Epilogue

While the students of Manzana Valley Prep School worked to salvage the masquerade ball by reviving the dancing and dining once the criminals were taken away, Perry and Della decided to sit it out for a while. They slipped to the back of the room, just enjoying watching the students as they talked.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you as soon as Ellena released you from her control on the stairs," Perry said quietly.

"You needed to help the Stuarts," Della said with a gentle smile. "It's alright."

Perry sighed. "I'm glad Sergeant Brice was there for you then." He looked down at his hands, twisting the ring around his little finger. "It . . . must have been horrible to have Ellena invading your body and controlling it to do whatever she wanted."

Della looked down too. "It was . . . frightening," she admitted. "Very frightening. At first I didn't know what was going on, and then when I did, it wasn't much better." She looked up again. "I guess it's strange to end up feeling any kind of compassion for Ellena at all, especially after she actually tried to kill Dr. Stuart, but . . . I feel like in the end, she was a troubled and mixed-up girl who relied far too much on her emotions. And I honestly hope she's finding the peace denied to her during the six years she's been dead."

"Oh . . . I don't find it strange that you would manage to find compassion for her," Perry said. "But I doubt that everything she did was motivated by her feelings for Wade. Her partying certainly had nothing to do with that."

Della sighed. "I know, but maybe anyone would feel like partying a little if they'd been dead for six years and had another chance to experience a little bit of living again."

Perry shook his head. "On the one hand, I should really scold you for being compassionate towards those who would just abuse your kindness. But on the other hand . . . how do I scold you for one of the things that most makes you you?"

Della smiled a bit. "Thank you.

"I wonder what's going to happen to that necklace."

"I believe after the trial it's going to be repaired and sent back to the woman it was stolen from," Perry said. "Sergeant Brice said she's still interested in it and doesn't care about the rumors that it's haunted. Anyway, I suppose by now it isn't."

"I hope not," Della said. "It couldn't have been very happy for Ellena to stay bound to it. And I'm sure it wouldn't be fun for the owner to discover a spirit attached to it."

"No, I wouldn't think so," Perry grunted.

"Poor Mr. Burger," Della said suddenly. "How will he ever figure out how to conduct the trial?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll find a way to do it without bringing up all of the supernatural aspects of the case," Perry said. "As long as he doesn't have to tell what happened on the stairs."

Della shuddered. "I don't know how he'll possibly be able to keep Ellena out of it altogether. She's really a huge part of it."

Perry nodded. "He's going to try anyway, though," he said. "Neither he nor I want to see you put through that stress."

That brought a smile. Della knew it would be almost impossible to explain her part in things, since as they all knew, the law didn't recognize possession. She had to hope that Hamilton would indeed find a way around that problem.

She glanced across the room to where Aaron and Marian were. "What do you think is going to happen to the Stuarts?"

"About the oil or about Tobin Wade?" Perry deadpanned.

"Both," Della replied.

"Oh, I imagine Aaron will decide to start pumping the oil, as long as it can be done without disturbing things at the school. His first interest is keeping the school open."

"I hope everything that's happened won't give him a lot of negative publicity," Della said in concern.

"I think that by now he's established himself enough that it won't be a problem," Perry said. "As for Wade . . . judging by the seriousness of their conversation, they're probably discussing him now."

Perry was right. At the other side of the room, Marian was looking around the gym. "I don't see him anywhere now," she remarked in concern. "I wonder if he's left."

"It's hard to say." Aaron sighed, placing his hands on the table.

Marian looked to him in both concern and compassion. "Aaron . . ."

"I know that after all this Tobin has pretty much proved himself a changed man," Aaron went on, gazing into the distance. "And I suppose that I'll be considered terrible if I can't just up and mark the past closed. But you know what he did back then, Marian!" He turned to look at his wife. "He pulled every dirty trick in the book to give the school and us a bad reputation. Getting you to drink when he knew what it would do to you . . . that was the very worst thing. I don't know if I can ever forgive him for that, even if I can forgive him for framing me for manslaughter. I don't know; maybe he thought Perry could get me off, but that doesn't excuse it. And what he did to you . . ." He clenched a fist.

"I don't know if I can ever forgive him for what he did to you," Marian said softly, laying a hand on Aaron's arm. "But the Tobin Wade we saw tonight . . . that wasn't that man."

"Even if we can possibly forgive, how can we ever really trust him again?" Aaron said despairingly. "Long ago we pledged our oath up at that blasted Topanga cabin. Friends to the bitter end. Ha!" He shook his head. "Tobin broke that oath. And alright, so now he's trying to look out for us and make sure we're kept safe. What guarantee do we have that he won't someday get greedy again and turn against us again? He's even afraid of that himself; he said that's why he took a mechanic's job."

"We don't have any guarantee," Marian admitted. "But when he's worried himself, maybe that only further proves that he's changed for the better and he won't allow himself to be tempted again."

Aaron heaved a sigh. "What do you think we should do, Marian?"

"I really don't know," she said softly. "Everything you've said is true. But it's also true that things have never been the same without him. We were a team for so many years. I miss those times every day, and I know you do."

"It will never be the same as it was then, no matter what we do," Aaron cautioned.

"I know that," Marian insisted.

"I don't want to have a greedy backstabber around who will just manipulate us like puppets for his own selfish purposes and masquerade as our best friend all the while." The hurt and bitterness were heavy in Aaron's voice.

Understanding, Marian hugged him. "I don't want that either," she declared. "But I still want our best friend—the real one, not the pretender. And . . . I don't know, I think that now he's returned to us."

Aaron reached up to lay his hands on her arms. "Maybe after a good night's sleep, the morning will bring fresh perspectives," he suggested. "I don't think we should do anything about it tonight."

Marian nodded. "That's fair enough."

Della leaned back as their conversation ended and they separated to tend to the party. "I wonder what they've decided."

"Maybe nothing for now," Perry said in gentle amusement at her interest. "This isn't something that can be easily determined in a few minutes while Halloween songs blare in the background."

"Oh, I know that," Della objected. "And Perry, don't you wonder why on Earth the morgue didn't report Tobin Wade's body missing?"

"I do," Perry nodded. "Perhaps the person on duty was too horrified and embarrassed that it happened on his shift and he didn't want to say anything for fear of losing his job. But if he would keep quiet about something that important, we should know about it. On the other hand, maybe that isn't the reason. Wade didn't seem to know how long he'd been dead when he came back to himself and left the morgue. We know it must have been after the police were done with his body or they would have been inquiring after it. Maybe he had been sent on by then to be prepared for burial and he slipped away before any of that could be done."

Della shivered. "I wonder who's buried in his grave."

"I imagine the police will be very curious about that as well," Perry remarked. "They'll probably get out a court order in the next few days to have the body exhumed."

"That's a little too eerily appropriate for the season," Della frowned. Wanting a change of subject, she said, "I'm glad that none of the new Manzana Valley Prep School staff was mixed up in this case."

"So am I," Perry said. "It was just two of the Madsen sisters, Gerard, and that construction worker. A third sister, Iona, helped them here and there, but she didn't even know what was really going on. I'm sure the Stuarts are relieved."

"No doubt." Della paused. "I wonder what the staff thinks now that they know Pete Kelton isn't really a gym teacher."

"Oh, they're sad to lose him, but probably used to it," Perry said. "Who knows—maybe the publicity from the case will be positive and it will attract someone who wants the position full-time."

"That's a nice thought," Della declared. She perked up as a new song started.

Perry smiled as he noticed. "Now what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking that we should try to have a little fun tonight," Della said. "After all, we're at a party. I think even Gene Torg and Pearl Chute are enjoying themselves now." She nodded to where those two were starting to dance.

"In that case . . ." Perry stood. "Would you like to dance?"

Della beamed and followed suit. "Yes, I would."

xxxx

The story was plastered across every major newspaper in both Los Angeles and Manzana counties the next morning. When Tobin Wade arrived at Amos Berry's Car Shop for work, he found the old man scowling and holding up a newspaper.

"So this is what you've been holding back, eh?" Amos growled. "You're that Tobin Wade fella that got himself killed after doing a bunch of rotten things to his best friends?"

Tobin cringed but nodded. "That's right."

"And this stuff you've been involving yourself with the last few days . . . you were really trying to help the friends you'd hurt?"

"Yes," Tobin said. "Look, if you want to fire me because I'm not what you thought . . ."

"Eh. As long as you plan to keep working hard, there's a place for you here," Amos said gruffly.

"I'll probably work harder now," Tobin replied. "The case is over; there won't be anything for me to get distracted by. Well, at least until the hearing and the trial, that is. I'll have to testify."

"Good," Amos humphed. "Oh, just one thing, though—what should I call you now?"

"I'll answer to either name," Tobin told him.

"Well . . . you're David to me, but that's not even who you are, so I'll call you Tobin Wade, I reckon." Amos nodded to himself.

"That's fine," Tobin said.

He went into the back and found the first car of the day. As he worked, he swiftly became lost in thought.

The case had unfolded much differently than he had imagined. But at least it had ended on a positive note; Aaron was still alive and well. So was Marian. They would be able to go back to their lives without fear.

And now Tobin was back to his life, the life he had chosen as David Solomon. He would hold to his promise and not go around the Stuarts again. Even in court, he wouldn't deliberately seek them out. They had suffered enough because of him; they shouldn't have to deal with him being around again.

It wasn't until lunch that he took a break. And when he did, the sight of Aaron and Marian slowly making their way into the car shop nearly caused him to drop his wrench in shock.

"H-Hello," he stammered. "Aaron . . . Marian. . . . What are you doing here? I thought you'd want to stay as far away from here as possible."

"Frankly, I wasn't sure what I wanted," Aaron replied. "But Marian is a lot more sure of herself." He looked to his wife with fondness.

Marian glanced to him and then to the stunned Tobin. "We all know things will never be what they once were," she said softly. "And I'm not sure either of us has forgiven the old you for what you did. But . . . you're a new you now. And . . . well, we'd like to invite the new you to lunch."

"If you . . . don't have any other plans, of course," Aaron stammered now.

"Why, no," Tobin said in surprise. "No, I don't." He set the wrench down and walked with his friends out of the car shop, marveling and rejoicing.

And looking on, unseen by them, a blonde-haired, green-eyed woman smiled.