Good. He was tempted to come closer and shout, Boo!
He didnt.
Im here because I own the place, he told her. And youre trespassing. You have about two seconds to get out of here, and then Im going to call the police.
You are absolutely full of it, she told him. I own this place.
Again, he was startled.
Youre wrong, he said harshly, and Im tired of the joke. This place is owned by the Beckett family, and its not for sale-yet.
Beckett! she gasped.
Beckett, yes. The name that you see on the marquis outside. B-E-C-K-E-T-T. This museum has been the property of my family for decades. Im David Beckett. It is four in the morning and Im wondering what you are doing here at this time. I actually belong here-at any hour. Now, if you please, get out. He spoke evenly, almost pleasantly. But he meant the get out.
It seemed now, after hearing his name, as if the young woman facing him had changed her attitude suddenly. She seemed to back away. Im a Beckett. Oh, yeah, David Beckett. Person of interest! he almost shouted.
It had been ten years since he had left, determined that he wouldnt let the past follow him, not when he was innocent, not when someone else had taken his fiancées life, long after she had taken leave of him.
Im so sorry; I should have known, she said. Actually, weve met. It was years ago, but I should have known, you do look a lot like Liam. Im Katie-
I dont care who you are, he said, startled by his abrupt rudeness. He shook his head. Just get out. Its private property.
I dont care who you are, he said, startled by his abrupt rudeness. He shook his head. Just get out. Its private property.
You dont understand. I believe that I do own this place. I just have a few last papers to sign on Saturday. Tomorrow. Liam is, after all, Craigs executor-okay, you both are, if I understand it right, and youd told him to go ahead and act in his absence. Liam was ready to sell.
David frowned.
Sell? Never. Not the museum. The museum needed to be dismantled, taken apart. He wasnt superstitious, he didnt believe in curses. But this place held a miasma. There was something that appeared to be evil in the robotics. The faces were too lifelike. The ones that moved didnt jerk about-they looked like the real thing from a distance.
They invited idiots and drunks and psychotics to behave insanely. Commit murder, and leave the corpses behind, far more fragile than the imitations that might survive many decades.
David shook his head, feeling a twinge less hostile. He still couldnt really figure out who in hell the girl was, but, at least she wasnt a drunken tourist who had stumbled in. A Northerner, probably. Someone who had come to Key West convinced it was not only a sunny Eden, but a place to make a good few bucks off the spending habits of vacationers. But shed said that theyd met?
Whatever you might have thought, whatever you might have come to believe, the museum is not and will never be for sale. If its the house youre interested in, it may come up on the market in a year or so, David said flatly.
She stared at him steadily. Now it seemed that she was the hostile one. So, youre David Beckett, suddenly home and taking interest in the family-and the family property. How nice. Perhaps you should speak with the lawyers. I believe that the sale has gone through.
Look, Miss-
Katherine OHara, and dont be superior with me, because my family has been down here as long as yours-or longer. I hope that youre wrong, and that this sale can go through. I love what your family created. This is a beautiful place, and your grandfather and great-grandfather did such a fabulous job showing history, the simple, true and the bizarre. I dont understand
Her voice had trailed as she stared at him. She looked nervous suddenly.
Was she thinking that no matter what the newspapers or police had said, he might be a murderer? A very sick one at that, setting a corpse into an historical tableau?
After all, she had said that her family had been here forever, and yes, he did know of OHaras who were longtime residents, but
Katie OHara? he said sharply.
Yes, I just introduced myself, she said with aggravation.
Seans little sister?
Seans sister, yes, she said. She left out the little, her aggravation apparently growing.
Sean doesnt have any part of this, does he? His tone was sharper than he had intended.
My brother is working in the South China Sea right now, filming a documentary, and no, he has nothing to do with this. But I dont see what-
Nothing. Look, nothing has anything to do with anything. This place will never be a museum again, and Im pretty damned sure you just looked at me and remembered why I feel that way.
She inhaled, as if steeling herself to speak patiently. Something terrible happened. You were cleared. Your grandfather closed the place, but he always wanted to reopen it. We will never rid the world of psychos. I intend to have security, and locks and make sure that nothing so terrible could ever happen again, she assured him.
He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, and stared at her incredulously. And a bunch of frat-boy idiots wouldnt try to put a blonde mannequin in here, ever, or suggest that you do a mock-up tableau of Elena with Tanyas body? Havent you ever watched those horror movies with parts one, two, three, four, five and so on, where the same stupid people keep going to the same stupid, dark woods to wind up dead? What if the psycho who did it is still hanging in the Keys? What do you think of that kind of temptation?
I wouldnt let it happen. All people are not horrible, and its a wonderful museum. Ive worked really long and hard-
Right. You must be all of what now, twenty-two, twenty-three?
Twenty-four, and thats hardly relevant. I already have my own business-
Katie? Katie OHara? He laughed suddenly. Katie-oke! Thats your business?
She stiffened and her face became an ice mask. For your information, Mr. Beckett, karaoke is big business these days.
At your uncles bar, of course.
You really have matured into a rather insufferable ass, Mr. Beckett, she said, her tone pleasant. I will leave. Ill see you with my attorneys tomorrow.
As you choose. Good night, Miss OHara. And forgive me. I didnt mean to laugh at Seans little sister.
She stared at him. I really dont care, Mr. Beckett. And neither would Sean. Weve both worked hard and been responsible, and we make our way quite fine, thank you. And by the way, I never knew you were friends with my brother. Is he aware of the fact?
He laughed then. He had been an insufferable ass. It was this place. It was the possibility that it might be opened again.
It was him.
He had left here. He never hid his past. People knew about Tanya, about what had happened. But outside of this place, no one assumed that he had done it, that despite his honest and upright alibi, his entire family had lied to save him.
Being back here
Im really sorry. I didnt mean to be offensive. To you, Miss OHara, and not to anyones sister, younger or otherwise. However, the place is seriously not for sale. And my reasons are valid. I dont want to see history repeating itself.
Well see tomorrow, she said.
She moved away, but then turned back to him. I should have known you. Recognized you, I mean. Your grandfather talked about you all the time. Craig Beckett was a wonderful man.
He was surprised at how her remark seemed to sting. He had loved his grandfather-he didnt know anyone who hadnt liked and respected his grandfather. And he had seen him often over the years.
Just not in Key West.
Thank you, he said, lowering his head.
Im glad youve managed to make it back now, since you couldnt be here for the funeral.
If you knew my grandfather, Miss OHara, you know that he didnt believe much in funerals-or in massive monuments to the dead, caskets worth thousands and thousands of dollars or any other such thing. Memories exist in the mind, he always told me. And love was something distance could never quell. So I am fine with my memories, and in my conscience.
Im happy for you. Personally, I find a funeral a special time to remember and honor a loved one, but to each his own, of course. Ill get out of here, Mr. Beckett. I will see you tomorrow at the bank.
My pleasure, he said with a shrug.
She was near the door. I take it youre not planning on staying in town long?
No.
She hesitated again. Then what do you care? she asked quietly.
He didnt answer.
I would keep it alive with the dignity it deserves, she told him.
I apologize for being so rude. You seriously startled me, being here. I really do apologize for any offense given.
She nodded and turned to leave.
He watched her go. Seans little sister. He and Sean had played high-school football together. She didnt remember, but he had been in her home. Shed sported a head of almost orange-red hair back then, a lot of skinned and bruised knees and freckles that seemed to have faded now. She was definitely a striking young woman. She had unnerved him. He wasnt customarily such an ass, and didnt make light of the endeavors of others.
She nodded and turned to leave.
He watched her go. Seans little sister. He and Sean had played high-school football together. She didnt remember, but he had been in her home. Shed sported a head of almost orange-red hair back then, a lot of skinned and bruised knees and freckles that seemed to have faded now. She was definitely a striking young woman. She had unnerved him. He wasnt customarily such an ass, and didnt make light of the endeavors of others.
And yet, seriouslyKatie-oke?
He started. It was suddenly cold-ice-cold-where he stood in the museum. He thought about the many sayings people had, such as, It was as if a ghost walked right through me. It was as if he had beenshoved by something very cold. Well, ghosts didnt go around shoving people. Oh, and he didnt believe in ghosts.
He went about turning off the lights and, when he left, he locked the place securely.
I gave him a good comeuppance, Bartholomew announced. A strong right hook, right on the fellows jaw. And I could swear he felt it. All right, all right, so he didnt crash down on the floor in a knockout, but Id swear he knew hed been given a licking of one kind or another.
Katie waved a hand in the air, distracted. I dont believe it. No one thought that hed even come home. He was supposed to stay off in Africa, Asia or Australia, or wherever it was that he was working. Why? Why? Hes got to be wrong on this. Liam was certain that he could go through with the sale, that David despised the place and never intended to come back.