I blinked pulverized bone fragments and ash out of my eye. “Hi, Bud.”
Chapter 24
Clark and I were put into the same cell at the police station after having taken showers in the gym in the basement. We both wore ECSO shirts and sweats, and Clark had used a razor to shave his entire head. His skin looked a little raw from the scrubbing he must’ve given it, and if he didn’t stop knocking his head against the wall, he was going to get a concussion.
I cleared my throat from my perch on the bench across from his bench. “This probably isn’t so bad.”
He opened one eye. “Are you kidding me?” Red patches wound down his neck into the T-shirt.
“Did you use a Brillo pad to clean your skin or what?” I’d need to get him some decent lotion. It was the least I could do.
He growled. At least it sounded like a growl. Or maybe it was more of a low grunt. Yeah. That was it.
“I’m sorry about this,” I said.
“It’s my fault. I take full responsibility.” His eyes were bloodshot, and I hoped he hadn’t put soap in them to wash out the ashes. “I knew better, and yet we still trespassed. Worse yet, I really was worried that there was somebody in that coffin. Do you think insanity is contagious?”
“Not really.” I chose to ignore the statement that implied I was insane and had passed it on to him.
He frowned. “Why do you think they haven’t booked us yet?”
I’d been wondering the same thing. “Maybe it’s some sort of professional courtesy, but there’s no way Krissy Walker won’t press charges.” I didn’t want to think what she was doing with the pictures right now. My mother would be mortified if she ever saw them.
The door down the long hallway opened, and soon Detective Grant Pierce came into view. His hair was mussed, his clothing casual, and his eyes pissed. “It’s two in the morning.”
It had taken a while to shower. “Why are you here?” I asked. There wasn’t a big mystery right now.
He ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair, ruffling it. “For some reason, I get called in when you find yourself in another situation like this one.” He angled his neck to see better. “Did you wash off all of the dead people?”
Clark grunted again, but this time he sounded pained.
“Yes,” I said. “I don’t suppose it’d help if I told you we thought somebody might be in danger before we entered the premises?
Pierce glanced at Clark, who nodded vigorously. “It normally would not help.”
I frowned. “Isn’t there some law against storing cremated remains at the funeral home?”
“Actually, the law says the opposite. In Elk County, crematoriums have to hold unclaimed remains for up to ten years, and they have to make an effort to find family members. After ten years, they can petition the county to have a burial,” Pierce said.
I looked at Clark. “Did you know that?”
“Of course not,” Clark muttered. “Who would know that? Honestly. However, I do know what the sentence is for criminal trespass as well as malicious mischief to property. I’m not sure what kind of charge messing with and commingling the remains of the deceased carries, however.”
I winced. “Pierce? What are we being charged with?” I didn’t want to know, but as soon as I did, I could start thinking of a defense. It was my first charge and no doubt Clark’s first offense as well, so hopefully we could plea bargain something down. However, we were both lawyers, and often the law needed to make examples out of us. It couldn’t look like we were being granted favors from the state. My stomach lurched. “Grant? How bad is it?”
“It should be terrible,” he said, no sympathy on his suntanned face. “However, for some inexplicable reason, Krissy Walker has chosen not to press charges.”
My heart leapt while my chin dropped. How was that possible? She’d obviously been irritated with us, and she’d called the police right away. “That’s odd. Why would she do that?”
Pierce lifted one muscled shoulder. “I don’t know. It’s a gift horse, and you should take it.”
“Yeah, but…” I stood and grasped the cell bars. “It’s weird, right? The only reason she’d want to drop charges is to let this thing die and not bring attention to the funeral home. Something is going on with her and that Rich Pucci. This is interesting.”
Pierce took a step back and eyed me warily.
“What?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything.
