"Well, that's true, but, in any case, it was Mrs. Steel who stole it. He could never be proved guilty of that. What's more, according to Mrs. Steel, he still hasn't seen a penny of it."
"Yes. She's been keeping it in store, waiting to find out if what was paralyzing her was guilt, remorse or fear. Does it make any sense to you that he now lets her dispose freely of the money, of his part too, after the description she's made of him as a cold, calculating fellow?"
"No," answered Jesse, shaking his head. "Believe thirty percent of what you hear is the philosophy I think we should adopt. But let's stick to the facts: We know for sure that Mrs. Sloan died from natural causes, isn't that right?"
"Yes. And I now remember that it wasn't even Dr. Cameron who certified her death. As I told you, he was quite busy that night. It was another doctor, younger."
"So, that's settled! We've asked Mrs. Steel to give the money to Geneva, and she will dispose of it, sharing it with the rest of her family, or whatever. We've really nothing to worry about!"
"Do you think Geneva will actually believe that there existed a safety box Mrs. Steel had the only key of and that she'd forgotten all about it until now?"
"Well, it all depends on how willing she is to make life difficult for herself."
Seven months later, there was a wedding. A wedding on the island.
It was a beautiful, beautiful spring day. The Pink Roses Hotel and Patty's Bed & Breakfast's gardens were decked out for the happy occasion.
Pat Johnson, soon to be Pat Grant, was enjoying the delicious cake Mrs. Horwood had made specially.
Kathy's family was there, Jesse's family was there. Their friends were there, including Tom and Geneva. Kathy still couldn't understand how in the end things had worked out with her, but they had.
She gave her bouquet to Pat. It was a sure bet since she and Steve had already fixed their own wedding for two months later. They were now co-proprietors, together with Mrs. Horwood, of the hotel and Patty's. Kathy and Jesse had easily reached that agreement, which made them both happier. So they were now part of a small cooperative, and she felt she was at last really honoring Mrs. Sloan's generous and friendly gesture.
Not until a few days before the wedding did she share with Jesse Mary Anne's last words. It was silly, really. Not a big deal at all. But she'd somehow felt they'd been the beginning of a magic adventure that would come to an end if pronounced a second time.