Secret Hollows Part 31

"But... but... ," Bradley started.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to get back to my dad," Mike interrupted and he disappeared.

Less than five minutes later, Bradley burst into Chuck's house. The kitchen looked like it had been hit by a tornado, but the objects of his focus were Allen Richards and the gun he was pointing at his brother.

"Mr. Richards," Bradley said. "I'm Chief Alden from Freeport."

"Are you the help Mike got?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Bradley said. "Mike sent me here. Now, I'd appreciate if you would put that gun down."

"Sure," Allen said, "As soon as you cuff him."

"Sorry," Bradley said. "I need you to put the gun down now. Then I'll cuff him."

"But he might get away," Allen said.

"Mike, can you help here?" Bradley shouted.

A heavy frying pan floated across the room and hovered just over Chuck's head."

Allen smiled. "Yeah," he said, lowering the gun. "That'll work."

Bradley pushed Chuck over onto his stomach, pulled one arm behind his back and clicked on the handcuff. Then he pulled the other one back and repeated the process. He looked up at Mike. "I think you can safely put your weapon away now," Bradley suggested.

Mike placed the pan on the stove. "Now what?"

"I've got back-up heading in from Freeport," he said. "Would you mind going over to the lake and letting Mary and Ian know what's going on?"

"No problem," he said. "And thanks for the help."

Bradley smiled. "We've always made a good team."

Chapter Fifty-three.

"My guys tell me that you knew exactly where the evidence was," Alex said, standing in the parking lot next to Mary, his hands in his cashmere overcoat. "They said it was almost spooky. Almost... Mary?"

She smiled at him. "Me? Spooky? Why that's just silly."

His smile disappeared. "You will tell me the truth?" he asked. "Eventually?"

She nodded. "Yes, I will," she agreed, "eventually."

He got into his car and Mary watched him follow the divers' vehicles around the bend and head towards the park exit. She turned and walked back to where Ian stood chatting with Wade and Elizabeth. As she came closer, she realized that Ronny wasn't paying attention to the conversation; instead he was looking off to a place above the lake.

"Ronny, what's up?" she asked.

He turned to her, his eyes filled with excitement. "Do you see it Mary?" he asked.

She shook her head. "See what?"

"The big light," he said. "It's so beautiful. It's just there, above the lake. And there's a path that leads right to it."

"That's wonderful," she said, and then looked up at his parents. "Ronny just told me it's time for him to go."

"But...but we just found him," Elizabeth said. "We can't lose him again."

Wade put his arm around his wife's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "He's not ever going to be lost again," he whispered to her. "We'll know exactly where he is."

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "You're right. Mary, what should we do?"

"Say good-bye, for now," she replied.

"I love you, Ronny," Wade said, his voice unsteady. "I've always been proud of you; you're the best son a man could ask for."

"Good-bye sweetheart," Elizabeth cried, clutching the dog tag in her fist. "I'm going to miss you. But I'll be content to know G.o.d is watching over you until I can come and be with you. I love you."

"Good-bye Mom and Dad," Ronny said. "I love you."

As Mary repeated his words to his parents, he turned and started to float away from them. After about five yards he turned back. "Good-bye Mary, good-bye Ian," he called. "Thank you. And tell Mike I said thank you, too."

"Hey, you can tell me yourself," Mike said, appearing next to them. "Bon voyage, Ronny."

Ronny grinned. "Mike! Thank you! Bye."

He turned and ran in an upward direction and then disappeared.

"He made it," Mary said, wiping her own tears away. "He's safely home."

She turned back to Wade and Elizabeth. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked.

Elizabeth gave her another hug. "No, thank you," she said. "I think we just need some time to digest all that's happened this morning."

Mary pulled a card out of her pocket. "If you have any questions, please feel free to call me."

Wade shook her hand and then enveloped her in a big hug. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you."

He put his arm around his wife and led her back to their minivan.

"The bad guy gets caught and the little ghosts get to see the light," Mike said.

"Oh, Mike, I'm so sorry..." Mary started.

"No, don't be," Mike interrupted. "It was the evil twin. My dad wasn't the bad guy, it was Uncle Chuck."

"Chief Richards?" Ian asked. "Really?"

"Yeah, Bradley's over there right now," he said, "handling all the details of incarceration."

"And your dad?" Mary asked.

Mike nodded and smiled. "He's great," he said. "He's just great."

"Hey, Mikey!"

Mike looked over and saw all five of the boys who had been murdered. "What's up guys?" he asked.

"There's this tunnel thing up in the sky," Timmy said. "It's like glowing through the clouds. We want to go up and check it out."

"Yeah, well that's *The Light' big guy," he said, emphasizing the words with invisible quotation marks. "That means you made it. You get to graduate to heaven."

"Yeah, but we don't want to go without you," Timmy said, the rest of the group agreeing.

"What? Are you guys chicken or something?" Mike asked. "There's nothing to be afraid of. That's a great place to go."

"So, why don't you go?" Timmy asked.

"Not my turn," Mike replied quickly. "If it was my turn, I could..."

He stopped and stared up at the sky. "Well, d.a.m.n."

"What? What is it?" Mary asked.

He turned back to her and shrugged, trying to be casual but she could see the surprise in his eyes. "Guess what? I can see it."

Mary's eyes filled with tears. "No, you can't," she whispered, shaking her head. "You still have things to do. You still have unfinished business."

He looked back over his shoulder. "No, it's still there. I guess we now know what I've been waiting for."

"But... it's too soon," she argued. "You can't go yet."

He lifted his hand and brushed it over her cheek. "Mary, I've got to go."

She nodded, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "I know. I just don't want you to go."

He sighed and stepped back.

"Tell Bradley he'd better be good to you or I'll come back to haunt him."

She tried to laugh, but couldn't. "I will."

"Tell Maggie good-bye for me. Let her know I'm sorry I couldn't tell her myself."

Wiping her tears with her hands, she nodded again. "I'll make sure she understands."

Mike looked over her shoulder. "Ian, you take care of yourself, and give your Gillian an extra kiss from me."

"Aye, that I will," Ian said. "Speak a good word about me on the other side."

"Hey, I don't want to get demoted for lying."

Ian chuckled. "Aye that you don't."

"Mike, we gotta go," Timmy said, pulling at his coat.

He looked down at Timmy and then up again at Mary.

She took a deep breath. "I know. You have to go," she said. "If I send you an invitation, will you come for the wedding?"

He nodded, a tear sliding down his translucent face. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

She reached up and put her hand next to his face. "I'm so glad I met you," she said. "I'm so glad you're my friend. I love you, Mike Richards."

"I love you too, Mary O'Reilly. More than you'll ever know."

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Tell my parents I've gone," he said. "They'll believe you now."

He turned and took Timmy's hand in his. "Come on boys, it's time for our next adventure."

The boys gathered around and he led them into the air. Halfway up the boys laughed at something he said and ran ahead of him, disappearing one by one. But before Mike disappeared, he turned back and smiled at Mary. "Here's looking at you, kid," he said, and then winked at her, stepped backwards and disappeared.

Mary dropped to her knees and let her tears fall unrestrained. Ian knelt beside her and took her in his arms. "He's a good man, going to a good place," he said. "It's where he needs to be, his unfinished business is over."

She nodded and wiped her eyes again. "I'm going to miss him so much," she wept. "He was a part of my family."

"Aye, and he always will be," Ian said.

Chapter Fifty-four.

"Come on, sister, you gotta concentrate," Ernie exclaimed, "you've been like this all week. You gotta snap outta it."

Mary slumped against the wall, her boxing-gloved hands dropping to her sides. "Sorry, Ernie," she said. "I just don't feel like fighting much anymore."