Lil Snigger had sent a letter to Barnabus Cuffe, the Daily Prophet editor known for exploding in fury on a Daily Basis?

"What? Really? Is she going after all the important, easily vexed people? I don't understand," Abby laughed. By important, she certainly did not mean herself, mere personal assistant, but the strange references to her boss and even to the Minister of Magic that she'd decided not to respond to in a letter. No, she was doing exactly as asked. Photos of Carstairs. With ducks!
 
Niobe Thursby, however, seemed less interested in the glitter letters, and fixated back on Mr. Spectre.

Abby looked unconcerned as she moved down the aisle, pausing to glance at the raven beak that talked about pie. Mm, pie!

"Well, he wrote a letter to his son. I stayed in the room a while, standing guard," she raised her eyebrows at Niobe, acknowledging the joke in that statement. "I did look into contacting Mr. Spectre's fiance, but he was out of the country."

The wizard who'd entered the shop a few minutes after her stepped up to the counter with an armful of meditating skulls. Good choice, Abby nodded in approval.

"And right, Mrs. Lanningham - Spectre's P.A. - arranged bail for him."[1]

She smiled. "So I guess that answers some of your earlier questions."

1.	verified by Nuri!

Bail? So Spectre had been properly arrested. That was a detail that would now be easily enough confirmed. There was still more to verify - if any charges were filed, if he had to appear before the Wizengamot - but now the story was beginning to knit together.

Niobe didn't know Balfour Spectre at all. She didn't know he mirrored her own reckless professionalism, or that he had a taste for journalism and controversy not unlike her own. She didn't know that they'd probably get along swimmingly, really. But Balfour Spectre wasn't really the subject of her snooping. It was all the forces that swirled around him.

"I guess it does!" Niobe laughed. She shook her head and adjusted her hair, marveling a little on how well this had turned out.  She had the information she needed, and just maybe another friendly contact on Level Two. It would depend on making sure Abby didn't get any heat for having talked to her.

Niobe shook her head and adjusted her hair. "Bones, Abby, you've been absolutely a sport. Really helpful. I feel like I owe you one."

She kind of did. But more than that, Abby might be a wishing well Niobe could return to again.

Abby smiled and hefted her basket onto the counter for the shop owner to ring up. Niobe Thursby was nice, friendly, got on well with Trevelyan, but it was really all the things that she hadn't done that Abby appreciated. She hadn't nosed into Abby's personal life, commented on her courage for being out alone, pretended cloying concern, marveled over her chipper demeanor, or made a huge fuss over her new job which translated to shock that a squib could get it. And though she was clearly looking into whether Department Heads were being treated the same as everyone else, she hadn't dragged Raine into it or even mentioned Balfour's son. That spoke volumes about her.

"How's this: next time we run into each other at Alohomocha, buy me a coffee and we'll call it even."

Extra sugar! Though that went without saying.