"Okay, I see what he meant." Lacey's comment had her grinning.

Zee walked around the two cars. Her Lexus was parked within an inch of the black sedan's bumper. She knew it was close, but man, she could have killed Percy. She was incredibly glad of her choice now. The Kia would have been a disaster. This one responded exactly like her old one.

"I've learned a lot driving on the gravel roads out here. But man, you have no idea how scared I was when I did that. Shit, Percy, I almost killed you." Zee leaned against the front fender as reality caught up with her.

"The key word is almost." Percy stood beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder in a half hug. "I'm here, and you are both alive. A bit beat up, but alive." Percy tossed his phone to Lacey. "Call Terry. He's 2 on the speed dial."

Zee leaned into her muscular boyfriend. "Wasn't it just yesterday when you kissed my hand in front of the whole drama class?"

"I know what you mean. So much has happened, and this doesn't seem real."

Zee nodded her head against his chest half listening to Lace as she reassured Terry, she was all right. She tipped her face up to look into his eyes and saw her future there. For now, he was all she needed to feel safe.

"Terry says most of the kids are still at the mansion. They're wondering what we took off for. Do we tell them?" Lace's question had her shaking her head. Then her sister continued, "Agent Greene told them the pass out gas was part of the party tricks. No need to let them know it was Anya's addition to our set up. He dropped the ghosts two seconds after Lurch told them help was coming. I wish we had been there. He said two of the girls almost fainted."

Percy couldn't control his laughter when heard what went down, and said, "I wish we were there. Great thinking. Now we can tell them a ghost got Lacey, and we went to find her."

"I don't really want to tell them. If we do, then this whole thing is real, and I don't want it to be. How could Anya do this?"

"She's what Dad calls a bad seed. There's no good explanation because it doesn't make sense to most people." Lace's calm statement brought a shudder. Her twin continued, "It made sense in Anya's twisted world. The only question I have left, is who was her mother in all of this? Why did Uncle Theodore give her to that woman?"

"I could have gone down the same path." Zee murmured as the thought escaped her lips. "Thank God for Mom."

"Not a chance. You turned yourself around. Your mother gave you the chance. Anya's choice was the dark." Percy's words made her smile.

"Let's go break the news to the kids at the mansion. Call Terry back, Lace. Tell him we'll be there in about ten minutes." Zee opened the car door. "I'll just move so you can get in."

"How much are we going to tell them?" Lacey said as she slid into the back passenger seat.

"Just that Anya was up to her usual bad ideas and she kidnapped you. Percy and I went after you. I mean the ghost story is a great idea, but they won't forgive us if we don't give them part of the truth. Let them speculate till the radio station breaks the news. We can face the rest at school on Monday." Zee decided.

"One thing's for sure." Percy's deep voice soothed her spirit, "This is the party of the century. No one's going to forget."

"Definitely the stuff nightmares are made of," Lacey said.

"No kidding," Zee met Lace's eyes in the rear view mirror. "No kidding."

Zee pulled into the circular drive and stopped at the main doors. Terry stood there. Her Dad's face lit up as they dragged themselves out of the car. Aunt Deanne and Uncle James's shoulders slumped in relief as they saw Lace climb out. It was Terry who reached them first wrapping Lace in a fierce hug, kissing her breathless.

"Before you go in, I think I have the answer to the one question you might still have. Terry was right. When we talked after you called. Anya's mother was married to Theodore. We're speculating, and since she's been murdered too, we'll never know for sure, they couldn't have children. It's the only motive behind everything that happened to Annamarie." Deanne said. She continued, "There's a civil record of Theo's marriage in New York City. Terry googled the records while you were gone."

The click of a lock closing in her mind should have been audible across the town. Zee stared at Lace and then she nodded. She could live with it and saw the answer in her twin's eyes. They would never be alone again.

"Does that mean her marriage to Darren Carson was a con?"

"Bigamy. The common law IRS claim was bogus. She claimed benefits under two different identities. It's a mess, and Anya will have to answer for it on top of her criminal woes." James said. "I wouldn't want to be in her shoes."

"What does he mean, Mom?" Lacey asked.

"The IRS will be on her back for the rest of her life. They will try to collect her mother's debt from her. Mrs. Carson used a false identity to collect double tax benefits. A definite no-no where the government is concerned," Deanne explained.

"I guess Anya had the perfect storm in her life. Mrs. Carson and Uncle Theodore. They pretty much cursed her." Zena wondered where she would have ended up if her mother hadn't sent her back to New Hampton and the mansion.

"She did. You can almost feel sorry for her. But enough of her. We're going to hear more than enough about this when the news breaks. Go on in. Enjoy the rest of your party, as long as you're not hurting too much." James Pemberton raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

"I'm good," Lacey said keeping a smile plastered on her face.

Zee didn't believe her, but she wasn't going to say anything. She could feel the aches along her twin's back and her stiffening neck. Just like she was sure, Lace could feel her own knee protesting every time she took a step.

"I'm okay too. Do you want to come in?" Zee asked, hoping they wouldn't.

"I don't think so, I think we'll head home." James got a nod from his wife when he answered.

"We'll talk tomorrow," Deanne agreed and took Lace's shoulders in her hands. She placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

Zena watched as Lace turned to her father.

"Have fun Tiger." He dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"I will." Lacey squared her shoulders. "We will. Come on. Let's party." She pulled Terry toward the front door.

Zena watched as her aunt and uncle left in their car. Her father's voice caught her attention. She let Percy head inside ahead of her.

"Zee, sweetie, there's one more thing. Agent Greene says they traced Theo to Denver, and he was recognized as the person buying components from the bomb that took down Stella's jet. Your mother and those flying with her, were murdered. He was coming after us. And Anya tried to finish his agenda. She is her father's daughter."

Another click in her head. She could lock that away. Mom never meant to die. She was still looking out for her. Zee walked up to her father where he stood part way up the granite steps.

"I know she never meant to leave us," she whispered in his ear. "And even though she did, she made sure we would figure it out."

"I'll miss her Zee, for the rest of my life." Her Dad kissed her forehead, exactly the way Uncle James kissed Lace.

"I will too, but she's watching over us. I know it," Zee told him.

She let him keep his arm around her as they climbed the rest of the steps. Inside she heard the band playing Monster Mash again, and as she stepped into the ballroom, it looked like she never left. Except for Anya Carson's body count. Five people and a horrible Halloween horror story. Would her friends forgive for not telling them now? Hopefully.

Her father kissed her forehead one more time before he went up the stairs to his rooms.

"Take care of her Percy. I'm sure she hurting." He looked like he was ready to collapse. He saw her moving to come with him and said, "I'm okay. Nothing a good stiff drink won't cure."

Mom might be gone, but she would always have Lace. And when it come down to it, that's what mattered. She still hadn't asked about her nickname, but Tiger suits her. She doesn't back off when she's on a mission. She just goes for it.

She glanced up at her gorgeous Gomez. His mustache was crooked, almost falling off. He squeezed her hand three times as they headed down the passage behind the kitchen. Percy tore it off as they entered the ballroom and bent to whisper in her ear.

"Shall we dance?" His sexy rumble curled her toes.

"For the rest of our lives."