Marriage is Murder

Robert drew an envelope out of his pocket and tossed copies of the crime scene photos at Geldin. Gelding looked at the pictures. Then Robert flicked his wand at Gelding and the spell slammed him against the wall and pinned Gelding there.

"Lupin! I didn't know! Honest!..." he shrieked.

"I dont' give a damn! It doesn't bring them back, now, does it?" Robert bellowed. "When it started to go wrong, you men needed to bear off, not slaughter them!"

"Where are my men?" Gelding asked.

"Dead!" Robert said with a ferocity he rarely showed.

"What!" Gelding exclaimed. "You're no better!"

"I didn't kill them," Robert said.

"Quinn!" Gelding added it up.

"Yes. They got what they deserved. I didn't send him, but he took them all out. By himself." He glanced at Jim, deliberately not saying Jim's name. "I presume you can keep him pinned there a bit longer. We need to be sure he understands." Robert waited until Jim had him pinned. He went and got right into Gelding's face. "If you ever, ever kill a child, or kill their parents, I will personally rip you limb from limb with my bare hands! I put you back here, and I can take you out before you can lift your wand! Now, you get about the business of ridding the world of James Blood, like you said you would, and forget the kiddies for right now. If you do that, I might let you live. If you do not, if your men make one more strike then enjoy your sex triste and your last meal tonight--because they will be the last pleasures you ever know on this earth."

"You might consider taking that seriously," Michael said casually. "Because if he doesn't do it, we will. And I've seen what Lupin can do when he gets angry. You dont want to go there."

"Be my guest," Robert said. "Just let him live in case I decide to come back and finish the job later," Robert said. He left Gelding to Jim and he walked off and took a walk through the house. He found all of Gelding's bank books for all his accounts all around the world. They were in a safe in an upstairs office. Robert blew the door off the safe and downstairs Gelding groaned, knowing exactly where Robert was. It was the millionth time Robert or Brian had taken every cent he had. Robert pocked the bank books and came back downstairs calmly and looked at Michael.

"Strip this place of everything of value," he ordered Michael.

"You've got it," Michael said, drawing a tiny bag from his pocket and resizing it for his purposes. He started his raid upstairs.

"Oh, look. Port," Robert said, pouring himself a glass of port and sitting on a posh leather sofa and taking a drink, deciding to let Jiim and Michael do their tasks.

"Have a port. Its quite good, actually," Robert said, settling in. "This might take a few minutes. Mikey doesn't miss much."

When Michael entered Gelding's bedroom, he found the woman who had been downstairs was now in Gelding's bed, naked, waiting for him. He rolled his eyes annoyed. She shrieked, and drew up the covers. "Oh beleive me, I am not interested," Michael said. He flicked his wand, summoning select things into his bag, shrinking those things as they dropped into the bag.

It took him about an hour to clear through the house. His bag, even with the things inside being shrunken, was bulging.

"The rest of it isn't worth it," Michael said. "We need to go. Where the hell is he?"

"He's a bit hung up right now," Robert said, setting down his port glass. "Ready?" he looked at Jim. "I'll see you both there. " He made one last sweep through the house and cleared out all the books of his operations, shrank them and put them in his pocket before he ported back home. Michael followed a moment later, porting straight to his room and puttiing the bag down on the floor, shedding his winter gear, and then going downstairs. Robert had taken his outerwear off and was sending a flurry of books up to his bedroom. Michael narrowly dodged the flying books.

"Oi! Watch your aim, Ozzy!" he frowned.

"I would if you'd let me know you were there,' Robert said, as Kate handed him a mug of tea.

"I need to go talk to Fi and Brian," Robert said.

"Fi's up," Kieran said. "I got her to agree to take a shower to just feel better. Brian is awake. Might do them both good to come down."

"Agreed," Robert said.

"Shall I go up and stay with Khaat?" Kate asked.

"For a moment. This wont' take long." Kieran went up and got Brian and Fi and brought them downstairs. Fi still had Robert's spells working and she was quiet and dry eyed. Kieran helped her to the sofa and put her there. Brian sat on one side of her and Kieran sat on the other. Robert studied the siblings for a moment. It had been at least 25 years since the three of them had been sitting together like that. In another day and time, it might have been a moment for a family photo. But this was not the time. Robert motioned for the rest to join them, and Robert then briefed them on all the events of the day and the fact that it was all settled. The funerals would be two days from now. Robert asked Fi if she had specific clothes or items to be buried with her husband and children. She merely nodded.

"If you'll write it down, we'll get it," Robert said.

"I know where things are," Kieran said, his hand on Fi's. "I'll do it."

"Agreed," Robert said. "And, yes. We'll be here at least until then."

"Robert," Kieran said. "Fi has no reason to be here anymore. Once the funeral is over, she and I will stay and move her things and close up the house. With your permission, she'll move in with me to Colorado."

"Brian?" Robert asked.

"If thats what she wants," Brian said.

"Bri," Kieran said. "We both know we're welcome anywhere you are. We know that. But the headquarters distances her from Britain right now, and gives her more than enough to do. Its what she wants."

"Then that's fine," Brian said.

"You take what time you need," Robert said to Kieran and Fi. "Both of you. Brian, do you want some time?"

"No." Brian's response was immediate and firm. And it had been exactly what Robert expected.