Edie gave Tom a look of concern, but she lit right back up as she hugged Aaron. “Aw, hey, baby boy! I’m good, I’m good! Need some business!”
“I may have some more for you soon.” Aaron turned to Tom. “The Hun family is supposed to give me an answer by tomorrow morning about embalming.”
“Tomorrow?” Tom made a face.
A whole night in the cooler was not going to help the embalming process.
“Sorry,” Aaron said. “They’re still thinking about it. Oh! And I got the clothes for Mr. Dresser.” He pointed to a garment bag hanging by the door. “Finally picked a casket, too. Woodbridge Oak.”
“Okay. I’ll get him ready as soon as we get Mrs. Winslow set up.”
“Ready to move her?” Aaron asked. “I’ve got her very cerulean casket spray up at the front.”
“Let’s go.” Tom gave Edie another big hug. “Mm, good to see you, Miss Edie.”
“Good to see you, too, baby.” She smiled warmly. “You take care of yourself, okay? I’ll be praying for you. You need me, you call me.”
“I will.”
“Bye, Miss Edie.” Aaron waved before propping open the prep room door.
“Bye, babies!” Edie slung her giant purse over her shoulder and blew them kisses as she left out the back door.
“Is it true she used to be a big criminal or something?” Aaron whispered loudly.
“What? Miss Edie? Edith Scooch?” Tom scoffed. “Who told you that?”
“Scott,” Aaron said, continuing to whisper as they rolled Mrs. Winslow up into the front. “When I came out to help them get Mr. Powell out of the bathroom? He told me she was a bank robber.”
“Oh, that cannot be true,” Tom scolded, guiding them into the viewing room and positioning the casket under the lights.
Viewing rooms and chapels in funeral homes typically had an array of special colored lights in the ceiling which could all be adjusted to help enhance the appearance of the deceased. Once the casket was in position, Tom opened the lid on the head end and looked over Mrs. Winslow.
She was perfect.
Aaron was excited to share his gossip and continued to chat while Tom put the overlay on and moved the casket spray over onto the foot end of the casket.
“He told me that she used to be the getaway driver for the Pocketwatch Gang, these robbers that hit more than a hundred banks back in the seventies. When they got arrested, she claimed the other guys made her do it, batted her eyes, and never served a day of time.”
“Miss Edie is the sweetest old lady to ever old lady. That’s insane.”
“Oh, yeah?” Aaron challenged. “Well, Scott also told me she used to run moonshine. Moonshine, by the way, that they used to cook up right here in the funeral home.”
That gave Tom pause.
“Okay, that part might be true,” he said carefully. “Fab Crosby? Mr. Crosby’s father? He might have maybe gotten into some trouble for making moonshine.”
“Ha! So it is true!” Aaron declared.
“Hang on a sec. I didn’t say Miss Edie was in on it, I’m just saying that yes, I did hear the funeral home used to make moonshine.” Tom adjusted the cuff of Mrs. Winslow’s sleeve that was microscopically askew.
Okay,nowshe was perfect.
“Did they smuggle it out in hearses like old timey gangsters?” Aaron asked excitedly.
“Not that I know of,” Tom said with a chuckle. “They did try to convince the alcohol board that the still was a fancy new type of embalming machine, though. Didn’t work out so great.”
“I’m going to ask her,” Aaron said, rubbing his hands together. “You just wait until she comes in again.”
