A Cast of Killers (56 page)

"And, I guess, she never stopped missing New
York. One day, she told us that she was leaving and that was that.
I guess she was afraid that we would try to stop her. Or that we
would come and get her against her will. She would never even let
me know where she lived. Her Social Security check went right into
the bank. There were times when I couldn't understand her secrecy,
but I think that I understand it now. She had a life here. She was
Emily Toujours. She could come back and start over again. And, most
of all, she could be near the theater she loved. I think of her
sitting in the dark of the audience, dreaming of what might have
been. She still loved us, I know. Every month, she would call me
and tell me that she was okay. She always described the shows she
had seen and her memory was so vivid—it was almost like being there
with her."

She stopped for a moment to regain her
composure. In the soft light of the church, there were many people
who saw Emily in her daughter's determined face.

"My mother will be very much missed," she
continued. "Not just by you, but by me and my family. When she
didn't call last week, I knew that something was wrong. But I
didn't know where to begin. You can't imagine the hurt that a
person can go through in just a few hours of not knowing. I was
lucky. A few days later, I found my answer in the newspaper.

"But if not for you, the police tell me, I
might never have known what happened to her. It would have been too
late, they say. She'd have been buried as a number. Instead, I've
come to New York to bury my mother. And she will be buried here,
because I know it's where she'd want to stay.

"But I've also come to New York to thank you
for giving me my mother back. To thank you for giving my family the
opportunity to grieve her. And, most of all, to thank you for
caring what happened to my mother, both before and after she
died."

The woman stopped and looked out over the
church very slowly, as if seeking to memorize all of their faces.
She sighed and the sound was caught by the microphone. It moved
through the church like a shadow.

T.S. reached for Auntie Lil's hand. He knew
now that their latest journey was nearing its end.

"My mother's real name was Eleanor Perkins," Emily's
daughter concluded. "And she was once a most extraordinary
woman."

# # #

Visit
http://www.katymunger.com
for more information on the author and her
books.

Books by Katy Munger, writing as Gallagher
Gray

PARTNERS IN CRIME

A CAST OF KILLERS

DEATH OF A DREAM MAKER

A MOTIVE FOR MURDER

Casey Jones books by Katy Munger:

LEGWORK

OUT OF TIME

MONEY TO BURN

BAD TO THE BONE

BETTER OFF DEAD

BAD MOON ON THE RISE

Books by Katy Munger, writing as Chaz
McGee

DESOLATE ANGEL

ANGEL INTERRUPTED

DARK ANGEL (2012)