Big Bang Big Bang: The Last Van Gogh, Part III (final)
(For story info: go to this post)
Part I
Part II
Penny and Sheldon met Poirot and the boys at the detective’s flat early the next day.
The auction wasn’t scheduled to begin until eight o’clock that night, but they wanted to be sure of themselves before the big moment arrived.
Poirot gathered them in the parlor, his little black notebook already in hand.
“And so, mes amis, we go once more into the breach.”
. . .
Thousands of people had packed Trafalgar Square by the time the auction was set to begin. Sotheby’s had erected a stage, with a row of seats on either side for important figures and guests of honor.
Director Gablehauser ascended the stage and strolled up to the microphone placed at its center. The crowd gave a great cheer, and Gablehauser allowed a few moments for the applause and catcalls to die down before addressing those assembled.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and esteemed guests, it gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome you here this evening. It is truly once in a lifetime that such a find as the piece we have brought to you this evening comes along. It has been an honor for myself, my team, and everyone at Sotheby’s London to be able to find and bring to you this work. This promises to be a truly historic night.
“In lieu of our usual auctioneer, the esteemed Mr. Bartholomew Kripke, tonight’s proceedings will be overseen by the head of our Fine Arts department, and resident Van Gogh expert: Miss Penelope Cuthbert.”
Penny rose from her seat and walked up to the microphone to enthusiastic applause. She shook Gablehauser’s hand and he returned to his seat.
Looking out into the sea of faces before her, Penny saw the Shadow Men.
Hundreds of Them.
And, right smack dab in the middle, near where the crowd parted around the statue of Nelson: The Bearded Man.
He was looking right at her, His face scrunched up as if He were trying not to laugh.
About thirty yards behind him, Sheldon was manning one of the massive spotlights that had been scattered about the square. He caught Penny’s eye and smiled. She could see the silver chain glinting around his neck, and a strange calm came over her. They would get through this, all of them.
She took a deep breath and began to speak.
. . .
“And so he died, without ever having sold a single work.”
The crowd was quiet as Penny finished reciting Vincent’s life story. She took a moment to quietly clear her throat and gather the rest of her courage. It was show time.
“But today, we recognize Van Gogh’s genius for what it was. Millions everywhere are drawn to the beauty of his paintings, and the poetry of his ability to find the loveliness in life despite his great suffering.
“And now, we have a new piece to add to the known catalogue of his works. A final piece, for I hold here in my hand a journal written by the woman who attended him in his final hours. She writes in painstaking detail of Vincent’s struggle to finish this painting as the life slowly bled out of him. Sadly, the work remains unfinished, but I think you will agree with me when I say, ladies and gentlemen, that this does not detract from its beauty.
“And now, I present to you the last Van Gogh.”
Penny unveiled the canvas and a gasp went up in front of the crowd. The people began to murmur, as those who could see it told those further back what the painting looked like.
After they were given a few moments to settle down, Penny went in for the kill.
“I hope you will also agree with me in seeing that there is something very wrong about this picture. This is not only because it is unfinished. No. If you would all join me in taking a closer look, you will see that there is a great deal of fear in it.”
Several spotlights went on around the square, illuminating the entire crowd. All of the boys were in position then.
The Shadow Men struggled where They stood, but were paralyzed by the light. Poirot had been absolutely right.
Penny glanced to her left, where Poirot was sitting with the other guests of honor. He smiled at her proudly and nodded.
“This is because, my friends, there is something very wrong with the rest of Vincent’s work. There is something very wrong with the world. Vincent was able to see it, and he tried to tell us, but some very malevolent forces stopped him before he got the chance. He did not commit suicide. He was murdered. In cold blood.”
Penny then read to them the note Jacqueline had written to her, and told the people how the Shadow Men had tried to destroy her life and the lives of her friends.
“And if that is not enough for you, ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to look, really look about you. Where are all the flowers disappearing to? Our birds? The vibrancy of the colors and landscapes about us?”
What was disbelieving muttering became astonished silence.
“And, worst of all, if you could see the night sky, you would quickly realize that hundreds of stars are missing. When was the last time any of you can recollect seeing the North Star? Sirius?”
Penny looked out over the sea of faces, and saw more and more starting to believe what she was saying.
“You don’t see these things all of the time, because you can’t see the Shadow Men. But they are here, and they are trying to take what is ours.
“Look around you, please. They are here. Hundreds of Them. That is why there are so many spotlights on tonight; They cannot stand artificial light or sunlight. It is noxious to Them. It paralyzes Them.
“Look. And see Them.”
And the people did.
And they screamed.
Panic started to spread through the crowd, and Penny knew they had to amp up the lights and finish this business, before someone got seriously hurt.
She looked to the place where Sheldon was working his spotlight so that she could give him the signal. What she saw made her blood run cold. Or rather, what she didn’t see. The Bearded Man was gone, and Sheldon’s face was the picture of fear.
Penny quickly scanned the crowd, not seeing Him.
There was a click from the right end of the stage.
There He was, aiming a gun straight at her.
Poirot was yelling “Penny!” and rushing towards her, but she knew he would be too late.
With what she knew was her last breath, Penny yelled into the microphone:
“Sheldon! Do it now!”
. . .
By the time Sheldon realized that one of the Shadow Men was behind him, it was too late. The thing seized him by the ankle and he was unable to move.
In front of him, the Bearded Man began to move forward, obviously struggling against the hold that the spotlight had on Him. He managed to lurch to the side and escape the beam. He looked back over His shoulder and smirked at Sheldon before disappearing into the crowd.
Up on the stage, Penny was still addressing the crowd, oblivious to what had just happened.
He tried with all his might to cry out to her, warn her somehow, but he found that his voice was not working. All he managed to get out was a strangled, terrified moan.
The thing behind him made an awful noise that Sheldon assumed was laughter. He felt cold and so, so tired, but he concentrated with all of his might on moving his hand. He needed to get it just a bit further to the right, so that he could intensify the light, signaling the others to brighten theirs.
And then the people around him began to scream.
They could see the Shadow Men.
It was time.
He’d managed to move his hand several inches through sheer force of will.
Sweat poured from his brow and into his eyes. It stung, but he couldn’t blink it away.
Just a bit more and his hand would be on the switch…
Then he heard Penny scream.
“Sheldon! Do it now!”
He heard the sound of a gunshot just as his hand flipped the switch.
Sheldon fell against the back of the spotlight, exhausted to the bone. The last thing he saw before his eyes slipped shut was a blinding white light with Penny at its center.
Her eyes were closed and her arms were outstretched, her beautiful hair backlit and glowing like an ember.
. . .
“She just squeezed my hand! I’m sure of it!”
“Sheldon it’s been four days. You’re tired.”
“No! Look! Her eyelids are fluttering!”
“Lower the volume of your voices, my young friends. You are disturbing Penny.”
Penny wished they’d all shut up.
She was trying to sleep, but they were making it awfully difficult.
The light shining against her eyelids was painful.
“You guys can turn the spotlights off now,” she mumbled. “I don’t feel so good.”
It felt like she was talking with a mouth full of cotton.
There was a sudden warmth on her cheek. Someone was cupping the side of her face in their hand.
“Penny?”
She opened her heavy eyelids and looked up into very familiar, very concerned blue eyes.
“Hey… Sheldon. Did we… um… win?”
“We won Penny.”
The world was fading out again.
“That’s nice.”
. . .
Penny opened her eyes again several hours later. Her room was dark, but she could see that she was in a hospital. The right side of her body was one big ache, and she felt a pull there just beneath her ribs when she shifted slightly.
Sheldon was asleep in a chair next to her bed, his necked craned at an almost impossible angle. He was going to be grumpy about that when he woke up.
Poirot was sitting next to him, watching her with a smile.
“It is good to see you awake again, my dear friend.”
“It’s good to be awake, Hercule.”
He came to the side of her bed and adjusted her pillows so that she was more comfortable.
“Thank you.”
“De rien.”
He passed her a glass of water that was sitting on the bedside table and she sipped it gratefully.
“I take it the bullet connected then?”
“Most thankfully no. Our Sheldon, he brought the light up just as the Bearded Man fired. The bullet grazed your side. You bled quite badly and so the doctors they kept you asleep for several days.”
“That’s pretty lucky, all things considered.”
“Very.”
“And the Bearded Man? The Shadow Men?”
“They are gone, all of them. Dissolved to dust in the light.”
Penny breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Hercule. For everything.”
“But it is you we all thank Penny. You have a Coeur de lion, my girl.”
He stood and bent to kiss her forehead.
“I will go and tell the others that all is well. You and Sheldon, you rest now.”
. . .
Sheldon took Penny home several days later so that she could recuperate in peace. They spent their time walking in the park or to the library, fully enjoying being able to read for pleasure, instead of searching for leads. Nights were still spent indoors; they’d dealt successfully with the Shadow Men who had been at the auction and the Bearded Man was dead, but the Council’s work hadn’t been confined to one corner of Europe, and they weren’t sure who would come seeking revenge.
Penny and Sheldon knew there were more of Them out there, and they, along with Howard, Raj, and Leonard were prepared to hunt down every last one of Them.
. . .
Days became weeks, and Penny felt herself to be strong again. She knew it was time to be getting back to work.
She and Sheldon were taking their afternoon constitutional in the park when Penny led him over to their favorite bench by the duck pond.
“You see Penny, there is a duck here today.”
“That’s a good sign. A very good sign.”
Sheldon fiddled idly with his St. George’s medal while Penny looked over the gardens. She let out a gasp and ran over to a nearby flowerbed.
“Penny? What is it?” Sheldon asked, trotting after her.
“Sheldon. Look.”
She pointed down and there, in the otherwise bare patch of dirt, was a Penny Blossom.
“Sweetie, I think we should move on to Arles.”
“Yes, London looks like it’s recovering nicely, doesn’t it?”
She kissed him on the cheek and they lingered for a moment longer, enjoying the sight of the flower and the warmth of the day.
. . .
The light was so bright against Penny’s closed eyes that she was seeing orange instead of darkness. She opened them and was struck again by the vitality of the land around her. She and her boys had come to Arles to deal with the Shadow Men, but it looked as if everything was fine.
She was glad they’d come anyway, if only so that they could pay their respects to Vincent and to Jacqueline.
Penny bent down and laid a sunflower on each grave. The others, including Poirot, who had joined them, were back at the Yellow House, no doubt being regaled with stories of Sheldon’s MereMere.
“You both probably already know this, but we won. London is safe, and so is Arles. Everyone knows now Vincent, and they all think you’re a hero. Thanks to the auction being a media circus, the whole world knows what’s really been happening. And people are standing up for themselves at last.
“We ended up making a lot of money thanks to you, so you’ll be getting a proper monument soon. Both of you, actually.
“Sheldon and I, and the rest of the boys, of course, will be keeping the rest so we can keep hunting until no one has to be afraid to go out at night.”
She kissed the palm of her hand and pressed it to each grave marker before walking back to the house, reveling in the blue, blue sky and the brightness of the flowers that bordered the lane.
. . .
Poirot stayed with them long enough to see them settled into the Yellow House, which was to be their base of operations.
He was also witness to a certain event, which failed to surprise him but nonetheless delighted him.
“What do you say, Hercule? Does Penny Cooper have a more pleasing sound than Penny Cuthbert?”
“It can never fail to please those of us who love you, ton famille, ma chere.”
He left his young friends in good spirits.
“You’re sure you will not stay with us Hercule?”
“I will miss you greatly Sheldon, but London is where I am needed. You must promise to visit though, when you are not off on the daring adventure.”
“I would love to.”
“Well then, mes enfants, I take my leave of you. Remember that you may always seek the help of Hercule Poirot, for I am at your service.”
And with that, he boarded the train and was gone in a cloud of steam.
. . .
Raj found them a plausible lead a couple of weeks later. He was reading one of the newspapers they had been keeping an eye on when he came across an interesting article.
“It says here that there have been a string of disappearances in Portugal, in Porto, near Lisbon. They have all been within days of each other, and each person that has gone missing has been either quite outspoken in the government or a very vocal, rebellious sort.”
Howard raised an eyebrow.
“Looks like we made our little friends very angry.”
Leonard was all smiles.
“You two start packing. I’ll go get Sheldon and Penny.”
“No need Leonard; we’re back,” Sheldon said, coming through the door carrying a stack of newspapers.
He was closely followed by Penny, who triumphantly help up a pair of car keys.
“I’d say it’s a good thing Sheldon and I made a certain purchase this morning.”
She looked at her boys, her family, and she grinned.
“Who’s up for a road trip?”
End
Part I
Part II
Penny and Sheldon met Poirot and the boys at the detective’s flat early the next day.
The auction wasn’t scheduled to begin until eight o’clock that night, but they wanted to be sure of themselves before the big moment arrived.
Poirot gathered them in the parlor, his little black notebook already in hand.
“And so, mes amis, we go once more into the breach.”
. . .
Thousands of people had packed Trafalgar Square by the time the auction was set to begin. Sotheby’s had erected a stage, with a row of seats on either side for important figures and guests of honor.
Director Gablehauser ascended the stage and strolled up to the microphone placed at its center. The crowd gave a great cheer, and Gablehauser allowed a few moments for the applause and catcalls to die down before addressing those assembled.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and esteemed guests, it gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome you here this evening. It is truly once in a lifetime that such a find as the piece we have brought to you this evening comes along. It has been an honor for myself, my team, and everyone at Sotheby’s London to be able to find and bring to you this work. This promises to be a truly historic night.
“In lieu of our usual auctioneer, the esteemed Mr. Bartholomew Kripke, tonight’s proceedings will be overseen by the head of our Fine Arts department, and resident Van Gogh expert: Miss Penelope Cuthbert.”
Penny rose from her seat and walked up to the microphone to enthusiastic applause. She shook Gablehauser’s hand and he returned to his seat.
Looking out into the sea of faces before her, Penny saw the Shadow Men.
Hundreds of Them.
And, right smack dab in the middle, near where the crowd parted around the statue of Nelson: The Bearded Man.
He was looking right at her, His face scrunched up as if He were trying not to laugh.
About thirty yards behind him, Sheldon was manning one of the massive spotlights that had been scattered about the square. He caught Penny’s eye and smiled. She could see the silver chain glinting around his neck, and a strange calm came over her. They would get through this, all of them.
She took a deep breath and began to speak.
. . .
“And so he died, without ever having sold a single work.”
The crowd was quiet as Penny finished reciting Vincent’s life story. She took a moment to quietly clear her throat and gather the rest of her courage. It was show time.
“But today, we recognize Van Gogh’s genius for what it was. Millions everywhere are drawn to the beauty of his paintings, and the poetry of his ability to find the loveliness in life despite his great suffering.
“And now, we have a new piece to add to the known catalogue of his works. A final piece, for I hold here in my hand a journal written by the woman who attended him in his final hours. She writes in painstaking detail of Vincent’s struggle to finish this painting as the life slowly bled out of him. Sadly, the work remains unfinished, but I think you will agree with me when I say, ladies and gentlemen, that this does not detract from its beauty.
“And now, I present to you the last Van Gogh.”
Penny unveiled the canvas and a gasp went up in front of the crowd. The people began to murmur, as those who could see it told those further back what the painting looked like.
After they were given a few moments to settle down, Penny went in for the kill.
“I hope you will also agree with me in seeing that there is something very wrong about this picture. This is not only because it is unfinished. No. If you would all join me in taking a closer look, you will see that there is a great deal of fear in it.”
Several spotlights went on around the square, illuminating the entire crowd. All of the boys were in position then.
The Shadow Men struggled where They stood, but were paralyzed by the light. Poirot had been absolutely right.
Penny glanced to her left, where Poirot was sitting with the other guests of honor. He smiled at her proudly and nodded.
“This is because, my friends, there is something very wrong with the rest of Vincent’s work. There is something very wrong with the world. Vincent was able to see it, and he tried to tell us, but some very malevolent forces stopped him before he got the chance. He did not commit suicide. He was murdered. In cold blood.”
Penny then read to them the note Jacqueline had written to her, and told the people how the Shadow Men had tried to destroy her life and the lives of her friends.
“And if that is not enough for you, ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to look, really look about you. Where are all the flowers disappearing to? Our birds? The vibrancy of the colors and landscapes about us?”
What was disbelieving muttering became astonished silence.
“And, worst of all, if you could see the night sky, you would quickly realize that hundreds of stars are missing. When was the last time any of you can recollect seeing the North Star? Sirius?”
Penny looked out over the sea of faces, and saw more and more starting to believe what she was saying.
“You don’t see these things all of the time, because you can’t see the Shadow Men. But they are here, and they are trying to take what is ours.
“Look around you, please. They are here. Hundreds of Them. That is why there are so many spotlights on tonight; They cannot stand artificial light or sunlight. It is noxious to Them. It paralyzes Them.
“Look. And see Them.”
And the people did.
And they screamed.
Panic started to spread through the crowd, and Penny knew they had to amp up the lights and finish this business, before someone got seriously hurt.
She looked to the place where Sheldon was working his spotlight so that she could give him the signal. What she saw made her blood run cold. Or rather, what she didn’t see. The Bearded Man was gone, and Sheldon’s face was the picture of fear.
Penny quickly scanned the crowd, not seeing Him.
There was a click from the right end of the stage.
There He was, aiming a gun straight at her.
Poirot was yelling “Penny!” and rushing towards her, but she knew he would be too late.
With what she knew was her last breath, Penny yelled into the microphone:
“Sheldon! Do it now!”
. . .
By the time Sheldon realized that one of the Shadow Men was behind him, it was too late. The thing seized him by the ankle and he was unable to move.
In front of him, the Bearded Man began to move forward, obviously struggling against the hold that the spotlight had on Him. He managed to lurch to the side and escape the beam. He looked back over His shoulder and smirked at Sheldon before disappearing into the crowd.
Up on the stage, Penny was still addressing the crowd, oblivious to what had just happened.
He tried with all his might to cry out to her, warn her somehow, but he found that his voice was not working. All he managed to get out was a strangled, terrified moan.
The thing behind him made an awful noise that Sheldon assumed was laughter. He felt cold and so, so tired, but he concentrated with all of his might on moving his hand. He needed to get it just a bit further to the right, so that he could intensify the light, signaling the others to brighten theirs.
And then the people around him began to scream.
They could see the Shadow Men.
It was time.
He’d managed to move his hand several inches through sheer force of will.
Sweat poured from his brow and into his eyes. It stung, but he couldn’t blink it away.
Just a bit more and his hand would be on the switch…
Then he heard Penny scream.
“Sheldon! Do it now!”
He heard the sound of a gunshot just as his hand flipped the switch.
Sheldon fell against the back of the spotlight, exhausted to the bone. The last thing he saw before his eyes slipped shut was a blinding white light with Penny at its center.
Her eyes were closed and her arms were outstretched, her beautiful hair backlit and glowing like an ember.
. . .
“She just squeezed my hand! I’m sure of it!”
“Sheldon it’s been four days. You’re tired.”
“No! Look! Her eyelids are fluttering!”
“Lower the volume of your voices, my young friends. You are disturbing Penny.”
Penny wished they’d all shut up.
She was trying to sleep, but they were making it awfully difficult.
The light shining against her eyelids was painful.
“You guys can turn the spotlights off now,” she mumbled. “I don’t feel so good.”
It felt like she was talking with a mouth full of cotton.
There was a sudden warmth on her cheek. Someone was cupping the side of her face in their hand.
“Penny?”
She opened her heavy eyelids and looked up into very familiar, very concerned blue eyes.
“Hey… Sheldon. Did we… um… win?”
“We won Penny.”
The world was fading out again.
“That’s nice.”
. . .
Penny opened her eyes again several hours later. Her room was dark, but she could see that she was in a hospital. The right side of her body was one big ache, and she felt a pull there just beneath her ribs when she shifted slightly.
Sheldon was asleep in a chair next to her bed, his necked craned at an almost impossible angle. He was going to be grumpy about that when he woke up.
Poirot was sitting next to him, watching her with a smile.
“It is good to see you awake again, my dear friend.”
“It’s good to be awake, Hercule.”
He came to the side of her bed and adjusted her pillows so that she was more comfortable.
“Thank you.”
“De rien.”
He passed her a glass of water that was sitting on the bedside table and she sipped it gratefully.
“I take it the bullet connected then?”
“Most thankfully no. Our Sheldon, he brought the light up just as the Bearded Man fired. The bullet grazed your side. You bled quite badly and so the doctors they kept you asleep for several days.”
“That’s pretty lucky, all things considered.”
“Very.”
“And the Bearded Man? The Shadow Men?”
“They are gone, all of them. Dissolved to dust in the light.”
Penny breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Hercule. For everything.”
“But it is you we all thank Penny. You have a Coeur de lion, my girl.”
He stood and bent to kiss her forehead.
“I will go and tell the others that all is well. You and Sheldon, you rest now.”
. . .
Sheldon took Penny home several days later so that she could recuperate in peace. They spent their time walking in the park or to the library, fully enjoying being able to read for pleasure, instead of searching for leads. Nights were still spent indoors; they’d dealt successfully with the Shadow Men who had been at the auction and the Bearded Man was dead, but the Council’s work hadn’t been confined to one corner of Europe, and they weren’t sure who would come seeking revenge.
Penny and Sheldon knew there were more of Them out there, and they, along with Howard, Raj, and Leonard were prepared to hunt down every last one of Them.
. . .
Days became weeks, and Penny felt herself to be strong again. She knew it was time to be getting back to work.
She and Sheldon were taking their afternoon constitutional in the park when Penny led him over to their favorite bench by the duck pond.
“You see Penny, there is a duck here today.”
“That’s a good sign. A very good sign.”
Sheldon fiddled idly with his St. George’s medal while Penny looked over the gardens. She let out a gasp and ran over to a nearby flowerbed.
“Penny? What is it?” Sheldon asked, trotting after her.
“Sheldon. Look.”
She pointed down and there, in the otherwise bare patch of dirt, was a Penny Blossom.
“Sweetie, I think we should move on to Arles.”
“Yes, London looks like it’s recovering nicely, doesn’t it?”
She kissed him on the cheek and they lingered for a moment longer, enjoying the sight of the flower and the warmth of the day.
. . .
The light was so bright against Penny’s closed eyes that she was seeing orange instead of darkness. She opened them and was struck again by the vitality of the land around her. She and her boys had come to Arles to deal with the Shadow Men, but it looked as if everything was fine.
She was glad they’d come anyway, if only so that they could pay their respects to Vincent and to Jacqueline.
Penny bent down and laid a sunflower on each grave. The others, including Poirot, who had joined them, were back at the Yellow House, no doubt being regaled with stories of Sheldon’s MereMere.
“You both probably already know this, but we won. London is safe, and so is Arles. Everyone knows now Vincent, and they all think you’re a hero. Thanks to the auction being a media circus, the whole world knows what’s really been happening. And people are standing up for themselves at last.
“We ended up making a lot of money thanks to you, so you’ll be getting a proper monument soon. Both of you, actually.
“Sheldon and I, and the rest of the boys, of course, will be keeping the rest so we can keep hunting until no one has to be afraid to go out at night.”
She kissed the palm of her hand and pressed it to each grave marker before walking back to the house, reveling in the blue, blue sky and the brightness of the flowers that bordered the lane.
. . .
Poirot stayed with them long enough to see them settled into the Yellow House, which was to be their base of operations.
He was also witness to a certain event, which failed to surprise him but nonetheless delighted him.
“What do you say, Hercule? Does Penny Cooper have a more pleasing sound than Penny Cuthbert?”
“It can never fail to please those of us who love you, ton famille, ma chere.”
He left his young friends in good spirits.
“You’re sure you will not stay with us Hercule?”
“I will miss you greatly Sheldon, but London is where I am needed. You must promise to visit though, when you are not off on the daring adventure.”
“I would love to.”
“Well then, mes enfants, I take my leave of you. Remember that you may always seek the help of Hercule Poirot, for I am at your service.”
And with that, he boarded the train and was gone in a cloud of steam.
. . .
Raj found them a plausible lead a couple of weeks later. He was reading one of the newspapers they had been keeping an eye on when he came across an interesting article.
“It says here that there have been a string of disappearances in Portugal, in Porto, near Lisbon. They have all been within days of each other, and each person that has gone missing has been either quite outspoken in the government or a very vocal, rebellious sort.”
Howard raised an eyebrow.
“Looks like we made our little friends very angry.”
Leonard was all smiles.
“You two start packing. I’ll go get Sheldon and Penny.”
“No need Leonard; we’re back,” Sheldon said, coming through the door carrying a stack of newspapers.
He was closely followed by Penny, who triumphantly help up a pair of car keys.
“I’d say it’s a good thing Sheldon and I made a certain purchase this morning.”
She looked at her boys, her family, and she grinned.
“Who’s up for a road trip?”
End