laughed. “He still aren’t answering you. Maybe if I put a heel through the side of his face it’ll help him to remember.”
“No give him time.”
Shelton sat back, face gray as his suit, rubbing his stomach with pain. “You didn’t have to do that. Not at all. I would have told you. I don’t want to hurt anyone. It was all Nathan’s idea. I’m glad you killed him.”
“Hey now. What happened to ‘old Joe’ that we were so friendly with? You aren’t very loyal, Mister Shelton. Where is your assistant?”
“Across at the hotel on the carner. The ‘Pan.’ Tall blond fellow. But why?”
“To tell him not to come back this afternoon. That you’ve gone and we’re taking a message.”
Shelton laughed nervously. “I’m sure I don’t understand you mister….?”
“Klyne. And this is Mister Bates. His wife and mine were killed by you bastards, remember?”
“Why tell my assistant that I’m not here? I am here and I intend to be here all afternoon.”
Klyne grinned at Bates. That is the one true thing that Shelton here has said all today. He’s going to be here for all afternoon. And then some.”
To their amazement the mortician seemed oblivious to their threats. Still gasping, he stood up, walking to join them by the coffin.
“I’m sorry, but I was never much at riddles. Please don’t lean on that. It’s the finest item I’ve ever seen. So rich and heavy.”
“What would happen is she weren’t dead? Just sort of in a daze? Like if she started screaming?”
Shelton laughed, his crackle resounding round the big room. Bouncing through the flowers and seeming to ripple the sullen surface of the huge tank in the corner.
“I can safely say that if she were screwed down in it now and came alive, we would not hear her screaming to be released. There is the double silk, all with heavy padding. A layer of pine, and a reinforced layer of mahogany. Then the bronze and wood cover to weigh all down. It is quite air tight. If she were alive, which she is clearly not, I doubt that there would be enough air in there to sustain life for more than ….let us say, two or three hours.”
Thank you, thank you Shelton. That little lecture of yours gives me all the answers I need to have. Two or three hours. That must be about the time that our wives suffered from you and your friends.” Klyne said and continued.
“Joe Nathan went speeding to Hell with a few moments of exquiasite pain to remind him of his sins. You Shelton, will have much less pain, but a great deal longer to ponder on yours.”
“What do you mean?” the undertaker asked.
“Goodbye Shelton. Give our best wishes to your friend Joe Nathan,” said Klyne, kneeing Shelton hard in the groin, bringing up his leg to crack under the jaw as he doubled forward. With a gasp the little man slumped to the floor.
“In the coffin?” Bates asked.
“Right. Nice way of doing it. What they call ironic. Get the old lady out, and dump her in that tank in the corner weigh her down so she doesn’t swim up and frighten anyone before time. I’ll put him in her place.
While Batews was doing that, Klyne lifted the undertakerin her place, laying him out carefully. As an afterthought plucking a white lily and folding his limp fingers around it.
Working hard together, they managed to lower the lid over him, feeling the massive weight as it settled in place. The screws slid home in their beautifully engineered sockets, and then it was done. Klyne gave the bronze monster a familiar pat. “Right nice, Bill. I feel the great satisfaction of a job well done.”
The next Move
They found the assistant exactly where Shelton gad predicted they would, knocking back a long glass of foaming beer in the bar of the hotel. A skinny blond boy of about nineteen or twenty.
They told him that his boss had done everything necessary and given them the message for him to take the afternoon off. The boy didn’t even query the message, so delighted was he at the prospect
“No give him time.”
Shelton sat back, face gray as his suit, rubbing his stomach with pain. “You didn’t have to do that. Not at all. I would have told you. I don’t want to hurt anyone. It was all Nathan’s idea. I’m glad you killed him.”
“Hey now. What happened to ‘old Joe’ that we were so friendly with? You aren’t very loyal, Mister Shelton. Where is your assistant?”
“Across at the hotel on the carner. The ‘Pan.’ Tall blond fellow. But why?”
“To tell him not to come back this afternoon. That you’ve gone and we’re taking a message.”
Shelton laughed nervously. “I’m sure I don’t understand you mister….?”
“Klyne. And this is Mister Bates. His wife and mine were killed by you bastards, remember?”
“Why tell my assistant that I’m not here? I am here and I intend to be here all afternoon.”
Klyne grinned at Bates. That is the one true thing that Shelton here has said all today. He’s going to be here for all afternoon. And then some.”
To their amazement the mortician seemed oblivious to their threats. Still gasping, he stood up, walking to join them by the coffin.
“I’m sorry, but I was never much at riddles. Please don’t lean on that. It’s the finest item I’ve ever seen. So rich and heavy.”
“What would happen is she weren’t dead? Just sort of in a daze? Like if she started screaming?”
Shelton laughed, his crackle resounding round the big room. Bouncing through the flowers and seeming to ripple the sullen surface of the huge tank in the corner.
“I can safely say that if she were screwed down in it now and came alive, we would not hear her screaming to be released. There is the double silk, all with heavy padding. A layer of pine, and a reinforced layer of mahogany. Then the bronze and wood cover to weigh all down. It is quite air tight. If she were alive, which she is clearly not, I doubt that there would be enough air in there to sustain life for more than ….let us say, two or three hours.”
Thank you, thank you Shelton. That little lecture of yours gives me all the answers I need to have. Two or three hours. That must be about the time that our wives suffered from you and your friends.” Klyne said and continued.
“Joe Nathan went speeding to Hell with a few moments of exquiasite pain to remind him of his sins. You Shelton, will have much less pain, but a great deal longer to ponder on yours.”
“What do you mean?” the undertaker asked.
“Goodbye Shelton. Give our best wishes to your friend Joe Nathan,” said Klyne, kneeing Shelton hard in the groin, bringing up his leg to crack under the jaw as he doubled forward. With a gasp the little man slumped to the floor.
“In the coffin?” Bates asked.
“Right. Nice way of doing it. What they call ironic. Get the old lady out, and dump her in that tank in the corner weigh her down so she doesn’t swim up and frighten anyone before time. I’ll put him in her place.
While Batews was doing that, Klyne lifted the undertakerin her place, laying him out carefully. As an afterthought plucking a white lily and folding his limp fingers around it.
Working hard together, they managed to lower the lid over him, feeling the massive weight as it settled in place. The screws slid home in their beautifully engineered sockets, and then it was done. Klyne gave the bronze monster a familiar pat. “Right nice, Bill. I feel the great satisfaction of a job well done.”
The next Move
They found the assistant exactly where Shelton gad predicted they would, knocking back a long glass of foaming beer in the bar of the hotel. A skinny blond boy of about nineteen or twenty.
They told him that his boss had done everything necessary and given them the message for him to take the afternoon off. The boy didn’t even query the message, so delighted was he at the prospect
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