Page 53 of Ghost Town Boogie

“I didn’t want to kill her, but she wouldn’t sell that stupid duck painting to Dad. I couldn’t wait. Dad was worried those pictures would be found and… and…”

Colt held Sawyer down; the man was defeated, in more ways than one. He struggled a little but Colt — with Maude and Gerald’s help — had him pinned on his back.

“Police are on the way,” Anna said.

“Police are here.”

Anna was startled by Mac’s sudden appearance in the loft. So was Sawyer, who closed his eyes.

Colt looked at Anna, assuring himself again and again that she hadn’t been hurt. That had been too close, too damn close. “I called him before I came up.” He’d hated to take even those seconds, but he’d done it.

“How did you know something was wrong?” Anna asked.

Mac took Sawyer into custody, handcuffing his prisoner. He’d arrived just in time to hear the confession.

“Maude,” Colt said as he stepped away from the other men.

“The old lady,” Anna said with a smile. She looked around, with no idea where the ghost might be. “Thanks, Maude.”

“Young lady, you’re very welcome,” Maude said. “Though I have to say it’s rude to call a woman of any age, living or dead, old. I’ll let it go, this time. You’re under a lot of stress at the moment. Once everyone is out of here, you should thank Coltrane properly. We promise not to watch.”

“Speak for yourself,” Nicole muttered.

“She can’t hear you,” Colt said over his shoulder.

Mac, prisoner well in hand, stopped at the door. “Who’s Maude?”

“Later,” Colt said. Then he added in a low voice, “Maybe.” Sirens sounded in the distance. After Mac left and the two men made their way noisily down the stairs, he said, “Maude says you’re welcome.”

“That’s not all I said!”

Things were about to get crazy for a while. There were sirens and flashing lights in downtown Seawolf Beach again. Late night activity was picking up, as people came out to see what all the commotion was about. Mac would have questions, and so would the sheriff.

Most of what he wanted to say and do would have to wait, but some things couldn’t.

“I love you,” he said. “I tried not to; it happened too fast. I don’t know where we’ll go from here, but… I do love you.”

“Ditto to all that,” Anna said with a smile.

“Ditto?”

“You already know I love you,” she said, and then she kissed him.

The kiss didn’t last long enough, but it was nice. More than nice, it was a deep down comfort he’d never thought to know again. Anna came with a connection he’d lived without for a very long time, a promise that he didn’t have to be alone.

“I come with a lot of baggage,” Colt said, trying to give her an out. Maybe she was just caught up in the moment.

“I’m aware.”

“My life is…”

Anna interrupted, “Stop trying to change my mind! I love you, Coltrane Hart, ghosts and all.”

Ghosts and all…

EPILOGUE

Three weeks later