Epilogue
I didn’t object this time when I landed back in the hospital. I stayed for three full days, recovering from frostbite and hypothermia and the lingering effects of the belladonna. Truman was torn. He was happy I’d figured out Leah was responsible for murdering Ginger and the attempted murders of Xavier, Owen, and yours truly. But he wasn’t okay with how it had all gone down.
Garrett had stayed by my bedside, tenderly taking care of me and, more importantly, making sure I stayed put. But he needn’t have worried. I promised him my sleuthing days were over.
It turned out Leah hadn’t even had a gun. She’d pressed a flashlight into my back, but I couldn’t have known. She’d planned on letting me drown in the icy water, and with my shock, it wouldn’t have taken long. Leah’s own sister, Ellie, had clobbered her on the shore of the skating pond and Dakota had fished me out.
Adrienne Larson paid a visit to me the last day of my stay in the hospital. Her impressive ring was gone, as was her prissy stance. She’d lost her fiancé to what I hoped would be a life sentence back in Los Angeles. She’d also possibly lost her job hosting I Do, since we’d probably just filmed the last episode.
I’d heard from Truman that they’d finished processing Adrienne’s release and dropped the charges against her for Xavier’s attempted murder just as they led Xavier into jail. The scene hadn’t been pretty, with Adrienne mourning the loss of her relationship, but also berating her new fiancé for killing Caitlin Quinn.
“I wanted to thank you.” Adrienne spoke the words in a low tone. “For figuring out Xavier’s role in Caitlin’s death.” She shivered. “I’d rather know the truth than be married to a killer.”
She’d spent the rest of her time in Port Quincy bonding with Summer before she left for Los Angeles. She’d lost her fiancé, but she had gained a new relationship with her daughter.
* * *
Three months later, I had a new wedding to prepare for. The days had turned balmier, matching the artificial humidity and warmth of the Thistle Park greenhouse back in February. Our winter of discontent had melted into mellow spring.
Leah and Xavier were languishing in jail, she in Port Quincy, and he extradited back to Los Angeles. Beau was free and working on a new album. Dakota and Owen were to be married under the stars in Thistle Park’s garden.
Their three-month engagement had been fast, but I had a feeling this marriage would last. Roxanne was grudging but accepting. Dakota had forgiven her mother for funneling away her millions and refused to press charges. She’d installed a new, professional money manager, and Roxanne was left to dote on Pixie, no longer in charge of mismanaging Dakota’s earnings or pushing her to take every gig. Dakota joined the board of Dunlap Academy and cast the tiebreaker vote in favor of merging the girls’ boarding school with the boys’ private school. She also purchased the Winter Ball tiara and donated it to the Carnegie Museum, commissioning a replica to be made for subsequent balls. She’d fulfilled Ginger’s wishes and ticked Helene off to boot.
Night fell on a warm day in May. Twenty guests gathered in the backyard, seated before an arched trellis wreathed in pink roses and silhouetted by the setting sun. Roxanne and Pixie the Shih Tzu walked Dakota down the aisle. Dakota wore a long, pink, gauzy strapless gown. Pixie wore a matching pink tutu, and Owen had consented to wear a suit jacket over his skinny jeans and suspenders.
Ellie was the only bridesmaid, and there was no host, no cameras, no fanfare. Guests held sparklers and fireflies buzzed in delight.
“Now this is a wedding I can get behind.” Rachel beamed as we surveyed the guests noshing on the gourmet comfort food menu we’d selected so many months ago. Dakota and Owen cut into their peanut butter cake, and soon were dancing the night away beneath the stars.
“All’s well that ends well.” I slipped my hand into Garrett’s and we surveyed the merrymaking before us.
The next day, we bid a fond farewell to the married couple. They were leaving for their honeymoon in Montreal.
“Thank you, Mallory.” Dakota enveloped me in a crushing hug, then switched off with Owen. “For everything. I’m so happy.” She beamed, her smile genuine, her face carefree for once.
Dakota was going to semi-retire. She’d still take roles, but not at the breakneck pace dictated by Roxanne. She and Owen planned to divide their time between Los Angeles and Port Quincy, and they’d run Owen’s foundation together.
The footage of the wedding from hell was to be spliced together into an episode of I Do. It was ironic that this was projected to be the most-viewed episode of I Do ever, and Xavier wouldn’t be free to see that he’d succeeded in resurrecting his show after all. His ploys had led to the permanent cancellation of Silverlake High, but worked for the reality wedding show. The tabloids had covered Dakota and Beau’s dissolution, and everyone wanted to watch the infamous episode. Adrienne had just been named director of the reality show, and the next season would feature a new host.
I headed over to the greenhouse after seeing off the newlyweds.
“What do you think of these?” Summer held up a tray of seedlings. “They’re peas.”
We were planting only edible flowers and veggies in the resplendent glass space. We didn’t want to take our chances on ever again providing a would-be killer with ready-made poison mere steps from the house.
“I think they’ll be delicious.” I slung my arm around Summer and together we planted in the sun.