Epilogue
A black car sat quietly just beyond the end of the drive. With the moonless sky and the country darkness, it remained invisible to all, including the man who had been standing on the veranda, unaware he was being watched. The occupant had been in the area most of the day, following him early on his onerous errand at the crematorium, and monitoring him preparing for the evening ceremony. The open location had made it impossible to be close to the ritual, but it had been short, and from what could be seen from a distance, not too stressful for the young man. Clearly he was taking comfort in the support of those around him, and his watcher was surprisingly pleased to realize that. After they'd left – well after to be sure of no observers, a lone figure trudged the distance to the ridge.
"I am sorry things ended this way Alice. Little did either of us expect when you visited that circumstances would unfold as they did. You deserve a better end than this, but I would have been a fool not to take advantage of your unfortunate accident. And, yes little sister, I know it was wrong to wait for days before letting the authorities know where to find your body, but you understand it was necessary that you not look you best when discovered. Even my poor Ezra was fooled. Funny; when we were children you always wished to me more like me – more adventurous, more daring. Who could have predicted that in death you would become me?"
And now she sat parked at the side of the road, watching her son looking out over the skies. She wondered what he was searching for. He was well done of her, at least for now. It might well be some time, if ever, before she could make an appearance again. Her last job had been poorly planned, and insufficient information had almost proved to be her downfall. He was better off to be distanced from her, now more than ever. She was reasonable certain her last mark had no idea of Ezra's existence, let alone a connection to her. It was unlikely he would face any consequences, especially given his status as – of all things – a lawman. She could see no reason to risk her carefully executed illusion simply to warn him of a remotely possible danger. The odds did not justify the risk.
She looked back to the house in time to see him disappearing indoors, back to the cadre of federal agents he now associated with. Shaking her head in disapproval of his life choices, she started the engine, driving off into the night.
The End?
I fully expect Maude, and now that we know about him, Jacob, to show up in the future if I think anyone is interested. I can't stop writing them. Hope you continue to be interested in reading them.