Aunt Betty and Uncle Samuel seem anxious about what we will tell them, given they've already had a lot to process. I hope they can handle the truth we're about to share. I'm also surprised Agent Williams hasn't already briefed them on our family history—perhaps he's worried about their reaction.
"What we're about to tell you is weird, to say the least, but true. It's something you need to know about our family. We don't have an ordinary one," Uncle Donovan explains. He shifts, rubbing the back of his neck, choosing his words carefully. "You remember how Mom always seemed to have an uncanny sixth sense? Her intuition was always spot-on?" Both of the younger Catalano siblings nod. They are hanging on his every word. "Our family has a gift that is passed down through the female line. It sometimes skips generations. Mom had it, but you and Amber didn't, Betty."
Aunt Betty's eyes widen in shock. "You're right. I never had anything like that. Was I supposed to?"
"Nope," Uncle Donovan says. "It skipped you two. It allows a person to cross into the veil where the spirits live."
"Are you sure Amber never had it?" Uncle Samuel asks, stunned.
"She didn't have it," Andy says, shaking his head. "She had dreams sometimes, but nothing like your mom or the real thing."
"Does anyone have it now?" Aunt Betty asks, looking between all of us, confused.
"Roxanne does," Uncle Donovan says, gesturing toward me. "And she has the deluxe version. She is even more powerful than our mom. Meanwhile, I'm over here, lame like a free trial."
Aunt Betty lets out a watery laugh as Uncle Samuel cracks a small smile. Meanwhile, as we talk about the gift, the veil pulses softly in my chest. It's warm and steady.
"I've seen it," Zeke says, nodding. "It's real."
Andy's voice softens. "I have too."
Agent Williams nods, his attention staying on his wife. "I saw enough to know it's real, and it's amazing yet terrifying. I didn't tell you because I thought it should come from them, and I didn't want to scare you."
Aunt Betty looks at me, trembling. "Can you tell me everything you've seen?" she asks hopefully.
I take a deep breath. "I've seen my mom, Amber, and your parents. I've also seen our ancestor who started the gift, Yurei," I say softly. "She has guided me a lot." Aunt Betty's breath catches as Uncle Samuel's eyes fill with tears. "They all helped me," I continue. "They protected me and helped me defeat Dunhill."
Aunt Betty covers her mouth as she cries. "Were they really there?" she whispers. "Our parents and Amber were really there?"
I nod. "They were strong and brave. They were not afraid of him and just wanted to protect all of us."
Uncle Samuel wipes his face. "What happened to Amber?" he asks quietly. "H-h-how did she …" He hesitates. "How did she die?"
I take another deep breath to keep my emotions at bay. It's hard for me to talk about Mom's passing. "She got really sick, and we didn't know why at first," I say gently. "After many tests and doctor visits, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought hard for years, but her body couldn't take any more. She passed when I was nineteen." No one has a dry face as we talk more about my mom and childhood. We all loved her in different ways.
"She was always the strongest person I ever knew," Uncle Donovan says, his voice thick with emotion. "And I believe she would be proud of us all."
Zeke squeezes my hand. He knows how emotional I get when I talk about my mom. It is the one event in my life I have not fully gotten over. I let myself reach into the veil for a moment. I need to see her and hear her voice. My mom and grandparents are waiting for me. My mom reaches out and caresses my cheek.
"We found them," I tell her. My mom and grandparents smile warmly, happy to have their family reunited. My mom drops her hand from my face and grabs my hand instead.
"Go back, my sweet girl. Tell them we are happy and at peace now that you have all been reunited," my mom says lovingly. Then the veil disintegrates, bringing me back to the couch. My eyes are faintly glowing purple again.
"Rocky, Rocky, don't do this again," Zeke is calling frantically, on the verge of panicking.
"I'm okay, you don't have to worry anymore. I can control it now," I reassure him.
"You okay, kid?" Andy asks, looking at me, concern etched on his features.
"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine. I promise. I slipped into the veil for a second. I saw Mom and my grandparents, and I told them we found each other again," I tell him. Then I turn to Aunt Betty and Uncle Samuel, who are staring at me in shock. "It has taken me some time to control the gift. They sent a message back for you both. They want you to know they love you and always have. They are at peace now that we are together."
Aunt Betty reaches out and touches my cheek in the same spot my mom did. She stares at my violet eyes. I can tell she has so many questions. I can see them in her eyes. Uncle Samuel exhales shakily.
"Thank you for telling us," he says as he gazes at me.
For a moment, no one says anything. Aunt Betty keeps her hand near mine, and Uncle Samuel stares at the floor like he is trying to make room for everything we have just told him. Then Agent Williams clears his throat gently. He has just taken a call on his cell phone while we were all talking. He looks uneasy about relaying the information he has for us. "There's something I need to tell you," he says, looking between Andy and me. "And you will want to hear it." He takes a deep breath and looks directly at Andy. "There are agents at your father's house as we speak." Andy's breath hitches. He knows his dad will eventually be brought to justice, but he doesn't realize it will happen so soon.
Uncle Donovan stands, muttering, "Well, this ought to be fun." Zeke's hand squeezes mine tighter for support.
"Sheriff Dawson is being arrested," Agent Williams tells us calmly. The living room suddenly feels heavier, and a quiet descends on us. We all knew what kind of man he was. Andy sits forward, his elbows on his knees, his jaw tight.
Agent Williams' phone buzzes. He checks the screen, frowning, and then stands. "I need to go," he says. "They're bringing Sheriff Dawson in now. Field Agent Rourke wants me at the bureau for the interrogation." He grabs his jacket and heads toward the door, stopping only to kiss Aunt Betty on the forehead. "I'll be back as soon as it's done," he says.
Uncle Donovan salutes him dramatically. "Go get him, Nate the Great." Agent Williams shakes his head at him, but he smiles as he leaves. The door closes, and the house settles back into a tense, waiting silence.
Hours drag by while we wait for him to return. Daylight fades, and the living room settles into that strange quiet people fall into when they are too tired to keep worrying out loud. We order food and talk about the lives we have all missed. Andy tells them about Sharon and how she is connected to everything. They are shocked and can't believe how far Dunhill was willing to go. I tell them about my childhood, the veil, and The Grey Book. Uncle Donovan tells us about what happened to him, and Zeke talks about how he first met me. Aunt Betty and Uncle Samuel share stories of their time with their adopted parents. We only stop when someone remembers we should eat.
By the time the porch light glows softly, we are all back in the living room. Aunt Betty keeps glancing toward the front of the house. I know she is worried about him. Uncle Samuel walks over and sits beside her, placing his hands over hers and offering her his strength. It makes me wonder how many times he has had to do this since her husband got involved in the family case. How many nights has she stayed up worrying about Agent Williams' safety?
Andy, Zeke, and I sit on the couch. Zeke has his arm around me as I rest my head on his shoulder. Uncle Donovan has eaten through half the snacks in the house; no surprise there. Finally, headlights sweep across the living room windows. Agent Williams is back.
"Showtime," Uncle Donovan says, jumping up.
Agent Williams steps inside the house, holding a DVD case. His expression is calm but heavy.
"Is it over?" Aunt Betty asks.
Agent Williams nods. "Yes, darling. He confessed." He walks over to the TV and slides the DVD into the player. Turning to face us, he says, "You all deserve to know exactly what happened. I got permission to show you only this portion of the interrogation. The contents of what you're about to hear do not leave this house. Am I understood?" he asks us all.
We all nod. Andy's jaw tightens. Zeke pulls me closer into his side. Uncle Donovan sits back down, crossing his arms over his chest, ready to explode. Agent Williams grabs the remote, sits beside his wife, and presses play. He takes her hands from Uncle Samuel and places them on his lap, holding them tight. Uncle Samuel leans forward, waiting to see what the DVD holds.
The video starts with Sheriff Dawson sitting in a metal chair. He is cuffed to a metal table in a small room with a two-way mirror on the wall across from him, and he looks furious. Field agent Rourke stands across from him, calm and immovable. Agent Williams sits in a chair on the opposite side of the table, looking directly at the sheriff.
Rourke begins. "Sheriff Harold Dawson, we need to discuss the night your son, Andrew Dawson, called 911 to report intruders at the Sleighton residence."
Sheriff Dawson's eyes flicker just for a second. Then he scoffs. "I don't know anything about that."
Rourke doesn't blink. "Your son reported two intruders. He said his daughter and her boyfriend were hiding in the attic and begged for help?"
Sheriff Dawson leans back, smirking. "People call 911 all the time. It doesn't mean I remember every little thing. Besides, that girl is always crying and whining about one thing or another. She's a menace to this town."
"Miss Sleighton is your biological granddaughter, correct?" Agent Rourke asks, even though he has the DNA results in front of him. He wants to see how the sheriff will react to the question.
"No. I will never accept her. I don't care what the reports say," he says angrily.
"Is that why you didn't send help for over an hour after the call?" Agent Williams asks, giving him a look of irritation. After all, he was talking about his niece. No one at the bureau knew about that yet, or he wouldn't be allowed to help interrogate the sheriff.
"Maybe we were busy," Sheriff Dawson says, shrugging, acting like the conversation was boring him.
Rourke slides a folder onto the table, opening it to reveal its contents. "That's funny, because your deputies weren't busy. They were already at the Sleighton residence under your orders."
Sheriff Dawson's jaw visibly tightens. Rourke motions for Agent Williams to show him the statements, which he does, laying them right in front of Sheriff Dawson.
"These are sworn statements from the two sheriff's deputies, Harlan and McKee. They confessed and admitted you ordered them to break into the Sleighton home," Agent Williams tells him firmly, leaving no room for argument.
Sheriff Dawson is infuriated and cannot keep quiet. "They're lying," he yells, his face reddening.
Agent Williams ignored his outburst and continued, "They discovered the attic, the hidden room, and the layout of their house. They knew details only someone who was inside the house would know." After Zeke and I fled, they checked the attic again, found the door to the hidden room open, and knew they had screwed up. That's why they fled into the darkness that night.
Rourke leans his hands on the metal table and leans towards the sheriff. "They also admitted you ordered them to kill Roxanne Sleighton and Zeke Anderson."
Andy goes rigid beside me. He looks horrified and furious all at the same time, like he can't believe what they just asked his father. I feel nothing, not even shock. It is no secret this man hates me. He has made it very clear every time we have interacted with each other. Although I don't realize how deep his hatred runs until now. He would rather kill me than accept me. That is harsh.
On the screen, Sheriff Dawson snaps, his anger causing an outburst. "They were supposed to kill the little bitch and her annoying boyfriend," he screams. "They were supposed to find the paperwork, too, but they failed. A bunch of useless idiots."
Field Agent Rourke doesn't move as Agent Williams' voice cuts through the tension. "So you admit it. You intentionally sent your subordinates to kill Roxanne Sleighton and Zeke Anderson?"
Sheriff Dawson freezes. His eyes dart around the room. He realizes what he's done. The DVD ends abruptly, and the screen goes dark. Aunt Betty is crying into Agent Williams' chest. Uncle Samuel looks sick. Zeke's jaw is clenched, and Uncle Donovan's hands are tightly balled into fists. I look over at Andy; he is the one I am worried about. He has just heard his dad admit to wanting to kill his own daughter.
Andy exhales slowly. "I knew he was a bad man," he says quietly. "But trying to kill my daughter? That's a new low, even for him. I'll never forgive him."
"He will be in prison for a long time. He's being charged with everything: conspiracy, corruption, abuse of power, and attempted murder. He won't see daylight again," Agent Williams explains to us.
"Well, that's one family reunion I'm glad we skipped," Uncle Donovan says, wiping his face. His voice is cracking, but he is still trying to be funny and lighten the mood.
Aunt Betty and Uncle Samuel let out watery laughs. Zeke kisses my temple to comfort me. Andy puts his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, kid," he says. "I'm sorry he was such an evil asshole who tried to hurt you."
I smile at him. "It's not your fault, Dad."
Agent Williams looks around the room at all of us and says softly, "Now it's finally over."