as much as Ingrid loved Gabe, there wasn’t death and centuries apart between them. She hadn’t traversed the afterlife to make her way back to the place of her death somehow seeking a way to find the spirit of her loved one.
She certainly hadn’t done it multiple times.
She would like to believe that she and Gabe would eventually have that kind of love. But what they had now…it was a baby love. It was the love that gave them reason to stay together. It was a love worth believing in and taking the next step.
And suddenly she wanted to take that step more than anything. She had left the island loving him and knowing that her baggage was confusing things. She had started a relationship with him without being serious. And it had become serious despite herself and her baggage and her dead husband and her self-doubt, and now—even though all of those things existed. She wanted to try harder.
She wanted to change.
She wanted to be enough.
She wanted for him to look at her, with all her imperfections, and accept her and let her do her best to make him happy. She didn’t think he’d need to do anything else to make her happy. Or she couldn’t currently imagine anything else. It was just that…even though she knew there would be times when he irritated her, she needed him.
Just as he was.
As long as he was loving her.
She sent him a text. It wasn’t a picture of her toes. It wasn’t a joke. It was simple.
I MISS YOU.
I LOVE YOU.
Even though it was the middle of the night, and she was disturbing his rest with yet another murder and yet another reason to worry, he replied in a moment.
I CAN’T WAIT TO HOLD YOU AGAIN.
* * * * * * * *
Ingrid stood and looked around. If she were Gabe and she was investigating this murder, she…well…she wouldn’t rely on truth serum. If Gabe were investigating, even with truth serum, he’d be looking at the family first. The ghost—because as much as Ingrid wanted to romanticize her—that chick had gone from leaving a trail of rose petals to leaving streaks of blood tears. And, of course, the vampire. Not because he was a vampire. Ingrid wasn’t some sort of racist.
He had, however, disappeared. And that didn’t bode well for anyone in a murder investigation. Vampire Igor had left the scene of the murder using his connections or knowledge of the scene and why would anyone who hadn’t killed the dead guy flee?
So, the family made two people with creepy girl crone Gwennie and the wife. And then the ghost and the vampire. Four suspects.
But then again, they’d truth serumed everyone except three of the four main suspects. And, for that matter, the normal sisters Cathy and Carol. How had they ended up on a tour for magic users? How come they didn’t drink the serum? Ingrid had made it the coffee for them perfectly. It was her gift and few would turn down a cup of coffee that Ingrid had made for them. Especially in a breezy convent, with no chance of going to get snacks or what not. Her eyes narrowed on the duo.
But the retired sisters just didn’t strike Ingrid as murderers.
Emily walked up behind Ingrid as she was staring towards the sisters.
“You starting to count up who it could be?”
Ingrid nodded.
“Vampire Igor,” Emily said holding up one perfectly manicured fingernail.
“The wife,” Ingrid said. Their eyes met for a moment, and neither of them pointed out how each of them was too-well aware that the wife was the likeliest candidate according to the police. They had both been suspects in their husband’s deaths.
Of course…they had both been innocent.
Neither of them needed to re-explain this to other.
“Girl-crone-dove,” Ingrid said.
“I thought she didn’t do it.”
“She creeps me out,” Ingrid said. “She’s like Autumn. She might have slid by the truth serum test, but you can never be quite sure.”
“Maybe I’ll beat it out of her.” Emily held up her fists, made awkward with her long, perfect nails.
They both
She certainly hadn’t done it multiple times.
She would like to believe that she and Gabe would eventually have that kind of love. But what they had now…it was a baby love. It was the love that gave them reason to stay together. It was a love worth believing in and taking the next step.
And suddenly she wanted to take that step more than anything. She had left the island loving him and knowing that her baggage was confusing things. She had started a relationship with him without being serious. And it had become serious despite herself and her baggage and her dead husband and her self-doubt, and now—even though all of those things existed. She wanted to try harder.
She wanted to change.
She wanted to be enough.
She wanted for him to look at her, with all her imperfections, and accept her and let her do her best to make him happy. She didn’t think he’d need to do anything else to make her happy. Or she couldn’t currently imagine anything else. It was just that…even though she knew there would be times when he irritated her, she needed him.
Just as he was.
As long as he was loving her.
She sent him a text. It wasn’t a picture of her toes. It wasn’t a joke. It was simple.
I MISS YOU.
I LOVE YOU.
Even though it was the middle of the night, and she was disturbing his rest with yet another murder and yet another reason to worry, he replied in a moment.
I CAN’T WAIT TO HOLD YOU AGAIN.
* * * * * * * *
Ingrid stood and looked around. If she were Gabe and she was investigating this murder, she…well…she wouldn’t rely on truth serum. If Gabe were investigating, even with truth serum, he’d be looking at the family first. The ghost—because as much as Ingrid wanted to romanticize her—that chick had gone from leaving a trail of rose petals to leaving streaks of blood tears. And, of course, the vampire. Not because he was a vampire. Ingrid wasn’t some sort of racist.
He had, however, disappeared. And that didn’t bode well for anyone in a murder investigation. Vampire Igor had left the scene of the murder using his connections or knowledge of the scene and why would anyone who hadn’t killed the dead guy flee?
So, the family made two people with creepy girl crone Gwennie and the wife. And then the ghost and the vampire. Four suspects.
But then again, they’d truth serumed everyone except three of the four main suspects. And, for that matter, the normal sisters Cathy and Carol. How had they ended up on a tour for magic users? How come they didn’t drink the serum? Ingrid had made it the coffee for them perfectly. It was her gift and few would turn down a cup of coffee that Ingrid had made for them. Especially in a breezy convent, with no chance of going to get snacks or what not. Her eyes narrowed on the duo.
But the retired sisters just didn’t strike Ingrid as murderers.
Emily walked up behind Ingrid as she was staring towards the sisters.
“You starting to count up who it could be?”
Ingrid nodded.
“Vampire Igor,” Emily said holding up one perfectly manicured fingernail.
“The wife,” Ingrid said. Their eyes met for a moment, and neither of them pointed out how each of them was too-well aware that the wife was the likeliest candidate according to the police. They had both been suspects in their husband’s deaths.
Of course…they had both been innocent.
Neither of them needed to re-explain this to other.
“Girl-crone-dove,” Ingrid said.
“I thought she didn’t do it.”
“She creeps me out,” Ingrid said. “She’s like Autumn. She might have slid by the truth serum test, but you can never be quite sure.”
“Maybe I’ll beat it out of her.” Emily held up her fists, made awkward with her long, perfect nails.
They both
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