Deadly Fate (Krewe of Hunters #19)(96)

Thor was waiting for her in her dressing room. He wasn’t alone.

She’d known he’d be with Jackson and Angela; Angela had met them before the Fate had sailed.

Jackson was basically his own boss, and apparently his office of special units ran like clockwork—it was like an ensemble cast, Jackson had once told her. The Krewe of Hunters all worked together.

She knew, too, that Thor had accepted an assignment with the Krewe.

What she didn’t know was that there would be another guest in her dressing room—an extremely distinguished elderly gentleman with silver hair, a perfectly tall physique and wonderful light eyes. He seemed to have a strange combination of authority and kindness about him.

“Adam Harrison, Clara Avery,” Thor told her. “And Josh, his son.”

She glanced around at Josh. He was a thin youth who appeared to be seventeen or eighteen. He had a quick smile, slightly tousled brown hair and a great manner. “How do you do,” he told her. “You were brilliantly cool, by the way.”

Clara went to take his hand; only then did she realize that he was a ghost. She swallowed hard—what? You saw one ghost and the floodgates opened?

She thanked Josh then and asked them to make themselves at home and apologized—the dressing room was very small.

“No, no, we apologize. We need to get out of your hair,” Adam Harrison said.

“Adam is our great and fearless leader,” Angela Hawkins told her.

“Ah, yes, well, I knew about people like you because...because, well, Josh was always especially talented. I started putting the right people on the right project years and years ago and then, well, friends at the Bureau and I got together and formed the Krewe.”

“I see. Wonderful, and a true pleasure,” Clara murmured.

“Actually, I have a proposition for you, Miss Avery.”

“Clara, please,” she murmured.

“Just let me show you something,” he said.

He pulled an iPad from his jacket and touched it a few times, then offered the screen. The facade of a magnificent Victorian theater leapt onto the display; wide, sweeping marble steps led to an outer patio, stained-glass windows led into the foyer. Adam ran a finger over the screen; she could see the audience, the mezzanine, the orchestra pit and the balconies. He touched the iPad again—she saw the size and majesty of the stage.

“It’s a beautiful theater, fantastic really! Where is it?”

“Alexandria, Virginia. Easy access from DC and Northern Virginia. People even come up from Richmond for performances,” Adam told her.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, waiting. Had Thor finagled her a position at the theater? “Is it public, or private, or...”

“I’ve just purchased it,” Adam said.

“Oh!”

“But it needs management—an artistic director. Frankly, I just wanted to buy it. It was up for sale, and it could have gone the way of many a beautiful old historic property.”

“Well, I know something about running the books, but—”

“I believe we can hire a bookkeeper. But! We need someone who knows plays, who knows actors and actresses, a casting process...and, of course, someone who performs, themselves, someone who can make children love theater.”

Clara looked at Thor, amazed, worried. “You are joining the Krewe, right?”

“I am,” Thor said.

“Did you...did you ask Mr. Harrison to buy a theater because...”

“Oh, no, no—I bought the theater a few months ago,” Adam said. “And now these strange cases, and a call from Jackson...and here Josh and I are, aboard the Fate!” He had such a great smile and he shrugged with one of those grins. “I mean, hey, seems like fate to me, right?”

“Oh, thank you! But, I... I’m afraid! That’s major—”

“I haven’t seen you afraid enough not to fight, ever,” Thor said lightly.

“Are you kidding me? Say yes!”

She hadn’t realized she hadn’t closed her door. Ralph, Simon, Larry and Connie were just outside, listening to every word.

Ralph walked in and introduced himself boldly, saying he’d be delighted to help with such an enterprise and that they were an ensemble, ready to really give every bit of energy and talent they had to make a go of such a place.

Then Larry and Simon were in the room, and everyone was talking and somewhere in it all, she said, “Yes, yes! As soon as we finish out our contracts here, of course.”

Everyone was kissing her—even Josh, with a cool brush on her cheek.

There was champagne; people talked and talked. She finally changed, and they met on the Promenade Deck and talked some more.

And finally, very late, she wound up out on the deck with Thor. They could see the crystal glaciers rising by the ship’s light, because even in Alaskan waters, it was nearly dark by then.

They kissed.

“We’ll both be away from home,” she murmured. “Hm, maybe home is where the huskies are?”

It seemed impossible. They’d both start life anew. Even Jackson, in his way.

“You are home to me,” Thor told her, his lips close, his whisper sweet, and it all ended with a fantastic kiss in the gentle chill of the night air and the strange display of light and shadow that was an Alaskan late summer night.