No time like the present, right?
Adam and Juno got to work digging up dirt on Marla Grayson.
It wasn't hard.
A quick peek at court records did the trick.
Marla Grayson's been making waves as a rising star among professional guardians lately. In just a short time, she's racked up an impressive list of cases.
Numbers don't lie.
Not every case had Dr. Karen Amos providing the medical proof, and not every ruling came from Judge Judy Loomis.
But those two? They're in 80-90% of the records. Way too obvious to miss.
"She's definitely sharp," Juno said with a grin. "It's not all lonely old ladies—some have kids, and they're the classic deadbeat type. Great cover."
"Yeah," Adam nodded. "Those ungrateful kids just prove why 'professional guardians' like her are 'needed.' Mixes truth with lies—hard to tell what's what. Gives the doctors and judges more wiggle room too."
"She's still in the early stages," Juno analyzed. "So far, only Dr. Karen Amos is a sure bet as her partner-in-crime. She probably came to our hospital to build connections, looking to expand her network of go-to doctors."
"Sounds about right," Adam sighed.
He wasn't worried about Dr. Shephard going down that road.
Shephard's the type who's loaded—family money, plus his own skills. Cash doesn't sway him.
But Marla? She could use her tie to Shephard to cozy up to other doctors.
Shephard wouldn't fall, but others might.
"Let's move fast," Juno said, reassuring him. "We won't let her taint more doctors or drag down the noble rep of the profession."
"Absolutely!" Adam perked up. 😊 "Let's start with Dr. Karen Amos as the center and scope out the solo seniors near her."
"I'll handle it," Juno offered. "I'll hit up Caroline—say it's for a research paper. She can pull data on all the solo seniors in New York. With her cred, it's totally legit."
"Smart move!" Adam's eyes lit up.
Juno's already working on that system for Caroline—balancing heart and humanity. Needing data on New York's solo seniors to argue its importance? Makes perfect sense.
And Caroline's in the eldercare biz—knowing the market's just part of the gig.
Once they've got it, Adam and crew can zero in on the files around Dr. Karen Amos's clinic.
No good targets? They'll widen the net from there.
All hush-hush, ninja-style. 😏
Emmm.
Sure, Adam's acting like he's leading the charge this time, but somehow, Juno and Karen ended up handling almost everything.
Between his regular work, Adam couldn't help but laugh at himself whenever it crossed his mind.
One Week Later
Juno and Karen finally got all the data and pulled the files near Dr. Karen Amos's clinic.
A massive stack.
This was where Adam finally stepped up.
His job? Memorize every detail.
Then, in his head, he cross-checked it all, hunting for the tiniest clues, narrowing it down.
Wherever someone's been, they leave traces.
Adam's super-brain could spot those hints faster than you can blink.
The future's uncertain, but right now? His mind's outpacing any computer, hands down.
Soon, he flagged seven suspicious, squeaky-clean old-timers.
Then he sat with Juno to analyze those seven.
Over the next week, Juno and Karen followed up.
Paper's one thing, but if these people were shady, no amount of cover could hide the vibe. Juno's eyes would catch it.
"It's her!" Juno declared. "Jennifer Peterson!"
"Her?" Adam pulled up the info. "Moved here from Chicago a year ago. Bought a fancy villa in the Williams community—full cash. Stellar credit, no bad marks, no debt, no criminal record, never married.
Worked 40 years at a financial firm in Chicago. Three savings accounts raking in fat interest. Loves movies, books, gardening—the perfect independent woman life."
"On paper, sure," Juno smirked. "Even meeting her, you'd probably think the same. But watch her long enough, and you'll catch that sharp, cold edge slipping out. She's no sweet old lady—she's dangerous."
"Finance folks can have that vibe, right?" Adam hesitated. "Like Martin Channing—the real king of killers."
"Trust me, it's different," Juno said, shaking her head. She slid a newspaper across to him. "I knew you'd worry about picking the wrong one, so after I pegged her, I dug deeper.
Surprise, surprise—this lady's not Jennifer Peterson.
The real Jennifer Peterson died 60 years ago from polio at three months and nine days. Here's the obit."
"She stole a dead kid's identity," Adam realized.
"It's slick," Juno warned. "Passport, driver's license, work history—40 years of tax records. She scrubbed every trace of the real Jennifer, even the death certificate.
Without this old paper, officially, she never had polio. She 'lived' to 18, went to college, worked, and retired.
Flawless record.
Even without a big crew behind her, she's a top-tier criminal. And the kind who's seen blood.
Tossing her into Marla's sights? It's gonna be one hell of a show."
"Shame," Adam said, eyeing the paper with a shake of his head. "We won't get to see it live."
"With your imagination—characters, plot, all there—can't you just picture it?" Juno teased.
"It's not the same," Adam laughed. "Imagining it can't beat the real deal unfolding."
"Be grateful," Karen finally chimed in, rolling her eyes. "What, you want us risking our necks to tail them and film it live for you?"
"Just saying!" Adam backpedaled with a grin. "Imagining's plenty. I'm good—super good!"
He barely lifted a finger—Juno and Karen did all the heavy lifting. No room to complain there!
Over Here
Adam's team wrapped up their prep, locking in Jennifer Peterson as the target.
Over There
Dr. Karen Amos, nudged by Juno's subtle moves, turned her greedy eyes to this juicy prize.
She hadn't dug yet, but once she did? Mind blown.
This was a whale like she'd never seen.
Compared to Jennifer Peterson, her past gigs were peanuts.
And with this score, she could flip her weak "sip-the-soup" position. She'd demand a cut of Marla's Golden Sun Nursing Home shares—move up to eating the meat, not just scraps.
"Marla, it's me. Any beds open at Golden Sun? I've got some good news…"
After wrestling with it, Dr. Karen Amos gave in to her greed and dialed Marla Grayson.
(Chapter End)