“No, sir,” Tom said firmly. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. I don’t actually meet with the families, you see.”
“Right, because you’re the embalmer.” Fox nodded. “Gerald told me you work in the back.”
“That’s right.”
“But you did go out to the Dresser’s house?”
Tom shuddered as he felt an echo of Mrs. Dresser’s hand cracking him across his face. “Yes, sir. I did. I’ll go on removals if they need me, but that’s about it.”
“Do you remember seeing anything unusual at the house? Hear any of your co-workers talk about it later? Any comments about the electronics at the home?”
“No, sir,” Tom said firmly. He wasn’t about to explain Bosco checking out the CD’s because it would sound incriminating, and he didn’t think Fox would understand.
“If you happen to think of anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call.” Fox stood up and handed Tom a business card. He cracked a small smile. “And be sure to tell Shirley I said hello.”
“I will, sir,” Tom said as he took the card, tucking it into his pocket. He remained frozen in the chair.
“You can go now.”
“Right. Sorry. Thank you, sir.” Tom quickly scrambled out of his seat.
“Please send in Mr. Wayne next.”
Tom managed a thumb’s up and retreated into the office to fetch Earl. “Hey! Earl! The agent is ready for you.”
“Thanks, Tom.” Earl appeared lost without his phone, muttering some swear words under his breath as he headed to the front of the funeral home.
That left Tom alone in the office, and he sat down at his desk with a sigh. He hadn’t seen any new names in the cooler log, so he wasn’t expecting to embalm today. There was only one body in the prep room, a Mrs. Poole, who was waiting for Miss Edie to come in and do her hair.
Tom usually enjoyed having a chance to breathe, especially after how busy the last few days had been, but now he was antsy.
He checked his phone and was disappointed to see he didn’t have any messages from Cypress. His curiosity got the better of him, and he could not resist sending another text.
Met someone that knows you this morning. I am dying to know why he called you Shirley.
He paused.
Miss you
Tom grimaced, quickly deleting the second message and putting his phone away. He could always clean to help pass the time, he decided, and he walked back into the prep room to get started.
He was halfway through scrubbing the walls when the keypad signaled someone coming in, and he turned around to see who it was.
It was Aaron, shaken and pulling at his tie as he groaned, “Fuck, that guy was tough, huh?”
“He was okay with me,” Tom said, going back to scrubbing. “Sorta had this whole strict high school principal vibe. I was about to start telling him about this time I cheated in middle school.”
“I waited on almost all the families who got robbed,” Aaron complained. “The Delaney family was Gerald’s, the Winslow’s were Junior’s, but the rest were all mine.”
“He asked me about the Dresser family.”
“Yeah, well, that one was mine, too.”
“I know, sorry. I… I can’t believe someone would do something like this.” Tom paused. “No, I definitely can because people really suck, but someone here? No way.”
“Junior,” Aaron scoffed. “That jerk takes anything that’s not nailed down.”
“Yeah, well…”
