7. Epilogue - Ari

Epilogue - Ari

" S top fidgeting with the fangs," I told Victor, adjusting my own plastic ones. "You're supposed to be a ghost."

"These sheet holes are not properly aligned," he complained, tugging at the white fabric draped over him. "I can't see properly."

I laughed and straightened his costume. "Now you know how actual ghosts feel."

We walked hand in hand down the leaf-strewn sidewalk, dodging tiny superheroes and princesses racing between houses. The autumn air was crisp, and paper decorations rustled in the breeze. A year on tour with The Nocturnals, and we'd specifically routed back through the college town for this night.

"There it is," I whispered, pointing to the Victorian house on the corner. Its gables were strung with fake cobwebs, and carved pumpkins lined the steps. "Minnie's been waiting seventy years to get that locket back."

Victor squeezed my hand. "Ready?"

I nodded. We'd gotten good at this—my ability to communicate with ghosts and his vampire persuasion made us an unstoppable supernatural detective duo.

Minnie materialized beside us, wringing her translucent hands. "Oh, I do hope they'll let you in this time."

"Trust us," I said softly.

Victor adjusted his sheet and walked up to ring the doorbell while I hung back with Minnie.

A middle-aged woman answered, bowl of candy in hand."Trick or treat!"

Victor gave her his most charming smile, the one that made audiences swoon. His eyes dilated slightly as he said, "I was hoping to look around your lovely home. My grandmother used to live here, and I'd love to see how it's changed."

The woman's expression went slightly dreamy. "Of course, come in!" She glanced down the steps at me. "Both of you."

I hurried up the steps, taking Victor's hand. "Thank you so much."

The woman led us through the house, chattering about recent renovations, and I remembered Minnie's words: "Upstairs, in the master bedroom. There's a loose floorboard under the window seat."

Victor kept the homeowner occupied with questions about the original fixtures while I slipped upstairs. The bedroom was easy to find, and the window seat lifted on hidden hinges. Sure enough, one floorboard was slightly warped. I pried it up and reached into the dusty space beneath.

My fingers closed around something metal. The silver locket was tarnished but intact, tiny roses etched across its surface.

I tucked it into my pocket just as Victor called up, "Honey? We should get going."

Back outside, we walked to the small park down the street. I moved away from Victor so that Minnie could appear. She was practically vibrating with excitement. I pulled out the locket and held it up.

"My Henry gave me that on our wedding day," she whispered.

"Would you like to hold it?" I asked.

She reached out, concentrating hard, and managed to grasp it for a few seconds. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she opened it to reveal two tiny photographs.

"Thank you both," she said. "I can rest now."

A peaceful light surrounded her, and then she was gone.

"She's gone," I said softly.

Victor wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Another ghost at peace."

I leaned back against him. "We make a pretty good team."

"The best." He kissed my neck. "Who would have thought being on tour would let you help so many spirits?"

"And who would have thought online classes would be so convenient for a traveling journalist?" I turned in his arms. "My professor loved my latest piece about life on the road with The Nocturnals."

"Even without mentioning the vampire thing?"

"Some secrets make better song lyrics than news stories." I reached up to touch his face. "Speaking of which, how's the new album coming?"

His eyes lit up. "Almost done. The song about the ghost in New Orleans is going to be a hit."

"As long as you changed the details enough that she won't recognize herself."

"Please, I'm a professional." He grinned. "Besides, no one would believe the truth anyway."

I pulled him down for a kiss. When we broke apart, I noticed his sheet was starting to slip off one shoulder.

"Your ghost costume is falling apart," I told him.

"Good thing I have a real ghost whisperer to keep me in line." He wrapped the sheet around both of us. "Happy Halloween, Ari."

"Happy Halloween, my vampire rock star."