Epilogue
Morgan had left Ben to go visit Amos who was out of hospital. Ben was taking Shep back to his master and he had been pretty down about it. To her surprise he had loved fussing over the elderly dog and taking him on walks. She was glad Amos had recovered enough to go home.
Everyone’s life was getting back on track and now there was one final thing to do.
Morgan walked her aunt Ettie through the gates of HMP Manchester with a heaviness inside of her chest that wouldn’t ease.
She had been here before, too many times.
She had met her now dead biological father, Gary, here, and her murderous brother, Taylor, who was currently incarcerated here.
How fitting that now she could add Ettie’s friend, Gerald Grant, to the list. Ettie had been devastated to learn of the double life he had lived, the innocent lives he had taken, but she had kept her chin up, determined not to be brought down by his actions and that had made Morgan so proud of her.
None of this was Ettie’s fault, and she could quite easily have given up and wallowed in self-pity, believing that it was.
They had arrived thirty minutes early to go through the security process before they were finally shown to the visitors’ café.
It was empty – because Morgan was a copper, their visit had been arranged at a time when there were no other prisoners around.
It was too dangerous for her and Ettie if the prisoners found out who she was.
She reached out and squeezed Ettie’s fingers, just before she heard the shuffling of feet as Gerald Grant was led into the room flanked by two prison guards, his feet and hands in cuffs.
He sat down opposite them and smiled at Ettie, ignoring Morgan.
‘Good to see you, Ettie, you look well.’
Ettie swallowed then nodded. ‘I can’t say that it’s good to see you, Ernest, or is it Gerald now?’
Morgan watched his every move. He looked a little thinner in the face, but his eyes still sparkled, and she wondered how many years of being inside a jail cell it would take to dim them.
He laughed. ‘Always Ernest to you, it’s better to remember me that way, don’t you think?’
Ettie’s entire body was stiff. ‘Why?’
‘Why not? There is no point in talking about what I did with you because you wouldn’t understand and I don’t want you to.’
She nodded.
‘I really like you, Ettie, you were kind to me, much kinder than I deserved, and that was the reason I never hurt Morgan.’
He still didn’t look at Morgan; his gaze fixed on Ettie.
‘I think you should know that I thought about it at the caves. She is just as good as you had told me and I knew that she would figure everything out eventually, but I knew that you would be upset if she went missing and I couldn’t do that to you. I didn’t want you hexing me.’ He winked at Ettie.
Morgan’s instinct had been right. When they’d ascended back up to the top of the fell, she had doubted him and his lies about having a bad back, but she had pushed it to one side, choosing to believe he was innocent and helping her.
‘Am I supposed to thank you for that?’ Ettie’s voice was so low it was barely above a whisper.
‘No, I’m just letting you know that because of how much I like you, I didn’t hurt her when really there were so many chances to. I’m not all bad, maybe we could keep in touch. I’d like that, you could come visit me, maybe write now and again.’
Ettie stared at him. ‘No, you had your good points, and I was falling in love with the nice part of you, it’s such a shame that was all pretend. Are you going to ask how those girls are, the ones you kept locked in cages as if they were wild animals?’
‘No, I don’t care about them.’
‘What about your own mother that you dragged into your sordid mess, do you care about her?’
‘Not really, I believe she’s been in hospital. Too unwell to be in prison, which is lucky for her.’
Morgan bit her tongue, there was so much she wanted to say to him, but it wasn’t her place.
Ettie stood up. ‘That’s what I wanted to know, whether you had any heart left inside of you.
It seems I was right; you haven’t and you really are a cold-blooded monster.
’ She pulled a tissue out of her sleeve and unwrapped it.
Inside of it was a powder so black Morgan wondered what it was.
Before the guards could stop her, Ettie leaned over and blew it into Ernest’s face.
He shouted and fell backwards, toppling his chair over as he scrabbled around on the floor.
Her voice was steady. ‘Gerald Grant, you have done much wrong and know it well. Your secret is out so here’s my spell. I curse you to spend eternity, your soul in torture, so mote it be.’
Morgan took hold of Ettie’s arm and began to lead her away, but not before Ettie whispered to the guards, ‘Black pepper, nothing more. I take it if I feel faint and he was making me feel quite ill.’
The guards, who were torn between watching Ernest who had started sobbing on the floor and being in awe of Ettie, nodded at her, and one of them winked at her. ‘Don’t worry, love, just a silly accident. We’ll get the nurse to give him an eye bath. You get on your way.’
Morgan didn’t hang around; she dragged Ettie out and towards the entrance they had come in. Once they were outside, she turned to her and laughed. ‘You are so bad, what was that really?’
‘You said he was fearful of me hexing him, so I gave him what he deserved. A simple dose of black pepper and a curse on his soul. Nothing too serious.’
Ettie started laughing, and Morgan shook her head, bundling her into the car. The pair of them sat there giggling.
‘You are badass.’
Ettie shrugged. ‘He deserves a whole lot more, but I don’t really agree with using magic like that.
Let him think what he will. I did that for Dawson, Lizzie, Scarlett and Janey.
I hope it torments his soul. Now, while we’re in Manchester how about a spot of shopping?
I quite like Primark and I want to take you for lunch somewhere nice.
I booked a table at Cut and Craft, it’s very you, very Gothic and after that awful experience, I think we deserve a little celebration. ’
Morgan hugged her aunt and couldn’t help thinking that now she knew exactly where her own badass attitude came from and she couldn’t be any prouder.
***