“We’ll get to that later. We’re aware of many of the facts, but there are a few details that you two will need to fill in for us. But you two can rest assured that neither of you are in trouble,” Agent Booth said. “I’m actually here on another matter entirely.”
“What is it?” Ness asked.
“It’s about your Dad,” Agent Booth already looked sorrowful.
“What happened?” Ness asked.
Agent Booth took a deep breath. “It appears that the En Passant Killer went after him first before he went after the two of you in the woods. He killed him.”
Wyatt laid his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes.
“I am truly sorry for your loss. I didn’t know him personally, but the police community held him in very high regard. I’ve discussed it with the town council in North Utica and we strongly suggested that you move into the role of acting sheriff until the elections next year; in spite of everything that’s happened, they should be giving you a call very soon.”
“I’ll let you two rest. We’ll be in touch about the rest of the details, and we’ll let you know when we identify the pieces of his body from the blast,” Booth said, walking out the door.
Ness started crying—she placed her head on her brother’s chest as she cried. En Passant had truly taken everything that he could from her.
29
3 weeks later . . .
Ness and Wyatt stood under the large maple tree in North Utica’s cemetery, and they looked at the gravestones sitting in front of them. They stood in silence for several minutes as they choked back the tears.
“He was supposed to be safe at the Inn,” Wyatt said. His arm was still in a sling after the bolt pierced his shoulder and tore through his muscles.
“I’m so sorry, Wyatt. All of this was my fault,” Ness wiped the tears from her eyes.
“No, Ness. You are just as much a victim here as any of the rest of us. Eddie Rose manipulated you into thinking that everything he was teaching was for your benefit. He wanted this. This is all on him,” Wyatt placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Wyatt, I’m going to turn myself in. It’s the right thing to do,” Ness said and straightened her posture as she regained her composure.
“No, you’re not,” Wyatt whispered.
“But it’s only a matter of time until the police in Chicago link the crimes committed there to me. They might be more lenient if I turn myself in, and I might get a reduced sentence,” Ness said, moving the grass with her shoe.
“There’s nothing linking you to the crimes. I made sure of it.”
“But, how is that possible?” Ness narrowed her eyes at Wyatt.
“That buddy of mine in the Major Crimes Unit swapped out your hair follicles with some we found in Eddie’s house. As far as the police in Chicago are concerned, Eddie Rose murdered Henry Martin, and he died in a tragic cabin fire in the woods,” Wyatt smiled at her.
“How did you get Eddie’s hair?” Ness seemed overwhelmed with emotions and unanswered questions.
“Well, when you burned the house down, the blaze didn’t destroy all of the house. Some of the master bedroom and bathroom were still intact. Robert Wilcox managed to find a brush in the bathroom that belonged to Eddie, and he swapped out the samples in evidence.”
“Why would he do that for me?”
“Well, he owed me a favor and was more than happy to help us out, considering that was the guy that killed Mom,” Wyatt looked back at the gravestones.
“So, what happens now? Everything has changed so much,” Ness said.
“Now we try and find a new sense of normal in our lives. You can keep the house and Dad’s truck, or we can look at selling them, if you prefer. Anyway, that’s not something we need to think about now. I’ve been elected as sheriff until the next election, and Lindsay is on a long road to recovery,” Wyatt cleared his throat. “Speaking of which, I’d really appreciate it if you stayed with us on a semi-permanent basis. Lindsay is going to need quite a bit of help getting rehabilitated, and with me needing to go to work as the new sheriff, there will be times that I will be away from home. I don’t want to leave her alone,” Wyatt shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
“Of course, I will,” Ness leaned in and hugged Wyatt. “Everything is going to be ok. Eddie is dead, and we will find our new normal. It’s what they would have wanted for us. They wouldn’t want us to sit around and mope. They would want us to get on with our lives and lead happy ones at that, Ness smiled at her brother to try and lift his spirits.
“Let’s get out of here. There’s an upcoming press conference about the death of the En Passant Killer, and many people are going to want to talk to us and find out what happened,” Wyatt said.
Ness nodded and walked forward to the gravestones. She held four red roses in her hand and laid one for each of her parents and grandparents. She blew a kiss to them and walked back with Wyatt.
“Wyatt, can I ask you something?” Ness walked beside him.
“Sure.”
“Are you sure that Eddie was killed in the explosion?”
Wyatt touched her arm, and they stopped walking. “Why would you think that he wasn’t?”
“I don’t know.
