Page 98 of Dead Serious Case 5 Madame Vivienne

They smile at each other, and I’m glad they had a chance to make their peace. But I know that if it’s time for Viv to cross over, my time with my dad is also over.

“I know what you’re thinking, Jelly Bean,” Dad says. I look at him, tears welling once again. “But you needn’t worry. We’ll see each other again.”

“Soon?”

He just smiles at me. “I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

I swallow hard, grateful that I had this moment with him. I feel Danny’s arms wrap around me, pulling my back into his chest. He rests his head on my shoulder and I relax back into him.

“Come on, Vivienne.” Dad holds out his hand and she takes it, allowing him to guide her into the bright light. “Do you like Scrabble?”

EPILOGUE

Harrison leans in and gently slaps my hands away with an eye roll. “You’re making a big mess. Here, let me.”

“I’m nervous,” I admit. “I don’t know why I’m nervous.”

“You’ll be fine,” Harrison says with his usual implacable calmness.

“How are you feeling?” I ask him.

He pauses and raises his eyes to mine. “Fine. I have a little scar, but I’m all healed.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

“How are you?” He turns the question back on me.

“Still trying to process that I live in a world where monsters and demons are real.”

“Yeah.” Harrison sighs. “It seems my dads left quite a lot out of my education when it came to the craft.”

“Have you talked to them yet?”

“Kind of,” he replies, then huffs out a frustrated breath. “I mean, I had to tell them about Vivienne, considering I’ve inherited the bookshop.”

“How do you feel about that?” I smile. “Because no offence, Harrison, but rather you than me.”

Harrison lets out a little laugh and once again resumes his task.

“I have very mixed feeling about a lot of it,” he says quietly. “I’m no longer angry with Viv. I get why she gave me up and I do believe she loved me. It’s hard for me to feel love for her because I didn’t really know her. The few times we ended up near to each other, mostly at the parties you and Danny had, I made sure to keep out of her way.”

“So you knew? The whole time, you knew she was your mother?”

He nods. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to know who I was even though I wanted answers, wanted to know why she gave me up, but I suppose there was also a part of me that was afraid of the answer. Then it was too late.”

“I’m glad you got to speak with her.”

“I’m glad, too.” He nods. “There.”

I smooth my hand over my perfectly knotted tie.

“Ready?” he asks.

I button my suit jacket and run a hand over my wild hair, but honestly, I’ve given up on trying to tame it.

Letting out a calming breath, I smile nervously. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Harrison offers me his arm and I link mine through his. Together, we walk down the hallway and step through into the main open space of the bookshop.