Returning Home

Audra rode with Cordero in the ambulance, holding his hand and praying that it wouldn't be for the last time. His color looked good, but his eyes wouldn't open. She walked with the gurney and ER team once he was unloaded until they reached the double doors that were off limits. Five seconds later, Principal Shelley's gurney passed through the same double doors. If there was ever a surreal moment in Audra's life, it was then. She wanted to tell them to stop. She wanted to scream at them to let the old woman die.

Ethan caught up to her and pulled her into his strong and certain embrace. The next three hours were hell as the specter Dr. Shelley operated on Cordero. He sent messages every half hour. Cordero was in heart failure. Cordero needed a bypass. Cordero had lost a lot of blood during surgery and would need a transfusion. Then, finally, the surgery went well. They were closing him up. He's in the ICU recovery.

Audra walked into Cordero's recovery room to see him sitting up and watching the news report. Mayor Broner was front and center of the hospital looking as if he were single handedly responsible for the FBI's successful operation. When he saw Audra he smiled and winked at her.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

He made a face.

"I guess I didn't run fast enough, huh?"

"You did good, Audra," he said with obvious effort as he exhaled.

"There will be plenty of time to talk," she said as she took a seat next to him. "Principal Shelly is still alive," Audra said with regret. "They put her in an induced coma to keep her from striking again. They don't think she will last much longer though."

Cordero looked sad. He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. "Headquarters called several times. They want us to break down and clear out by the end of the week."

"I'll go up ahead tomorrow and debrief them, then I'll be back on leave and help you through recovery. Dr. Shelley says you can't travel for another two weeks." Cordero looked as if he wanted to protest. Audra patted his hand. "You deserve the rest, Cordero."

***

When Audra packed her bags to leave the B&B, she realized that she had nearly twice the things she'd brought with her. As she made a mental note to head to town for another suitcase, her cellphone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Agent Wheeler?" Raj Kapure's voice was unmistakable.

"Yes, Mr. Kapure. Thank you for calling. I should have informed you that we got a confession. You don't need to come down here after all."

"With all due respect, I am already here in the lobby of your bed and breakfast."

Audra was surprised by the image that Raj Kapure cut. She didn't know why she thought she would find the same twenty-something Navy sailor that Magic had described. He was a typical Indian male in his mid fifties with brown skin, straight dark hair, and kind eyes. When Audra reached out to shake his hand, she could tell that he had been crying.

"Agent Wheeler?" he asked.

"Yes."

He took her hand and gripped it as if for salvation. "I just came from Abigail's gravesite. It is true. My Abigail is dead." He broke down crying.

Audra swallowed back her own tears and gave into hugging the complete stranger. They leaned against each other as Audra led him to the command post that was in the middle of being dismantled and turned back into a hotel suite. Agent Pierce was the only one still up and operating, keeping an eye on the hospital that housed the unconscious, but still dangerous, Principal Shelley.

Eric sat in the middle of the activity, staring into space. When he noticed Audra and Raj Kapure holding each other up he ushered them to the sofa that had just been put back in its place.

"This is Raj Kapure. Mr. Kapure, this is my colleague Eric Neil, he helped solve this case," Audra introduced them, forcing herself to sniff back her tears and stop crying.

Raj held a manila envelope under his arm. He pulled it out and placed it in Audra's hand. "I always thought she would one day come back to me. I thought when we were old and maybe…" he trailed off. "When we married, I developed a software that she helped me patent and sell to the US government. Both of our names were on the contract, and to date, that contract has paid out nearly three billion dollars in royalties.

We agreed to have the money sent from the US to a joint Swiss bank account and only take as much money as we needed to live on until we were ready to retire." Raj paused. "Shortly after we split up, she asked me to set up a trust fund for her three children in case anything were to happen to her. She also asked for her half of our living money to be transferred to two bank accounts, one in her name for her unborn baby, and the other in the name of Margret Shelley, care of Dr. & Mrs. Shelley, Sr."

"What?" Audra asked.

Raj pointed to the envelope. "It's all there. She had the third daughter's funds diverted until her death at which time she would get a lump sum payout. She didn't want to interrupt Kendra's life as it was. She said money was great, but would always be the root of all evil."

Audra nodded in complete agreement.

"Now, I must pay my respects to Abigail's sister and her children."

"I'll give you directions to Renee Stevens' house. Margret Shelley is still in recovery at the hospital so that conversation may have to wait a little while longer."

"Of course," Raj said.

"Abigail's daughter Gwyn is a specter. I will tell her that you would like to pay your respects. Once the dust settles, I'm sure she'll come find you when she's ready. Kendra, I'm sorry to tell you, is in a hospital in Boston. She has been in a coma for the past thirteen years."

"Oh, I see…" Raj said. "I heard something about chakra energy in the rumors on the web. Is this true?"

Audra and Eric looked at each other.

"If it were?" Audra asked.

"The host of the energy must die to release the hold it has on any of the living," Raj said. "Energy used in this manner usually comes from a constellation."

"Yes, the suspect mentioned the seven sisters," Audra supplied.

Raj nodded. "The Pleiades star cluster, a very powerful constellation. No matter the purpose, a human vessel is only strong enough to harness and use this power seven times."

"Why? What happens after the seventh time?" Eric asked.

"There is a belief that the number seven is the number of perfection. However, the number eight is the number of completion and renewal. The energy will consume the host, and return to the heavens more powerful than before."

"She's still alive, but in a coma. The doctors don't think she has much longer," Eric offered.

"When she passes on, your sister should be released from this evil."

"Are you certain?" Audra asked.

"I am."

"How do you know this?"

"It is a long story, that involves the legend of how my family became royalty. I will share it with you on another occasion."

Audra nodded. She wasn't sure what stock she would give this information, but it was a ray of hope.

When Raj Kapure went on his way to visit with Renee Stevens, Audra took the liberty of looking inside the manila envelope and seeing what nearly half of three billion dollars split three ways would look like. Audra's jaw dropped. Whatever money they had lived on was apparently no more than a drop in the bucket compared to what Audra saw in the paperwork in front of her.

As she went into the drug store to find a new suitcase for her extra clothes, Audra imagined what it would be like to ask Kendra for a loan, when she woke up. The thought made her smile.

"Good morning, Sunshine." Magic's voice invaded her daydream. She turned to see Magic in a drugstore vest stocking shelves.

"Hey, Magic." Audra found herself hugging the woman she'd just met four days ago.

"You headed back to the Big Apple, huh?" Magic asked.

"Yes, I have to go back to debrief the talking heads of the Pentagon. But I'll be back on a leave of absence to help Cordero through his recovery."

"I know there's one New York transplant that doesn't want to see you go."

"He'll always know where to find me," Audra said.

"Hmmm," Magic smiled and winked. "Enough said, girlfriend. What are you in here looking for anyway?'

"A suitcase."

"Come on. I'll show you where they are."

As Audra drove from the drugstore back to the B&B, she passed Bishop's and Pearl's. She took note of Dresses for Less, the Chic Boutique, and Fashions Today. She allowed herself to go out of her way to pass by the library and then circle around past the church, the Shelley mansion, and the graveyard.

She drove into the graveyard and wondered where she would find Abigail's grave, but parked in front of the tomb that contained an altar. She found herself once again wondering how people found a way to move past the horrors of life and continue on. She gave herself five minutes to pray and meditate, then turned her car around and headed back to the B&B.

Audra found a redeye flight out of Atlanta for that same night. She threw her bags in the car and went to the hospital to check on Cordero. She was glad to see that he had a little more color and was eating the soft food diet specter Dr. Shelley ordered for him.

"You headed out?" he asked.

"Yes, but I'll be back in two days," she said. "Try not to drive the hospital staff crazy."

"I'll try," he promised.

She sat with him for a few more minutes then headed out. She decided to go peek in on Margret Shelley while she was there. Upon entering the room, Audra was sad to see how shell shocked Margret looked.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine, Margret."

"My mom told me what happened. She told me everything about my aunt… I mean my grandmother. She even told me about the money. Can you believe my parents never knew about that money?"

"They didn't?"

"No, Abigail set the account up in my name, care of my grandparents and not my adoptive parents. Aunt Lil was named the executer of the estate and handled all of the finances after their deaths. That must have been when she found out about the money. That's when she decided to love me. If Kendra really talked to her, she must have thought Kendra would tell me about it and take it away."

"You don't know that," Audra offered.

"Two out of three of us are out of the way. I'm sure the only reason she didn't want me dead was because she didn't know where the money was coming from; she didn't want it to stop. When I left with Ethan the other night there was a dangerous light in her eyes. And I remember some of the things she said while I was drugged. They were… terrible."

Audra placed a hand on Margret's. The theory made sense. She imagined Margret must have been on some medication to help her numb the feelings of this new information.

"I'm so sorry, Margret," Audra said. "When I come back we'll talk more."

Audra drove back to the B&B and took a nap until ten o'clock then checked out. She drove to Ethan's before the two-hour drive to the airport.

Ethan opened the door with a dramatic sigh.

"I wondered if I would see you before you left," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "You know, that deputy job is yours if you want to stay."

"I'll keep that in mind." She closed her eyes tight and gave him a squeeze.

"You know why I went to the drug store and bought you all that stuff instead of just going to your room and bringing your suitcase?"

"No."

"I thought it would be too heartbreaking watching you pack up before leaving. So, I bought that stuff so I wouldn't have to watch you pack to leave me."

"I understand."

"But it hurts," he said. "I can't let you go without saying that this time. Please, Audra, stay."

"I'll be back soon to help Cordero recover," Audra said.

"And then what?"

"My life is in New York."

Ethan nodded. "Alright. I'll try to line up more effective arguments and incentives for staying here and choosing me when you get back."

"Sure thing," she said.

Driving away from Ethan was hard, but she would be back in a few days and the further she got away from Specter, the lighter she felt. She took note of the stars shifting overhead. By the time she hit the halfway mark, she'd turned on the radio and found herself singing country music.

Audra arrived at the airport two hours before her flight. It took roughly an hour to get ticketed and catch the monorail to her concourse. She took her time to peruse the selection of novels in the concourse bookshop and picked one that she was sure would hold her attention for the two-hour flight, if she couldn't get herself to sleep.

"Agent Wheeler?" Gwyn's voice found her, as she stood alone in the corner of the shop.

"Gwyn?" Audra looked around until the specter appeared in front of her.

"Audra, you have to come back." Gwyn's manifestation was weak.

"Gwyn what happened?"

"It's Ethan." Gwyn said and phased out without coming back.

Just then her phone rang. It was Ethan's number.

"Ethan?" Audra's heart rang in her ears.

"No, Dear."

"Sheriff Miller?" Audra felt as if she were in a warped reality. "Where is Ethan?"

"He's gone," Sheriff Miller said. "She killed him."

"What? No…"

Audra dropped the phone and for the second time in a week, she fainted.