Mrs. Mcgillocotty Finds A Body Page 4

  Chapter 4

  Elva and Sarah returned to the empty parlor after they had finished the area they were told to search. Elva set the lamp on the table.

  “Elva I’m glad we took the basement. We certainly don’t need anybody snooping down there. I just hope somebody finds Nicholas.”

  “I couldn’t believe all that water. I can’t ever remember it flooded, much less flooded like that. I do hope our gentlemen are all okay.” Elva mentioned.

  “Oh my, I forgot about all of them. The water must have come in through the open cellar door. I don’t know how it got opened.”

  “Sarah, do you think that’s what could have happened to Nicholas. He was down in the workshop earlier today, remembered he left the door open and went to close it. Maybe with all the rain and mud, he slipped and fell.”

  “I suppose you could be right. That would explain why he hasn’t come back yet. Where can he be? Willie went outside to look around. I don’t know if he will close the door or not. Do you think we should go out there and close it? We don’t need any more water let in down there.”

  “Yes, yes, we should. I just had a worrisome thought Elva. What did you do with the personal belongs of our former gentlemen?

  “Oh they’re safe all put away in the attic. Even if anybody goes up there they won’t think a thing about it. Sister, I’m going to have to sit for a few moments, my hip is killing me.”

  Elva walked slowly and painfully over to one of the brocade chairs and sat slowly, then leaned back. Just as she leaned back the Reverend ran screaming into the room. In his hand he carried an unlit candle hanging in the crook of his finger.

  “Agnes has passed out. Something’s wrong with her. Where’s Willie? Where’s anybody. She’s fallen and I can’t get her up.”

  Elva grunted and rose from the chair with a push and another groan. “Come on Sarah, let’s see what Randy’s ranting about.”

  “Where is she Reverend?” Sarah hurried to him. “Grab the lamp Sister. Randy where is she, is she alone?”

  “Yeah, I left her on the front porch. We were upstairs, she said she was dizzy and needed some air. I helped her down the stairs and as soon as we went out on the porch she went down. I tried to revive her. I couldn’t.”

  Randy used the lamp to relight his candle and then led the way back toward the porch. They left the parlor, entered a long corridor with several doors on either side. The tall ceilings loomed darkly above them muffling their footsteps. The long table on the left held a phone and a small lamp. Straight ahead the hall turned left to the library and right towards internal foyer. At the door threshold they went into what many in this area called the snow or mud room. It was an external room people used to hang their wet coats, pickup or leave umbrellas, and where people took off or put on their overshoes. The floor was slick and wet with numerous globs of mud.

  There was so much mud spread out and smeared footprints it made Sarah groan while clicking her tongue. “It’s going to take me forever to clean this mess.”

  They went out the door and Elva held up the lamp. “Where is she Randy?”

  Randy held up his candle using his hand to block the air from the flame. He twisted about from side to side looking around the area. He then scurried to the far side of the porch. “She was right there!” His hand shook as he pointed at the empty forest green porch swing. He turned and pointed. “I left the lamp right there. It’s gone too.”

  Sarah and Elva hurried behind him. They looked around the area, behind the swing, over the banisters.

  “Here’s the lamp,” Sarah bent down to pick it up. “It was turned over and it rolled. The wind must have put out the flame.”

  “Maybe she went home. She drank too much and decided to go home.” Elva speculated.

  “Perhaps, but knowing Agnes, I can’t imagine she would go out in rain like this. Even the large umbrella wouldn’t protect her much. Besides the Constable took one and the other three are still in the umbrella-stand in the mudroom. I noticed it as we came out. Something is very wrong here.” Sarah said wringing her hands.

  “What are we going to do? Nobody can get in and nobody can get out.” Elva held the lamp near her face and gave a sinister cackle. The wind whipped flames danced morbid shadows on her face.

  “Elva! Stop it! This is beyond humorous. What is the Reverend going to think of you?” Sarah said.

  “First of all we’re talking about Randy, not a real preacher and second of all we’re still talking about Randy.” She cackled again. “Sarah, I don’t know if you noticed but Randy’s drunk.”

  “Elva, that’s not a nice thing to say about a man of the cloth.”

  “Tell that to the man in the cloth.” Elva laughed. “Watch this. Randy ― Look at me. What time is it?”

  Randy pulled up his sleeve to look but he didn’t have a watch on.

  “See, Sarah, the fool’s so drunk he can’t remember he’s not wearing a watch. He probably can’t remember where he buried Agnes.”

  “How did you remember he didn’t have a watch, Elva?”

  “Who said I did.” Elva said. “I just noticed he didn’t have one when he lifted the candle up. Now watch this one. Randy?”

  “Yes Elva.” Randy leaned against the porch pillar for balance.

  “Whose penis is bigger, yours or Willies?”

  “His.”

  “Ha, are you sure?” Elva quizzed.

  “Last time I looked.”

  Elva burst out laughing. “So whose boobies are bigger ― mine or Agnes’?”

  “Yours are.” He slurred.

  Elva turned to Sarah and whispered. “This is better than truth serum. Now Randy, who took the pictures? The pictures of The Incident…?”

  “Oh Elva, you know it wasn’t me. I had my picture taken too. Why are you still harping on that?”

  “Was it Agnes? Did she take the pictures? I know she passed them around. The Polaroid’s were bad but the nickname I can never forgive or forget.”

  “It was Agnes or Valerie. I don’t know. I know Valerie was upset later.”

  “So who spread the nickname?”

  Before he could answer a flashlight appeared at the corner of the house. It was Willie, fighting the big umbrella alone.

  “Constable,” Sarah called. “Did you find Nicholas?”

  “No.” He yelled back and came around the porch and up the steps to meet them. He stomped his feet on the porch knocking mud off as Sarah gave him a disapproving eye which he ignored.

  “Now we have more problems.” Sarah explained. “Agnes is gone.”

  “What?” Willie said, scrubbing at his wet face with his equally wet hand.

  “Randy lost her.” Elva explained. “She just disappeared and that’s a lot of ugly to just vanish. I think he killed her.”

  Willie walked over to Randy who was now hugging the banister with one hand and balancing the flame-less candle in the other. Willie grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up face to face. “Randy, what the hell’s going on?”

  “Willie?” Randy’s eyes flew wide. “I swear ole buddy I wasn’t peeking.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? Where’s Agnes?”

  “Oh! Yeah! She was sick. We came out on the porch. She collapsed and I put her in the swing. Now she’s gone.” Then he started a drunken cry. “I don’t know where she went. I swear I don’t.”

  “Suck it up fat boy.” Elva ordered. “We’ve got too much going on for you to turn into a slobbering drunk. So shut-up and zip it!”

  He sniffed several times and nodded.

  “Now what …? Willie?” Elva asked. “We haven’t seen Tamika, or what’s her name ― Karalina or that Donovan fellow yet. Sarah and I checked the back rooms and we went down the steps to the cellar but it was flooded. We didn’t walk out in the water but we didn’t see anything from the steps.”

  Willie shook his hea
d. “The cellar doors were open, that’s how the water got in. It’s rained so much there is a stream across the yard. Some of it ended up in the cellar. I shut the doors but I didn’t see any sign of Nicholas or whoever pounded on the door.”

  “What do we do now?” Sarah asked.

  “Shh! Listen?” Elva whispered.

  “What was that?” Willie asked.

  “It’s probably Tamika and her group. Let’s go check.” Elva guessed.

  “You ladies lead the way, I’ll drag Randy.”

  They passed through the foyers, took a right down the short corridor. Straight ahead of them they heard a crash from the library. Like the flapping sound of a door banging in the wind.

  “That didn’t sound right.” Sarah stopped in the hallway, and waited for Willie. “It sounds like glass breaking.”

  “I’ll check it out.” He flicked the beam from his flashlight ahead towards the closed library door. “I could swear we left the door open when we took VD in there.”

  “I’ll help Randy.” Elva volunteered as she grabbed his elbow to steady him.

  Willie reached for the door handle, lifted it, and pushed on the door. The door gave a short squeak and opened wide. Willie entered the room his light methodically inspecting the area. A window pane glass laid shatter in a multitude of pieces on the floor. The force of the rain pushed the French doors open splattering buckets of water on the smoothly varnished hardwood floors.

  “Oh no my floors,” Sarah rushed forward to close the doors.

  “Wait a minute Sarah!” Willie ordered. “VD’s body is gone.”

  “What! The Deputy’s body is gone?” Randy sobered up a bit and asked.

  “This doesn’t make any sense. Willie I’m scared.” Sarah said as she moved as close as she could to Willie without hampering his movement.

  “That’s the first time you’ve called me Willie in a long time.” He placed his arm around her for comfort.

  Sarah’s back stiffened and she moved away from him. “Thank you, I feel better now.”

  Elva brought her lamp closer to the door and kicked at the glass. “The window was broken from the outside. I don’t know what’s going on but we need to find the others before something happens to them also.”

  Willie turned to Sarah. “Elva’s right. Let’s go to the parlor and see if they’re back yet.”

  “Willie,” Elva observed. “The blanket is gone too. Do you think that means anything?”

  “My blanket!” Sarah gasped. “My window, the mud, the basement…. What are we going to do?”

  “Sarah, let’s worry about those things tomorrow. Tonight we have to focus on finding Nicholas.” Elva patted her sister’s arm for comfort.

  “Of course dear,” Sarah agreed. “Let’s go to the parlor. Come on Randy.”

  Willie led them out of the library and turned right toward the parlor when the phone on the long table rang.

  “How odd, no one ever calls us.” Sarah said, “At least never after dark.”

  “Will somebody answer it?” Elva snapped. “Do I have to do everything around here?”

  “McTavish.” Willie said into the receiver. “Okay. We’re headed to the parlor now. Just break it off and come back. Uh huh, okay, there has been a new situation we need to tell you all about. Are you all okay?” He paused and grunted. “Okay. We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  He hung up and continued to the parlor. “I’m sure you guessed, it was the others. It was Tamika. She said they haven’t found Nicholas. Said their phones were running out of power and they were headed back here.”

  “I’m going to have another drink.” Randy declared.

  “Like hell you are.” Elva said, then glanced at Willie and added. “Randy bo-dandy, tee-tot-tandy, tee-tot, tie-tot, drunken fool Randy.”

  “Elva dear, please stay with us. I need you now.” Sarah pleaded.

  “Hey everybody; we’re back.” Tamika announced strolling in followed by Patrick and Karalina who was carrying the lamp.

  “I need a drink darling.” Karalina said placing the lamp down on the bar. “Anybody? I’m mixing.”

  “Brandy straight.” Randy spoke up.

  “None for the good Reverend please.” Willie said. “So did you see anything? Anything at all that was out of place or odd?”

  Patrick looked at Tamika; Tamika looked to Karalina who looked to Patrick.

  “We went up the front stairs, checked all the rooms on the third floor and went up to the attic.” He wiped at his cheek as if he were still removing spider webs. “We didn’t see anything on either floor. The door to the attic was open.” He looked to Sarah. “Was it left open or do you normally leave it open?”

  Sarah looked up and to the right deep in thought. “Let’s see…. Truthfully, I can’t remember ― Sister?”

  “If I recall correctly it was left open ― no closed. Oh I just can’t remember. I don’t know.” Elva shook her head from side to side. “How much of the attic did you explore?” Elva directed her question back to Patrick.

  “We went as far back as the partition and the planked wooden door. It has a padlock on a hasp. We figured you ladies had the key so nobody could have gone through there.”

  “How about disturbed dust?” Willie asked.

  “Are you kidding? It’s practically spotless, except for a couple spider webs. Seriously, it’s as clean as this entire house.” Again, Patrick ran his hand through his hair feeling for webs.

  Willie turned to Sarah. “How many keys are there to that locked door?”

  Sarah looked to Elva for an answer and was rewarded.

  “We’ve never kept that door locked Constable. It has a hasp on it but there hasn’t been a lock on it since we were kids.”

  “What’s stored there?” Willie asked.

  “Just the usual stuff is there. Like the rest of the attic. Old lamps, trunks, suitcases, boxes; whatever we don’t use anymore.” Elva answered.

  “We’re going to need a crowbar to pull the hasp? Or a hacksaw, do you have one?” Willie requested.

  “All the tools would be in Papa’s workshop in the basement and it’s flooded.” Sarah pointed out.

  “I’ve got a car jack-handle in the back of the cruiser, I’ll go get it. If you’re not aware of the lock then there is something very wrong. I’ll be right back. All of you wait here.” He flicked on his flashlight and left the room.

  Karalina poured her second shot of straight whiskey then sat down. She watched as Randy walked over to the bar and was watching her sipping at the shot of dark liquor. “Darling, why have they cut you off the drinks?”

  “Willie’s not my boss, never has been. Beside he’s gone now. I will fix myself a drink. Sarah you know I’m good for it. I pay my bills. Just put it on my tab and I will pay up at the end of the month.”

  “So that is that how it works?” Karalina asked. “It’s an honor system of a sort. Do all people play right?”

  “Oh, yes.” Elva said. “We trust people to tell us how much they owe us. It’s always worked out well. Isn’t that right sister?”

  “Yes, it has, except that one time back when Father was still alive and there was a lady that drank champagne. She kept sneaking down to the wine cellar and helping herself.”

  “Wine cellar?” Patrick said. “You have a wine cellar? Where is it?”

  “Why it’s in the cellar, dear boy. Where else would it be?” Elva said with a smirk. “What college did you attend?”

  “Did you check it?” Patrick asked ignoring her direct jabbed insult.

  “No, we couldn’t. It’s just through Papa’s workshop in the back of the basement. Didn’t we tell you the basement is flooded?”

  “Flooded? Is that right?” Patrick said as he headed to the bar. “Maybe I will fix myself a drink. So how deep is the water down there?”

  “Sarah? How much water, would you
say?”

  “Let’s see. It was up to the top edge of the workbench. That’s about that high.” She placed her hand flat at just above waist level.

  “That’s a lot of water. Do you have a sump pump?” Patrick suggested.

  “We do, it comes on automatically when the water lever gets up. I guess since the power went off it is not working. Hopefully when the power comes back on it will empty it out but it’s going to be an awful pile of mud. You see the floor has never been cemented over. It’s just dirt.” Elva explained.

  “Can somebody tell me what time it is?” Sarah asked.

  “My phone’s dead.” Tamika said.

  “Mine too.” Patrick added. “I used it too much as a flashlight.”

  “Doesn’t anybody wear a watch anymore?” Elva asked.

  “I guess not.” Sarah said as the group shrugged and shook their heads. “I can’t believe Nicholas is still gone.”

  “I would make a guess that’s it’s sometime after ten.” Tamika said.

  “You know Sarah, everyone is getting tired. I know I am.” Elva said.

  “We have to keep positive, everything is fine. There’s an explanation for all of this.” Tamika tried to calm Sarah. “When my phone was still working I called a little earlier and the Constable said some new situations had occurred. What was he talking about?”

  “The dead have risen.” Elva interjected.

  “What?” Karalina shouted from the bar.

  “Ask the Reverend there.” Elva pointed. “The body of the dead has arisen and is walking the earth. Zombies have taken over.”

  “Sarah, what is she talking about?” Tamika asked.

  “Well, I don’t know but she’s right. Deputy Devilin’s body has left the library. And she broke the window pane. It’s just more to clean up. Mud everywhere,” Sarah added.

  “You’re saying VD’s gone. How’s that possible? She was dead.” Tamika said. “I saw her. She was dead.”

  “Now I’m really getting scared.” Karalina said. “I think I’m going to go to my room and lock the door. I’ll cover my head up until morning.”

  “That sounds so tempting.” Elva said. “I’m getting so tired, but Nicholas is still missing. I can’t rest. I just thought of something Sarah, we should call Nicholas’ friends. What was his name? Maybe it was his friend at the door and they took off somewhere. You know how young boys are.”

  “Oh, that’s got to be it.” Sarah agreed. “We must call his house and find out if Nicholas is there. Now what is his name?”

  “Sounds like baloney maroney.” Elva suggested.

  “That’s it Barney Mulroney.” Sarah said excitedly. “His home number is written down in the front of the phone book in the hall. I don’t know if I can explain it to his parents. Would one of you young people call for us?”

  “I will,” Patrick said. “Just show me the phone book.”

  “I will.” Elva said picking up a lamp. “Come with me.””

  As they left the room Tamika said, “Hey Karalina, come with me, this should be funny.”

  “What are you talking about?” Karalina set her drink on the bar and fell in behind her.

  “Shh! We won’t need much light. Just stand up here at the turn of the hall and watch Patrick. It should be funny.”

  Tamika led the way, Karalina close behind her, followed by the Reverend and not to be left alone Sarah followed.”

  “Everybody keep quiet and watch.” Tamika turned and whispered.

  They stopped as they rounded the corner. Patrick and Elva were a good distance up the hall and the lamp managed to light the narrow area fairly well.

  “Here’s the number.” Elva said. “I’ll call it out for you.”

  “Okay, I will explain it to them.” Patrick brought the receiver to his ear.

  “Let’s see, now. It’s 555-2121.” Elva said moving the phonebook close to her face and then away.

  Patrick stared down at the phone for a moment, before squinting his eyes. Pulling the receiver away from his ear he stared blankly at the inside of the receiver. “Uh, where’s the buttons?”

  “It’s right there.” Elva pointed at the phone base. “You dial it.”

  “That’s what I was going to do dial it but there isn’t any buttons.”

  “You stick your finger in the hole beside the number push it around with your finger until it stops. Then you do it again.” She repeated the phone number slowly.

  Patrick stuck his finger in the five and brought it over to the curved metal stop but failed to pull his finger out while it wound itself back causing him to miss-dial the number. Someone on the other end answered and Patrick asked, “Mr. Mulroney?” He grunted into the receiver a couple times then he hung up. “Wrong number. That’s just weird. How do you dial this thing?”

  Tamika was the first to laugh and then the others joined in. Then she shouted up the hall. “Stick your finger in, pull it around until it stops; then pull your finger out, let the rotary go back on it’s own. If you leave your finger in, it causes the number to drag and you get a wrong number.”

  Patrick finally finished the dialing and waited for an answer and then explained to the person on the other end. He spoke several minutes and then hung up.

  Patrick turned to Elva and spoke loud enough for the group at the end of the hall to listen. “They haven’t seen Nicholas. But they did say their son Barney is staying at the Carson house but they haven’t been able to get in touch with them.”

  Willie rounded the other end of the long corridor at that moment and asked. “What’s up? Anything?”

  Patrick explained the phone call and then added, “I see you’ve got the tire iron. Let’s go crack that door.”

  “I’m going along too.” Sarah called to them. “Let me get a lamp.”

  “The rest of you may want to wait together in the parlor. Don’t separate.” Willie suggested. “For God’s sake Randy, are you drinking again? You are one piece of work!” He shook his head and watched them go back to the parlor and waited until Sarah came back carrying a lamp.

  Sarah led the way carrying one lamp with Willie and Patrick behind her. Elva brought up the rear carrying another lamp to help light the darken passages. They slowly made their way up the steps to the second floor and then up through the darkness to the third level. They then moved slowly down the long corridor with rooms on each side and finally to the other end of the hall.

  “Elva, we haven’t rented these rooms in quiet a long time. We really should get up here and clean them.” Sarah ran her finger down the wainscoting checking for dust.

  “Yeah sure I’ll put that on my list.” Elva huffed for breath and held her hip from the ache.

  At the end of the hall they went up another set of steps. Elva followed slowing down more and more. They then pushed open a door to the A-framed attic. The shadows on the walls danced back and forth among the rafters as they walked among the various boxes trunks and cast-offs. At the other end of the long attic there was a walled partition with a wooden planked door.

  “See it looks like a new lock. I don’t think it will be hard to pull off.” Patrick said.

  “Where ever did that come from?” Sarah declared.

  Willie placed the tire iron behind the hasp and jerked hard and fast. They watched as it pulled loose and fell to the floor.

  Patrick said to Sarah. “Let me have the lamp and you two wait here while we go in first.”

  Willie placed his right hand on his gun and pulled the door slowly. It squealed loud from too seldom usage. Willie pointed his flashlight inside and led the way. He brought his arm upward to block anticipate cobwebs but found none. This area of the attic was dustier and he immediately sneezed.

  “Bless you dear.” Sarah said in trained response.

  As he moved forward the light fell on a body. He moved closer flicking his light around for any signs of potential c
onflict.

  “It’s Nicholas.” Willie squatted down to examine the boy.

  Both women exclaimed and scurried through the door and focused their attention where Willie was squatted.

  “Is he okay?” Sarah said first followed by her moving forward and bending over the boy.

  “He’s not breathing and I can’t feel a pulse.” Willie stood up and paused knowing what the next moments would be like.

  As if on cue both ladies broke down into sobs, denials and then flowing tears. Patrick watched and waited along with Willie.

  “Damn it!” Willie said. “I wished the rescue service could get in here. “The boy hasn’t been dead long. He’s still warm.”

  With that statement the two ladies sobbed louder. Finally after several moments Willie spoke up. “Why don’t we take his bod… the boy, downstairs? Patrick do you think you and I can carry him?”

  “Sheriff I can carry him by myself.” As soon as he had said the word Sheriff both he and Willie looked at Elva but they were both too lost in grief to notice. He then said loudly, “If the ladies will go back then you and I can do this.”

  Both ladies nodded, turned and left.

  “Would you leave us one of the lamps?” Willie asked and then accepted one from Elva.

  “After we have given the ladies several minutes I can do a fireman carry if you will help me get him over my shoulder.” Patrick said.

  “That should work. I wonder where we should take him.” Willie said. “I hate to put him in the library after VD disappeared. This just isn’t making any sense. Agnes is gone and now the boy. There doesn’t seem to be any wounds. I still think VD had her gun and somebody stole it.” Willie looked at Patrick and scratched his head. “Why don’t we put him in the room with the plastic coverings on the furniture? If he has any body fluid loss everything will be protected.”

  “I never thought about that. That makes sense.” Patrick squatted down and grabbed the boy’s arms, hung his body over his right shoulder and with Willie’s help he stood up. “He’s heavier than he looks.”

  “Dead weight….” Willie said then added. “Guess that was a bad choice of words.”

  “You think?”

  Slowly they made their way down the steps to the attic, down to the first floor. Instead of turning left toward the library and parlor they turned right through the open double door. Patrick walked over to an original Davenport and slid the boy’s body down.

  “Here’s a sheet I found in the closet.” Willie tucked the flashlight under his arm, set the lamp on a table and shook the sheet open covering Nicholas. “I wished we had better light. I didn’t see any marks, or blood. It just doesn’t make any sense. Let’s head back to the parlor.” Willie was the last to leave the room. With both hands he pulled the doors shut. Then they made their way back through the maze of passages.

  As they entered the parlor those left were in tears and huddled in a group in one corner. Both Sarah and Elva were fatigued from the long day and the stress of their loss. Their tears had subsided to sniffles and nose blowing. Karalina and Tamika were dry-eyed but visibly shaken. The Reverend was sprawled out and snoring softly in Papa’s favorite chair.

  “We laid Nicholas in the receiving room.” Willie said to Sarah.

  “He would like that. I feel so bad we never let him go in there. Very few people ever go in there.” Sarah said to no one and everyone.

  “What we need is a strong pot of hot coffee. Can you help us ladies?” Willie asked gently.

  “We can do that it will do us good to get busy. I’m tired but we can’t sleep yet.” Elva said, “Right sister?”

  “Certainly,” Sarah stood up and grabbed a lamp. “Come along dear.”

  As soon as the two left the room Willie turned to the others. “I imagine the ladies told you about the boy. But we don’t know what caused it. There is no sign of trauma. Has anybody got any juice left on the cell phone?” He watched as they indicated no. “Then we’re going to have to have someone go call the dispatcher and tell her. Gay should still be on duty. Now I can do it but I need to go back outside and continue to look around.”

  “While the ladies are away,” Willie continued, “I want to go over with the four — three of you.” He corrected himself as he glances over at the sleeping Reverend. “We were all in the room when there was a pounding at the door. The power went out shortly after the Deputy arrived. Then Nicholas disappeared. No wait a minute. Then VD collapsed. Then someone knocked at the door. Nicolas went to answer it. He didn’t come back. Then everyone went looking for him. Then Agnes disappeared ― VD’s body disappeared. Then we found Nicholas’ body.”

  “I think that’s about sums it up.” He continued. “We don’t know what happened to VD’s body, and we can’t find Agnes. Can any of you think of anything to add? It’s almost as if one of us is causing this. But then there was that knock at the door when we were all together.”

  “Hot coffee, extra strong,” Elva yelled as she hurried into the room carrying a thermal pot on a tray with cream and sugar, walked over and set it on the bar and added. “Cups are in the door on the left.”

  Sarah came in with a small tray of pastries and set them on a table. She then went over to a lone chair, sat down and started to cry again.

  Elva walked over patted her on the shoulder and spoke to the solemn group. “His father was killed when he was six by one of those bombs you drive over.”

  “An IED improvised explosive device.” Willie nodded. “That boy was heart broke. It devastated the entire town.”

  “Then just over two years ago his mother was killed by a drunk driver.” Teardrops welled up in Elva’s eyes. “Nicholas went into a deep depression and wouldn’t eat or talk much for months. Then he became fascinated with dead things.” Elva walked over to a tissue box pulled out several and wiped her eyes. “I can’t believe this is possible. This just doesn’t make any sense. You know, Mr. Donovan, after your arrival I actually saw more life in him than I have seen since his mother’s passing.” Then Elva broke down and sobbed and hugged her sister. They cried together.

  Everyone remained quiet while the ladies cried and the Reverend snored.