As soon as the lock was broken and the chains pulled away, Officer Dent opened the door and whistled. Jude didn’t have to look to know that the barn was filled with the things from the house. She followed Piper into the building after the two men entered.
“It’s marked with their rooms.” That was what she noticed too. Piper walked to one of the boxes labeled kitchen and pulled out several cans of green beans. “This is why there aren’t any cans of food in the house. They’ve saved all their things out here. I’m betting that someplace in here is all their photo albums, as well as some pieces of furniture.”
“The furniture is over here.” Piper just looked at her when Officer Dent claimed he’d found more things at the back of the barn. “I’m going to have our police photographer come here and take pictures of this stuff before we leave here. Also, I’m not sure what you think, Mr. Patterson, but I’m thinking this is fraud.”
“It is. I guess I thought they might prove to just be unlucky people. However, it’s very noticeable, they’re crooks. My work here is finished. I’m going to mark it as arson and put the suspects in the family here where it asks me.” He shook his head. “The things people think they can get away with makes me sad at times.”
The photographer showed up about twenty minutes after Mr. Patterson left. The man said what he’d found here today was going to be taken up in court. Jude was only glad someone else had noticed what she’d thought all along. The people that lived here had taken a huge chance in setting this fire. Should one of the police or fire personnel have been hurt, it would have been prison time, she was positive of it.
After inviting Piper to dinner with her, the two of them decided to just eat some burgers instead of fighting the holiday crowd to get into a sit down type of restaurant. Even the place they picked was busier than she thought it would have been on a Thursday night.
It was getting cold now. A bit before Christmas, she had hoped it would be just a little warmer for the children who were going to be at the castle for the holiday. Jude asked Piper if she knew how much they’d donated to the party.
“No. I know Mercy said it was a great deal, but her great deal and mine are vastly different, I’ve come to figure out.” Jude laughed. “Having one of you guys put the price on my work is the only reason I’m making any kind of money. I would tell someone where all the flaws were, as well as not charge them nearly enough as I could get for each of the pieces.”
“I’ve noticed that about you. Two weeks ago, when you had me come out to the studio, you told me you were thinking of only five hundred bucks for the Indian at Rest piece. I had an idea that you hadn’t put enough zeros on it. It sold immediately, if I remember. Piper, I find it hard to believe you undervalue your work so much.” Piper told her she thought a lot of artists did the same thing. “I guess. As you said, you’d be pointing out all the flaws in something you’ve made. All I see when I look at your work—and I would imagine anyone looking at it would see the same—is perfection.”
Their food was brought to them, and they both dug into their burgers and fries. When Jude thought of all the calories she was shoving in her face, all she could be thankful for in that moment was the fact that she’d not gain an ounce from it. Laughing to herself, she thought she might have a brownie sundae while she was at it.
“I was thinking about this party thing. Why do you suppose Mercy thought it was a good idea for us all to go?” Jude asked Piper what she meant as she pushed her empty plate away. “I don’t know. Didn’t she seem kind of pushy about us all going to this? I was going to go anyway—anything to help out kids during the holidays. However, I got the feeling if I said I wasn’t going to go, she’d have a fit about it. It’s probably just me. I’ve been feeling slightly overwhelmed by a lot of shit lately.”
“No. I didn’t notice. But then, I won’t argue with her. If I didn’t want to go, I’d simply not say anything to her and just stay home. I’d get bitched at later about it, but I’d get to stay home. Why are you overwhelmed? To be honest, Piper, so am I. I think it’s about getting a house. We’re the only two looking for one. Everyone else has this mansion of a place, while we’re still in apartments.” Piper told her that might well be it. “Are you still looking for a place closer to your studio?”
“No. I’ve decided when I do find myself a home, I’m going to build a studio there. I’m really getting sick of going all over the place to work, then eat or whatever I need to do on the way home or to the grocery.” Jude laughed with her. “I’m telling you right now, if I ever find my mate, I’m not going to be all sappy around him. Mercy looks at Bryson the same way people look at cute puppies. It’s gross.”
They were still sitting there an hour later, just catching up on things. It wasn’t as if all of them didn’t see each other several times a day, but Jude was enjoying the one on one conversation between just the two of them. She thought she might like to do this more often. Find one of the others just to hang out.
~*~
Duncan walked around the house three times to make
