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"But I didn't die." I said. "So this office does not pass into your hands yet."
"Nor do I want it to." Cindy said with alacrity. "Except for the Chief's office, this room is right where you belong."
"No." I said. "I belong at home, in bed. I am exhausted. Let's go."
"I need to go to my office first." Cindy said. "You go ahead, and I'll follow when I'm done."
I knew what she was doing; I had observed that she had left her keys on my desk when she left the room. I put them in my center desk drawer, letting what needed to happen... happen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After seeing Don drive away in his Police SUV, Cindy walked back to his office. She did not see her keys on his desk, and realized he'd probably put them in his desk drawer. Sitting in his chair, she opened the drawer and found the keys... and the envelope next to them. Pulling it out, she saw the words scrawled upon it that said "Upon my death, please have Todd Burke give this to his assistant Mariko."
Cindy's father, Dr. P. Harvey Eckhart, was a wise man, but also had his own extensive web of knowledge. He had told her that Todd's assistant was the sister of the late Takaki Taichi, who'd sacrificed himself to destroy the rogue Corrigan Cell... and this meant Mariko was the daughter of Takaki Misaki, one of the most powerful and well-connected men in the World. And Cindy knew that Don truly meant for this envelope to go to Takaki Misaki.
The envelope was not sealed. Unable to contain her curiosity, Cindy opened the envelope and took out the rice paper inside. There was writing in hiragana script as well as English. It read:
Like the dew I was born,
Like the vanishing wind, I am gone;
My life, and all that I have done,,
Is but a dream within a dream.
It was Don's death poem.
Cindy sat back in the chair, oblivious to all but her own deepest thoughts. There probably really was no way to prevent 2000 people from being put in mortal danger, but Don had let the Consultant spring the trap... and had been prepared to die himself to take down Westboro. It was more than a 'hair-brained scheme' on Don's part... he had gone into battle with the expectation of his own death.
He had even written his death poem...
Cindy sat there for a very, very long time, trying to process the enormity of it, the sheer magnitude of what had happened.
Part 26 - Epilogue
As I drove out of the parking lot of Police Headquarters, I noticed a small, sleek jet coming in for a landing at County Airport to my north. I drove east on College Avenue in the darkness of the night, seeing my Town in a new way, a different way... free of the pestilence that had held it hostage for these past number of years.
The FBI was making arrests across the country. I knew I was going to be busy, very busy, over the coming days, heck---- weeks, and that I'd be spending a lot of time in Courtrooms, testifying to make Juries understand the complex financial twists and turns this evil man had used to hide his Empire of Crime.
I was tired. It was very good to be able to get into bed and go to sleep. Restful, deep sleep...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I woke up. My mind was still not fully awake, but I felt strange. I sat up in the darkness, hearing nothing but the hum of the air conditioner. Only the light of a streetlight through the window of the sitting room provided illumination.
My wife had awakened. "Don, what is it?" she asked. "What's the matter?"
"I... nothing." I said, gathering my wits. I looked at Melina, my wife, and said "Honey... you won't believe the dream I just had..."
Finis?!?! To be continued?!?!
- COMMENTS
Ktmgoabout 1 year agoI came here to right well done on this great epic. Truly fantastic saga. Then you took a page from Bob Newhart at the end here, and I am really hoping that it's a joke or some nefarious plot and you're not undoing everything that's happened up til now. I guess I'll find out when I read the next story
Ravey19over 2 years agoMelina -:now where has that come from and where is it taking us?
Suberb story front beginning to end
Ravey19over 2 years agoNow what is that about, his wife Melina? OMG, I hope that's a historic reminisce otherwise I don't have any idea why you've brought this in as Meina is supposed to be very happily married and in love with Daniel.
Superb story front beginning to end keeping the reader riveted to it. I don't know how you're going to maintain my interest from now on.
ReadyOnealmost 4 years ago"It was only a dream" never works. End the series, get new characters, and start fresh with the next story. I don't know of ANYONE who has been successful with "multiple realities" and didn't inform the reader/viewer of such early in the story.
I looked ahead at the first page of "Dream Weaver" to see that Don, Melinda, Jack, Ivy, and Laura are characters will be continuing characters.
1. I can't trust ANYTHING from this point forward.
ALL I've learned from the dozens of Crowbar stories up to this point is probably wrong. "It was only a dream, and isn't really true" can invalidate anything. Any clue might be false; any motive may be incorrect.
2. All your development of the ongoing characters must be discarded. You're throwing away a heck of a lot, and betraying the readers who have created love/hate relationships with them. All their motives, interrelationships, life shaping events may now happen differently.
Like the Martin Slut Ray suddenly making a woman act irrationally for no reason, the "woke up" plot device causes irrational (relative to canon) changes to people, places, and thing. Readers REALLY don't like undiagnosable changes to reality, and ESPECIALLY don't like changes to canon.
3. Give them all new names and change the locales. Write their story again, and let it stand on its own in its own reality. Canon is canon for a reason, and changing it makes it no longer canon.
Many authors have had an idea for characters and context, then wrote very different stories which start the same and then go different ways. Your error is trying to paste those different stories together. It never works for the reader.
4. You have a fork in history. It isn't the at "then I woke up"/Dream Weaver transition. It's when he married Melinda (if not before). You're lying to the reader by presenting Dream Weaver as a continuation.
Readers want to see Don keep going and finish cleaning up the politicians and SBI. You're certainly not obligated to write that story. But if you don't continue that plot, then don't falsely advertise following stories as part of the series.
TL; DR: Start a new series with DW, and tell the reader there is no connection. Continue the old series if readers want.
Anonymousalmost 7 years agoHow could anyone figured them out? You kept all the information about them to yourself until this story. I do not understand how how you expected us to follow when information that would have made us go...aha....was not provided.
Point...the Jack Burke tapes secreted away in the apartment? How did that relate to telling us or leading us to Pastor Westboro? In that story I do not remember any hint that would suggest he was the consultant.
It is like rou provided the walkway but then removed part of the walkway forcing us to take a detour to continue down the path.
Also, please do not butcher scripture. Jesus did not ask Judas to betray Him. The bible was not written by the Cathloic church. Scripture was mostly written by apostles and inspired by God.
Anonymousover 7 years agoup til now.. That took a lot. It was entertaining and was well written. It took a lot to dream up this shit too! Thanks for the time we spent together here in your stories. It was fun and I enjoyed the ride. I hope you're not done but whatever you do next, this was fun. Scotty / slowrdr@aol.com
tazz317over 7 years agothey are like seeds and spring up all over again, TK U MLJ LV NV
Anonymousover 7 years agoLoved the series to date but found the current ending truly unsatisfying. What about Woodward and Lewis and the other corrupt folks. Time to take them down and forget about the last 6 sentences in A Tiny slip #4. Sorry, but you should have kept going to take down the rest.
Zeke503over 7 years agoHave to admit that I have some concerns with the final twist in this story... If you intend to do a Dallas/Bobby Ewing dream thingy here, I may have to abandon your work. I'm hoping that this is some sort of dream that Don is having caused by his sensitivity to the suffering of Melina due to her 'beatdown'. Just be sure it doesn't last too long and ruin the series.
Other than that, I have enjoyed the format of your stories and I have always liked good mystery writing. Thank you for your efforts to keep us all entertained ! ! ! ! !
Anonymousover 7 years agoThank you WW for your comment. I was lost on the ending. Not sure what to make of it! Then remembered something. When Don is totally tired and exhausted he usually goes into a deep dream state. Sometimes he figures things out and other times people visit him, like Angela Harlan. Checking on the next series title "Dream Weaver" this could go either way. So, as suggested, have patience and enjoy the next series. I will do that. I envy your writing ability. Not one of my attributes.
PS: Had to do Anonymous again been having computer hickups and trouble.
wildlady63
