You picked a lovely spot.”
I couldn’t help but agree as my eyes trailed over the burial plot belonging to my husband. I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting to feel when I saw the headstone for the first time, but all I felt was calm. It had been done right. My aunts had made sure of that. It was a lovely stone, and it had been beautifully carved. The plot, too, was well cared for. Someone had placed a small chrysanthemum plant at the foot of the stone.
When Constance saw where I was looking, she said, “Mary put those there. I watched her do it.”
I nodded.
A long moment passed before Constance finally said, “So, my sister confessed.”
I looked back at the spirit before me, her face lovely with its iridescent glow. “She is on her way to the police now.”
“It’s the right thing to do, I suppose. But, you know, she’s not the only one who is responsible.”
“Liz and Rip are going too.”
“I don’t mean either of them,” she said, frowning. “I mean me.”
Any further words died on my tongue.
“I pushed that girl, my girl, into madness, didn’t I?” She looked at me, then shook her head. “I was so angry when I was alive, and now all I can think is, what a waste.”
“Why didn’t you forgive her? I know what they accused you of was terrible. But from what I’ve heard, Mary tried to make things right.”
“She did. But I never saw it that way.” Constance gently moved toward a large oak tree. She tried to place her hand on it, but it sunk right through. If I had to guess, she was getting weaker. She wouldn’t be slamming any more closet doors. She had stayed too long on the mortal plane. “I heard your uncle tell you that weird fairy tale. But you should know, I never resented my role in our family. I loved taking care of my siblings. That’s why I was so hurt when they turned on me. And that’s why I couldn’t forgive them. For a while, I truly believed all those invitations and letters from Mary were just her way of worming herself back into my life so I’d give her the money. I knew how scared she was of that wretched husband of hers. I figured he put her up to it. But when Carl left, and she fell in love with her new husband,” Constance stopped herself short and grimaced, “I believed she was trying to rub her happiness in my face. Her loving husband. Her perfect little family. I couldn’t see anything but spite. It just got worse over the years.”
She looked off in the distance, her body shining in the moonlight. “After a while I knew she wasn’t trying to make me feel bad. It wasn’t the money she wanted. No, she wanted my forgiveness. She couldn’t live with what she had done. But I was so bitter by that point, the thought gave me pleasure. You see, I could keep the house from Rip. I could keep the farm from John. And I could keep my forgiveness from Mary. It was perfect.” She looked back at me. “And it made me a monster.”
“But you tried to make things right with John.”
A heartbreaking smile came to her face. “Johnny. He was such a sweet boy. He would have been a wonderful veterinarian. I did try to make things right with him. I knew when the three of them came to the house that day his heart wasn’t in it. But later on, when he didn’t answer my letter, I didn’t know what to think.”
“You know now he never got it, right?”
“Yes, I do.” She squinted. “All things considered, I think Rip needs to go to jail. For a good long time. You won’t be able to prove he planted that mallet, but tell that wife of his that the evidence she’s looking for is in a shoebox up in the rafters of their garage. Her instincts were right. He is embezzling money from her father’s business. She just needs to prove it, so she can get her divorce. And before you say it, I know I should have given my siblings our father’s letter. Everything might have been different. Even Rip might have been different. That son of a—”
“I’ll make sure Maureen knows.”
Constance blinked at me as though she had forgotten momentarily I was there. “And I want you to know, despite what Mary thinks, I did not draw up that addendum to the burial plot to hurt her.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I am a monster, but even I’m not that bad.”
“Then why did you do it?”
“To get at Rip! It happened this one time after he had come over to bully me into giving him the house yet again. I, of course, turned him away, and as he was leaving, he said something to the effect of, You know, Connie. No one will remember you when you’re dead. And the idea just came to me. I’d kick them all out of the family plot. Then they’d remember me.” She cackled at the memory before regaining her composure. “But it wasn’t right.”
I couldn’t help but smile a little.
“The joke’s on me, though, isn’t it? I wasn’t even thinking about Mary. I didn’t know she bought the plot beside ours for Grant. I knew how much she loved him. I’ve done terrible things to my family, held terrible grudges, but I wouldn’t have gone that far. At least I’d like to think I wouldn’t have gone that far. If only I could do it all over again.” Constance suddenly looked at me quite intently. “Don’t you go making the same mistakes as me.”
I frowned in question.
“You know what I’m talking about. I’ve been watching you. You’re stuck living in pain. Do you think it’s a coincidence you can finally see me the night you decide to visit your husband’s grave?” She wagged a glowing finger in the air. “Now, this isn’t my place, but I know firsthand you can spend your entire life living in the past, and that is no life at all. And from what I’ve heard, your husband wouldn’t want that.”
The words seemed innocent enough, but there was something in Constance’s expression that made my heart skip. “What do you mean, from what you’ve heard?”
“You know as well as I do spirits can’t stay here for long, but we usually stick around long enough to meet up with another ghost or two. And we talk.”
“Constance, what are you saying?”
She held up her hands. “I’ll admit, I was eavesdropping on that fight you had with your aunts. I heard what it was you wanted, so I asked around a little.” She looked over to the grave. “And, in answer to your question, yes, I do have a message for you from Adam.”
The world tilted beneath my feet. “How is that possible? He died so long ago.”
She gave me a knowing look. “Brynn, you have helped so many people in this town. Done good for so many families. Do you think the ghosts would let you down? Each person who has passed in Evenfall since Adam died has hung on to his message until it could be delivered to you, and, as it turns out, I get to be the lucky one to do it. Oh honey, don’t cry.”
I couldn’t stop the tears from running down my face. Ordinarily, the thought of hearing Adam’s final words would have been enough to tear down all my defenses, but standing here in the graveyard with Constance, hearing how the passing spirits of Evenfall had banded together to help me, it was more than I could take. I had been so focused on myself, so wrapped up in my own pain, I had forgotten about everything else. I had abandoned all the people who needed me, who needed my gift. But they hadn’t forgotten about me.
“I was afraid of this,” Constance said. “I can see the guilt on your face, but I want you to know every ghost who passed on the message was happy to do it, and no one begrudges you your time of pain. Besides, it’s done us all good. It’s true what they say. Giving help is sometimes more healing than receiving it.”
I nodded quickly. I didn’t know if I’d be able to forgive myself easily or not, but I couldn’t focus on that now. I had dreamed of this moment, always believing it was impossible. I could deal with everything else later.
“Right. Where were we?” Constance squinted, then snapped her fingers. “The message. First, though, I need you to promise to do two things for me. Things I can’t do now that I’m . . .” She hovered in the air and stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth.
I wiped the tears from my cheeks and smiled. “Constance, nothing would make me happier.”
“Ready to get back in the game, huh?”
“So ready.” I was surprised by how deeply I meant that.
The first item on Constance’s list was not a shock. The second, however, took me aback. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“Absolutely, I won’t be able to rest unless I know it’s done. Now back to you. I can feel the light pulling at me, so we’d better get to it.”
Suddenly all the insects in the graveyard stopped chirping.
Constance looked around before her eyes settled back on me. “Did you do that?”
I looked around too. “Oh, I guess I did. It will only last a second. I just don’t want to miss a word.”
She frowned. “You Warren women are a little creepy, you know that?”
I nodded.
“Right. First, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear your husband wanted you to know that he loves you. Always.”
I smiled. The movement sent fresh tears spilling down my cheeks.
“But he also had a request. Now, I’m not quite sure what it means, but hopefully it will make sense to you.”