of you are in bed together... ?" she stuttered.

He smiled brightly and said, "By the way: I'll help but you have to write the complaint yourself."

"How long is it going to fucking take?" Margret whined at the kitchen table during lunch. It had been about two weeks since she had sent the complaint and she was starting to become a little unraveled.

"Weeks, months, a year or maybe never," Marlin shrugged. "I don't have any idea not knowing their procedures or workload. I told you right from the beginning they may do nothing."

"The thing you have to remember, dear," Teresa patted her hand. "You've done your best. What happens now is not something you can control."

"That's right, Maggie. We're all real proud of what you did," Melody assured her sister. "That took some real courage."

"I don't have any courage," Margret twitched. "In fact, I'm scared to death!"

"A wise man once said that bravery is not the absence of fear in the face of adversity, for that is foolishness," Marlin told her. "Bravery is battling on against adversity in spite of that fear."

"Your man is so full of shit," Margret stated but she said it with a smile.

"Yeah. Is it any wonder that a few sweet nothings from his lips to our ears and all three of us are falling over backwards legs spread wide and feet pointing up in the air. Oops!" Melody slapped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry, Tess. I wasn't supposed to say that out loud."

"That's okay, Auntie Melody," Tess said grinning at her. "I've heard you say worse at night." She said in a half-whisper to her mother, "Auntie Melody is really loud sometimes." Melody choked on a piece of fruit until Marlin slapped her back and it flew out onto the table. "But not as loud as Grandma."

"Tess, that's private!" Teresa gasped as she turned bright red.

"I didn't tell her what you yell, Grandma," Tess protested and went back to her sandwich. "Besides Mama lives here I'm sure she's heard you also."

There was silence for about thirty seconds and then Malinda started giggling followed by Melody and finally Teresa and Margret. Marlin sat there stoically and ignored them as best he could. When lunch was finally over, which took longer than normal due to the numerous outbursts of spontaneous laughter, he sent Tess out to see if they had received any mail.

"That is if you are done with both your sandwich and embarrassing everybody at the table," he said.

"I don't know why you would be embarrassed, Uncle Marlin," Tess replied with a devilish grin while placing her plate in the sink. "It's your name they are mostly yelling." With that she ran outside heading for the road.

"I swear, Marlin Cranson," Teresa shook her head. "I don't know if you've taught that little hellion too much, too little or just enough."

"She does have a sense of humor, doesn't she," Marlin smiled.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you teaching my daughter about sex," Margret alternately grinned and frowned.

"I only talked to her about it in general terms," he defended himself. "And to be more accurate we talked emotions and affection as much as we did sex. The sex part doesn't interest her all that much yet, anyway. But really I had to or she would have run screaming into her grandma's room every night wondering who was getting killed." Melody paused in her clearing of the table and smacked him lightly on the back of the head followed by a kiss to make it better.

"We all have our ways of being reminded," she giggled at her eldest sister.

Margret was just about to say something when they heard the front door slam and Tess calling, "Uncle Marlin! Uncle Marlin." She ran into the kitchen slightly out of breath waving a large envelope with the Imperial seal. "There's a letter just like the ones you get only with Mama's name on it!" She handed it to her mother. Margret's hands shook as she stared down at it.

"I can't look. You do it!" her voice quivered as she shoved it over to Marlin. He raised his eyebrow at her and with practiced fingers popped the seal and drew out the paper inside. He studied it for a moment and cleared his throat.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" Malinda jumped up and down. "Or I'll be smacking your head this time."

"Margret Hawking," he said importantly. "You are directed to appear before an Imperial Justice Investigation Team on the nineteenth of this month at two o'clock in the afternoon in End-of-the-Line ... Well it gives a conference room number and the hotel there in town. You have your investigation, Margret," he smiled at her.

"Oh, shit. It's really happening," she whispered turning pale.

It was decided that Marlin would accompany her on the trip. At first they all wanted to go but Marlin told them not only no but hell no!

"I am not going to let them anywhere near Teresa if I can possibly help it," he said in no uncertain terms. "And I think it best if the rest of you stayed here also. This was her complaint and she is the one they want to talk to."

"But what about Tom?" Teresa asked sadly.

"Well, I did tell Margret of my suspicions and she did put that in her complaint," he responded calmly. "All we really wanted to do was get them to think about it, even if we have no real evidence. Two or three questions put to Mr. Dominic Prandle and the matter will be cleared up once and for all. We just need to get them to ask the questions. There is no reason to get any of you involved since you can't add anything more than I could."

"I told you he was a devious bastard," Malinda smiled seductively and slowly lowered herself into his lap. "How can we not love this son-of-a-bitch? You are so getting lucky tonight," she whispered in his ear although everyone in the room heard her.

"And this is different than any other night?" Margret snorted.

"Oh, yeah," Malinda purred and Marlin shivered. "There are nights and then there are nights." She gave him a little shot of her Talent and he shivered again.

"I don't think I can do this," Margret whimpered and wrung her hands as they sat in the coach heading towards End-of-the-Line.

"Yes, you can," he assured her patting her hand. "And you will."

"I don't know! I don't know!" she started shivering uncontrollably and he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. She stiffened slightly and then relaxed.

"I don't think I've been this close to a man since ... that night," she said.

"If it helps, don't think of me as a man, just someone giving you comfort. Or if that doesn't work try thinking of me as a really ugly woman," he said giving her a little shake.

She giggled and replied, "That may work."

They found the hotel easily and at exactly two o'clock knocked on the conference room door. The door was opened by a large IJ marshal and they were led in. There was a table with five men seated facing a single chair. Marlin saw that his truth-teller was sitting at one end. Each gave the other a slight nod.

"You are Margret Hawking?" the man in the center demanded.

"I am," her voice quivered.

"I am Inspector Durant of Imperial Justice," he told her emotionlessly. "We are here to investigate the complaint you filed against one Dominic Prandle for rape and possibly murder. We will ask questions and you will answer them truthfully to the best of your ability. There is an Agency truth-teller present in this room and he will know if you are lying or hiding anything from us. If you do not answer any question we are authorized to restrain you and have that information taken from your mind without your consent. Do you understand all of that?"

"I do," she replied firmly. "I intend to give my entire story truthfully and in its entirety as I believe it happened."

The inspector glanced at the truth-teller and received a nod in return. "Good." he continued. "Then maybe this will be easy. Now you, sir! Who the hell are you?" he demanded looking at Marlin.

"Marlin Cranson, Scout for the Imperial Talent Agency, sir," Marlin answered quickly taking out his badge and showing it.

"We don't need that," he waved the badge away. "Again, why the hell are you here?"

"I live with the Hawking family and it was at my urging that Miss Hawking filed her complaint," he replied. "We thought it best that I escort her, not only for moral support, but to be available to answer any questions you might have of me."

"Do you have any direct evidence to present in this case?" he asked.

"No, sir," Marlin responded. "I was not present when this event took place. All my suspicions are based on deduction and hearsay alone."

"They are certainly enough of those here to have the questions asked at least," the inspector nodded. "However we have no further need for you. You may wait for Miss Hawking out in the hallway." Marlin nodded and left the room quickly.

Marlin paced outside in the hallway for about an hour before the door opened and an ashen-faced Margret stumbled out and practically fell into his arms.

"Was it bad?" he asked sympathetically.

"Worse than I'd imagined," she nodded her head resting on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." he started.

"Don't be," she cut him off. "It was bad but they believed me. They believed me and now they are going to interrogate Prandle. They have their own vehicle and will be leaving soon for Pigsford. They also said they have sent a notification of the inquiry to Prandle ― something about procedures. When I told them he might attack my family they just said then they would hang him for that too!"

"I told you they were heartless bastards but once they're on someone's trail he's as good as caught," he patted her back. "The next coach is scheduled to leave in abut ten minutes. Since he hasn't done anything yet my guess is he hasn't received the notification. If he had, his only chance would have been to do something to you before now although hopefully he knew that would be useless."

"What do you mean?" She looked up at him.

"I'll tell you as we walk," he said putting an arm around her shoulder and gently guiding her out of the building. "If a potential witness died or came up missing under suspicious circumstances they would be all over that like flies on a cow-flop," he continued once they'd reached the street. "Now I don't know this Prandle..."

"He's an asshole and that's the best you can say for him," Margret growled.

"Now that I can believe," he grinned and gave her a squeeze. "But if he had a brain in his head the moment he received that notification he should have been running as far and as fast as he could ― preferably to some neighboring kingdom we're presently at war with. It's not like there aren't any number to choose from. Of course," he mused, "the Emperor does have his assassins in those countries and I wouldn't put it past him to have Mr. Prandle killed just for the object lesson.

"So hopefully he hasn't seen the notification yet and Justice will get to him before he does or at least before he can do anything even dumber than he already has."

The rest of the family was waiting for them at the coach stop when it pulled in.

"Thank God, you're back!" Melody jumped into his arms and then released him to hug her sister. "It's him," she hissed. "We just got into town hoping you would be able to make this coach when we were told he was down on the square telling everybody that you were just another witch stirring up trouble and lying about him to the Imperials."

"Well, he's too late," Margret said proudly. "I told them and they believed me. They will be coming for him soon enough."

"Yeah, well, the Shire-rief is over there trying to settle everything down but I don't know how effective he's going to be about it," her sister replied.

"Or how effective he wants to be," Marlin added grimly. "I think we ought to ease on out of here as quickly as we can."

"Too late," Malinda gasped. "They're coming this way!" She was right; a whole crowd was moving down the street towards them with a rather large angry looking fellow in their lead.

"So it is," Marlin hummed. "I want all of you up against the wall over there. Yes, that should be close enough and still give you some protection. I'm going to stand out here and stop them."

"You can't, Marlin, they'll tear you apart!" Teresa sobbed.

"Oh, I think I'll be okay. Especially if you're close enough to me," he winked at her. "I have another rather minor Talent that I haven't told you about that has kept me safe in the past."