Page 179 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“She’s seeing a ghost. She’s nuts. She’s not right!”Jennifer Tanner raged.

“Oh, get her out of here. Please,” Jackson said.

“With pleasure. Thank you, Colonel Clayborn,” Mark said. Hegrabbed hold of the writer, Jefferson Moore, who was screaming that he neededmedical help. Ragnar and the others followed, and the dogs obediently ranalong.

“I need to call Brodie quickly and tell him to let Robertsongo. And then... well, Mark is right. You really need a bath. Still...”

Jackson paused, looking at the ghost. “She is amazing,right?” he asked.

“Special Agent Angela Hawkins Crow would have gotten outwith or without me, but it was a pleasure to help. I know why I’m here. Youwill keep visiting and ask me for help when needed?” he asked.

“Oh, sir. Yes, indeed,” Angela promised. “Those guys can dothe paperwork. I’d love to go home and have a shower.”

They bid the colonel goodnight and headed out. At the car,however, Jackson had to stop. He held her tightly for just a minute. He was sograteful to have her in his arms.

She held him in return. They didn’t talk.

They made it home just in time for the kids to be going tobed.

They also informed Angela that she needed a bath. Shelaughed and agreed once more but added that she’d had to play a bit in theground for her, Daddy, and the Krewe to catch the bad guys.

“But we all get to do Halloween?” Corby asked excitedly,with Victoria echoing him.

“You bet,” Angela promised.

Dirty and all, she hugged her children and told Jackson thatshe’d get them to bed. They said goodnight to Mary, thanked her again, andassured her that the Halloween party the next day was on.

Jackson felt his phone vibrating and headed into theirbedroom to answer it. A few minutes later, Angela came in, and he told herabout the conversation he’d just had with Patrick.

“Mark, Colleen, and our wonderful Krewe members have been onpaperwork duty, and Patrick had a very interesting conversation with Mr.Jefferson Moore. He discovered that it wasn’t the proclaimed architect who madethe adjustments to the tomb, but a Robertson during the Civil War. He createdthe tunnel beneath the crypt that led to the forest as part of the UndergroundRailroad. When Debbie Nolan, as we knew her, losther father, she set her mind on revenge. And using his drug business gave heran edge. She recruited followers to help her get the drugs out and make themoney needed for her ruses, and when they got in the way, she used newrecruits, strung out and desperate, to kill the people jeopardizing theirlivelihood. The victims, we’ll discover, were in on the sales—junkies. She useda lot of fentanyl to get rid of people who had outlived their usefulness, too.What she wanted in the end was to get to us. Starting with you. But... shewanted to punish the FBI in general. She was both sociopathic and a damned good actress.”

She nodded. “So, they’ve done the paperwork?”

“Well, they’re doing the paperwork. We’ll have alot of pieces to finish up. But the way things seem to be going, we’ll have alot of work tomorrow morning...”

“And then Halloween. A good, fun one. Finally.”

“You got it.”

She smiled at him for a minute and then said, “Ick! Allright! Shower! Hey, that’s the first time in my life several people have toldme that I needed a bath.”

“Well...”

She smiled and bee-lined for thebathroom. Jackson gave her a minute and then joined her.

At first, they smiled and ran soap over each other.

He had to keep holding her.

They finally made it into the bed and made love.

And he held her throughout the night. Maybe they were lucky.Perhaps they knew how to appreciate the simple things like sleeping together.Because they knew how quickly it could all be taken away.

Holding each other tight, they slept.

And morning came.

Jackson woke first, leaning up on an elbow just to watch hersleep.