bringing in the fragrant hot rolls. Mike and Tom
captured the scent and appeared at the door, their faces
like little boys’ waiting for gifts on Christmas morning.
They all sat around the table, Alexis almost running to
ensure she got to sit beside Kathy. The food was
delicious, and the company even better. Like all others,
this storm was finally over, and it was time for the sun
to shine again.
“I’m glad to meet you, Kathy. Lieutenant Lackey,
it’s great to see you again, although I have to say that I
was a bit surprised this morning when Mrs. Howard told
me you were here. I am sorry I was late getting back last
night, but Jack and I had a lot to talk about.” Shannon
said as she extended her hand to shake Kathy’s.
“The pleasure is mine, Shannon. I am sorry for your
loss.”
“Tracey was like a sister to me, and I will always
miss her.”
“I know. I lost my sister to cancer a few years ago,
and I still feel the weight of that loss.”
Rose looked at Kathy and they locked eyes for a
moment. Rose didn’t know that Kathy had lost a sibling,
and that awareness brought home just how wonderful it
was that Kathy had connected to Alexis. They had
suffered the same type of loss, and they both found ways
to cope in their common passion for photography.
Jack Little stood to the side, afraid to intrude, but
Shannon reached her hand out to him and invited him to
come closer. He hesitated at first, but joined them
anyway. They all walked together to Tracey’s grave,
Alexis leading the way. Each of them offered a silent
prayer, but Shannon got on her knees and kissed the
photo on the cross. “I am so sorry, Tracey. You were my
sister by choice in this life, and I will treasure your
memory forever. I have done things I am not proud of,
but never because I didn’t love you. Stupidity and
alcohol fueled my actions, and I ask for your
forgiveness.”
She bowed her head and cried softly, until Jack
placed a hand on her shoulder and offered his other hand
to help her stand up. “Tracey was very special, and so
are you, Shannon.”
Shannon stood up and cried on Jack’s shoulder until
everyone was ready to walk back. Alexis took photos of
everyone on her way out, and promised Kathy to send
her a copy. As the group moved along, Tom thought how
crazy life is sometimes – even the most heartbreaking
tragedy hides the seed of healing and new beginnings.
Several people had lost their lives, but many others had
found comfort and healing in one another, and they had
found the courage to slay their inner demons.
Kathy and Tom checked in their luggage and
walked hand in hand toward the Starbucks stand inside
the airport while they waited for the flight that would
take them back home. Tom looked tired and Kathy was
a bit concerned. He insisted that he was well enough for
the trip, but the dark circles around his eyes told
otherwise.
“Are you okay, Tom?”
“Yes. I’m still a little tired, and my head is still
hurting some, but I think I will survive. What about
you?”
“I am doing great. It was good to see Alexis, and it
felt wonderful to know they are all there for each other.”
“It really was,” Tom agreed, “and you can call me a
sentimental old fool, but I was happy to find out that
Jack wasn’t responsible for Tracey’s murder. I feel bad
for him and his sister.”
Kathy smiled. “I like it when you channel the old
sentimental fool. He’s endearing, and I would love to
spend my life with him.”
“Really? Even if he works as a plumber or as a
cashier at a grocery store?”
Kathy stopped walking, her eyes searching Tom’s
face for confirmation of what she just heard. “Tom…are
you saying…”
“I’m saying that I’m too old to be a cop, and I am
tired of fighting crime. It’s an exciting profession when
one is thirty years old, but do you know how hard it is to
jump fences at my age? I am thinking of retiring, if
that’s okay with you. Of course, I will look for another
job and you will only need to keep me for a short while,
but I think that life in a smaller town is going to be
cheaper anyway. I grew up in one of those, and they are
great.”
Kathy’s happiness exploded in a smile so big she
feared her face would crack. “Tom! Do you really mean
it? I can take the job and we can move?”
“Yes, I mean it, even if it would be nice if you told
me where we are moving, so I can start preparing.”
“Alabama or Mississippi are the two available
choices right now, but we can take our time deciding.”
“Hmmm…good fishing in both places. Maybe we
can flip a coin.”
Kathy didn’t care. Mississippi or Alabama, or even
the end of the world, were fine by her as long as Tom
was there to share the fun.
Their plane boarded soon after, and as they left St.
Louis Kathy glimpsed at the Gateway Arch, the gateway
to a better life. She blew a kiss to the bridge and
welcomed the symbolism – she and Tom were ready to
embark on a new journey, and she had no doubt that it
would be the life of her dreams.
THE END
Abouttheauthor…
Sandra CarringtonSmith is an Italian-born author who
relocated to the United States in the late 80’s after
marrying a US soldier who was serving overseas.
Although writing was Sandra’s deepest passion since
childhood, her dream of becoming a published author
had to be placed on hold for several years. Moving to a
new country provided several challenges, the biggest one
being the language barrier she encountered when she
first arrived. In order to become fully integrated, Sandra
tapped into her love for reading, and over time her
vocabulary grew extensively. She gave birth to three
children and devoted most of her time to raising a
family. By the time she was in her late 30’s, Sandra
decided to revisit her old passion for writing, and
penned a novel of paranormal suspense, The Book of
Obeah, followed by a self-improvement book,
Housekeeping for the Soul: A Practical Guide to
Restoring Your Inner Sanctuary.Both titles were
sold to the same publisher and released in 2010, and
The Book of Obeahwent on to win an international
book award. Currently, Sandra is working on two new
novels: The Rosaries(the sequel of The Book of
Obeah)and
Shadows
of
a
Tuscan
Moon. Sandra
CarringtonSmith lives in Raleigh, NC, with her
husband, children and three cats.
Table of Contents
Other books by Sandra Carrington-Smith
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About the author
Killer in Sight (A Tom Lackey Mystery) Page 33
