CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

The FBI took charge of the Dead Beat, Waldo Robert E Lee Crowther, from Jarod. He and Miss Parker took the reward, and she, of course, pocketed it.

The movie producer offered them a DVD copy of the movie, when it reached the shelves which would be a few months after the theatrical release. After all, it was an action adventure movie, and only B in quality at that. John and Anna promised to visit Lady Angela and Jarod in Delaware and see what progress had been made since the deaths of the other Parkers

The planes landed back in Blue Cove, and everything seemed to get back to normal, at least for some of them. Broots who still had his nose in computers and discs, now constructing computers at home for kids half out of high school and overweight boys who would rather shoot down dragons then play football outside.

Of course, Lambourni having a charmed life, ran into a friend of his adopted father's who offered him the part in an Italian movie about this opera singer who died fighting the Nazis. Fortunately or unfortunately, Lambourni had an excellent voice, which he inherited from one of his ancestors. How it missed in Jarod's and Miss Parker's case was anyone's guess. These things happened. Jarod, having not been allowed to speak much as a boy, never sang after he constructed that model and she was too busy for such frivolities. Any way, Miss Parker had him do a search to find out if a famous chanteuse was one of the passengers on the Lost Ships, but since they had lost the records and since the passengers had probably taken on new names, she could not tell.

She did recall her mother tell that her grandmother once sang Ava Maria one Christmas, but Miss Parker figured this was just a fairy tale. She knew little from the maternal side of her family. And one of the passengers on the Lost Ships had either a mother or aunt who was Brunhilde in Wagner's opera, complete with horned helmet and breastplate. Her picture bore a striking resemblance to Jarod's mother

A week later, they had to go for the sentencing. They left the children in Francesco's charge, him being an older brother of Geraldo, and were off. Among the Dominants, when children reached a certain age, an older juvenile male gave them instruction in simple weapons. Francesco's mate would do the nurturing, which even Dominant children needed.

Jarod and Miss Parker flew in, rented a car, and had just entered the courtroom as the girl's mother with her daughter (in a wheelchair) told how her late husband had abandoned them, how her little girl had grown progressively worse. Even the brother, sisters, and the father of the Deadbeat, testified to the wasteful nature of their brother and they did look thin and worn as if the hard work in the hills permanently wiped all joy from their lives.

After the judge handed down the sentence and at the civil trial, when another judge handed down a financial settlement, Jarod, now a full fledged Dominant, did not do his usual thing of going to the hospital and visiting the little girl personally. Miss Parker decided to see her with Jarod and the children along. There were Medicals among the staff and it was a good excuse to have the youngsters looked at.

"Healthy in the prime state of our species," was the reply from a female Medical at which Miss Parker asked if she could go to the restroom, and deliberately took the wrong way. Jarod followed.

By the time security found them, they had looked at the little girl, Miss Parker made an excuse. "I'm looking for Room 312."

"This is Room 317. Down the hall to the left."

So both Jarod and Miss Parker visited this Room 317 which held another critically ill child and Jarod pretended he was a visiting physician interested in this case.

"Yes Doctor Graham. I know that in Edinburgh they made progress, but that method is still experimental."

"Still it ha' held great success," said Jarod with his perfect imitation of a Scottish accent, "and it would make the wee bairn more comfortable." He wrote something on a notepad knowing that the Medical in the hospital pharmacy would catch this and make the proper corrections.

"We have to get back to Blue Cove," said Miss Parker.

"Why?"

"I have something to do," She walked ahead, like a queen, expecting Jarod to follow as he did, carrying most of the suitcases, touching his gun, and daring anyone to try anything.

Jarod wondered what it was as they both got in the car, and drove down the road towards the airport. "The babies should be here soon." He steered the car, oblivious to what Miss Parker was doing and hoping that Ted, in his absence, had not terrorized the lower Dominants too much.