Page 71 of Into the Dark

Oscar kissed him back, then hugged him close. “Love you, too.”

Holding hands, they walked down the stairs as the light outside strengthened. Without its ghosts, the asylum felt more sad than anything else. A monument to both the hope of humane treatment for the mentally ill that had seen it built, and to the darkest side of institutionalization that had followed.

“Your grandmother would be proud of you,” he said as they reached the entryway.

“I hope so.” Oscar sighed, then shrugged. “I was so worried about letting her down…but the truth is, I never knew her. Maybe she would be proud, and maybe she wouldn’t. I have to stop worrying about her, and focus on whetherI’mproud of me. Of us.”

Nigel squeezed his hand. “You’re the one who cleared the ghosts.”

“But I wouldn’t have gotten to this point if I hadn’t had other people around me. What if Mamaw had a whole group with her when she investigated, instead of just one friend with a camera? People who knew enough to help when she got possessed.” They stepped onto the front stoop, and Oscar half-turned to look down the entry hall. “Maybe she would never have come here at all.”

Nigel had been unconscious during the final confrontation with Dr. Wilkes, but he’d heard the details. “True—we would have both been goners if it had just been us down there.”

He spoke lightly, but a shiver went through him. The memory of struggling for breath invaded his dreams; he was going to have to bring the experience up in therapy at the very least.

Still holding hands, they walked down the steps to the drive. Tina and Chris had loaded the last of the gear and shut the back doors to the van. No doubt workers hired by Ms. Montague would come to strike the tents later in the day.

Ms. Montague herself stood with Dr. Lawson by Lawson’s Prius. As they approached, she said, “I’ll call you, Ruthie. If I may.”

Dr. Lawson put her hands on her hips. “You may. I don’t promise I’ll answer, though.”

“Well.” Ms. Montague smiled slightly. “It’s a start.”

Both women turned at the sound of grit under their boots. “Taylor, Fox,” Dr. Lawson said gruffly. “You didn’t run into any trouble, I hope?”

Oscar shook his head. “All the spirits have departed. The asylum should be safe from now on. As safe as any abandoned building, I mean.”

Ms. Montague folded her hands atop her silver-headed cane. “Thank you for your hard work. I regret making things more difficult, but?—”

Dr. Lawson cleared her throat loudly.

“What I mean to say is, I apologize for both the generator and keeping it secret.” Ms. Montague extended one slender hand. “I look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Nigel wasn’t one-hundred percent certain she’d learned her lesson, but he shook her hand anyway, as did Oscar.

“Thanks for the opportunity to come here,” Oscar said, because sometimes he was a little too nice. “It was throwing us in the deep end, but we got the job done.”

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to wait with Ethan. My driver should be here soon to pick us up.” Ms. Montague gave them a regal nod, then made for her private tent.

Dr. Lawson rolled her eyes. “‘My driver.’ Christ on a crutch.”

“Must be nice,” Nigel agreed wryly. “So…you’re on speaking terms again, I take it?”

She actually blushed, which was something he’d never imagined she was capable of doing. “For now, anyway. But she’s going to have to do a lot of groveling to make up for that stunt she pulled.”

“Make her fly you to Paris for dinner,” Oscar suggested. “I’m sure she has a private jet lying around somewhere.”

Lawson snorted. “I’m sure she does. Butsomeonehas to worry about destroying the environment, so I’m not setting foot on the damn thing, no matter how much groveling she doesbeforehand.” She shook her head and switched gears. “Good luck writing all of this up, Taylor.”

“If you want to split credit…”

“I’m done with academia, so thanks but no thanks.” She opened her car door and climbed in. “Next time Patricia contacts you, call mebeforeshe drags you into some hellhole, all right? I can’t always drop everything to run to your rescue. I have a life of my own, you know.”

“Thanks, Dr. Lawson,” Oscar called as she shut the door and rolled down the window. “Drive safe!”

As the red Prius trundled away down the broken asphalt, Nigel’s stomach growled. “Let’s get out of here and find some breakfast.”

Chris and Tina had gathered around Adrienne and Zeek’s car, so they made their way over to them.

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