Brodiethe youngesthad been the first to snap. Maeve had counted on that; Bryan was certain. Eventually Brodie had leaped out of his seat and screamed, Cant you see them?
Bryan had looked at Bruce, and in that moment, they had realized that their parents, while not alive, were still with them.
Hamish was worried; he didnt know why he and his wife were still there, and he was sorrya father needed to let his sons lead their own lives. But they were young. Maybe he and Maeve were still there because they were needed. The boys might still need help; they could be there to guide them as they grew older and became men.
Maeve informed them all that she knew the very solid reason they had remained on the earthly planewere they all daft? To guide their sons, yes. But she and Hamish had been taken too soon. They were kind, decent peopleand young and beautiful!
They had basically been robbed of life.
Now theyd been granted the chance to help their boys, though, of course, they hadnt really been at all sure that the boys could see them until Brodiebless himhad cried out the obvious.
Maeve and Hamish were home.
At first it was wonderful. It was still wonderful. Other than still wondering now and then if he was sharing a terrible hallucination with his brothers.
If it werent for the other dead people his mother and father always wanted to help. The dead they brought home, too.
Because his parents reappearance had opened some kind of door, and now he could see the dead. And Bruce and Brodie could see them, as well.
You do remember Dark Harbor, right? The run ended...oh, five or six years ago. You three were grown-up, but I remember that even you said they managed to make it pretty darned scary and that the plots were good.
Kudos to the writers, Bryan said. He slammed down hard on his hunk of a log.
She came up before him, suddenly very serious.
Bryan, please. A friend of mine was viciously attacked. And Im worried sick about a young actress who I thought was wonderfuland who was very dear to Cara. My friend was murdered, Bryan. Do you understand me? Murderedcruelly and with malice. And now, she sincerely believes that the other members of her cast are in trouble.
And why is that?
Because of the way the killer came to the table. Cara was always ready to jump up and get out front, and thats what she did, and she was worried that, well, maybe someone else was the intended target.
Someone else.
There were five main cast members, Bryan. I know you remember the show. You would have had to have slept through seven years to have missed it. Cara Barton was the matriarch, but Scarlet Zeta was the most popular member of the castand she was next to Cara when she was killed.
Scarlet Zeta?
Marnie. The actresss name is Marnie Davante. Her role was that of Scarlet Zeta.
Bryan did actually know. Hed seen the show. Hed actually enjoyed it. He wasnt usually that big on the paranormalespecially now, living a life in which his dead parents haunted him and brought home their dead friends now and then.
But Dark Harbor had been good.
And he knew who Cara Barton wasor had been. He grudgingly remembered that she had come to the funeral when his parents had died; she had been kind.
And he knew who the actress Marnie Davante wastrue, only someone who had been on Mars for the past decade or so would not. She had been great on the showsexy and endearing, an American sweetheart who might well have sent a few adolescent boys into their first solo sexual experiences. But on many talk shows shed also come off as an amazing human being. She loved animals, gave to all kinds of childrens charities and appeared to be a really decent human being.
What is Marnie Davante now, about twenty-seven, twenty-eight? he asked.
Maeve sighed. Twenty-nine, but what difference does it make?
Im trying to find out about her. She has a good reputation among coworkers, right?
Yes.
Theyre all in danger, so you say. Why are you most worried about Marnie Davante?
Because, Maeve said, I told you, the Blood-bone-costumed guy was coming for Marnie first. Cara wanted the extra attention and pushed her way forward. Maybe the killer got mixed-up. Maybe it was supposed to have been Marnie.
Im assuming the police are already looking into it.
Ah, but will they look far enough? Bryan, someone who cares, who is willing to give the murder his full attention, needs to be out there.
Bryan looked up at the sky.
When hed gone to help in the missing child case, hed been asked for his assistance.
Getting in on a high-profile murder case where police certainly had to be touchy, and might not want an outsiders help, wasnt a pleasant contemplation.
Well? Maeve demanded.
He didnt answer right away.
Then he heard his fathers voice.
Yep. The ghost of Hamish McFadden was there as well, standing behind his wife. His father was a dignified man, and someone who might have been a performer, but who had also lived his life always trying to do the right thing.
Might as well say yes, son. I believe the young lady will need you. Not to mention your mother will haunt the hell out of you, day and night, until you do. You know that what Im saying is true.
Bryan looked up. His father had been an exceptional actor; hed won an Emmy and a Tony. He was a tall solid man with ink-dark hair that hed passed on to all three sons, along with his formidable height and shoulder breadth.
Somehow, his father and his mother had kept their careers and been good, loving parents, as well. Theyd chosen work to stay as close to their sons as often as they could.
Yeah, theyd been damned decent.
Please! Maeve wheedled.
Shell torment you to tears, son, Hamish reminded him.
This girl doesnt even know she wants help, Bryan protested. And there are police out there, and... He sighed. Miss Davante has no idea she needs my help.
Oh, dont worry about that, Maeve said.
And why not?
Cara will let her know.
Cara is dead.
Maeve smiled. Yes, she is. But shes still hanging around, too. Because, of course, she is worried about Marnie, so...not to worry! She will let her know.
He paused and looked at his mother curiously, frowning. And just how do you know all this?
Oh, I talked to Cara, of course.
How?
Well, your father and I saw the news, even if you didnt. I was horrified, of course, and then I saw Cara was trying to get through on the computer.
You can use a computer? he asked his mother, incredulousand somewhat disgusted with himself.
She doesI dont, his father said. Your mom has always been the family communicator.
A new ghost managed to contact an old ghost? he asked.
Its difficult to explain, but its like we Skyped, his mother said.
But howNever mind. Never mind. Im not sure I even want to know. So, Cara has shown herself to this young lady, this Marnie Davante?
If she hasnt, she will, Maeve said.
I really hope so. And I hope, Mom, I can even get near her.
Its difficult to explain, but its like we Skyped, his mother said.
But howNever mind. Never mind. Im not sure I even want to know. So, Cara has shown herself to this young lady, this Marnie Davante?
If she hasnt, she will, Maeve said.
I really hope so. And I hope, Mom, I can even get near her.
Of courseyoure our son. You can go just about anywhere, using the name, Maeve assured him.
I believe she is right on that, his father said.
Bryan set down his ax and headed for the cabin.
Where are you going? Maeve asked him.
He turned to look at her wearily. Im going to go check out flights to LA. God knows you haunt me enough that I spend more time with the dead than the living.
He saw the look of relief and pleasure on his mothers face.
And his fathers approving nod.
Oh, hell.
Hollywood.
Well, he did have a bit of time on his hands. Hed spent enough time fishing and splitting logs and wondering if he and his brothers should form an agency.
Or if he should go ahead and look into the position that had been offered.
If he should join the FBI.
With the unit known unofficially as the Krewe of Hunters.
But his mother and father had come to him, and he wasnt committed to any path as yet.
He was going to LA.
* * *
Marnie had definitely spent too much of her life in Hollywood.
It was impossible to grasp the fact that what happened was reality.
Someone was going to yell, Cut! Then the director was going to step forward and tell them what a great job they had all done; they had gotten the scene in one take.
And then Cara Barton would get up. She would straighten her shoulders and look at Marnie and say, Of course! Im a pro. I really was great, wasnt I?
And Marnie would laugh. Cara had been ambitious; she had even been obnoxious at times. But from the get-go, she had been good to Marnie, and they had been true friends.
And now Marnie had held someone she loved as she had died.
Even then, even as reality reared its ugly head, she expected everything would happen as it did in the movies or on television. The detectives would look like Josh Hartnett or maybe Ice T, and within an hour, theyd know who had killed Cara Barton.
That hadnt happened. It had taken them way more than an hour just to sequester Marnie and her fellow surviving cast members, and to begin to round up all the Blood-bones who filled the convention hall.
The day had been a nightmare, endless. Filled with scores of police. With sirens, with medical personnel, with a medical examiner, with crime scene techs.
In the end, though, there were two detectives assigned to the case. One was an older man who, to be honest, in Marnies mind, would have been perfect for the movies.
For being a homicide detective, his voice was bizarrely soft and gentle. He was tall and thin, clean-shaven, and possessed a full head of silver-gray hair. His eyes were a powdery blue, as soft and gentle as his voice. His name was Grant Vining.
His partner was his total opposite. She was young, and when she spoke, it was apparent that she was not to be taken lightly. She was a tiny blonde with brown eyes and a powerful voice that apparently made up for her sizeshe had no problem being heard over any amount of chatter or noise. She seemed to do the corralling and instructing while Detective Vining did more of the intimate interviews. Her name was Detective Sophie Manning. She wasnt meanshe was just blunt. She started a bit harshly with Marnie. But then Marnie had been holding Cara Barton as she had died.
Good cop, bad cop? Did cops really play it all out that way? Marnie didnt know.
In the midst of it all, Detective Manning turned to her and said, Weve got your statement. Im going to take you to the station. Were going to need your clothing. Yes, I know youre thinking this is horrible and the blood on you belonged to your friend. But the killer might have cut himself. Hisor herblood could be on you, too.
The killer was wearing black gloves, Marnie told the detective.
Yes, still, we need what youre wearing. It will be returned.
Marnie looked around. A group had gathered by Malcolm Dangerfields booth; the actor was just beyond the crime scene tape surrounding the Dark Harbor booth.
Close and yet oh, so far away! Marnie thought. To his credit, he appeared to be stunned and horrified.
Malcolm Dangerfield wasnt paying attention to any of his fans. He was staring at Marnie and the police as if he were in shock. Someone spoke to him. He didnt seem to notice. His publicist waved the person away.
Detective Grant Vining was speaking to Jeremy Highsmith, asking him about the numbers on the table. Jeremy shrugged and told him he imagined that it had to do with five of them being therefive chairs. What could the numbers mean other than that? Had they been there all day? Yes, theyd been at the table when theyd arrived, just as their nameplates had been there. It was all set up by the comic con people. Did they change anything around?
Jeremy looked at everyone else. No one seemed to have an answer.
Who knows? he replied, his voice sounding broken. We just...sat. Were all friends. We wouldnt have cared where we sat. When we get together...we talk. He swallowed and then said, It makes these things bearable. For me, at least.
I think we more or less sat where our names were, Roberta Alan said. I have personally never seen numbers before, and were all friends. We dont care where we sit, and I just honestly dont remember if we sat by number. Oh, maybe Marnie and Cara switched around... Im not sure. Its honestly like I saidI dont remember. It never mattered to us. We even sometimes play musical chairs. That way, we all got to talk to each other. Oh, yeah, and after these things, at least one of the nights, wed head out for a meal together.
She loved those dinners wed have, Jeremy said. When he spoke, he looked old. He wasnt a spring chicken, but he usually appeared like a very handsome and distinguished older gentleman with his thick iron gray hair and straight and elegant posture.
Now, he just looked old.
Tonight, Marnie said softly. We were all supposed to be together tonight.
We really were her family! Jeremy said.
There was a little more conversation, none of it really helpful toward finding out why a Blood-bone-costumed killer would have singled them out.
God knows, maybe it was random! Sophie Manning murmured to Grant Vining.
No, no. It wasnt random. Trust me, Vining said.
Finally, Marnie found herself being led out by Detective Manning. She went to the police station, she turned over her clothing and she was given a strange rough outfit to wearit made her feel as if she had been arrested herself.
Detective Manning wasnt so bad; she asked Marnie if there was someone she should call.
Marnies parents were going to hear about what happened, but they were off on a dream trip to Australia and New Zealand. She would just text them that she was fine, and she was going to be home and trying to sleep, and she would talk to them in the morning.
She had friends, of course.
But no one that she wanted to talk to at that moment.
Her cousin Bridget lived in the other half of her duplex. She would hear about this soon, but Bridget was down in San Diego for the weekend, visiting one of her friends from college who was there for a writers retreat. There was no way she could have gotten home yet.