“I’ll have to think on it.” She didn’t say no, and that thrilled Vinnie to no end. “What of my house here? Whatever would I do with it?”
“Sell it. Rent it out. I don’t care. You know as well as I do we both have enough money we’d never have to worry about it even if it should sit there and rot. But I’d like you here all the time, not popping in and out. I love you.” Grandmother told her she loved her as well. “Then you really will think about it?”
“Yes. But I think we should get his other business taken care of first. Your parents aren’t just going to go away, and we both know that.” Vinnie told her she agreed. “Then when the dust settles, we’ll talk more about this, all right?”
“Yes. But they won’t be changing my mind. I want you here and so does Mitch. He’s as excited about it as I am.” Her grandmother blew her a kiss and left her. Vinnie laid down and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
Chapter 6
Connie watched Mitch. He was certainly happier, but he was also quieter than usual. She wondered about the envelope in his hand and started several times to ask him about it, but she wasn’t sure it was any of her business. But when Aster moved over his shoulder and read it, Connie wanted to kiss the child.
“They’re very serious about this, aren’t they?” Mitch told Aster to stop being a brat. “I’m not a brat. I’m as old as you are...well, about anyway. But those people, the Bruces, what do they think they can get from you if they come around here?”
“Anything they want, I suppose. But I’m not going to sit by and let them. Vinnie hooked me up with a good attorney, and he’s looking into some things.” Mitch looked away from them both, and Connie wondered if he’d told the attorney what had happened to him in that house. “I talked to Vinnie about it as well. I told her what I had to go through when I lived there. Everything.”
“Good.” He turned to look at her when she spoke. “You need to have people know what they did to you. I know it hurts, but you did nothing wrong, and they’re the ones that need to be punished.” He nodded but said nothing. “Are you thinking people will think less of you because of what happened? If they do, you let me know, and I’ll show them a thing or two that a ghost can do.”
“I’m not really worried about that any more. I was, but not now. But I’m just wondering, who do you think they’ll believe? A broken down man with not a pot to piss in, or people that have been watching the unwanted for most of their lives? I’m pretty sure I don’t even come close to the image that they project for the world to see. The Bruces, I mean. I’ve seen some of the things they’ve said about me, and none of it is very nice.” Mitch snorted. “I have little to nothing to show for my life. Some money in the bank. A steady job and some friends that are less than human. A soon-to-be wife that is a good attorney too, but she’s a little on the odd side in that she’s a vampire. I love that about her, but I’m pretty sure it won’t win me any prizes in the upstanding citizen awards. Oh, and let’s not forget that I have long, very helpful conversations with two of the sweetest ghosts I know.”
“Thank you, darling. We love talking to you as well. But you’re thinking too hard about this. Why, I know for a fact those people have been under investigation several times since you left them. There are three boys missing. Did you know that?” He told her he did and was looking for them as well. “Mitch, you can’t just let this go. Please tell me you’re going to fight them with everything you have.”
“I had thought to just figure out a way to pay them off. Or at the very least, run away and start over with the help of a new name and identity. But since I’ve found someone to love and to love me back, I think I’m going to hit them with all I have, thanks to you and the others.” He sat up and leaned back more on the fence that surrounded the little family cemetery. “On a different note, I’ve moved in with Vinnie. I asked her and she said it was on her mind to tell me to anyway. But Christ, you should see this house. It has nine bedrooms on the second floor and five more on the third. They all have their own bathrooms too. And the lower levels are like this entire new house that no one sees but her and me.”