Speak the Dead (27 page)
Authors: Grant McKenzie
Epilogue
S
ister Fleur opened her eyes to a miraculous sightâ
Sally
.
The young woman clutched at the nun's hand. Sally's cheeks were red from wiping away tears, but her sparkling green eyes were alive with happiness.
“Thank God you're alright,” said Sister Fleur in a hoarse voice. “I feared the worst.”
Sally's voice broke with emotion, “I never knew what you sacrificed⦠to save me.”
“How could I explain?” asked Sister Fleur. “It became so twisted and, for a time, I was a part of it.”
“But you escaped,” said Sally.
“No,” said Sister Fleur quietly. “Like you, my family was murdered and I ran, but I never truly escaped.”
Sally wiped at her eyes. “You returned for me,” she said. “And all I ever gave you was grief.”
The nun chuckled softly. “The truth wouldn't have changed that. I was over-protective and you were rebellious. And from what I understand that is the height of normalcy for mothers and daughters these days. And for a time that's what we were, what we had to be.”
Fresh tears sprang to Sally's eyes. “I wish I had been a better daughter.”
“And I, a better mother.”
Sally launched herself across the bed, hugging the woman tight, sobs wracking her chest.
Later, Sally told
her that Mother Black, a bullet wound in her shoulder patched with field dressing, had been found trussed-up like a Thanksgiving turkey in the gardens.
She had confessed to the murder and mutilation of five women. Jersey had arranged for a young reporter out of Idaho to gain access for an exclusive interview that was picked up by every wire service in the country. The reporter was using the exposure to head for San Francisco where he heard a weekly news magazine was hiring.
Father Black's body was never found, but after the fire at the church had burned its course and the firefighters were able to drench the ashes, the skeletal remains of an unidentified male was recovered. The victim's back was broken, and although it was the right height and approximate right age, a dental comparison proved inconclusive.
Â
The End
or is it?
Acknowledgements
The journey of
any story is akin to the barrel escape scene in the second Hobbit movie: it starts with what seems to be a good idea, then becomes perilous as the raging current sweeps you from side to side until you feel sick with doubt. And that's before the jagged rocks and armed Orcs try to block your way on the long, turbulent journey to publication.
If you're lucky, however, you get a few people on your side who believe, not only in the writing, but also in the writer. I have been fortunate to be blessed with such friends. In the days when it's just me and the blank page, my family, who don't always understand this mad obsession, are my biggest support. My wife and daughter bring me cups of tea and the gift of time, my parents call with words of encouragement, and my pals pull me out of my creative fog for a night or two.
But when the story is told and I nervously await the verdict, it's my editor, Jason Pinter, and my agent, Amy Moore-Benson, who come to the forefront. The book you are holding in your hands is down to the belief and support of each and every one of these wonderful folk.
I want to thank the entire editorial and sales teams at Polis Books for believing in my wee nail-bitersâso much so that Polis is releasing many of my books in print for the very first time.
Most of all, I want to thank you, the reader, for taking a chance on a writer you may never have heard of before. I hope you've enjoyed
Speak The Dead
and will be rushing out to buy more of my stories for yourself, your family and friends, and even complete strangers: the mailman loves thrillers, I hear ;)
Without your support, these stories would only exist in my headâand it's already pretty crowded in there.
From the very bottom of my heart,
Thank you,
About the Author
Grant McKenzie is
the author of four edge-of-your-seat thrillers, plus an ongoing mystery series set in San Francisco. His riveting thrillers
The Fear in Her Eyes, Switch,
and
K.A.R.M.A.
are also available from Polis Books. Under the pen name M. C. Grant he writes the Dixie Flynn series that began with
Angel With a Bullet,
continued with
Devil With a Gun,
and returns with
Baby With a Bomb.
His short story “Underbelly” appeared in the
First Thrills
anthology edited by Lee Child from Tor/Forge. As a journalist, Grant has worked in virtually every area of the newspaper business, from the late-night “Dead Body Beat” at a feisty daily tabloid to senior copy/design editor at two of Canada's largest broadsheets and editor in chief of
Monday
magazine. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Follow him on Twitter at @AuthorGMcKenzie.
