“I had to,” she said softly. “I had to. They might have died, Griffin. Helena and Alex, not to mention others.”
“I know.”
“Please understand. I mean, I’m sure I have to pass some tests, but I am young, healthy, fairly bright—”
“Some of the time.”
“Amusing! Griffin, I need to go to the academy.”
“You’re damned right.”
“What?”
“Well, let’s face it. I’ve figured out that it is truly a thankless job, trying to keep you out of trouble. If you’re going to keep on getting into trouble, it’s going to make a hell of a lot of sense for you to go through the academy and work with other agents, especially other Krewe agents.”
She laughed and kissed him.
And kissed him...
And they began to work at each other’s clothing.
“Quiet...” Vickie murmured.
“Thin walls...”
Clothing fell away. It had seldom seemed quite as incredible just to feel her naked flesh against the heat and vitality of Griffin’s body, Vickie thought.
Making love...
Such an affirmation of life!
A sound of sheer pleasure escaped her.
She gasped and admonished herself. “Quiet!”
And he came to her and whispered softly, “Whatever!”
They laughed, and the night went on.
*
They found the treasure—Ezekiel Martin’s family trove—the following day. The amount of jewels, jeweled crosses, bracelets, necklaces and more that were found in a chest couldn’t even be given an approximate value until they were studied.
A number of the plundered relics were clearly from Catholic churches.
So much for Satan.
Riches had been worshipped, and nothing more.
A week later, they talked about it—back at the coffee shop where Audrey was no longer working, and where the Dearborn duo would no longer play.
It was a charming group—they’d met there before heading to dinner.
Rocky and Devin were there, of course. And Alex—with Helena. They were now a couple, one with an exceptional bond that probably would never be broken.
And Roxanne was there—with Officer Jim Tracy.
She and Alex thought that it was tremendously funny that Vickie had never intended to fix up the two of them.
“What really happened?” Alex asked Vickie. “I mean...you heard me calling to you, didn’t you? You knew right away I was in trouble.”
“I heard something, yes,” Vickie said. “Some of it was intuition. And logic. You’re just not rude enough to stand a girl up.”
Alex laughed. “Thank you for that.” He looked over at Helena. “I thought I was seeing a ghost.”
“And it was me!” Helena said. She shivered. “And I was so close to being a ghost!”
“But one thing is still confusing. You were seen with Milton Hanson,” Devin said. “The Milner brothers saw you with him.”
“It was Hanson, right?” Roxanne said. “Our sketches are good!” She squeezed Jim Tracy’s hand.
“I never knew his name. We were both just pumping gas. He was making conversation. He said he was there looking into the cult murders. I didn’t even really know about them. I think that Milton Hanson is a jerk—a bit of a lecher—but I do believe now he was trying to find Alex, and maybe have the prestige of finding Jehovah, too. But he was no killer.”
Griffin glanced at Vickie. She shrugged and smiled.
“Well, it’s over,” she said. “Oh! Except who took you, Helena? You were kidnapped by the cult, right? I mean, we’d all assumed that, but who, when, how?”
“She was indeed kidnapped,” Griffin said, answering for Helena, who didn’t look ready to talk about it. “By Cathy Dearborn—who is, naturally, swearing that Helena came with her willingly after the Dearborns had been playing at the park.” Turning his attention to Helena, he continued. “None of law enforcement believes that—you are truly an amazing and solid citizen. We firmly believe that, from the beginning, you were drugged, and kept on drugs. The good thing is that you are alive—and with some good friends who are here to help, you have a full life ahead of you.”
“For sure!” Vickie said.
Helena smiled hopefully and leaned into Alex.
“Definitely. Barnes is dealing with the press, and we’ll be heading out soon,” Griffin said.
“You’re really going to Virginia?” Alex asked Vickie.
“It’s not that far. We can all Skype—stay friends!” Vickie said.
“To staying friends!”
They all raised their cups and toasted friendship.
Vickie saw that, just a table away, Dylan and Darlene had taken up pretend cups, as well.
“To friendship!” her ghost told her.
She smiled back at him, and nodded.
“We really are amazing creatures,” Alex said. He looked at Vickie. “We are capable of so much that is horrible, and so much that is so good. I am alive because of you.”
“Well, no, really, because—”
Devin broke in, laughing. “Hey! To the Krewe of Hunters!” she said, lifting her cup again. “And to Vickie! May she soon be among our number!”
Vickie smiled at that.
It was a good night. A very good night.
And when it was over, they went home. For a moment, she paused in the parlor she would soon be leaving. They were going to keep Griffin’s apartment in Boston, but not hers. They just didn’t need two places, especially since her parents still had a room for her, as well.
Griffin came up behind her; his arms went around her waist. “Goodbye to this place,” he said softly. He turned her to face him. “We really should give it a fitting farewell!”
She laughed and kissed him.
“Yes, and loudly...” she said.
Leaving the apartment didn’t really matter.
She was leaving with him, and that did.
*
Read on for an extract from A PERFECT OBSESSION by Heather Graham.
Acknowledgments
I’ve always loved New England. I married into a large and incredible Italian family, all of whom first found New England to be their home. I thank them so much for the love I have for the region, and much of what I came to know about it as well. So, of course, anything that has to do with New England goes out to everyone in the now massive Pozzessere/Mero clans. (Including Derek, Zhenia and Korbin in New Haven!)
But this book especially goes out to a few other places and people in the region.
For Camp Necon, an amazing writing conference that takes place at Roger Williams University, Rhode Island. In memory of Papa—Bob Booth—and for his amazing family (specifically Mary, Sara, Dan and Jillian Booth). Of course, at Camp Necon, we all become family.
With special thanks to F. Paul Wilson and Tom Monteleone—great friends and writers who also happened to be the first to introduce me to Camp Necon.
Thanks to Lisa Mannetti and Corrinne de Winter, N.E. friends with whom I have shared much that is bizarre and wonderful—and with whom I’ve laughed and cried and learned so much. To so many more members of the Necon family—Lynne Hanson, Jeff Strand, Brian Keene, Christopher Golden, John McIlveen, Mary SanGiovanni, Matt Bechtel, Linda Addison, Elizabeth Massie, Rio Youers, Sephera Giron, Yvonne Navarro, Weston Ochse, James A. Moore, Jack Ketchum, Matt Schwartz, John and Diane Buja, Paul Dobish, Barbara Gardner and Craig Shaw Gardner, Dot and John Godin, Jack Haringa, Laura Hickman, Nicholas Kaufmann, Mike Myers, Patti Riendeau, Rick Sardinha, Carole Whitney, Jill Bauman, Hal Bodner, Ginjer Buchanan, Alex Corona, David Price, David Silverman, Jennine Agnew, Alyson Benoit, Jan Kozlowski and so many, many more!
For Lee-Ann Wilbur, who runs the Lizzie Borden House, one of the most wonderful and unusual bed-and-breakfast establishments in the country. Somehow, she keeps the house pristine and historic and yet very livable for guests. It’s historic—it’s haunted! It’s an amazing experience. If you believe in ghosts, you just might find them. If you don’t, you’ll still love the history and the detail. Real life is always more bizarre than anything we can invent.
In memory of Michael Palmer, and for his son, Daniel, a brilliant and wonderful musician and—with his dad and on his own—an equally talented writer.
For all things New England, the hardships and cruelty of history—and all the wonder and growth and beauty, too!
A Perfect Obsession
by Heather Graham
CHAPTER ONE