in courthouse

They left the office and started down the hall. “I would like to see the pictures of the Nightmare building.” Samuel shook his head. “I just don’t see it, but I guess if they like it. Some of that looks far too real. I don’t want to know where they get the ideas. I do think you will like yours, it looks like you. I hope you will share those with everyone. More so if there are some better of the wing. I can bet a number of your cousins are going to want to see it.”

Yuma nodded. “Likely some will want it just to upset the others, but I plan on printing out a few copies of them. There is a video tour of the apartment online now, so that might help some as well. I also can print out the map of the streets between the one Joe is in to mine. They are just six blocks away, so in easy walking distance and on good streets from what the internet says. I think it is likely that Robert will be in the same area, but once I know the address for sure I will look it up as well. That might help.  There will be more detailed information on the area in the emails as well. I do see why it is upsetting, so am trying to make sure I have a lot of information on the place. It is. Well going to Harvard was something I was prepared for. I have even been to the campus a few time. This though is completely unexpected. I don’t know what it would take to make it anything but scary.”

John said. “I can see why it would be, but you are going about it in the right way.” He led her into one of the rooms and she looked around surprised, for it was more like an apart rather than the hotel room she had expected. “Now then, this is yours for the stay, it isn’t much but it will do. You are welcome to use the cafeteria, of course, but there is a kitchen there and I made sure it fully stocked. The bedroom is in there and the other door is the bath. Tiny, but you won’t be here more than a month so should be fine. Henry will have the one right across the hall once he gets here. That way nether of you will have to go too far when you need something. Now the passwords for the printers are on the desk there, and you are to use them. Yes I mean it. Not only are our printers better for photos, you are going to come in way under what you have been allotted no matter how much extra you do. Now come on and let me show you around the research lab, for all you have used it before. I must do this right. So I remember to next time, or Henry will call me on it.” Yuma laughed and let them take her down the hall and give her the tour, for all she had given it a couple of times to interns when everyone else was busy. They stopped at the computers. “Now then it is stranded to issue an accesses code to all Consultants on any major case. There are usually a few things that bump into the restricted sties. So let’s get that set up, just know that no one will notice if some of the researcher happens to be unrelated to the case.” He sat down at the red computer and started to bring up the menu.

Yuma flushed a bit, wondering if he had already tried to set her up one and knew or was truly asking. “I have a classified clearance. I am not sure just what level it is, I have never used it but it should be enough for this.” They both looked at her causing her to flush a bit more, as it was clear that Uncle Clive hadn’t told him. “Uncle Clive had me put in for clearance after he saw my test scores, said it would be best I had it now as he could see a time would come that I would need it. I am still not too sure just how it worked, but I was approved.”

John got up and pointed at the chair. “Best make sure, so log on. I am sure it will be enough for the case, but might as well see if it is enough for you to do some research of your own. I can bet there is something new you want to look into.”

Yuma sat down, hoping it wouldn’t be too bad. Just why hadn’t she thought to ask what level? She hadn’t needed it, so truly forgot about. Likely her computer wouldn’t have the off switch, but computers had to be registered and so when he had ran her the clearance had popped up. “I do want to look at some of the research on the devil gene, but it is just out of curiosity more than a real project.” She put in her id and then the password, wonder just why it seemed like such a big deal. She hit enter and then blinked for the screen flashed orange, then showed the welcome screen with the search box she was used to. Her Father’s had blue trim, not orange. She wasn’t to sure just where orange fell in the code, the clearance levers wasn’t something she had looked into. However, from her Father’s look it must be fairly high.

Samuel said. “Well you don’t need to worry. You will be able to get anything you need to. There is nothing wrong with looking up something just because it is bugging you, that is not an abuse of the rights. That is what the researcher is there for, to give you those answers. It is just that some is locked as it deals heavily with spells and too much information on them fed the fear of magic. Locking it away helped end the killings. That you have access means they found you to be able to handle the information in the records in a reasonable manor. As you got your computer at Stinings he would have seen to the filters on it.”

Yuma said. “Yes, there is a kill switch for them and the tracer. He said that I could get one without them, or with the switch. The switch seemed the better way to go. I don’t want to use anything higher than restricted on my papers, so having the filter there sees to it that I don’t get mixed up.”

John shook his head a bit, and looked at Samuel, wondering why he didn’t seem upset and why he wasn’t telling her what the orange meant. It must be just as much of a shock to him to learn that Yuma was listed as a licensed researcher. That was next to top leave clearance she had, the only thing she would be unable to access would be a few state secrets. Know he was wondering just when she had received the orange level, if it was related to her going to Oxford, or not.  Just how was it done without either of them knowing it? Still she did need to know just how high the clearance was. “I can’t see you mixing them up, but that works just fine. That is a level six clearance, so I don’t need to bump it any. Like your Father said there is nothing wrong in using it for personal projects, some of the big breakthroughs start out that way. As you have the kill switch you can use your own computer if you want, but it would look best if you are in here on these for a bit each day. Even before the trail. Those that don’t know you will need to see that you can handle them, and those that do will grumble that you are not making use of them. As they know you always have at least ten projects going.”

Yuma shook her head a bit. “I will do my best. I didn’t think I made that much of a pest out of myself. It is just that here I don’t have the librarian looking over my shoulder and taking a book if she thinks I am looking at the wrong thing.” They laughed. “I know a lot of it was my age, but she was good at taking the books just as I got to what I was looking for. It isn’t as bad as it was, but there are still times she decides I have seen enough of something.” She logged out of the computer, wondering what they weren’t saying. Her Father was upset about something. Just why hadn’t her Uncle told them? He had said it was fine, so she thought he had checked with them.

Samuel nodded, as they started back out to the hall. “I will go tell them you are all moved in and set up. Now try not to stay up to late with those books, as I bet they will have them here soon. You had best let Joe know you are fine, he has to be worrying as you missed your study group.”

Yuma laughed. “I let him know that I had a meeting and so couldn’t make it. So he shouldn’t be too upset yet, but I do need to let him know where I am. It is a bit odd not to getting ready to rush home for supper.”

Samuel nodded a bit. “We will have to talk about you staying out more next semester, you need to adjust to not having a curfew, and we need to get used to it as well. I will see you tomorrow, likely. I will be around when Clive gets in, so don’t worry about rushing to be here. You had best let Even know that you won’t be able to come in once the trails starts.”

Yuma nodded. “I will be going over it with him and my professor for the med tec class tomorrow. I should be fine, but will likely use it to duck out of the house some. I am going to need some breaks or I will end up getting to snappish. There is only so many hints I can take.”

Samuel smiled. “Not a problem, and better the clinic than the trails as your cousins won’t tag along there. I can fully understand needing to get away. Don’t worry about it, and take one of the paramedic shifts to. They are going to be short handed, so that will give you a good reason to pitch in, as well as let me say again that I have no problems with your studies. It might get some of the stillness stopped.” He left, not giving her a chance to answer. John looked after him and shook his head a bit. He should have let Yuma know it wasn’t her he was upset with, but then he likely didn’t even realize he sounded upset.

Yuma looked at John, as that reminded her of the gun she had on. “Where I am staying here do I need to inform the guards that I am armed? They never cared before, but with the trails is it going to be a problem?”

Instead of John answering one of the guards did, with a chuckle. “You’re fine lass. We all know you know when and how to use it. Just give the guard at the courtroom door the gun before you enter it.” He sounded a bit relived to know she had it, but then he had been one of the examiners present for her concealed carry permit.

Yuma smiled at him. “Thank you Hank, I am so used to it now that I truly had forgotten about it. I know I don’t need it here, but got used to having it on me over the summer as I never knew just when I end up on an ambulance run.”

Hank nodded a bit. “Good that they got you convinced to carry it. You have a good evening and don’t you worry none, if you need to run down to cafeteria in the middle of the night for a cup of tea no one will mind a bit. Nor will your Father hear of it.” He went on his way smiling a bit.

John said. “Try and relax, it won’t be too bad. I will see that you meet the defense attorneys over the next few days. They need to know who you are as they are going to have messages for you and you for them. Some things are better coming from the jury and some from the attorneys. We all want to insure the full picture is out there.”

Yuma nodded. “I can see that, it is just a bit strange to be involved. Now I had best get unpacked so I can find what I need.”

John said. “Just think of this as practice run for when you are in dragon. It is going to be a bigger mess getting settled in over there but you will do fine.” He left Yuma looking after him, shaking her head, wondering just why no one was surprised that she would accept the Oxford offer. She seemed to be the only one that didn’t expect it. With that she went back to her room and emptied her bags, then found some supper.

Chapter 12 Friday to Monday, start of hearings

Yuma was sitting at the designated Consultant table with books spared out around her and her laptop in front of her. She was working on her paper at the moment, but some of the books and papers were about the cases, as Clive had left her a list to look up. He would likely find her soon, to see if she had them ready.

She was frowning at the books in front of her when Clive found he a bit later. “There you are, and this is a fine choice of table, out of the way yet near the computers if we need them. I see it is marked, so we needn’t worry about leaving the books out even though the cases haven’t started. So which of these are the ones I asked for, and what is wrong with that one?”

Yuma jumped a bit and looked up. “That stack there are the ones on from the list, the next one there are some I thought you might want to look at as they are related. The pages are marked, and my notes are on top there. All those on that half of the table have some relation to the case. That is they are ones I expect to need, so wanted to have handy. This side is books for my research, I have a few school papers to finish up and a few other questions that I am trying to find answers for. It is what the books aren’t telling me that has me frowning at them. There is a bit of missing information, but it sounds like it is truly unknown, not just left out of the books. I am going to have to see if there is something in the classified files for all I can’t use that information in the paper. It is just too scary to think that there is no information at all.”

Clive smiled a bit as he looked at the books, and nodded. She had the ones he was planning on tell her to have ready, and a few he hadn’t thought about. “Just what are the books missing that has you so upset? I don’t see you as looking up random things just because you have accesses. Looks like you have a good selection here.  Looks like you have been busy, now if I’m not giving you time to study for the tests remind me that you have them. Once we get going I’m likely to forget that you have other demands on your time.”

Yuma said. “I have most of my work done for the semester, so that will help. It is mostly just going to be a matter of reviewing my notes before the tests once I get these last few papers finished up. This one is dealing with HIV and I am trying to find out what it was that the magic did that let the cure work. However it looks as though no one has any idea why it worked. It seems as though no one was keeping any records at all. That does explain why they keep the treatment methods as required learning, and the drugs on hand. Judging by this there is no way to be sure it is not just dormant. There is no real evidence that a cure was found, just reports that after a certain date the virus was no longer found. It is very strange, it doesn’t read like the information is classified, just that it isn’t there.  I do hope that there has been some more investigations done that I just am not able to find. I haven’t looked at the classified documents, in fact I hadn’t even checked to see what my clearance was until John asked me to sign in incase he needed to bump it up for the trails.”

Clive smiled a bit. “Maybe you can find something more when you go overseas. Just how did you end up with a paper on HIV? I would think that would have stayed to the older students. So how are your folks really doing? They don’t seem to be upset, but are they?”

Yuma said. “I don’t know, it doesn’t read like one of the holes caused by the lost documents, and everything says that amerce was leading the researcher, but it is hard to know. They did take credit for things they didn’t do, and lay blame for what they did on other nations. It was a random draw rather than assigned topics. I am just glad that I had already gotten permission to buy my computer. I hate to think of the fit Tulip would have if she stumbled upon this paper. Father truly does seem to be alright with it, for all at first he wasn’t. I think he was just impressed with the offers as I was and the fact that I didn’t rush into it helped. Mother is upset that I took the test, she didn’t like that I was going east or studying pre-med. However, she isn’t going to go against Father. I don’t know how she reacted when she fully realized that I said I was going. She didn’t quite hear me at the time, and it was the day I moved here.”

Clive smiled a bit and sat down, pulling the stack to him. There were some in here he did want to review as well as see what she had marked as relevant. “Well done, that will give her enough time to be used to it by the time you are there. She always has been worried about appearances, I was just sure she was trying to convince it didn’t look right. Do you know any of the defendants other than the Murphy girl? Do you think you can help with that case or are you going to be involved?”

Yuma said. “I will be fine with looking up anything that needs to be, and will be in the room, but I had best be in the audience for that one. Mrs. Murphy is already blaming me for everything, seeing me with the jury would make her sure I was directing the verdict. However you need to know that two of my friends, members of my study group, have been called for the jury. Also I am one of the tipsters. My name is on nothing and all I know is that some were going to be meeting there that night, and it just sounded wrong. There is nothing that will make it a conflict in either case, but I thought it best if you knew.”

Clive smiled a bit, good she had looked it up. “I knew you were one of the reporters that isn’t a problem. I didn’t know that you had friends that had been called, but then I don’t know who has been called. It is common for that to be the case and has never been an issue. So how often does your study group meet?”

“Twice a week this semester, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, I have asked if we could meet here during the sequester, as it will be so close to finales. John said he didn’t think it would be an issue as long as there was a monitor in the room, but would check with the judge once the trials start. Now tomorrow I am going to be gone all day, I have clinic sift in the morning, study group in the afternoon, then back to the clinic. I have already explained I won’t be in during the trials, but I need to go tomorrow to finish up the hours I need for my Med-Tec cert. There should have been a copy of my classes on your desk, not that the times will matter once they are recorded. The exams will be arranged around the trial breaks, so that is all set.”