Laird and Lady O'Dell

Posted on Tue Mar 24th, 2020 @ 8:17am by Captain Enalia Telvan & Artan Pirate Dana Nyn & Commander Rita Paris & Ensign Briaar Gavarus & Ensign Fiona O'Dell
Edited on on Tue Mar 24th, 2020 @ 8:20am

Mission: Back Down the Long Ladder
Location: Planet Mariposa, the O'Dell Estate
Timeline: 2397

Mariposa: Now


"The bloody hell d'ye think yuir dooin on mah properrrty?!?"

Standing as rigid as she ever did as Queen of the Artans and dressed in her Starfleet diplomatic whites, Captain Enalia Telvan offered Duncan O'Dell a PaDD with her orders. "Pursuant to the investigation opened by the Federation council and the request for my personal involvement, I am here to ensure the thorough investigation of the deaths of both the late Mr. and Mrs O'Dell, as well as several other illicit allegations into the O'Dell household over recent years."

The Trill captain then motioned to the women surrounding her. "My First Officer and Security Chief, as well as my retinue of Security Officers will do their utmost to refrain from disrupting the daily operations of you and your household with this investigation." Behind her were likely three of the largest women seen outside of a coliseum, yet they served on the Hera as Security.

"Yuir orders are piss all ta me! Yuir nae the law here, and ye dinna have inny right ta be on me property, in me house or breathin' me air. Now howzaboot ye take yuir floozy there and yer trained gorillas and fook off in any random direction from here, y'ken?" While O'Dell's brogue deepened a bit when she was stressed, excited or drunk, she came nowhere near this level of unintelligibility as the red-faced, balding, heavyset humanoid bellowed and spat.

"Uh..."

"Honor demands-"

"Belay that and stand down, the lot of you!" the Commander said to the Security officers in a hissed whisper as they began to respond to the local's insult. Holding out a restraining hand, Paris also held up one index finger- a sign to the trio of security officers to wait for it. After all, the Captain was being polite so far, and the show was only getting started.

"I've also brought along my personal lawyer," Enalia added, motioning towards the sixth member of the group who somehow managed to hide behind the larger security types, who was dressed in royal Artan livery. "As I am also affiliated with the Artan Empire, I asked for Miss Dana Nyn to be present to go over the legalities of the investigation as well. Miss Nyn?"

With a condescending smile and a slight bow of her head, the short Trill woman pulled out what appeared to be a scroll, unrolled it, and began looking it over while speaking. "I have reviewed all the pertinent documents and I'm afraid that the good Captain is correct, Laird O'Dell. She has every right to be here, and the orders given to her by the Federation council to investigate you overrule any orders you may give her, her crew, or anyone under her command during the execution of said investigation pursuant to Federation regulation 2398 section 13 subsection 9."

Snapping her scroll shut suddenly, Dana looked up at the man stoically. "In other words, Captain Telvan is now the law here, by order of Federation treaty law, until the investigation is concluded to the Federation's satisfaction. Any resistance of such, she has within her full authority to arrest you on the spot, and anything you say or do will be held against you in an intergalactic court of law."

"Because?" asked Paris as if she were holding a class, and the largest lummox in the back spoke up.

"Oooh! For attempting to impede a lawful investigation!" the big mountain of muscle in the back volunteered, to whit the buxom bombshell in the gold slut dress nodded approvingly.

"Correct Miss Jablonski." Paris nodded with a smile before turning to eye the tall Klingon in the gold uniform beside her. "Miss V'Nus, would you care to elaborate on the next step of the investigation as it stands, in anticipation of the Captain's orders?"

The taller of the two Klingon women's expression didn't change, keeping her eyes on the burly human standing in the doorway at the top of the steps as she answered the question. "While it is in the Captain's purview to institute any steps she so chooses, protocol generally states that the first step in such an investigation would be the... interviews... with those the investigation is centered on. In this case, Laird Duncan O'Dell."

The feral looking woman drawled out the pronunciation of the ostentatious and, to her, meaningless title of 'Laird' for effect.

"Incorrect, Miss V'Nus. I'm surprised," Paris admitted. "Miss S'Rina, would you care to take a guess?"

"Detailed scans of the scene and grounds, examination of any evidence and autopsies if possible, scans if not," the other Klingon petty officer growled, while Paris nodded approvingly.

"Just so, Petty Officer. With that said," Paris carried on, turning the teaching moment into a plan of action. "You all have tricorders and you all know how to use them. Spread out, cover more ground. Miss V'Nus, you intensify in the master bathroom and bedroom, the scenes of both deaths. Jablonski, take the grounds, S'Rina, scan the house. That includes anyone you encounter. remember ladies, polite and professional to the citizenry, firm if pressed. Understood?"

"Aye aye, Commander," they all said together, at which point the cheerful cosmonaut turned to the bemused commanding officer.

"At your pleasure, Captain?"

"HER pleasure? What aboot MY bluiddy pleasure?!? I'm g'win ta toown ta find the fookin magistrate, then we're coomin back wi' some guns and rousting the lot of ye!" The blustering lord of the manor stormed off stage left, in an effort to salvage some shred of dignity in the emasculating meeting he'd just had with a room full of bloody women.

"And a pleasure it has been. Thank you, Dana, Commander. Ladies, we're a week late to this crime scene, and over two months for the other, so please do your best." Enalia smiled brightly as her best went about their work and she turned to greet the lady of the house.

The lady in question was coming out of the home's parlor in a long, emerald, velour dress. Her hair was a bright flaming red, not unlike that of 'their' O'Dell, and her features were young and fairly soft, if a bit long in the face. Behind her was a studious looking middle-aged woman with thick-rimmed glasses framing a roundish face with a few scant lines and a lock of reddish-blonde hair up in a bun. The second woman was wearing what best resembled a 20th-century gray pantsuit and had an attache case and clipboard.

As they walked towards where Enalia and Rita stood in the foyer of the home, the lady in green seemed flustered and more than a little put upon by the other woman as they finished their conversation, "Really, Miss McGovern. The laird will provide all the paperwork you require for the transfer of the estate holdings. As for our outstanding..."

Then she paused and side-eyed Enalia for a moment before smiling a little bigger and seeing the other woman to the door. "As for our other business, the paperwork I showed you should be sufficient. If it isn't, I'll be sure to have our bookkeeper visit your office come the morn. Good day, Miss McGovern."

The prim looking woman nodded lightly as she was all but rushed out the door, but spared a nod to Enalia and Rita as she did, speaking in a thick brogue. "Beggin' yuir pardon, Ma'ams. Be havin' a fine day, won't ye."

The ancient astronaut raised an eyebrow at the woman's passing, but made no further commentary save a small, barely noticeable smirk that briefly graced her lips.

Running her hands down her dress as she closed the door behind the departing Miss McGovern, the lady turned back to Enalia and Rita. "Ah, I must now beg your pardons. A bit of unpleasant paperwork in the wake of our recent tragedies. All of it filed with the local tax adjudicator's office, for which Miss McGovern apparently works. But I am being a poor hostess. and you are hardly seeing me at my best. I am the Lady Kathryn O'Dell, wife of Laird Duncan. How may I be of service?"

Offering a light and proper bow, Lady O'Dell smiled warmly at the two Starfleet sirens.

Enalia and Rita both bowed politely, preferring the more civilized greeting to the bluster of Duncan. "Pardon our intrusion, Ma'am, But we've been sent here by the Federation council to investigate the circumstances surrounding the late Laird O'Dell's demise as well as related incidences in which your representative is interested. I'm Captain Enalia Telvan and this is my First Officer and Security Chief, Commander Rita Paris. And this is my lawyer, Miss Dana Nyn of the Artan Empire."

"Greeting to you all, then. It is my hope that we can settle this matter quickly, as it has hung above this once-happy home like a shroud. Please, come inside. May I get you all anything? Tea or coffee, perhaps?" Lady O'Dell said as she stepped aside and held an arm towards the open door to the home's study. It was a mid-sized room, made of sturdy woods and had the touch of finery about it. Books on the shelves and fine leathers covered the plush sturdy chairs. "I must... apologize for my husband. I'm afraid the Laird is... well... a man of deep passions."

"Tea, if it isn't too much trouble. And we've noticed he's a touch upset at our arrival. If there's anything that can be done to make our investigation go smoother..." The Trill woman let the hint hang in the air like she would a sword waiting to strike. As she waited for an answer, she looked around the small study and sat herself down in one of the seats.

"We will do whatever we can to assist your investigation, of course, Captain. The Laird has been more than a touch upset these last few weeks. Losing his dearest stepmother and then his father, whom he idolized. And now, dealing with the business of the estate, it's put a terrible strain on him, I'm afraid." Lady O'Dell said, hanging her head slightly. "He's always been adept at working the field. But managing the business side of it on top of dealing with his own grief has made him a touch more temperamental than not. But, let me fetch that tea. If you ladies will wait here, I'll be back in a moment. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you, you're very kind," Rita replied with a vacant smile that was something new to Enalia. "Your home is very beautiful. Quite the estate, as well. How many acres?"

"640 acres was the original offer from the Mariposan government to any Bringloidi man who was willing to take up with a Mariposan bride, and Lord Angus took that deal to marry Elisabeth Vallis," the lady of the house explained. "In a manner of speaking, we were like sisters, as I was based upon her primary template, with the additional infusion of fresh genetic material from the Bringloidi ."

This timeline explained why the lady of the house looked more like Duncan O'Dell's daughter rather than his wife. According to Starfleet records, the Bringloidi solar flares had made their planet uninhabitable thirty-two years ago, and Kathryn O'Dell barely looked that old herself. Clearly she was of the first generation born of the blending of two cultures; although just as clearly, she had been the result of the advanced cloning techniques employed by the Mariposans to reproduce. Rather than the old-fashioned way, which had resulted in oddities like their own diminutive daredevil. Which also stood to reason that she was considerably younger than her husband.

As she bowed out to go fetch the tea, Rita began to speak, but Enalia silently shooshed her with a finger to her lips. Rotating her finger to indicate the area, Enaliaflicked her ear- a silent indication that they were being listened to, and to consider this enemy monitored communication. Ever the veteran officer, Paris snapped out her own tricorder and started scanning the study.

"She seems nice," Paris offered in a conversational tone as she worked, focused on her task but quite willing and able to make banal small talk while they did so.

"She does," Enalia replied, visually surveying the room for anything obvious. "Though her husband has a certain... honesty... about him that I find refreshing."

“He’s certainly direct. I imagine that’s a function of their culture? I will say, seeing where she came from suddenly puts our Miss O’Dell into perspective,” Paris replied distractedly as she scanned the room with the tricorder. “Secret passages- seems the senior Mr. O’Dell had quite the flair for the dramatic. The construction is only 28 years old or so- it's made to look worn and weathered, but it isn't.”

Moments later, the sounds of footfalls came from down the hall as Lady O'Dell returned, pushing the half-closed, ornate wooden double doors to the old study open with her rear. Stepping in, she seemed slightly out of breath, as if she had rushed to return with the silver tray in hand with a porcelain teapot and four cups, each white with green filigree decorating the rims. Next to the teapot, a small tray of scones and a cup of cream.

Setting the tray down on the large, slightly cluttered desk at the rear of the chamber, Katherine O'Dell bowed slightly. "Ladies, how would you like your tea? Nothing particularly fancy. Simply an Irish Breakfast blend. But the Laird prefers things to be a bit simple. Ostentation tends to fire his blood up, you see. Many of my attempts to bring a bit of civility to the family home have been embraced, but others... not so much."

"Did the entire family live here, or have you only recently moved into the manor, Lady O'Dell?" Paris asked pleasantly enough, although Captain Telvan recognized that hint of the casual investigator in the seemingly innocent question.

The Trill Captain also recognized the tea and teacups, being an avid connoisseur of both. "That tea is an imported blend from Earth, isn't it? It smells just like Bewley's Assam blend. And those teacups... I have an identical Aynsley set from the late nineteenth century Earth. I must compliment you on your taste. Ah, but as for how we'll take it, I feel no proper Assam is complete without milk and honey. Wouldn't you agree?"

Pondering Paris's question, Lady O'Dell was taken off guard slightly by Enalia's expertise regarding Tea and the tea set itself, which she knew precious little about. She knew that it was expensive and impressed the locals and that was enough for her to feel good about herself. But while the Trill woman's words were complimentary, Katherine looked at the tray and realized that her ignorance was likely showing. All she had was cream and no honey and blushed with a bit of embarrassment at the faux pas as she resisted the impulse to glare at the much more cultured Starfleet Captain.

"Ahh, yes. Honey. Of course, I had... I can see if we have any but I'm afraid our cupboards are less well-stocked then I'd like." Lady O'Dell put on a somewhat hollow and overly polite smile as she tried to redirect back to Rita's question. "After all, the Laird and I have only recently moved into the manor home. We still have our own... estate... not too far from here. It's FAR better stocked, but we are still in the process of moving. My apologies."

“No apologies necessary, Lady O’Dell. We’re not savages, after all,” Paris laughed gaily as she folded up the tricorder and posed, big blue eyes bright and open. Given the disapproving looks at her short skirt by practically everyone on the planet since they had landed, and given that Enalia’s pants received about as much disapproval told her volumes about the local culture. Her scans had revealed a number of points of interest, but for now, she would cheerfully play dumb, as this was certainly a locale in which she would have to fight to have her competency and intelligence recognized.

Thus it was easy to play the airheaded assistant to the intense captain.

“Moving can be such a pain, it’s true. So with the elder O’Dell’s passing- our condolences, by the by- do the lands and title just automatically shift to the eldest to inherit, or will there be a division of the lands and properties according to the will?” Paris asked. “Inheritance law varies so widely from place to place…”

"Well, I'm afraid that in spite of his poor health, Angus refused to make out a will prior to his passing. And it was so sudden after his wife that he was in no mind to attend to much of anything over those few weeks. Grief is a terrible thing, after all. So the Mariposian laws shifted the assets and titles to Angus' eldest..." Lady O'Dell replied, quickly centering herself with a comfortable answer she was clearly prepared for just as Enalia cut her reply off. 

"Sweet cream will have to suffice if you have at least that then," Enalia grinned inwardly, preparing another question about the teacups. "So how were you able to get a full set of the Aynsley Emerald Green Floral set in such good condition? Last I heard they were all either lost to time or in private collections like mine, though I do admit that I don't do my best with keeping up with the less rare collections."

The Trill captain then turned to her first officer, a wicked gleam in her eye. "Commander, have I ever shown you the pride of my collection? It's the Jade Fire Dragon tea set of the third emperor of Cait. Exquisite set complete with it's own tray. He only used it once and the cup he drank out of still has traces of the poison that killed him. The auction house I got it from hired mercenaries to try and kill me once I left so they could sell it again and make another small fortune. Unfortunately for them, they didn't hire nearly enough mercenaries."

"Gosh, you certainly have not Captain, but it sounds like a fascinating story." Rita wasn't sure where Enalia was going with this, but she would gamely play along and support the stratagem.

"Well... Captain..." the woman in the green velour dress fidgeted slightly with the skirt for a moment as she thought about her answer, her jaw tightening ever so slightly as she did. Tells that would be all but imperceptible to some, but not to the two canny Starfleet officers used to debating with Gods and Monsters alike. But before she could form her reply, Enalia cut her off again.

"I bring it up because tea has a long history of being a medium for poisons and toxins on many worlds throughout history," Enalia explained with a wink. "The darker the tea, the easier it is to disguise the toxin, plus most often, neither the tea nor the teacup will react to it. However, dairy products and honey often react negatively."

"Not that I'm insinuating that our fine hostess would poison us," Enalia quickly added with a bright smile, turning back to the lady of the house. "However, being in the position I'm in, this is one of the precautions I've had to take over the years. I do hope you can understand."

“Well, of course, we wouldn’t impugn the honor of our hostess, captain, but a valid point, I must say. One can never be too careful, after all,” Paris sycophantically added, merrily playing along with the moment.

On one hand, the implication was out there for all to see. But in that moment, with the two women bouncing back and forth, Katherine O'Dell found herself having to work to keep up, and her own ego was reeling from the regular reinforcement of Enalia's extremely lofty station, not as a Captain, but as a Queen. And for the woman who coveted status, her dull brown eyes might as well have been as green as Fiona O'Dell's in that moment. But she collected herself and went back to answer the earlier question.

"On a world like Mariposa, many things that might have value elsewhere in the quadrant can often find itself... undervalued by those that simply do not know better, Captain." Lady O'Dell said, with an air of haughtiness to her voice being affected now in an attempt to keep up. "Finding an Anson Green tea set that the owners didn't realize the value of was a fortunate happenstance that I was more than willing to embrace. After all, better for it to be where it will be appreciated."

"Then your Aynsley Emerald Green set has found a good home. My first set was made of plastic and had cheap printed flowers on it and yet if my mother hadn't crushed them under her boot heels..." Enalia's smile faded for just a moment, the memory still fresh in her mind. "Well, the easily replicated set would be the pride of my collection, now wouldn't they?"

Plastering her smile back on her face, Enalia returned to the subject at hand. "Anyway, back to the inheritance. It seems that our records indicate that the prior Laird O'Dell made a request to record a will and that the filing was made that the recording was kept here at the manor. Are you saying that no such will exists after all?"

With a tightly clenched jaw from being caught in forgetting the name of the Tea Set, Lady O'Dell took the delicate pot and began pouring the cups for each of the women in attendance. Then, pouring the cream into the cups, she lightly stirred it with the small spoon on the side of the saucer and presented a cup to Enalia with a practiced smile, "To the best of my knowledge, no will was recorded. The family attorney was scheduled to come to make a recording, I'm afraid, the very day my Laird found his poor father's body. Such a tragedy."

"Thank you," Enalia said as she took her tea and savored the aroma. However, she didn't drink. "What about his funeral then? We have his desired funerary arrangements on record, yet they weren't followed. Are you able to explain that?"

“Oh, Captain, I’m sure that the Lady of the Manor doesn’t keep track of such details…” Paris offered solicitously.

At that, Lady O'Dell stiffened noticeably, pouring herself a cup and taking a sip. Her body language had changed and was more guarded now. Crossing her arms slightly, she nodded. "That... I disagreed with. Duncan... my Laird... he was so upset that he simply couldn't bear to go through with all the pomp and circumstance. He simply wanted it finished. I... we argued over the arrangements as I knew the family wouldn't like it, but..."

The woman in green turned her head slightly away from Enalia as she spoke. "When he has a full head of steam, he tends to win arguments. One way or another."

The spotted woman then turned to her angel in gold curiously. "Is this really all that common in patriarchal societies? I mean, I grew up in an admittedly matriarchal society, but even though we women held the highest seats of power most often, we still used diplo... Ah... but then there was still a lot of violence... and I guess if things were reversed... I think I'm starting to understand now."

Looking down at her tea and swirling it around her cup for a moment, Enalia seemed lost in thought. Noticing that there was zero reaction to anything in it, she continued. "Something to think about, I suppose." She then took a small sip of her tea.

"It's been my experience in patriarchal societies that yes, the male is often the decision-maker, 'come Hell or high water', as the expression goes, ma'am. Often the incoming patriarch will overrule judgments and policies of the previous patriarch, as tradition is often unimportant in the interest of creating new traditions that are considered to be improvements over the previous editions. As I've heard it said," Paris offered with a prim smile, "I believe the expression goes 'tradition is peer pressure from dead people."

"My Laird is far more concerned, at times, with getting his way than he is concerned about traditions." Lady O'Dell said as she stepped to the side of the desk, eyes narrowing slightly at the tone of her strange visitors. "I'm sure I will hear more than a mouthful for indulging your visit here as it is, for example. It's his opinion that our family's business is not the concern of... outsiders. And I have to admit, I fail to see why Starfleet would bother expending such resources for such an affair on a world such as ours. We have local authorities fully capable of carrying out investigations without redirecting an entire Starship out here."

Taking another sip of her tea, she cricked her eyebrow. "All this over little... Fiona... was it?"

"Fiona? We were sent here by Representative Father Kelly Duncan Doyle Walsh O'Reilly the Third," Enalia replied, her brows furrowing. "Ah, you must be referring to our test pilot, Ensign Fiona Mary Margaret Josephine Campbell O’Dell. It may be that Representative Father Kelly Duncan Doyle Walsh O'Reilly the Third had this in mind when he requested I personally investigate this matter as a favor to him. Or it could be that I owed him a favor anyway and as an Intel starship that handles similar investigations, we are indeed a good fit. I'll allow your ample imagination to run wild with that answer. The bottom line is that Representative Father Kelly Duncan Doyle Walsh O'Reilly the Third... Gosh, you all have such long names..."

Taking a deep breath, Enalia continued. "Representative Father Kelly Duncan Doyle Walsh O'Reilly the Third was concerned about the circumstances surrounding the death of his distant cousin and his wife and requested that I investigate within the full scope of my power. Hence why both the Starfleet vessel USS Hera and the Artan vessel ARS Damocles are now in orbit."

With ever so slightly narrowed, Lady O'Dell looked closely at Enalia, whose face and body language gave up nothing. But the green-clad woman wasn't buying the nonchalance. Then, stepping slightly back, she took another sip of tea. "Of course, Captain. We're all cousins here, after all, of a sort. Well, I know Duncan had some strong words with his young sister and is still upset about the call. He's forbade anyone from saying her name on the property, in truth."

"The name Ensign Fiona Mary Margaret Josephine Campbell O’Dell, callsign Leprechaun of the Starfleet vessel USS Hera?" Enalia asked with mock surprise, glancing over at Rita. "Well, I will certainly endeavor to refrain from using her full name then as it might turn into one of those Earth comedy skits before we know it. How about I refer to her as Ensign O'Dell?"

"My husband has forbidden it, dear Captain." Lady O'Dell said with a shrug. "I think he's being a pigheaded man-child, and needs to grow up. But it is he that is scorching the land of his family here, not I. Perhaps when this... investigation... is complete, he will start getting over himself. Or, at the very least, I can't see him raging at you quite as insistently as he would to me. Not with those... women... scanning the property."

“Oh, don’t mind the girls. They’re quite well-disciplined, and they’ll do their best not to be a bother,” Rita reported cheerfully. She’d had to choose her words carefully- she couldn’t say they were harmless- far from it. She couldn’t say they looked far more intimidating than they actually were- also an untruth, as she had seen some impressive feats out of all three. As she was honest to a fault, Rita wasn’t about to lie, but she could play dumb and harmless with the best of them.

“Why is Laird O’Dell so angry with our crew member, Lady O’Dell? Do you know?” Rita asked, cocking her head as she stood behind the Captain’s chair beside the diminutive and mostly forgotten lawyer. “I mean, it’s rare for a Federation representative to contact us in a local matter, particularly when the reports read that the parents both passed of natural causes. But given Laird O’Dell’s objections, it seems surprising that we’d be here for such an affair.”

"Well, Commander. There are some traditions that the Laird takes very seriously. And your... Ensign... defied all of the ones that Duncan cares about. By leaving here to join your Starfleet, she abandoned her responsibilities to her family, her bloodline and her people." Lady O'Dell said flatly, through half-lidded eyes. "And her apparent choices of late have... exacerbated the situation."

"He's mad about the cow and the pig, I'll bet," Rita confided with zero subtlety to Dana, who looked confused but nodded.

"So you're saying that even though the late Laird O'Dell supported her freedom of choice, Duncan O'Dell does not?" Enalia asked, mock shock in her voice.

Dana Nyn, always a lawyer, finally spoke up. "As legal counsel in both the Federation and the Artan Empire, I must advise you that unlawful limitations placed upon the liberties of the citizens of both governments is heavily frowned upon. As Ensign Fiona O'Dell is a Federation citizen, she is covered by the full extent of Federation law. As she is a member of Queen Telvan's crew and she considers every member of her crew to be family, Artan law is graciously extended to every member of her crew while they serve under her."

The Trill woman waved one hand to calm Miss Nyn. "I believe she gets the general idea, Dana."

"We are not impugning on her freedoms, Miss Nyn. My husband is simply exercising his freedom as a landowner and as laird of the manor. To not wish to suffer trespassers and to make rules of conduct within his own home- there are right my husband has as a Federation citizen, does he not?" Lady O'Dell picked her chin up and sat up a bit straighter, rising to the bait a bit more.

"Indeed, Commander. This is a private home, and the property of the Laird of family O'Dell. And within the Federation, private property is still a protected right, so if Duncan says that his sister is not welcome under his roof, then there is nothing unlawful about that." Lady O'Dell said, looking over at Dana Nyn with a raised eyebrow. "Cruel. Childish. Vindictive and petty, yes. But my dear husband can be all of those things and more."

"Yes, however, the late Laird O'Dell registered the... ah... 'cow and pig'... as members of the O'Dell clan before his untimely demise. On top of that, though Duncan O'Dell may be registered with the local government as the heir due to the lack of a will, until the Federation investigation is concluded, any actions taken in regards to the estate of the late Laird such as banishing someone or selling off property or changes to said property will be held under suspicion in relation to said investigation. You and your spouse have many rights in this matter, however your compliance in Federation investigations is required."

The nose of kathryn O'Dell wrinkled at that, her eyebrows rose and she shook her head slightly. "Well, I suppose we shall see what Laird O'Dell has to say about that when he returns from town with the constable."

"Indeed we shall," Enalia replied with a hint of a grin as she sipped at her tea.


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To Be Continued...