The practical upshot of all this was that Artemisia had two hundred scudi-about $10,000 in USE paper money-to sustain her and her household in Grantville for a few months, an advance on the commissions the pope had given her. She had a letter of credit for an additional twelve hundred scudi she could access once the altarpiece and painting were finished and work began on the frescoes. To show her appreciation for Jabe's efforts, Artemisia paid for dinner at the Thuringen Gardens.
When they left, the plan was to join Tino and Vivian Nobili for dessert at their house. It was a Saturday night, the Gardens was at its busiest and dessert with the Nobilis would be a chance for quiet conversation. As soon as they got outside, Artemisia noticed a couple arguing in front of a rather disreputable-looking establishment across the street from the Thuringen Gardens.
Jabe recognized the man's voice. "Ronnie Murray. He's a drunk and a bully." The scorn in the young man's voice surprised Artemisia; it didn't seem to fit with his nature, as she'd gotten to know him over the last few days. From the look on Prudentia's face, she was a little surprised as well.
"Let's go," Jabe urged. "He probably won't hit Sherry. Odds are he's so trashed he won't even remember this tomorrow." If not for Ronnie's choice of words, Artemisia might have agreed and kept on walking. However…
Ronnie's words echoed in her mind and became something else: "She was wild and leading a bad life… she was a whore, and her father didn't know how to remedy this… she told me her father wanted to use her exactly as if she were his wife… she flirted out of her window so much you'd have thought her house was a bordello."
These words flared inside Artemisia Gentileschi, erupting from a core of rage that remained at the center of her, even though it had been nearly a quarter-century since those lies had been directed against her in open court. Without being fully aware of what she was doing, Artemisia marched toward the argument. She spared only a quick glance back at Jabe; he was frozen, as if he couldn't decide what he should do.
Drunk and furious as Ronnie was, it took the brute a moment to realize she was even there. He tailed off in disbelief-he seemed shocked that someone had actually gotten involved.
"Monster! Bastarde! Leave her alone!"
Ronnie Murray found himself looking not at his cowering wife but at a very determined woman, a total stranger to him. Artemisia had never been petite but at forty-one the stockiness of middle age had long since set in; clearly she was not a tiny female inclined to back down against the likes of a cowardly bully. If looks could have killed, Artemisia's dark eyes, burning with fury, would have been deadly weapons.
"Mind your own goddamned business, bitch," Ronnie growled. "Or I'll give you what I'm gonna give her."
Eerily calm, Artemisia pulled out the knife she always carried with her, ever since… that day. Ladylike it was not, but she long ago determined that whoever tried to do to her what Agostino Tassi had done would pay. Dearly.
Fortunately for Ronnie two local constables chose that moment to arrive.
Marvin Tipton and Jurgen Neubert were technically off duty. Marvin had just received news that he was to be a grandfather, and Jurgen had insisted they have a drink together when their shift was done. When the disturbance call went out over the radio, Marvin told the dispatcher he and Jurgen would handle it, as they were already on their way to the Gardens. Marvin had to suppress a smile when he saw a woman holding a knife on Ronnie Murray.
"Okay, what's going on here?" Marvin asked.
He almost wished he hadn't asked the question. Ronnie started up with his rambling, drunken, profanity-laced version of events; Artemisia, reverting to her native language under stress, was trying to talk over Ronnie, ably backed by her two daughters. Jabe McDougal was trying to say what he had seen. Sherry Murray, Marvin noted, was the only one not saying anything.
"QUIET!" When everyone had fallen silent, Marvin continued: "Jurgen, why don't you take the ladies to the station in the cruiser? I'll find somewhere better to talk to Ronnie. Sergeant McDougal?" asked Marvin, turning to Jabe.
"Yes sir?"
"See the girls home. Where can I get hold of you?"
"I think I'll wait with Prudentia and her sister at the Nobilis' house, Officer Tipton," Jabe said.
"Good. I'll call you there when we're done." With that, Marvin led Ronnie back toward the Club 250, and Jurgen escorted Artemisia and Sherry to the patrol car.
Marvin caught up with Jurgen at the station about an hour later. The two women were nowhere to be seen. "They are at Leahy Medical Center. Herr Doktor Adams is examining Frau Murray," Jurgen said. "It seemed to me correct procedure after Frau Murray told me what happened. I told Herr Doktor we would meet him at the medical center after you returned."
"You can fill me in on the way, I guess. So much for a drink at the Gardens."
Jurgen gave Marvin the complete story, recounting his report. Sherry had broken down once they'd arrived at the station, and the whole story came pouring out, more to the woman with her than to Jurgen. A few nights before Ed Piazza's embassy departed for Rome, there had been a party.
As Marvin drove, Jurgen continued reading from Sherry's statement: "There was this young kraut-Marine, I think. He looked good. Ronnie hasn't… well, the kraut looked good, like I said. We were pretty smashed, we went off alone and things started getting kinda hot and heavy. I was into it, y'know, I was liking it. But when he started getting under my shirt, I started thinking what if Ronnie found out? And I told the guy I wanted to stop. But he wouldn't. He just kept on… he wouldn't stop." His partner looked at him, his face full of concern. "Marvin, she started crying then, and I could not get any more information, but it was clear she should go to the medical center."
"You were right. What about the Italian lady?"
Jurgen couldn't resist a wide smile. "Artemisia Gentileschi, famous artist; she's painted for kings. She said I had an interesting face, and she might want to sketch me!"
Somehow Marvin wasn't surprised that his partner knew who this Artemisia whoever was. Jurgen had a deep curiosity about the world, and Marvin knew for a fact he spent a lot of his free time in the library. He even took his cousin's family there on weekly outings. If Jurgen Neubert were up-time, Marvin thought, he'd probably go on Jeopardy! and win a bunch of money.
"And what about you, Marvin? What of Herr Murray?" asked Jurgen.
"Well, I think I talked Ronnie into not pressing charges against Ms. Gentileschi." Judging from Jurgen's expression, Marvin figured he hadn't mangled the woman's name too badly "He could always change his mind, but I told him it was a waste of time."
"Frau Gentileschi did pull a knife on him. That is a violation." Jurgen was one of the most by-the-book officers Marvin had ever worked with.
"Maybe. But a judge or jury wouldn't convict. She wasn't even really threatening Ronnie with it; she was just making him think twice. Even Ronnie admitted as much."
They'd arrived at Leahy Medical Center. Jurgen parked the car, and the officers headed inside. Marvin paused before opening the door.
"Mark my words, Jurgen. If Sherry's story is even close to true, there's going to be a world of trouble."
"Well, Sherry's definitely pregnant," said Dr. Jeffrey Adams as he came into the office where Marvin and Jurgen were waiting for him. "Ten to twelve weeks, probably, based on when she thinks her last period was. Hard to tell exactly without doing an ultrasound, which I can't do."
"Was she violated, Herr Doktor?" asked Jurgen.
"She says she was. Medically? There's no way to tell, not now. If she'd gotten an exam right away, we might have been able to say, but nearly three months later?" He shrugged.