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Liz slid the safety glasses on top of her head, watching as her sister doubled over, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Liz frowned.

“Your raccoon eyes,” Gloria gasped, clutching her gut.

“Seriously?” Liz plucked her compact from her front pocket and flipped it open, her eyes widening in horror at the sight of the perfectly round indentations circling her eyes. “I thought the safety glasses felt a little snug.”

She snapped the compact shut and found her sister, cell phone in hand and aimed at her. “What are you doing?”

“Taking a picture. This is great. ”

“It’s awful.” Liz snatched the cell phone from her hand and promptly deleted the photo. “You’re supposed to be helping.”

“I am.” Gloria made a wide sweep with her hand, motioning toward what was left of the upper hall. “You now have a clean slate.”

“It’s a start. Deconstruct to reconstruct,” Liz quipped. “Remind me to have the workers order a new back door for Echo. The plywood is a hideous eyesore, and I don’t want her having any reminders of what nearly happened to her.”

“Do you think this is the end?” Gloria asked.

“I hope so. Mark Havane is on paid leave. Both he and Senator Appolina are being investigated. They would be crazy to come after Echo now. Unless there’s someone else in on it, I think we can all stop looking over our shoulders.” Liz shifted her feet. “I wish Echo had confided in us from the beginning that someone was after her. ”

“Being stalked is serious business. She figured if she disappeared without a trace and there was no paper trail for anyone to find her, she could start over and leave Detroit behind.”

The women made their way downstairs.

“Echo didn’t count on Appolina and her former boss working together,” Liz said. “The two were taking bribes from the unions, turning a blind eye to certain questionable business practices. The case got a lot of publicity, dragging the evidence technicians, including Echo, who insisted the lead investigator didn’t commit suicide, into it.”

Liz continued. “She was scared out of her mind and knew for certain something was going on when her co-worker was also found dead. I hate to say it, but nosy neighbor Christi’s cameras were instrumental in getting a partial copy of Havane’s license tag that night he tried to break into Echo’s place.”

“It took some guts for her to meet him at Dot’s Restaurant,” Gloria said .

“Appolina’s little black book was his undoing. He, in his own handwriting, had made an appointment for Havane to meet with the lead investigator the day of his death.”

Gloria rubbed the bottom of her chin. “Remind me again how Mick Grotto ties into all of this.”

“Havane hired Grotto to track Echo down, get his hands on the DNA sample and take her out,” Liz said. “Instead, he tracked Echo down and then contacted Havane, threatening to tell Echo why he was there and who had hired him unless he and Appolina paid him more money.”

“This could have ended badly for Echo.” Gloria folded her arms. “As far as the sketch, the authorities found out the woman seen in the vicinity of Grotto’s attack had similar features, but it wasn’t her.”

Liz nodded. “God put her in the perfect spot to get the help she needed. ”

“On the Garden Girls’ radar.” Gloria dusted her hands. “Has Echo heard back about the county technician job?”

“She told me earlier she was going to call and check.” Liz lifted her gaze, staring out the kitchen’s screen door. “There she is now.”

The sisters watched as Echo’s compact car circled the driveway. Duchess let out an excited yip, her small legs moving ninety miles an hour as she scampered down the steps.

Echo hopped out and scooped the pup up, a bright smile lighting her face as she hurried toward the house. “Guess what?”

“You got the job,” Liz said.

“Yep. I’ve already told Floyd he’ll need to find someone to replace me.”

“That’s wonderful.” Liz gave her young tenant a hug, thanking God for answering their prayers. Not only was Echo found innocent of killing Mick Grotto, but God was helping her get her life back on track. “This calls for a celebration. What’s your favorite dish?”

“Lasagna.”

“I think I can whip up an acceptable homemade lasagna in the RV’s kitchen.”

“No,” Gloria and Echo said in unison.

“I appreciate the offer,” Echo added. “But I would hate for you to set your RV on fire again.”

Liz waved dismissively. “It wasn’t on fire, just a little smoke-filled.”

“We’ll be heading out for our weekly Garden Girls get-together at Dot’s Restaurant.” Gloria consulted her watch. “Why don’t you join us and we can celebrate in style?”

“I would like that.” Echo set Duchess on the ground. “I need to head home and shower first.”

“You have time.” Liz told her they weren’t planning to meet for another hour and watched as an excited Echo hopped back into her car. “That is one happy young lady with the weight of the world no longer sitting squarely on her shoulders.”

Gloria gave her sister a pat on the back. “I have to say your style of sleuthing is impressive. It never crossed my mind to pull a few strings and ask Brian for help.”

Liz playfully elbowed her sister. “What? Do you mean I did something the infamous Gloria ‘Garden Girl’ Kennedy hadn’t thought of? Imagine that.”

“There’s hope for you yet, Liz.” Gloria grinned. “There’s hope for you yet.”

The end.