There was a story walking out of Diamond City. Nick kicked the story out of his house and now Piper needed to chase her down. Piper was glad Ellie asked her to leave so quickly. She didn’t think she ever saw Nick’s assistant so angry before, but that was just gossip. This story, this new woman, she would have something Piper could sink her teeth into.

Who was this woman? How did she know Nick, and what was their fight really about? And who was this associate they both seemed to know? If anyone was going to find these things out, it was going to be Piper.

Piper tried to run down this person. She was already out of sight when Piper got out of Nick’s office. As soon as she got to the marketplace, Piper could see the woman walking casually down the walkway.

“Hey! Wait up!” Piper called.

The woman stopped and turned around right in front of Nat. She seemed completely indifferent, but Piper was used to reading people. The way her lips slightly pressed together, the slight shifting in her shoulders, she was trying to read Piper right back. Piper couldn’t really blame her, she did seem to have some bad blood with Nick, and Piper was associated with him. Nat went quiet, she knew when to sell papers, and when to let her big sister chase down a story.

“Hi, my name’s Piper Wright,” Piper introduced herself. “Editor of Publick Occurrences. Here, have a copy of my latest issue.” Piper took a copy from Nat and handed it to this woman. She wasn’t sure if the stranger was familiar with The Publick Occurrences. Piper never met her before, but that didn’t mean that she never heard of the paper before.

She quietly took the issue from Piper and looked at the cover page. There was a moment of silence until she looked up making eye contact with Piper. “Shine on, local reporter investigates best moonshine in Diamond City?”

“News has been slow recently,” Piper gave in. “That’s the problem with being a journalist. You work to bring corruption to the people’s attention, trying to destroy the corruption. Once you succeed, then you’re suddenly out of a job. But you can’t let your guard down. Oh no, because once you do, that’s when new corruption pops up again.”

“So, you report on a paint thinner based drink to fill the void?” the woman concluded for Piper as she flipped though the paper idly, looking like she was gaging the size of the article more than reading it.

Piper was starting to understand why Nick didn’t like her. “I’ll admit, it’s not my best story.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Maybe Nick was right trying to have this woman leave Diamond City. “Anyway, I was thinking, you have probably seen things. Being from out of town. Maybe you can tell me who this Lupin guy is.”

The shorter woman stood there and just listened. Her expression barely changed while Piper talked, until she mentioned the name Lupin. Then she started smiling. It seemed open, but distant, like she was remembering good times with a good friend.

“I’m very fond of him. He’s associated with Maurice Lee Blank. But I think I’ve said too much. You seem cleaver, I’m sure you can figure out the rest with that much information.”

Piper was furiously writing notes as this woman talked. “You said his associate was Blank?” Piper asked.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Lee Blank,” the woman concurred. “L-E-B-L-A-N-C,” She spelled slowly and hesitatingly, like she was trying to remember how to spell the name correctly.

Piper was relieved that she spelled so slowly, it made it easier for her to get the spelling correct.

“Is that all you wanted?”

“Would you like to leave a quote about this Lupin guy? Or even say anything about your time in Diamond City? You’ll get to see your name in the paper,” Piper said.

“I do not want to be associated with anything you might find out about those men,” she responded.

Piper could understand this tired looking woman’s hesitation. Nick had a way of getting tangled with shady characters, and it sounded like these two men were no different. “Well, thank you very much for the tip. I’ll see to it you get a copy of the article that I will publish.”

“I will be looking forward to the results,” she said in a way that led Piper to feel like that was the most genuine thing she had said since they met.

“May I have your name?” Piper finally got around to asking.

“Marian!” Piper heard Ellie call.

The armed woman moved around Piper so that the reporter was no longer between them. Marian stood there quietly, waiting for Nick’s secretary.

“I’m glad I was able to catch you. I have a job for you,” Ellie said.

Marian visibly seemed to soften as she watched Ellie approach. “That was fast, you weren’t kidding when you said that you could help me.”

“More like you’re helping us,” Ellie corrected. “There is a settler who just hired Nick, and she could use some protection getting back to Warwick.”

“Does she know my situation?” Marian asked.

“She does, and she still wants to hire you.”

Marian stared into space for a moment, she looked towards Ellie, but not quite at her. “Does she have a place to stay tonight?”

“She’ll be staying at the Dugout Inn.”

“Ok, tell her to meet me here in the morning,” Marian gestured at the bench next to Dr. Sun’s clinic, “and I’ll escort her home.”

“Why not come back with me and let her know yourself?” Ellie asked. “She probably would like to see you before she hires you.”

“No,” Marian insisted. “Your boss kicked me out of his house, I don’t respect him, but I will respect his home.”

Ellie looked a little disappointed. Piper wasn’t sure why Ellie would want Marian to return to Nick after the scene those two made minutes ago. Piper wasn’t sure why that scene happened either.

“I’ll let her know then, thank you,” Ellie started turning around.

“I hope to be able to spend time with you if I ever return to Diamond City,” Marian said.

“I do hope you will come back,” Ellie said. “Can I at least offer you breakfast before you leave tomorrow?”

Marian’s smile grew wider and more genuine. “I would really enjoy that. Where would you like to meet?”

“How about at Takahashi’s Noodles?” Ellie asked pointing toward the defective protectron.

“That sounds delicious. I will meet you there.”

Marian and Ellie exchanged a smile before Nick’s secretary turned and hurried back to the Valentine Detective Agency. Piper made a mental note to go back to Nick’s office to see if there may be a story for her to chase down.

“I hope you got everything you wanted from that conversation,” Marian quipped.

Piper looked at her and saw the flat look Marian was giving her. Suddenly Piper realized that Marian knew exactly how much information she was giving the reporter, and it really wasn’t enough for a story of any kind. Piper was suddenly questioning if she would ever get to see this new woman again, making a story of any real quality about her impossible.

“You might have more luck about the Rust Devil attack that happened as I got here,” Marian said offhandedly before walking away.

Piper stood for a moment, taking in what she just heard. “Oh, umm, thanks,” she said hesitantly to the retreating back before she hurried behind Marian to talk to Danny.

"What is the best drink brewed in the Commonwealth? Read today's story and find out!" Nat yelled as Piper ran away.

A story about the increasing Rust Devil attacks may help pad the news until Piper found the information, she needed for the real stories that Marian gave her. She would find out about Lupin, and Leblanc, and blow the cover on those men.

But the real story had to be Marian. Marian had secrets; Piper was sure of it. When Marian comes back to Diamond City, Piper was going to find those secrets and expose this woman for what she really was. Secrets don’t last long around Piper, and someone who is manipulating Ellie to get to Nick was inexcusable. Piper will find out what Marian had against Nick and protect both him and Ellie from this dangerous and secretive woman.