CURIOSITY PART XV—EPILOGUE
Sloan's Beach House—8.43pm
There were quite a few people crowded round the table in Mark Sloan's house—Mark, Steve, Amanda, Jesse, Norman and Pete. Anders had failed to make it. He had announced his promotion to the others. He was now head of the witness protection program and had taken over what was once Ben Holmes position. Unfortunately, though, that meant more work for him and been though he was up for it, he did regret that it did involve missing some other important things such as this. They were happy for him, though. Other good things that Steve announced was his putting in of a good word to the captain had promoted Kyle James to the rank of Detective. The young man was so thrilled with his status that he drove Steve nuts for an hour around his office.
Jesse sat back towards the end of the meal. "Man, I'd die if I ate any more," he said and hastily added with a smile, "not that you're cooking is bad, Steve."
"I was hoping you weren't insulting it," Steve commented but was also smiling back. He, like many others, was glad that Jesse was back to normal. He had been joking the past few days and driving almost every one round the bend with the comments he had made. Even though everyone tried to act as they previously did when Jesse was in his mood, they were secretly glad he was doing it.
"Well, I'm just glad everything is back to normal," Norman admitted, nodding his head frantically. "I swear, I should have got my name engraved on a stone for my death when the hospital was overrun by all those policemen."
"Was the hospital surrounded by police part of your nightmare?" Amanda asked, pointed a fork in his direction. Jesse smirked.
Norman looked at her sardonically, without a smile on his face. But it changed into one of absolute seriousness. "But…" he paused dramatically. "It was a lot like my nightmare." When everyone threw down their forks, he continued. "No, it's the truth. There was some evil power behind all of it—Marcus Lavoy. And I was about to lose all my staff due to that maniac and the hospital would have closed. We would have been shut down for the lack of safety." Steve rolled his eyes along with Amanda. Mark simply laughed.
"I thought Steve told you to take sleeping pills," Pete said out loud, putting his wineglass down.
"So much good that did me."
"Have your nightmares stopped then?"
"I am very pleased to say that they gave."
Steve sighed. "Good. Maybe the rest of us can sleep then."
They finished their meal with the rest of the conversations that they had left to talk about. Norman tended to participate the least. He felt as though he had been truly dumped on his nightmare. It had scared him and it had scared him even more when certain events started coming true. Slightly grumpy, he carried on in silence.
But the silence of everyone was broken by Steve saying, "So, Jesse, you've decided to go and testify against Lavoy, huh?" Once again the silence descended on the table. Jesse sat back in his chair. He had no reason to be uncomfortable and he had no reason to be ashamed either. There was just a feeling that he was being put on the spot again. It was as though it was the right thing to do and he was being pressured.
"Well, I guess I have to, don't I. I mean, I don't exactly have much of a choice. I'd only let everyone down if I didn't."
Amanda shook her head. "That's not true, Jesse. I know it sounds as though we're forcing you to do it. Going through a trial is no easy thing, as you very well know. But at least you come out at the end knowing that you've done something and at least in this case you will. Marcus Lavoy cannot possibly get out of this in any way and it will make you feel better that he's finally gone away." Jesse nodded seeing the sense in Amanda's words.
"Well, I'm doing it, aren't I?" Jesse cried out loudly and everyone shouted in agreement.
Mark lifted up his glass. "I think we need a toast."
"To what?" Jesse asked.
Mark thought and shrugged. "I can't think of anything just yet. You think about it then we chink."
Jesse picked up his glass and wondered who or what he should toast to. He wondered, by the ready look in everyone else's eyes, what they could possibly have thought of. As he raised his glasses with all the others ones, he didn't care who they were thinking of. He had his own idea. As when his glass joined with all the other filled ones, he thought To Day Passer.
The end!! (Bet you're thinking 'finally')
………But is it really the true end? Do you think is deserves a sequel?
