helped me with the Father’s blindfold, lifting it off him — and the look on the man’s face, the gratitude and relief, overwhelmed me. Uncle Bob looked back at me, his expression so soft, so concerned, that I jumped into his arms and held on as long as I dared. He wrapped me in a hug that was like heaven, only less glitzy.
It must have been the relief. Of being alive. Of finding Father Federico. Of bringing Price down. While I let myself wallow in the warmth of Ubie’s hug, I fought the tears that threatened to surface with every ounce of my being. This was no time for tears. I could be such a girl.
Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I knew it was Garrett’s.
“So, can I go watch the strippers now?”
I peeked over Ubie’s shoulder at a grinning, wingless Angel. I would have hugged him, too, but it looked odd when I hugged the dead in public.
“He pulled my tie,” Uncle Bob said when I asked him how he found us.
“Angel pulled your tie?”
“Led me right to you.”
We sat in the conference room at the station, watching the tape of Benny Price’s confession. It was ridiculously late, and we’d replayed the video about seven thousand times already. I think Garrett was watching it for the shots of the girls. They seemed to get along well.
“I gotta tell you, Davidson, I’m impressed,” he said, his eyes glued to the screen. “That took balls.”
“Please,” I said with a snort, “that took ovaries. Of which I have two.”
He turned to me, a new appreciation lighting his face. “Have I mentioned that I’m a licensed gynecologist? If your ovaries ever need anything…”
With a roll of my eyes, I rose from the table and hobbled barefoot to the door. While I was hiding the fact that I’d pretty much had my neck broken during Price’s attempted getaway, I couldn’t hide the fact that I’d twisted my ankle walking back to the van. Damned stilettos. So now my neck and my ankle were killing me.
In the meantime, Barber and Elizabeth popped in to say they’d found Father Federico. He was at the hospital. They were only a little disappointed when I told them he was there because we took him there. He wasn’t in the best condition, but he’d live.
All in all, it had been a very good day. We had the flash drive, the video, and Father Federico’s testimony. Benny Price would likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Or at least a healthy chunk of it. Of course, he’d have to learn to use his left hand, I thought with a chuckle.
And Uncle Bob would take all the credit, but that was simply how it had to be. Still, my becoming a private investigator really helped in the cover department. We no longer had to make up excuses to explain why I was at a crime scene or what kind of
“You never told me their names,” Garrett called to me.
I turned back and raised my brows in question.
An evil grin spread across Garrett’s face. “You introduced me to Danger and Will Robinson, but you neglected to acquaint me with the other two.” His gaze strayed down to my abdomen.
“Fine,” I said with an impatient sigh. “But you can’t make fun of their names. They’re very sensitive.”
He showed his palms. “I would never.”
After I subjected him to a warning scowl, I pointed in the general vicinity of my left ovary, “This is Beam Me Up.” Then to my right. “And this is Scotty.”
Garrett chuckled and buried his face in his hands. He asked.
“Wait for me,” Uncle Bob said. He’d offered to drive me home, since my foot was wrapped and packed in ice.
“Good job, Davidson,” one of the officers said as I walked out. The skeleton crew that was manning the station stood and offered smiles and nods of approval. Their way of saying congratulations. After years of living on the receiving end of hostile looks and snide remarks, it was a little disturbing.
“We’ll get your Jeep to you tomorrow,” Garrett said, following us out. He helped me into Ubie’s SUV and made sure I buckled my seat belt before closing the door. “Good job,” he mouthed as we drove out of the lot. It was all getting a little creepy.
Once back in my apartment, I felt a thousand times better. I hadn’t realized how tired I was. Uncle Bob helped me in and waited while I changed into my pj’s so he could check my ankle one more time.
The lawyers met me in my bedroom after I’d changed.
“We did it,” Elizabeth said, an excited glow lighting her face.
“Yes, we did.” I stepped into her arms for a frosty hug.
“So, what now?” Barber asked.
I looked at him almost sadly. “Now you cross.”
Elizabeth turned, stepped toward him. “Well, if you ever get by that way, I’m in the first grave on the right of that new addition.”
He chuckled. “I’m way on the other side. My funeral was … nice.”
“Mine, too.”
“I might be wrong,” I said, trying not to laugh, “so don’t come back and haunt me or anything, but I’m pretty sure you guys will see each other where you’re going. I have a strong suspicion friends and loved ones are very close over there.”
“It’s so strange,” Elizabeth said. “I feel like I want to go now. Almost like I don’t have a choice.”
“I feel the same way,” Barber said. He took her hand as if to anchor himself to the spot.
“The pull is strong,” I explained. “Why do you think there aren’t more of you on Earth? It’s warm and it’s alluring, and it’s where you need to be.”
They looked at each other and smiled. Without another word, they were gone.
Crossings from my perspective were a little like watching people disappear before my eyes. I felt them as they drifted through me. Their emotions. Their fears. Their hopes and dreams. But I had yet to feel hatred, animosity, or jealousy. Mostly, I felt an overwhelming sense of love. Every time someone crossed, my faith in humanity grew.
Elizabeth had left everything she had to her nieces and nephew, and a few years ago, Barber had taken out an enormous life insurance policy. His mother was going to be a very rich woman. Though I was certain she would rather have had her son, I hoped it would offer her a little comfort. He’d ended up writing his mother a letter after all, like Elizabeth and Sussman, and while his was a little less … poignant, I felt certain his mother would appreciate it.
I turned to Sussman. “What about you?”
He’d been staring out my window. He lowered his head. “I can’t leave.”
“Patrick, they’ll be fine.”
“I know. I’ll go, just not yet.”
He disappeared before I could say anything else.
“Hey, pumpkin head.”
Turning to Aunt Lillian, I almost screamed aloud when I saw who she was with. Instead, I forced a smile and said, “Hey, Aunt Lil, Mr. Habersham.” Mr. Habersham was the dead guy from 2B for whom I’d invented the transcendental pest repellent.
They were all googly and giggly, and I threw up a little in my mouth.
But Aunt Lillian had the sweetest look on her soft, wrinkly face. “We’re going down to the Margarita Grill to smell the lobster, then we’re going to watch the sunrise, and in between we’ll probably have hot, unsafe animal sex.”
Wh-what? Even my internal dialogue stuttered. I couldn’t believe what she’d just said. Does the Margarita Grill even serve lobster? “ ’Kay, Aunt Lil, have fun!”
All right, I’ll admit it, the thought of those two having hot, unsafe animal sex was a bit creepy, especially since my aunt didn’t have any teeth, but honestly, their body temperatures were just below freezing. How hot could it get?
I hobbled back into the living room, wondering if I should tell Ubie what his great-aunt was up to, then decided against it.
