As I said, it’s not easy being a ghost.
But it does get better.
The why of it, though, is something I’m just beginning to understand.
One of the reasons we stayed behind, Matt and I—one I see so clearly now—was so we could help uncover the Poe Killer—or Killers, as it turned out. Joe put the last pieces together when he remembered how hard Albee Bennet had clapped when Barbara Hirshorn had given her reading at Thorne Bigelow’s funeral, a hint that that the man evidently had a crush on her. What he hadn’t realized at the time was just how mutual and serious those feelings were, or how far they would go on each other’s behalf.
The couple that kills together stays together?
They’re not together now, though I suppose they may be in the future. I was there when Albee Bennet left this world, and, I assure you, he didn’t go anywhere pleasant, with soft white clouds and harp music floating on a gentle breeze. Something came for him, something swift and oozing that reeked of brimstone and charred flesh.
Barbara Hirshorn, on the other hand, did not die that night. She’s locked up now, and I expect she will be for quite some time.
As for Lori, though she did extremely well during her first outing as a ghost, she chose to leave us. That light is hard to resist. I hope she’s finally gotten star billing. She deserves it.
Sam Latham made a full recovery and went home.
Sorting out some of the other details proved a more complex task. Apparently Barbara took a few days off from the library now and then, days that coincided with the Bigelows’ travel schedule. It was easy enough for her to slip away to be with her secret lover. And for all that she adored and admired him, she would never have admitted to the affair, too afraid of what her fellow board members would say. A librarian was one thing. A librarian involved with a butler? She was certain she would have been ousted.
She encouraged Albee to kill William Morton, helped him with his costume and drove him around. The police believe now that Barbara was the one to lure Bradley Hicks to his death. It was easy enough to arrange a meeting in the cemetery, and from there…
Sarah was lucky she wasn’t seen, or she, too, might have been found in a tomb. Hopefully no one will ever tell her that.
Barbara had extracted the arsenic that killed Thorne from rat poison. As a librarian, she had Internet access and lots of time to read, and the method wasn’t hard to come by.
Larry Levine finally wrote a book. It was on the Poe Killings, and it was published by Brook Avery, in his first venture into book publishing. It was not only well-reviewed, it was a bestseller.
Don Tracy is scheduled to perform as Albee Bennet in an adaptation of the book that’s coming to Broadway. It’s going to be a musical. Go figure. It might be a short run. Then again, who knows?
Nat Halloway, executor of Thorne Bigelow’s will, filed all the papers and did all the work. The New York Poe Society received a huge endowment. Jared, who inherited the bulk of the money, married Mary. She’s still a closet drunk and a bit of a bitch. Which is sort of ironic and actually okay. They deserve each other.
At first Genevieve and Joe talked about running away to Vegas and doing something fun, like an Elvis wedding. But they both adore Eileen and didn’t want to cheat her out of her chance to play mother of the bride, so instead they were married at St. Patrick’s in a huge affair. Matt and I were there, of course, and I know they saw us.
They moved out to Joe’s place in Brooklyn, but they’re contemplating something a little wilder. Joe still has the urge to move out to Vegas.
Matt and I…
We’re still learning. Learning as we go.
It isn’t easy being a ghost, but it has its rewards. Matt and I have everything we need most, in life and in death. We love, and we’re loved in return. And isn’t that what everybody wants?