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“That brooch wasn’t yours to bury, though,” said Chase.

She nodded.“I know. And I’m sorry,” she said softly. “But if you compare the value of that brooch to the value of three lives, I’m not sure the brooch is worth more, are you?”

Odelia smiled.“We’re not here to arrest you, Rita.”

She looked up.“I don’t understand. I just confessed that I killed my father.”

“An accident,” said Chase. “You said it yourself.”

“I think the truth of what happened to Boyd Baker will probably never be fully known,” said Odelia. “Though in the article I’m writing about the case I offer the suggestion that his associates and Boyd had a falling-out, and that they killed him in the struggle that ensued when they came tohis house demanding he share the proceeds of the Clifford brooch sale. They killed him and in a panic buried him, never even going through his pockets and finding the brooch they’d made such a big fuss about.”

She blinked.“You’re not… going to arrest me? Or my brother?”

“No, we’re not,” said the Chief with a kindly smile. “I think you’ve suffered enough, Rita. You and your brother both, and your mother, of course.”

“I think it’s time to bury the dead past,” said Odelia, “and that includes your father. And then you and your brother can finally be free.”

“But… are you sure you can do this? Are you sure this is… legal?”

“We’ve discussed it,” said Odelia.

“We held a family meeting just now,” Chase explained.

“My mom and dad were there, and so was my grandmother, and we all agreed.”

“It may not strictly be lawful,” said the Chief, “but under the circumstances I think it’s the right thing to do. It is certainly in line with what my conscience is telling me to do.”

“It’s time to move on, Rita,” said Odelia. “I know you as a warm, wonderful person, but I also know there’s always been a darkness inside you. The secret you’ve carried all these years has eaten away at you, and now it’s time for you to finally let go and heal.”

As her three visitors got up and filed out of the apartment, she and Odelia hugged for a long time. The moment they were gone, she called her brother, and the first thing she said was,“It’s over, Tom. It’s finally over.”

Epilogue

The Poole family was gathered once again in the Poole backyard, and this time there was even meat on the menu. The Pooles had recently become vegetarians for a brief while, but that hadn’t lasted very long, and now Tex was flipping burgers again, and the sizzling meat spread its intoxicating aroma across the backyard and into the neighboring yards. Next to Marge and Tex live Marcie and Ted Trapper, who’ve been their neighbors since both families bought their respective houses.Marcie waved at us across the hedge, then disappeared into the house, while Ted sat with his feet in the tiny pool he’d installed a couple of summers ago. It was more a birdbath than a pool, but he didn’t care.

“So that’s it?” asked Gran. “The case is officially closed?”

“Yes, the investigation has been concluded,” said Odelia. “And the conclusion is that we’ll probably never know what happened to Boyd Baker, as all those involved have passed away by now, so crucial witnesses will never be able to tell their story.”

“Some cold cases need to stay cold,” said Uncle Alec as he raised a cold brewski.

“A toast,” said Chase. “To Rita and Tom Baker, and the brave and selfless act they performed to protect their mom. An act that has hung like a shadow over their lives all this time, and now has finally been lifted.”

“So have you decided what to do about the basement?” asked Uncle Alec with a twinkle in his eye.

Gran grumbled something under her breath that didn’t sound very nice, and directed a searing glare at her son-in-law.

“We’re turning it into a rehearsal space for Tex,” said Marge.

“Yeah. We’re going to put in a stage and a music installation,” said Tex with the happy smile of a kid on Easter morning. “And when we have friends over I’ll be able to entertain them without bothering the neighbors.”

“If you didn’t want to bother the neighbors you wouldn’t take up singing,” said Gran.

“So what about the nuclear holocaust?” asked Chase. “Aren’t you going to prepare, Vesta?”

“Oh, I’m done with that nonsense,” said Gran. “I read an article explaining how all this disaster stuff is just a bunch of hooey. Did you know that half the stuff they put on the YouTube or those social media is just a bunch of made-up baloney? Hard to imagine.”

“Yeah, who knew?” said Uncle Alec with a grin.

“A second toast,” said Chase now, as he held up his glass. “To Odelia, who had the courage to convince me and her uncle to drop the investigation into Rita and Tom Baker.”

“It took some convincing,” she said. “But it was worth it.”

“Technically you broke the law,” said Tex. “Didn’t you, Alec?”

“Technically I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, Tex.”

“Boyd Baker?”

“I don’t remember no Boyd Baker.”

“The skeleton in the basement?”