But right now they were waiting for everyone. Purbeck was coming with Van Camp, Jillian Durfey, Taylor Branch and the security trio. Logan, Sloan, Will and Jane were, too. And they hadn’t forgotten Phil and Ron, who’d actually invited themselves when they’d learned Mo was having a last-day-in-town-for-a-while dinner.
Mo needn’t have worried about getting everything ready. Once Jane was there, she organized everyone, assigning tasks, and in another hour, they were all seated in the huge, old-fashioned dining room, the chairs around the table a little close, but that was fine. Mo had prepared a roast and all kinds of vegetables and side dishes, and everyone who’d been involved with the case was there.
Once dinner was over, talk turned to the case that had brought them all together.
“I really have no hard feelings,” Jillian assured Aidan, not for the first time.
“You were on the right track all along,” Logan noted. “It had to have been someone close. We were just looking at Richard, not Wendy.”
Will was off with J.J. in another room, teaching him card tricks, so it seemed safe to speak about the events. No one wanted to distress him by bringing up what had happened to his mother—or Debbie, of whom he’d been so fond.
“Wait!” Jillian said. “I still don’t understand. How did the chloroform get in my drawer?”
Logan stepped in to explain. “Debbie actually bragged about that. We—all of us in law enforcement—were so stupid. Anyone could have done it. She just went to the hotel and pretended to be a guest. Ironically, she did become a guest later on. But that day she took the elevator up to your floor and got a passkey off a maid’s cart. You have to remember that until Will set up his cameras, there was no surveillance there.”
“I hope she rots in hell!” Jillian spat.
“For someone like her, prison will be hell on earth,” Aidan assured her.
“And what about creepy Tommy?” Grace asked. She shivered, and Jimmy placed an arm around her shoulders.
“Tommy. Who knows the real truth about Tommy, except that he’ll be locked away for the rest of his life?” Logan said. “I can understand that a man like him could be taken in by a woman like Debbie, but still...he went into the whole scheme, ready for blood and death and whatever she called for.”
“Did you get the treasure from Lizzie’s grave?” Jillian asked. She lowered her voice. “Did you get the money—the Continental money or whatever it was—for J.J.?”
Aidan nodded. “We had the body exhumed within a few days. The notes were tucked into the coffin. They’ll be offered to various historical societies, but wherever they go, they’ll sell for a pretty price, and the money will be set aside for J.J. in a trust.”
“I’m sure he’d rather have had his parents,” Jillian said sadly.
“I’m sure,” Aidan agreed. “We’d all rather have had them alive.”
The doorbell rang. Grace started to rise. “I’ll get it, Mo.”
“No, I will,” Mo said, grinning at Aidan. “I’m expecting someone special!”
She hurried out with Rollo at her heels, and came back in again carrying a puppy. It was a floppy-looking thing, almost ugly. Aidan smiled.
“J.J., this is Brian Boru, and he’s yours. His mom is one of Rollo’s cousins, so our dogs are related. How’s that?” Mo asked.
J.J.’s face was bright enough to light up the room. He stared at Mo wide-eyed. “For me, really?” he asked breathlessly.
Grace groaned. “Oh, my God. It’s a good thing we’re getting married. We’ll need two incomes to keep him in food!” She looked at Mo, breaking into a huge grin, and whispered, “Wow, thank you!”
J.J. was excused to play with his new puppy. Rollo, naturally, joined them.
“So, you’re really leaving us,” Ron said, turning to Mo.
She smiled, raising her glass to him. “Ah, Ron, do any of us ever really leave Sleepy Hollow? I’ll just be in the city. Rollo and I are moving in with Aidan, but I’ll still own this place and we’ll be back all the time.”
Ron stood up and nodded at Phil and Grace. “Well, we have a present for you, too,” he told her.
He produced a box. She carefully unwrapped and then opened it. “This is so beautiful! Aidan, look, it’s ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ and ‘Rip Van Winkle’ and other tales by Washington Irving—with gold-trimmed pages. Oh, guys, this is gorgeous!”
“We were afraid you’d forget us,” Phil said. “We wanted to remind you of everything that was good here, too.” He gave her an awkward smile. “I know there was a lot of...ugliness, but we don’t want you to associate us with all of that.”
“Of course not! Friends are one of the best parts of life and I couldn’t possibly forget any of you.”
Dinner went on until it was time for goodbyes. Aidan didn’t have to report in to the New York office tomorrow, but he had to be there early the next day. He’d figured if they left by the afternoon it would be fine.