Chapter Twenty Seven

Sometimes you find out the most about a person after they are gone. When Secoiya Polson was declared dead, it was 7:45am at a random hospital in the middle of New York. There was a rather odd collection of fellows in the waiting room, deliberating on what was to be done with the remains. An unofficial and awkward detective stood shoulder to shoulder with a murderous multi-millionaire and a housewife, all unsure what to make of the news.

Yanire cried the way one might expect a statue to cry and Adriel furrowed his brows in deep thought, pacing back and forth. Growden stood, hands shoved awkwardly in his plaid trousers as he eyed the two strangers. He hadn't known Miss Polson very long and to be standing with her potential loved ones following her death was the sort of awkward he usually sought to avoid.

"So…"

The blonde-haired hulk of a man looked up to him with calculative eyes and Growden gulped thickly. He had always been rather nervous around men.

"You- who the hell are you?"

Growden stuttered a bit nervously as he tried to explain himself.

"I uhm, I worked with Miss Polson for a time. She was my employer."

Adriel's eyes narrowed as he figured what sort of work she must've had him doing and he ran a stressed hand through his locks before he turned his attention to Yanire. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her to his chest, allowing some of the sadness at the day's events to slip through his system as well.

"C'mon baby, it's alright."

She tugged at his shirt and breathed in the smell of him slowly. This process was repeated several times with deep, slow breaths until she had managed to calm herself some. Yanire had grown very fond of the older woman and to know she would never learn another recipe or hear another story of her home in Jamaica- it was a great loss.

Adriel pulled back from her some, brushing the thick, dark hair from her face and looking at her.

"Will you be alright for a moment?"

She nodded to him, large brown eyes blinking with uncertainty. Adriel kissed her forehead and turned back to the miscellaneous young man.

"What's your name?"

The fellow turned, a hand on his neck and the other stuffed in his pocket.

"I'm Growden."

Adriel nodded, offering a hand for the fellow to shake and eyeing his attire. It was the standard business casual collared shirt tucked into some discount trousers. His hair was a tangled mess but he wasn't as disorderly as one might expect from someone who'd received a random phone call in the dead of night.

"Adriel, Secoiya's employer and a very close friend."

The boy nodded, still unsure what to make of the whole ordeal.

"What you did was very kind, and we appreciate it."

The boy blinked twice, obviously confused.

"Not only did you help us uncover how my father was coercing my sister, but you also woke up in the middle of the night to come help her when she needed it. Thank you."

Growden blushed in embarrassment at the man's sincerity. In truth, he hadn't known why Miss Polson had him look into Miss Alvarsson or why so he could hardly consider his actions to be heroic. When Adriel realised the boy was being either shy or modest he smiled at the silliness of it all.

"We'll likely have the funeral very soon. She's from Montego Bay. Should you wish to attend, I'll fly you out with all expenses paid for and you can accompany us while we're there."

Growden stared in disbelief. He had known the Alvarsson's were very rich based on the most basic lifestyle they lived and his own personal observations of them, but he had been relatively sure that Secoiya's employer was dangerous. Perhaps dangerous and nice were not asynchronous. Growden nodded mostly to himself and thanked the man.

"I would like to go, if you don't mind. Miss Polson actually did me a large favour."

Adriel smiled fondly, Growden assumed it was related to his now deceased loved one. He nodded at the boy, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket and extending it out towards the boy. Growden blinked as he waited for some sort of explanation.

"Put my contact in your phone, should you ever need anything, give me a call."

Growden nodded, following the instructions and finding it rather curious that the first time he'd ever save a number in his phone it was a dangerous man with the resources at his disposal to do horrible things to him were they ever cross with each other.

"Should I ever need a matter looked into, I'll keep you in mind."

Growden's eyes lit up as he glanced at the man hopefully and he nodded. With the simple exchange of numbers and agreement to attend Miss Polson's funeral, they departed.

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Secoiya had mentioned once or twice exactly how she wanted the manner of her death to be dealt with and Adriel intended to follow every detail to its exact point. For the funeral, she welcomed anyone with interest in coming. Enemies, past lovers, family, acquaintances- anyone at all. She wanted her ashes to be spread on the beach of her hometown, but only after everyone had gotten the chance to say their goodbyes.

Montego Bay, Jamaica was a notoriously beautiful area. The waters were a crystalline cyan blue and there were all manners of flora and fauna littering the line of light coloured sand beaches. Adriel Alvarsson was shocked to find just how many other people had adored Secoiya when he sent news from an old social media account of hers to let all of her friends and followers know that she had passed. They had arranged only forty seats on the beach for friends and loved ones and would come to find this a crudely low estimate when nearly two hundred people showed up for the event.

Of those who did make an appearance, Adriel further found that he was unfamiliar with the brunt of them. He recognised her brother and all three of his daughters. The man stood awkwardly at the end of the aisle and upon locking eyes with Adriel, seemed worried that the man might kick him out.

"Leon, over here."

The man in question looked about for any other potential Leons, before nodding and leading his girls over to the suited blonde man.

"The front row is for family. Nice to see you."

The man nodded as his daughters took a seat with a remorseful look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. She wouldn't want me here."

Adriel frowned a little before he put a hand on the man's shoulder and whispered a phrase only the two of them would know the significance of.

"The dead hold no grudges."

Leon's black eyes started to water and he pulled Adriel into a hug before letting the man go and moving to take his seat. Four of Secoiya's past lovers made an appearance, as did countless cousins and extended family members. There were businessmen and women of all varieties and a few scientists whom Adriel recognised from his father's facility in Iceland. He had no idea that the woman had known so many people.

They all stood about with various degrees of remorse on their face, all a little sombre and a little celebratory at the many achievements of the woman throughout her life. Secoiya Polson was an extravagant woman. Asia and Ivanna took their seats at the front row beside Leon, saving one for which Growden was to be seated when he got back from the restroom.

Adriel stared out at the sea of people whose lives she had touched and he felt the warmth and wave of sadness in all of them.

Secoiya would be missed by all of them.