us down a double wide tiled hall to the chapel that held Martha’s casket. This room was no different than the lobby had been. As soon as everyone caught sight of Andrew, they fell silent. Every head turned, watching Andrew pass through the double doors.
He never looked to one side or the other, just headed for the closed black casket in the front of the room. I watched as every man, woman, and child practically held their breath as he stalked through the room. I wasn’t sure if it was respect or fear that kept them so fixated upon my uncle. Either way they were thankfully ignoring my presence completely.
It was then that I noticed Andrew still wore the sapphire ring on his pinky. He stood in front of the casket for a moment, and then lay his hand atop it and bowed his head. Sunlight glinted through the room, catching the sapphire and illuminating it just before he removed his hand. Turning, I found myself standing between my uncle and a shivering old man.
The stooped, heavily wrinkled old man in front of me had bloodshot, faded chartreuse eyes and surprisingly thick oily black hair. His gnarled left hand wrapped around the gold handle of an onyx cane with a rubber tip. As he glared through me to my uncle, I knew I’d found what had been troubling me since I’d arrived.
The old man coughed and wheezed when he spoke. “You should’ve stayed in your musty old bookstore, Andrew.” Every word was laced with anger, hate, and loathing.
Something about the old man was dangerous, giving me the dual sensation of having my skin wanting to crawl off my body and an unhealthy desire to rip his head off. I felt Andrew’s hand on my shoulder as he eased me back while sliding in front of me a half step. “You should go, Walter.”
At the mention of Walter’s name, a number of police officers got to their feet. One officer in particular, a tall, lanky man wearing a lieutenant's bar on his collar, barely twitched and four men surrounded the geezer. They were careful not to touch him, but made it clear that he was unwelcome. When he didn’t move, a universal snap of weapons being freed of their bonds swam through the room. Every officer in the room had their hand on their weapon, and the four nearest him had theirs half drawn. It was clear that if he didn’t move soon they’d execute him right there.
Walter didn’t seem all that bothered that four men less than half his age were reaching for their weapons. He gave Andrew one last glare. “We’ll be seeing one another again very soon.”
He turned and hobbled out with his escort.
Andrew looked at the big man against the wall and nodded. The tall man returned the nod just before turning and leaving the room to follow Walter. Andrew looked down as he inspected me carefully. “You okay?”
His concern puzzled me. “Yeah. Are you all right?”
He turned and looked back at the casket before nodding. “I’ll be fine.”
We spent the next hour standing at the rear of the room shaking peoples’ hands as they expressed their sorrow for our loss. Two hours later we’d interred her remains in a mausoleum not three miles away before heading home. An odd word to use... I hadn’t called anywhere I’d been in the last twenty-eight years such a thing. There were places I’d stayed, places I’d been, but none of them were home...it was an odd yet powerful word.
Chapter 4
It was a little after 1:00 p.m. when we returned. Andrew vanished into his room without a word and I headed for mine to change. After slipping on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I headed for the kitchen and pulled the leftover pizza out of the fridge. I took a couple of slices and put them in the microwave, hit the one-minute express button, and waited for it to beep. Once it did I opened the door and closed it again, leaving the warm pizza inside for my uncle.
I pulled three cold slices out of the box, stacked them on the plate, and headed for the table. Over the last few days I’d
He never looked to one side or the other, just headed for the closed black casket in the front of the room. I watched as every man, woman, and child practically held their breath as he stalked through the room. I wasn’t sure if it was respect or fear that kept them so fixated upon my uncle. Either way they were thankfully ignoring my presence completely.
It was then that I noticed Andrew still wore the sapphire ring on his pinky. He stood in front of the casket for a moment, and then lay his hand atop it and bowed his head. Sunlight glinted through the room, catching the sapphire and illuminating it just before he removed his hand. Turning, I found myself standing between my uncle and a shivering old man.
The stooped, heavily wrinkled old man in front of me had bloodshot, faded chartreuse eyes and surprisingly thick oily black hair. His gnarled left hand wrapped around the gold handle of an onyx cane with a rubber tip. As he glared through me to my uncle, I knew I’d found what had been troubling me since I’d arrived.
The old man coughed and wheezed when he spoke. “You should’ve stayed in your musty old bookstore, Andrew.” Every word was laced with anger, hate, and loathing.
Something about the old man was dangerous, giving me the dual sensation of having my skin wanting to crawl off my body and an unhealthy desire to rip his head off. I felt Andrew’s hand on my shoulder as he eased me back while sliding in front of me a half step. “You should go, Walter.”
At the mention of Walter’s name, a number of police officers got to their feet. One officer in particular, a tall, lanky man wearing a lieutenant's bar on his collar, barely twitched and four men surrounded the geezer. They were careful not to touch him, but made it clear that he was unwelcome. When he didn’t move, a universal snap of weapons being freed of their bonds swam through the room. Every officer in the room had their hand on their weapon, and the four nearest him had theirs half drawn. It was clear that if he didn’t move soon they’d execute him right there.
Walter didn’t seem all that bothered that four men less than half his age were reaching for their weapons. He gave Andrew one last glare. “We’ll be seeing one another again very soon.”
He turned and hobbled out with his escort.
Andrew looked at the big man against the wall and nodded. The tall man returned the nod just before turning and leaving the room to follow Walter. Andrew looked down as he inspected me carefully. “You okay?”
His concern puzzled me. “Yeah. Are you all right?”
He turned and looked back at the casket before nodding. “I’ll be fine.”
We spent the next hour standing at the rear of the room shaking peoples’ hands as they expressed their sorrow for our loss. Two hours later we’d interred her remains in a mausoleum not three miles away before heading home. An odd word to use... I hadn’t called anywhere I’d been in the last twenty-eight years such a thing. There were places I’d stayed, places I’d been, but none of them were home...it was an odd yet powerful word.
Chapter 4
It was a little after 1:00 p.m. when we returned. Andrew vanished into his room without a word and I headed for mine to change. After slipping on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I headed for the kitchen and pulled the leftover pizza out of the fridge. I took a couple of slices and put them in the microwave, hit the one-minute express button, and waited for it to beep. Once it did I opened the door and closed it again, leaving the warm pizza inside for my uncle.
I pulled three cold slices out of the box, stacked them on the plate, and headed for the table. Over the last few days I’d
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