Chapter 15

Legacy

Nick watched the crowd, surprised again at how many people had turned up for this funeral. Paul Emery was here. Sebastian Borwick from the Boston house. James Carter, the Precept at the New York house. So many Legacy people, all paying their final respects on this dank, damp day.

Alex quietly wiped her eyes again and Rachel squeezed her hand, offering a quick smile of support. Whatever else happened in the days to come, they knew – everyone here at the funeral knew – that things would never be the same again. There was a hole which could never be filled.

The code got it right. Death did follow death. It started when Joseph died in a bus wreck, Nick considered. And it ends today with this ritual farewell. Not all of us from San Francisco are here. Who would’ve thought it possible ..?

A week ago, disaster struck our house. Seven days of numb activity. So much to do, most of us have been running on automatic. It’s been the only way we could cope. I still can’t believe he’s gone … You’d think, after a week, I could begin to accept it, but I can’t …

*****

Nick was the first to stagger upright a minute or so later, his skull ringing. He glanced round and saw Rachel struggling to get up and Alex crawling onto her hands and knees. Pete was groaning and cursing softly, so he was all right. Of them all, Aquila was still on her feet and completely unaffected. He grinned quickly, fleetingly, unthinkingly. Some things just never changed. He never once thought of Merlin, he just assumed … If Aquila was all right, Merlin had to be as well. That was how things were with Enforcers.

Next, Nick turned his groggy attention to the other side of the foyer.

The demon was gone, blasted into God only knew what or where or how many pieces. Randolph Hitchcock was sprawled face down on the rug. William Sloan was half covering Derek. None of them moved.

Closer to the blast, Nick thought, heading forward.

“Rachel,” he muttered, “we need you.”

“I’m here,” she said thickly, stumbling toward them.

He gently pulled William away from Derek so Rachel could start work. She knelt quickly, checked for a pulse, and shook her head.

“Aquila,” Nick asked, “can you do anything?”

“I must heal myself before it is too late for me,” she replied, vanishing, and his heart squeezed painfully as the belated memory of his wife kicked him. She had been sick. People had said she was dying. William had said even if she did die, the spirit lived on … Nick knew he should go to her but he just had to deal with things here first.

“Alex, come give me a hand!” Rachel called urgently.

Nick bent to William. “Pete, go check on Hitchcock, will you? C’mon, it’s over,” he said to the man at his feet. “The good guys won again, against all the odds.” He shook the man’s shoulder. William was showing no sign of coming round. He looked peaceful, even happy. “C’mon William, snap out of it.” Nick’s heart turned over. Hastily, he felt for a pulse.

“William ..?” he whispered. “Rachel – ”

“I’m busy!” she snapped, concentrating on giving Derek CPR.

“He’s dead … ”

Rachel looked round. “What?”

“William Sloan … He’s dead.”

“So’s this one,” Pete said, straightening from Randolph’s body. “They were nearest. They must’ve been caught in the blast.”

Nick tilted back William’s head and began mouth to mouth. “Give me a hand!” he yelled at Pete.

Together, they worked to bring him back, just as Rachel and Alex worked to bring Derek back. The women succeeded. The men didn’t.

“I got a pulse!” Rachel declared. “But he is very sick. The poison … I can’t treat that. He needs a hospital, fast. The fog’s closed the island. Nick, the chopper. Now!”

Nick was stunned. He sat there, on his heels, staring down at the body. “But .. he can’t be gone,” he said. “I mean .. this is William Sloan.”

Rachel came to his side. “Nick, the chopper. Now! Or we’ll lose Derek again.”

“Right.” He swallowed. “Rachel – ”

“What?” She looked up from William’s body.

“Peri. I don’t want anyone else to die tonight,” Nick said, his voice wretched, then he was gone, racing into the darkness.

*****

Aquila paused and looked down at her shell. Merlin was no longer in pain. The weapon had been destroyed but it had done its work. Her heart had struggled to keep going but it was now at rest.

“I didn’t go thru all that just for you to die,” she muttered. “I came back. They all gave of themselves to help me get here. Now you have to come back too.”

She sank into Merlin’s body and sent a powerful shock along every nerve. The body jumped, convulsing, and flopped down. But her heart had kicked into action. Normal functioning was restored. The residue of pain hit like a runaway truck.

“You .. could’ve .. let me stay dead,” she whispered.

No, I couldn’t. It wasn’t your time. It was his.

Merlin lay still. “Hitchcock?” she queried on a breath.

William.

She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head, feeling tears burn her eyelids.

He knew, Aquila told her. He did a noble thing and saved Derek. But he knew he would die. He still told me to fire .. and I did. He was caught at the edge of the blast, shielding Derek with his own body.

“Peri ..?” Rachel called.

“Over here,” Merlin whispered.

“You’re still with us then,” Rachel remarked gratefully.

“Yeah, so it seems.”

“You always said you were a tough one to kill. Should’ve believed you, I guess.” Rachel bent to examine her, and shook her head. “C’mon, you’re for evac as well. You have all the signs of some kind of poisoning, almost like radiation sickness. I can’t treat that here, I don’t have the drugs.”

“I can heal myself. I just – ”

“No. Trust me, for once in your life. Let the hospital take care of you.”

Let them, Aquila urged.

Merlin subsided. “Okay.”

Rachel helped her up and supported her all the long way downstairs.

*****

Pete Miller sat in the kitchen, his shaking hands around a mug of black coffee. He felt empty. Totally drained. Sheer anti-climax.

Alex came in and poured herself a mug of coffee too, then sat opposite him.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Alex.”

“Pete Miller,” he responded automatically, holding out a hand. She shook it. He looked up. “How’s my background check coming along?”

She smiled quickly, appreciating the humor. “Right now .. it isn’t. But I think you’ve proved yourself to be a friend.”

He nodded. “You called Sam?”

“Yes, I did. He’s on his way.”

“I’ll have to go with him. I shot Richard. Self defense. What about Hitchcock?”

“Cardiac arrest. There isn’t a mark on him,” Alex replied. “People who get hit by lightning … ” She shrugged.

“And Sloan?” he inquired.

Alex hesitated, looking away for a moment. “He’s been moved. William .. isn’t part of your friend’s investigation. He’s our responsibility. I should call Patricia .. his wife.”

“He isn’t going anywhere, Alex. Give yourself a break. Ten minutes. Get it together. Who was that other woman?”

Alex smiled briefly. “That was Peri.”

“I thought she was sick. Hey, I know she was sick. I saw Rachel bringing her downstairs. She could hardly move. Nick had to carry her to the helicopter.”

“It’s difficult to explain and best if I don’t,” Alex replied.

He paused while he shut it up in a little mental box and locked it away in the part of his mind called Rachel Corrigan.

“Any word from the hospital?” he asked next.

“Not yet. But Derek’s tough. He’s come thru a lot worse.”

“Worse,” Pete echoed, his voice flat. “Worse than .. that thing sinking those claws into his body?”

“He survived this house exploding.”

Pete glanced around at the kitchen. “Some contacts in the construction industry as well as in the local PD?”

“You could say that, yes,” Alex agreed. “Derek was in a coma for a long time .. but he survived. And Peri’s tougher still.”

“Most people get sick and then get better,” he commented. “She’s the first person I’ve ever seen do it other way round. But I won’t ask why that is or how it can be. Some things .. just happen.”

“Yes, they do,” Alex nodded. “And we are right back where we started.” She sighed. “No butler. I wonder if Kat wouldn’t mind – ”

“Oh God! I gotta call her. Let her know what happened.”

“Give yourself a break,” Alex advised, knowing she had her own phone calls to make. “Ten minutes. Get it together.”

*****

Nick was shut out. He slammed his fist on the door and a nurse threatened to call security.

“That’s my wife!”

“And the doctor will be with you as soon as he’s finished his exam. Try to wait quietly.”

Nick glared at her before stalking back down the corridor where he leaned against the wall and folded his arms.

Inside the exam room, Rachel was busy telling as much as she could to the doctors without telling them everything.

“I don’t know how Peri got like this. Obviously, she’s come into contact, directly or indirectly, with some kinda .. radiation,” she said to one team, and turned to the other. “All I know about Derek is that .. it’s a type of poison. My advice is to treat it like a tropical toxin of unknown origin, like a spider or snake bite. He … We did lose him for a while.”

“Okay, doctor. We’ll take it from here.”

“I’ll just be … ” She gestured at the door.

“Soon as we know.”

“Thanks.”

She went outside and saw Nick who straightened.

“Well?” he demanded.

“Soon as they know,” she replied, shrugging quickly. Rachel raked a hand thru her hair. “Some night, huh?”

He was staring at the exam room door. “That’s my fault,” he muttered, turning and giving the wall a vicious kick. “I put her in there, Rachel. I remember everything. I put the last piece of the weapon in place. I did it. No one else.”

“Nick .. how can you blame yourself? You weren’t in control. You didn’t know at the time. She would never blame you.”

“I know now.” He shook his head. “Maybe me an’ her being together .. it’s wrong. I’ve killed her once. For all I know, I could’ve killed her this time and only Aquila turning up when she did … I’m like a poison. Every relationship I’ve had is toxic. I’m bad news, doesn’t matter who the woman is. Maybe I should just .. cut her loose. Let her move on. At least she’d live.”

Rachel’s mouth had slowly dropped open during this. Then she nodded. Arguing with Nick when he was in this mood was pointless, futile. No matter what she said, it would be wrong.

“All I can tell you, right now, is that Peri will be fine. She’s in the best place to get the right treatment. She could do it herself but here they can help her do it faster. After that, well, it’s your life. I’m more concerned about Derek. That poison in him .. it’s fast and it’s deadly.”

The door opened and a doctor came out. They turned to meet him. He consulted a clipboard.

“Derek Rayne .. we’ve got him on a drip for now, with anti-venom and broadband antibiotics and anti-virals to help boost his immune system. We’re monitoring him closely for anaphylactic shock. He’s stable but critical. I’ll have more information once the test results are back. Call in the morning for an update. If he makes it thru the night, he has a good chance.”

He switched clipboards. “Peri Boyle .. basically severe dehydration and malnutrition. She’s on a drip and getting stronger already. She’s running a high fever, but that temperature is coming down. She is in a lot of pain so we’ve got her on a sedative and analgesics. Again, we’ll know more when the results are back. I’m keeping her in for at least four days. Possibly longer. It depends on how quickly she recovers .. but, at this stage, I can tell you she’ll be fine. It’ll just take time.”

“Thank you,” Rachel said. “C’mon, Nick.”

“Can I see her?”

“She’s sleeping right now. Call in the morning,” the doctor advised.

Rachel gently tugged on Nick’s arm. “C’mon. I need a ride home an’ you’re it.” She watched the fight start to build up in his eyes. “There are things we need to do back at the house.”

Reluctantly, he allowed her to steer him to the exit.

*****

Alex put down the phone and hugged her shoulders, rocking slightly in her chair. She hadn’t called Patricia. She couldn’t do it, she didn’t have the words, so she’d called Paul Emery at the London house, and she’d started, quite calmly, with, “Paul, it’s Alex Moreau in San Francisco. There’s been an incident … ”

Paul had listened as her narration became punctuated with sobs and sniffs. He’d asked mercifully few questions and then he’d said he’d handle it.

Before Sam Kearney arrived by police launch, a helicopter carrying a doctor landed on the island. William’s body was examined, officially pronounced dead, and zipped into a body bag. He was flown away to a funeral parlor on the mainland and the police never knew he’d been there.

Pete phoned Kat and, by the promptness of her answer, he knew she hadn’t been sleeping.

“Hi, Kat, it’s Pete. Just to let you know, it’s all over. Not everyone got thru okay but your Mom’s fine. So is Alex an’ Nick. Derek’s in a bad way, in the hospital – we’re still waiting to hear, and your Mom went with him.”

“And Peri?”

“I’d say walking wounded. She’s gone to the hospital too. We got the bad guys, Kat. The good guys came thru. Now .. you think, maybe, you could try getting some sleep? Chances are, these people are gonna need you tomorrow, cos they don’t have a butler again.”

“And Derek’s gonna be okay?”

“I sure hope so. He’s a real nice guy. Worrying about him all night isn’t gonna make him get better any faster. When it’s the morning, your Mom will call, I promise. Okay?”

“Okay. Thanks for telling me.”

“We had a deal. Sleep tight .. or try to. See you around, Kat.”

The line clicked dead and Pete hung up. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was sleep as well.

“Pete? I think your friend’s arrived,” Alex called.

He grunted as he got to his feet. His body felt like his bones had been filled with lead.

“Pete, what the hell’s been going on here?” Sam greeted.

Pete just sniffed. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, he thought.

“Well, it started when this guy came at me waving a meat cleaver,” he replied. “And it went downhill from there.”

Rachel and Nick arrived back to a foyer full of strangers. Alex sat on the stairs, idly watching them work, but she rose when her friends came in, her eyes anxious again.

“How is he?”

“Who are all these people?” Nick asked.

“Pete’s friend from San Bruno and some others. They’re taking the bodies away.”

Rachel glanced up at her. “William?” she whispered.

“Already gone. I called the London house and Paul’s taken charge personally. He said he’d go see Patricia, help with the arrangements for the funeral. He was really very good. How’s Derek?” Alex pressed.

“Stable but critical,” Rachel replied. “If he makes it thru the night, he’s got a good chance.”

“He can’t die,” Alex whispered. “He can’t let Hitchcock win. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“If it’s his time … ” Nick began and couldn’t continue. He’d had enough for one day. “Am I needed here? Cos, if not, I’m gonna crash for a few hours.”

“I think Pete’s got it covered,” Alex answered.

“Rachel, your friend .. he’s okay,” Nick decided and wearily climbed the stairs.

*****

When Merlin woke on Tuesday, three mornings later, she knew Aquila was back. It wasn’t that she felt stronger or that the agonizing, constant pain was gone. She did and it was but it was the subdued voices coming from the next room. They were excited. Somehow, in the hours of the preceding night, after hovering at death’s door for several days no matter what the doctors tried, Derek had staged a miraculous recovery. Obviously, it was the combination of anti-venom, antibiotics and anti-virals. They’d finally worked.

She smiled to herself. Obviously, she thought. It couldn’t possibly be Aquila working hard to remove every trace of demon venom. It had taken this long to heal Derek because Aquila had been working ceaselessly to heal Merlin’s injuries first. And now they were both exhausted.

Someone was sleeping in the chair next to her bed, his head propped on a fist. Merlin watched him for several long minutes, knowing he’d be having a hard time with all this, just as Derek had suffered over Joseph’s death. All those ‘what if I’d ..?’ and ‘if only I hadn’t …’ questions would be stampeding around a mind presently unable to deal with any of them. He was in charge of security. The good guys weren’t supposed to die under his roof, only the bad guys. But they had.

“Nicky,” she breathed.

His eyelids opened and blinked sleepily. Then he straightened to lean forward, his hand closing around hers.

Over the past few days, while Merlin had first been kept under sedation and then allowed to sleep, Nick had spent every moment he had free at her side. His words to Rachel, the night they’d brought her and Derek in, were shoved away and forgotten because he’d come to realize that he’d been under some serious stress. That had reduced even if it hadn’t disappeared. There were phone calls flying back and forth to London, arrangements being made for them, flights being reserved to New York, hotels … It was all they could do to keep up with it all. Derek still hadn’t improved. Merlin was still out of action. There was guilt to deal with, and a profound sense of loss.

“Hey, babe, how you doing?” he asked softly.

“Okay,” she replied after a moment’s consideration. “I don’t hurt anymore. I’m just .. a little washed out, I guess. Tired. Few days, I’ll be fighting fit again. How’re you doing?”

There they were. She could see them plain in his eyes. The endless questions.

“It’s my fault,” he said.

“How?”

“I put the last piece of the weapon in place. I hurt you.”

“Guess I’m gonna have to kick your ass when they eventually let me outta here.”

He didn’t laugh. He didn’t even smile.

Merlin rolled onto her side. “Did you hurt me deliberately? Did you break your promise on purpose?” she asked.

“No! I – ”

“Did you know you were building a weapon?”

“Not at the time.”

“Did you know you were just doing what Randolph Hitchcock wanted you to do?”

“No.” He shook his head.

“Did you know that you were under enchantment and being manipulated?”

“No.”

“If ignorance was an offense punishable by law, the prisons wouldn’t be big enough to hold ’em all. Teachers would be in jail for not doing their job. Nick, you’re not to blame, not for any of it. No one alive is. Hitchcock got what he deserved. What happened to him?”

“The cops took him away. He’s got no family. I think he was cremated.”

“Foretaste of what was to come … ”

“And William? Did he get what he deserved?”

Merlin didn’t answer for a moment. “All I can tell you is that William understood. He’d seen Aquila in action enough times to know what was involved. And .. she told me .. he knew he was going to die. It was his time. He made use of it to push Derek outta the way. He had nothing to lose, Nick. He told me to fire, and I did.” She shook her head. “It hurts that I’ll never have to deal with him again. He was a pain in the ass but .. he came good in the end. He actually died a happy man.”

Then she sighed. “Of course, now he is dead, he’ll still be a pain in the ass. I’ll see him more than I ever did before. I just know he’ll be at my parents whenever I go visit them.”

Nick gave a small grin at that.

“So .. I’ll ask again – how you doing?”

“Okay, I guess,” he replied. “Numb. Tired.”

“Not so guilty as before?”

He shook his head.

“How about the others?”

“Nobody gives a damn about Hitchcock, but Sloan … I mean, I knew the guy was tricky. He had more secrets than anyone else alive and he left the Legacy under a big, black cloud of suspicion .. but he was one of us. At some deep level .. he was still one of us. And now he’s gone.” He shook his head. “An’ then there’s Derek – ”

“He’ll be fine. It sounds real selfish but I couldn’t do anything to help him until I was okay. Aquila’s worked most of the night on him. And, like me, he just needs rest and some TLC to get him back on his feet. We should be home in a few days. Who was that guy in the foyer?”

“Rachel’s friend, that detective from Tulsa. He’s gone back now. He was great. He was the one who smashed the weapon.”

Merlin sighed and sank back against the pillows. “Damn.”

Nick frowned. “Excuse me?” he queried.

“How the hell am I gonna explain that to Carl?”

*****

Pete Miller had flown home to Tulsa on the Saturday but he was back again by Tuesday morning. Sam Kearney wanted Pete’s help in tying up all the loose ends on the Hugh Satterley homicide case, and he had kicked around the idea of a long term attachment. Nothing was agreed yet, but, should it be offered, Pete indicated he would accept. Six months, at least, Sam suggested, with an option to extend. He was impressed by Pete’s ability to solve virtually unsolvable homicides, and so fast as well. Pete said it was the luck of the draw and not to expect it to be that way every time. This had just been a rare combination of unique factors .. and most of them lived on that island in the Bay.

Rachel was pleased he was back and delighted to hear about the possibility of him staying around more permanently. It meant another friend on the inside. Someone who knew without really knowing, and who understood without asking questions she could never answer. To Rachel’s surprise, Kat was pleased as well that Pete wanted to return.

“He’s a good friend, Mom. And .. we need friends who are like Pete.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Rachel replied, remembering the way he’d pushed by her and Alex to confront Randolph Hitchcock. “Kat, when Alex, Nick and I go to New York on Thursday for William’s funeral, I don’t want you staying on the island on your own. That house isn’t secure until Peri can replace the door seal.” They were on their way to see the two patients. “They’re both in the hospital and .. I can’t see either of them getting out by the weekend.”

“I still got Peri’s key to Paradise Drive,” Kat said. “I could stay there. She won’t mind.”

“I guess she won’t.” Rachel glanced at her. “She’s a good friend to you, Katherine Corrigan.”

“I know.”

“The funeral’s on Friday, and we’re flying out there Thursday but we’ll only be gone one night.”

“I’ll be fine, Mom,” Kat insisted. “But I can’t do this much longer. School starts soon.”

“I know,” Rachel sighed. “With Derek out of action .. we can’t really decide anything.”

Kat looked at her. “Is he really bad?”

“I won’t lie to you, honey,” Rachel replied. “The medication’s only keeping him where he is. It isn’t making him get better. I know he’d want to be at William’s funeral but there’s just no way.”

Kat straightened and looked forward again. “Peri will fix him. She can do anything.”

Rachel smiled wistfully. “In a perfect world, Kat. In a perfect world … ”

*****

When they got to Derek’s room, they couldn’t get thru the door for medical staff. Rachel tensed, her training saying it could only mean one thing. But Kat was beaming.

“Can’t you feel it?” she laughed. “They’re excited.”

“Dr Corrigan! Hello!” the doctor cried, catching sight of her at the doorway. “Your friend … He’s going to be fine.”

“What happened?” she asked, amazed.

“Last night, there was a slight improvement and it continued to get better and, this morning, well, it appears there’s no trace of the toxin left. We are still waiting for the test results to come back from the lab but it is looking very good for a total recovery.”

“Have you – ?”

“Yeah, we told your friends just along the hall.”

“Kat, you wanna go find Nick? I’ll be along in a while to say hi an’ fetch you.”

“Okay.” Kat hurried away down the corridor.

“How did they take the news?” Rachel inquired, although she thought she already knew.

“Calmly,” the doctor replied. “It didn’t seem to be a surprise to them. Those two sure do have faith.”

Rachel approached the bed. “Hi there,” she smiled.

Derek smiled too. Weak and thin, but a smile. “How is everyone?” he asked on a whisper.

Rachel glanced at the doctor. “Could you give us a few minutes?”

“Sure. But .. just a few minutes, okay? This guy needs to rest.”

She nodded and waited till the door closed then she took his hand and sat on the edge of his bed.

“Alex, Nick and I got thru fine. So did Pete. Hitchcock’s dead.” She hesitated. “And so is William Sloan.”

Derek blinked at her. “William ..?” he choked.

She quietly explained everything which had happened after he’d passed out, right up till today. She left out no detail because Rachel knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t appreciate it. Derek closed his eyes and turned his head away.

“I’m so sorry, Derek. William .. regretted, I think, allowing himself to be sucked into Hitchcock’s plan. He wanted to make amends .. and this was the only way he could do it.”

“When is the funeral?”

“Friday. It’s in New York.”

“His family has a mausoleum there. He loved England but he’d want to be brought home … Thank you, Rachel. And Peri? She was in a very bad way when I had to leave her. Close to death.”

“She’s just along the hall. Slowly recovering. I’m gonna check in on her next.”

He nodded.

“Get some rest,” Rachel urged. “It’s what you need most. When you’re home .. we’ll talk some more.”

Derek didn’t say anything.

Rachel squeezed his hand again and left him alone. A solitary tear slipped out from under one eyelid and rolled down Derek’s cheek.

*****

Mid-morning the next day, the phone rang and Alex, feeling flustered and harried, picked it up while she read a fax just in from London.

“Luna Foundation, Alex Moreau,” she acknowledged, her voice distant.

“Alex.”

Her heart gave a guilty jolt and her eyes flew open. “Mark! Oh God, I’m so sorry! It’s been .. really very hectic here for a few days. Derek’s in the hospital, so’s Peri. They’re both gonna be okay but .. an old friend of Derek’s died an’ we have to go to the funeral in New York, we’re flying out tomorrow an’ back on Friday evening …” She sighed. “Not excuses, just reasons why I haven’t called.”

“I’m sorry to hear about all that,” he said.

Alex slowly straightened. There was something in his voice which alerted her. “What is it, Mark?”

“You’re not the only one who’s been too rushed to call. Alex, I’ve had to put my West Coast plans on hold .. for a year, at least. There’s a fabulous opportunity come up an’ I’d be a fool to turn it down. But it’s in Europe and I’d be gone for six months. In fact, I am going for six months. I leave in a couple of weeks.”

“Oh.”

“I still love you, Alex, I think I always will, but I have to be realistic. I don’t expect you to wait for me or anything like that. It wouldn’t be fair. When I get back, I’ll call you and, er, if you’re still unattached and I’m still footloose an’ fancy free .. maybe … Who knows, huh?”

“Right. Who knows? Thanks for telling me. And good luck.”

“You too, Alex. Bye.”

She hung up and went back to her workstation. Alex sat down. And then she cried. Not for Mark, but for William.

*****

“I really hope this is the last funeral I have to attend in a very long while,” Nick commented, turning from the window as the jet leveled off. “They’re depressing, and .. when you think about it, a waste of time.”

“How can you say that?” Alex asked.

“Because I’ll see him again. We all will. This is just .. disposing of the remains.”

“You’re right,” Rachel agreed. “Funerals are, basically, a ritually hygienic way of getting rid of a potential cause of disease. But the more important part isn’t for the dead, it’s for the living. It’s a way of helping everyone present to draw a line under that part of their life, to offer sympathy and support to the family. We’re not only going to New York to pay our final respects to William, we’re going for Patricia and the children. They won’t get to see him again for a long time.”

They were silent for a moment, then Alex said, “You remember that box addressed to him but delivered to us?”

Nick laughed. “How could I forget?”

“Those bagpipes,” Rachel groaned, shaking her head.

“William .. was always a pain,” Alex declared. “Especially after he got rescued. But … ”

“He brought Peri into my life,” Nick said softly. “I can’t hate the guy who did that.”

“Even though he resigned .. he was still one of us at heart,” Rachel agreed. “In a funny kinda way, I’m gonna miss him.”

*****

At Derek’s insistence, they put him and Merlin in adjacent rooms and, once they were allowed out of bed, they spent most of the time in one room or the other.

It was early on the Friday morning, just about the time when William was being interred in his family’s mausoleum on the other side of the country. Derek sat on the edge of his bed, Merlin was in the chair to the side, and they were thinking about him. All their exchanges over the years. Just because they couldn’t be there in person didn’t mean they couldn’t think about him.

There was something else on Derek’s mind. It had been nagging him ever since he’d recovered.

“I can’t believe I was so foolish as to do exactly what he wanted me to do,” he remarked again.

“He knew you,” Merlin replied, again. “He knew how you’d approach this. He used you, Derek. He used us all.”

“My sight betrayed me. It gave me no warnings.”

Merlin shrugged. “No one’s perfect. Don’t beat yourself up.” She was watching the room across the hall.

“And the worst part,” he went on, frowning at her, “the really worst part, is that William finally did get his revenge.”

She blinked at that and focused on his face. “Say again?”

“He saved my life and sacrificed his own. He did a noble thing, and I cannot reciprocate. I owe him a debt I can never repay. In our long battle of pushing and shoving for position .. he won.”

“I’ll put him on the list.”

Now he blinked. “Excuse me?”

“The list of people you have to visit on the other side. You can continue your war of superior intellects whenever you feel the need to stretch those brain cells.”

“What are you looking at?” he asked, twisting round.

“That guy over there. He never gets any visitors.”

Derek cautiously climbed down from his bed. Despite being conscious, he still tired quickly. “I could use some gentle exercise,” he decided. “Coming?”

“Sure.”

Looking like a frail, elderly couple out on their daily constitutional, they crossed the hall and went in.

The man in the bed, late thirties, sandy blond hair, green gold eyes, looked up. “Do I know you?” he asked.

“No,” Derek replied. “I’m Derek Rayne. This is Peri Boyle.”

“Andrew Todd,” the guy responded.

“Now we know each other,” Derek shrugged. He sat down in the chair. “Why are you here?”

“In the city or in the hospital?” Andrew queried.

“How about both?” Merlin replied, grinning. “Derek an’ I .. we’re cursed with curiosity.”

“I’m in the hospital because I received a bad concussion. I fell two floors down a lift shaft. I’m in the city because I’m looking for work.”

“Down a lift shaft? And you only got concussion? Wow,” Merlin breathed.

“I’m naturally lucky,” Andrew commented. “They say I bounced.”

“How did you get to be in a position where you could fall down something like that?” Derek frowned.

Andrew blushed slightly. “You’ll think I’m some kind of weirdo.”

“I wouldn’t judge yourself so harshly,” Merlin responded. “Everyone has a hobby.”

“My friend and I .. we were in this hotel south of the city. It’s due to be demolished but we wanted to check it out … It wasn’t as safe as they told us.”

“Why did you want to check it out?” Derek wondered.

Andrew paused and took a deep breath. “It’s said to be haunted .. and I’m an amateur ghost hunter.”

Derek and Merlin glanced at each other, then Derek asked, “What is it that you do for a living?”

Andrew shrugged slightly. “I’m a butler.”

“Really?” Derek said. “This could be your lucky day.”

*****

Once the funeral was over, they each gave some small condolence to Patricia Sloan. When it was Nick’s turn, she met his steady gaze.

“What happened, Nick? No one will tell me. But that’s the Legacy for you. All I know is that William died in an .. incident at the San Francisco house.” She watched him. “I know, too, that Derek’s in the hospital. Were they fighting? Is Derek responsible for William’s death?”

“No,” Nick replied honestly.

This was how it had started with Randolph Hitchcock. Blame being put on the wrong person. Blame had festered into spite and exploded into vengeance .. and it had ended today, with all these people gathered round a casket in the overcast dampness. He couldn’t bear the thought of it starting all over again with Patricia.

“William saved Derek’s life. He was the only one who could, who was close enough. At the end .. I think they’d made their peace.”

She nodded. “I’m glad about that.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Nick murmured, taking her hand.

“Thank you for coming,” Patricia said with a weak smile.

He moved aside to let Rachel take his place. Paul Emery drifted over. “How’s everything in San Francisco?”

“Seeing as Derek’s still in the hospital, as well as can be expected, I guess,” Nick replied.

“The two artifacts were definitely destroyed?”

“Oh yeah,” Nick nodded. “They’re not gonna hurt anyone ever again.”

“Good. I’m sorry you were put thru that, Nick. That you all were put thru that.” He paused. “Are you flying back tonight?”

“Yeah. There’s a lotta stuff to clear up back home.”

“Oh?” Paul frowned sharply.

“We still don’t have any domestic help. Place is a bit of a mess.”

“Oh .. I see. Well, my apologies again. Thanks for coming.”

*****

Joe came to the hospital that afternoon with flowers for Merlin and fruit for Derek.

“Just wanted to tell you guys that William’s safely over the bridge. He’s gotten himself some spread as well. Already hosted his first garden party to meet his new neighbors. He’s gonna be okay. Lot of old Legacy people have been calling round, some to say hello, some with some very old bones to pick over with him. Oh, an’ the other piece of news is that Joseph an’ Hugh – ”

“Hugh?” Derek queried sharply.

“The real Hugh,” Merlin explained.

“They’ve set up a halfway house for newcomers and strays,” Joe went on. “They’ve already had their first visitors. Alicia Featherstone an’ Richard Jones.”

“The fake Hugh,” Merlin said. “He was used just as much as we were, Derek. All pawns in a grand game.”

Derek sighed and nodded, then he stirred. “Joe, could you do something for me?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“I’d do it myself but I’m stuck in here. Could you run a background check on an Andrew Todd?”

“Who’s he?” Joe frowned.

“The lucky sole candidate for a vacant position,” Merlin answered.

*****

The next day, Saturday, eight days since Hitchcock had so triumphantly and tragically returned, Derek and Merlin came home to Angel Island. They brought someone with them.

“You should’ve said! I would’ve come pick you up!” Nick said hotly.

“We’re fine,” Derek protested. “The doctors say we have to .. take it easy for a while but we can get ourselves home, Nick. We have. We’re here. Why argue?”

“We came so close to losing you,” Alex pointed out.

“We did lose you,” Rachel corrected.

“Why take unnecessary risks?” Nick questioned.

Derek sighed. “Thank you all for your concern. We really are fine. If we weren’t, the doctors wouldn’t have released us.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re home and you’re okay,” Kat said. “Who’s that?”

Derek saw their eyes switch smartly to the newcomer who was watching politely behind Derek and doing his best to ignore the exchange.

“Ah, this is Andrew,” Derek introduced. “Andrew, this is Dr Rachel Corrigan, and her daughter Katherine. Alex Moreau. Nick Boyle, Peri’s husband. Everyone, this is Andrew Todd, our new butler.”

“I’ve got a clean bill of health too,” Andrew said hastily. “I’m pleased to meet you all .. and very grateful to Dr Rayne for the position here. I hope I won’t let you down.”

“Derek, could I talk with you a second?” Nick asked in a steady voice.

“Joe has already looked into his background, Nick,” Derek quietly replied.

“He’s as clean as a whistle,” Merlin added. “And he’s lucky.”

“And an amateur ghost hunter,” Derek concluded.

“He’s perfect. Trust me on this,” Merlin winked.

Outgunned, Nick retreated. “Welcome to Angel Island, Andrew.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Why don’t Kat and I show you where the kitchen is,” Alex suggested, “then I’ll give you the dollar tour.”

“That’d be great, thanks,” Andrew smiled.

“Where’d you find him?” Rachel inquired, once they were out of earshot.

“Room opposite ours at the hospital. He had concussion.”

“That can be nasty,” Rachel commented.

“Could’ve been a lot worse,” Merlin replied. “He fell two floors down a lift shaft, and bounced.”

“That kind of luck is what we need in this house,” Derek stated.

There was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” Nick said.

He opened it to Carl Chang.

“Hi! It’s been a while an’ I haven’t heard. Have you made any progress with my artifacts?”

They glanced at each other.

“Yeah!” Merlin said. “Yes, they are from Sodom.”

“But, unfortunately – ” Rachel began in a hesitant voice.

“We’ve been too busy to get back to you,” Merlin cut in. “Just one second. Don’t anybody move.”

She turned and ran to the music room, returning a few seconds later. “Here you go.”

Derek watched the box being passed to him. The three terracotta pieces were nestled inside.

“Wow .. thanks. What are they?” Carl asked.

“We’re not totally sure,” Merlin answered. “But we think .. children’s toys. Little amusements for immature minds.”

“Wow … ” Carl cradled the box against his chest. “Thank you, Derek. As ever, if there’s anything I or my staff can do for you, you just have to say.”

“We will, Carl,” Derek smiled, going with him to the door.

Rachel and Nick swung round. “You lied to him,” Rachel said.

“Not really,” Merlin shrugged.

“You fabricated those artifacts,” Nick accused.

She wrinkled her nose. “I couldn’t tell him they got smashed. He would have been really hurt. And no one’s gonna say they’re fake, they have nothing to use as a comparison.” She shrugged again. “I just wanna put this all behind me an’ start over. Okay?”

“Absolutely,” Derek agreed.

Alex, Kat and Andrew returned from the kitchen.

Derek looked around the foyer. Here, Randolph Hitchcock had failed once six years ago, and for a second time only eight days ago. The first time, Derek had stopped Nick going after him, had hoped that old friendship would be enough to redeem him. It hadn’t. His shadow had grown and eventually consumed him. He had died here.

Yet, if Derek’s hopes had been dashed for Randolph, they had been fulfilled in William Sloan. Old friendship had, at the end, counted for more than old animosity. And, for that, Derek was glad.

He nodded as he surveyed them all looking at him. Waiting for him to say something. Derek smiled.

“Why are you standing around?” he asked briskly. “We’re all here, aren’t we? It’s business as usual.”

Poltergeist: The Legacy

To Cast A Long Shadow

© Jay Brown, 2001

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