CHAPTER 41
RACHEL
Millgate, Ontario—July, 1996
“Hey, Julie,” Rachel says as her old classmate opens the door to the cemetery office, mug in hand.Stevens and Rachel headed to Millgate immediately after touching down at headquarters and updating Green on the case.Rachel doesn’t want to waste any more time waiting on the final piece of this bizarre puzzle.She tries to keep her emotions out of her work—the job would be nearly impossible if she didn’t—but her curiosity is burning by the end of any case.And she cuts herself a little slack on that score, because it’s the curiosity that drove her to detective work to begin with.It’s her fuel and fire.
“What can I do for you, Rachel?”Julie asks, blinking in the morning sun.“Uh, come on in.”
Rachel and Stevens scale the small metal steps and enter.
“Thanks, Julie.I’ll get straight to the point,” Rachel says.“We’ve nearly got an ID for the Jane Doe, but we need to cross-reference with a family that might be buried here.The name is Helen Sharrock.”
After the briefest beat, Julie’s eyes light up.“Yes, Helen Sharrock is here!And her husband, Richard.Same plot, same stone.”
“You’re sure?”Rachel’s heart leaps.
“Yes.I know it because I always think it’sShamrock.It’s in the northwest quad, actually, not…” Her mouth opens a little in realization.
“What’s this about Helen Sharrock?”
A flash of irritation rises in Rachel’s chest as Reverend Holland pokes his head around the corner.“We have it in hand, Reverend, thank you.We just need Julie’s assistance with another piece of the investigation.”She looks away from him and back to Julie.“Let me guess: The Sharrock plot isn’t far from the unmarked grave?”
Julie nods enthusiastically.“That’s right!Come on, I’ll show you.”
They follow Julie back out of the office, and Rachel has to increase her pace to keep up.She glances behind her, but the reverend hasn’t followed, evidently taking the hint.
The headstone is in the second last row of this section, right on the end.The Jane Doe excavation site is still taped off, not twenty feet away.She reads the tall grey headstone:
SHARROCK
RICHARD BERNARD
Mar 1, 1902—Dec 12, 1956
Beloved husband of
HELEN ANNE
June 16, 1904—Sept 2, 1978
Rachel takes out her notepad to record the names and dates, and does some quick math.This is the same Helen Sharrock—ithasto be.
“So that’s her, then?”Stevens asks.
She nods.“Yes.But—”
“Detectives?”Rachel is interrupted by Reverend Holland hurrying across the grass toward them in his khakis and golf shirt.
What in the fuck does he want now?
He stops next to Julie.
“What is it?”Rachel huffs.“We’re in the middle of—”
“You need to talk to my father.”
Rachel frowns.Is this some kind of joke?“Excuse me?”she says.
