The Gulf of Mexico was a light blue and multicolored fish swam around Maria’s feet. She looked up at the sun, shielded her eyes from it. She could understand why Carla wanted to be left here. If someone was going to return to the earth, this was as good a spot as anywhere.
Maria walked further and further out.
She’d been lucky to make it. Lucky that Nick hadn’t considered the fact she had another gun. Lucky that Connor and Dillon hadn’t trusted her to take care of Nick by herself. As Maria had climbed out of the gully and walked out to the street, Connor and Dillon were pulling to a stop.
Connor had figured out Nick was the target and looked up where he lived. The two of them were driving out to do cleanup in case she missed.
They didn’t ask any questions. Just helped her load Nick into the SUV. Lit her car on fire. Drove the SUV a solid forty-five minutes away. Dug a hole for Nick and dumped him in it. And then took the SUV even further into the desert and lit it on fire.
The FBI had a lot of questions, but they were too busy trying to figure out how Syed had gotten out of protective custody to pay much attention to Maria. Besides, when they pulled her phone records, they couldn’t see anything that would lead them to believe she’d been in contact with any of the people who were missing or found dead, and her phone and her car had been at her house when the men went missing. They couldn’t prove anything else, and she wasn’t answering questions.
From the bloodshed in the shack, Nazmul and Syed dead with Vance, they deduced Syed was avenging the loss of his daughter. They quickly figured out that Ariella had volunteered at Patrick Miller’s campaign. Nick, as far as they knew, was alive, so they put out BOLO notices. Regardless, the big corruption case fell apart and never went to trial, and Mark and Craig moved on to other things. Some messes were so ugly; just leaving things be was the best option for everyone. An article by Nancy James about Nick’s disappearance and the deaths of Syed and Nazmul sank Patrick Miller’s campaign just as it was getting started though.
Maria had waited a full two weeks before buying the plane tickets to Florida. She had Carla’s ashes in a small canvas bag with drawstrings. She didn’t know what she was supposed to be doing or how it was supposed to go, but this was the only closure she was ever going to get, so she wanted to make the most of it.
She kept walking until the water was chest high, and she stood there, enjoying the sun on her face. She looked around. No one was near her. Some sunbathers on the beach. A little boy digging in the sand with a bright yellow shovel. Off in the distance, a boat idled with fishing poles sticking out from the stern. No one was close enough to hear her saying goodbye to her girlfriend.
She felt a little ashamed to be so relieved by their distance.
“I’ve never been good at things like this, so I’m not even going to really try. You should know that my mother was the one pushing the hardest to avenge your death. My mother, who wouldn’t let you into her house, ended up being your biggest fan. That says a hell of a lot more about you than anything else.”
Maria paused. Tried to gather herself. She didn’t want to sob in public, but she was on the verge.
“I need you to know I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was so closed off until it was almost too late, and I’m sorry I let this happen to you. I was so caught up in my reputation I never thought to think if I really deserved it. I was so lost after my brother died, but I was so determined to win that I did things I shouldn’t have, and I ended up bringing all this pain home. If I had been different, none of this would have happened. But please know, I kept my promise. The men who did this will never do this to anyone else, ever again.”
Maria pulled the little bag open. Peered inside.
“And I love you.”