Music From a Darkened Room

[Silver Priest]

Random rolls,[dice]0[/dice] [dice]1[/dice]

Vanessa heads off back to Frasier's. The light's still on at the farmhouse when he gets there, and he offers her a gruff nod and a cup of coffee. He doesn't ask about what they had to do, or about Nik or Yarrow. He offers her a room for the night and seems uninterested in starting a conversation.

Nik meanwhile spends a few hours waiting around. It's nerve wracking still being in the house. It had mislead them before, and if it was doing so again, only he was now around to fall prey to it. But nothing out of the ordinary happens., and when enough time has passed he makes a call to the police identifying himself and reporting Barbara Turner's death. Soon after several officers rush over, among them the police chief. They seem a little annoyed that Nik did not tell them of his investigation but don't seem to harbor any suspicion towards him. The general theory seemed to be that Turner, who had sold the home to its last several owners, had been hit hard by Agent Donnelley's death and snapped. Believing the stories some of the locals told that the house was possessed, she had gone to it, gone on a rampage, and then hung herself.Nik can already tell the police are suspecting a torrid love affair of some sort between the realtor and the FBI agent.

They do ask him what led him to the house at that period of time. Did Turner contact him, or did he have any information to suspect she was a danger to herself? But at the end he's allowed to go, and he can join Vanessa at Frasier's. Then it's a simple matter to report in to their contact. CHARLIE listens to the report and offers a terse acknowledgment before hanging up. Apparently neither of the agents were in the running for a pay raise.

And so their mission comes to a close. Chaz will stay at Frazier's for some time, his records edited to explain the absence. He likely will not be joining their cell again; depending on how he copes he may be demoted to Friendly status. Yarrow seems to have gone back to his normal life. As for Nik and Vanessa, they are given one final day of rest and then return to NYC, their day jobs awaiting them and normalcy restored... for the moment.

As they drive through Meadowbrooke on their return to the Big Apple, neither of them notice the tourist who takes their picture as they stop at a red light. They don't notice the smile that lights up his face. And they certainly don't see him walk to the nearest payphone and dial a number.

"Cell identified. Yes. Very soon."