Page 76 of Making His Bones

“I’m keeping her poem on the wall, though,” I said.

“Good,” said Janet. “She was a good poet.”

After DeFreeze had discovered Narcissa’s body. I wanted acknowledgement that she was the murderer of Delilah. I presented DeFreeze and the local FBI office with my findings. Narcissa, in addition, was right-handed, matching the forensic evidence on Delilah’s throat. The rolling pin we’d left on the floor had Delilah’s DNA on it. Even Booker Maverick came around, giving credence to my discoveries. I wanted it publicized, and so DeFreeze did, in a press conference backed by the FBI. I stood behind the podium. It was transformative, being able to announce in public that my daughter’s murderer was finally known.

And was dead, choked on a can of bug poison she was huffing to get high.

No Pitchforks were allowed behind the camera to pretend to be sad. Bud Pitchfork was disgraced, kicked out of the Beautiful and Immaculate church, forced to move onto his distillery property where he wasn’t allowed to cook luz de la luna.

I watched my love talk business with the men crowding him, and it occurred to me that everything was going good. There wasn’t one small thing I could complain about. Sure, I was overworked what with starting up the new DNAnon in Flagstaff. I’d taken a few of my favorite Downers Grove employees with me. But was overwork really a complaint? It showed my life, my work, was vital. It improved the lives of not only me personally, but people in my orbit—people I helped with my DNA research.

“Everything’s going so well,” I said, putting my arm around Janet. She was about as tall as Tiago. “Except Janet won’t move to Pure and Easy.”

“Oh, I’m thinking about it,” she said.

Galileo said, “Hagfish will be our empire. Not to count our chickens before they’re hatched, though. Some chicks are born mutated or dead, as was I. But I believe we may have a healthy flock with Independent Slime?”

“Indeed,” I agreed. “I’m not glad you guys got slimed trying to chase down some kidnapers, but it may have turned out for the best.”

Galileo held up his plastic cup toward Gray and Tobiah and their crowd of admirers. “’O Captain! my Captain! Rise up and hear the bells. Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills.’ Hózhó."

All is right with the world.

S