Judy

Jude draws back her hand as if to fend off the bills. "It's fine, Alex. I can manage. It's not as if this isn't of any concern to me, either." You can't, you know. You're eating for two—three now. And taking on more work for yourself at the same time? It had better pay something...

I'll manage, she thinks firmly to herself. Worst comes to worst, I'll... The thought trails off—she doesn't know. Whatever I do, it'll be something useful, not asking for charity from friends. And nothing illegal. I'm well out of that, and I intend to stay that way. Maybe there's some way I can put a second body to use. "Where do I come into this, then?" she asks, partly to try to distract herself from the question of her finances and partly to try to distract Alex from the same thing. "I was here to check up on Balchem's competition to see who they might have been acquiring items from, but none of them are local. I'm not sure I can really get anywhere that way."