Read Online Quilt As You Go by Arlene Sachitano - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Arlene Sachitano
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make sure she doesn't get up while I check him?"
"Of course,” Harriet said and rubbed Mavis's hand again.
Mavis pulled her hand back and was trying to sit up when the paramedics arrived. A thorough evaluation proved she had suffered a substantial shock and fainted but was otherwise unharmed.
Dried grass clung to her skirt as Mavis rose to her feet. Harriet put her hand on her friend's arm, but Mavis pushed it away.
"I'm okay,” she said, her voice sounding stronger. “This is just a bit of a shock."
"Who is that?” Harriet asked, lowering her voice as she looked over Mavis's shoulder at the crowd that was gathering on the battlefield a short distance away.
"That is, or was, my husband Gerald."
" What? Are you sure?"
"Of course, she's sure,” Aunt Beth said as she joined them. “You can't be married to a man for thirty years and not recognize him, even if you haven't seen him in a while."
"A while ?” Harriet said, quickly adding the numbers in her head. “A while like a twenty-year while? How can that be? Besides hasn't he been dead all that time?"
"Apparently not,” Aunt Beth said. She patted Mavis on the back. “Do you think you can bear a second look? Harriet's right. It's probably best to be sure. I agree it looks like Gerald, but it has been twenty years."
"I don't need a second look. He's grayer and a little fatter, but look under his chin. See the scar on the left side, right at the beard line?"
Harriet and Aunt Beth leaned closer and looked.
"He did that when he stepped on one of Gerry Junior's little metal cars. He stumbled and hit his chin on the corner of the tile counter in the kitchen."
Beth put her hand on Mavis's arm and gently led her away from the body that had once been her husband. Mavis pulled a tissue from the pocket of her skirt and dabbed at her eyes.
"So, where's he been for twenty years?” Beth asked.
"That would be the question, now, wouldn't it?” Mavis answered.
A man in khaki shorts and a green polo shirt walked up to the paramedics, who were standing next to the body.
"I'm the deputy coroner; Neil Drake.” He shook hands with all three. “What have we got here?"
Harriet drifted over to the group. A chubby paramedic with short blond hair and a sunburned nose answered.
"He was dead when we arrived. This here is Dr. Stahl. He was a participant in the re-enactment and heard this lady call for help. He can tell you the rest."
The paramedic stepped away and started gathering his tools and stuffing them into the large plastic box he'd carried to the scene.
"As the young man said, I heard this lady call for help.” Dr. Stahl gestured toward Harriet. “Her friend, the woman in gray over there...” He pointed at Mavis. “...was in distress. The younger lady pointed out the man and told me she'd found him like that. The older woman was in mild shock, and the paramedics verified her vitals were acceptable when they got here. As for him—he was dead when I came over to help the ladies. He appears to have a large, blunt-force trauma wound in the middle of his chest. I have no idea how he received the blow."
The coroner bent down on one knee next to Gerald's body. The blond paramedic returned and stood a few paces away.
Washington State uses a medical examiner/coroner system for death investigation. In smaller counties like Clallam, where Foggy Point was located, the prosecuting attorney is also the coroner, with deputy prosecuting attorneys also being deputy coroners. The larger counties have medical examiners or forensic pathologists who are medical doctors with specialties in forensics and death investigation.
It would be the coroner's job to decide whether Gerald's death was explainable or suspicious.
"Can you cut open his shirt for me?” he asked without looking up.
The blond paramedic pulled disposable gloves from his shirt pocket and put them on. He then plucked a pair of bandage scissors from a loop on the right leg of his pants. He bent down on the
"Of course,” Harriet said and rubbed Mavis's hand again.
Mavis pulled her hand back and was trying to sit up when the paramedics arrived. A thorough evaluation proved she had suffered a substantial shock and fainted but was otherwise unharmed.
Dried grass clung to her skirt as Mavis rose to her feet. Harriet put her hand on her friend's arm, but Mavis pushed it away.
"I'm okay,” she said, her voice sounding stronger. “This is just a bit of a shock."
"Who is that?” Harriet asked, lowering her voice as she looked over Mavis's shoulder at the crowd that was gathering on the battlefield a short distance away.
"That is, or was, my husband Gerald."
" What? Are you sure?"
"Of course, she's sure,” Aunt Beth said as she joined them. “You can't be married to a man for thirty years and not recognize him, even if you haven't seen him in a while."
"A while ?” Harriet said, quickly adding the numbers in her head. “A while like a twenty-year while? How can that be? Besides hasn't he been dead all that time?"
"Apparently not,” Aunt Beth said. She patted Mavis on the back. “Do you think you can bear a second look? Harriet's right. It's probably best to be sure. I agree it looks like Gerald, but it has been twenty years."
"I don't need a second look. He's grayer and a little fatter, but look under his chin. See the scar on the left side, right at the beard line?"
Harriet and Aunt Beth leaned closer and looked.
"He did that when he stepped on one of Gerry Junior's little metal cars. He stumbled and hit his chin on the corner of the tile counter in the kitchen."
Beth put her hand on Mavis's arm and gently led her away from the body that had once been her husband. Mavis pulled a tissue from the pocket of her skirt and dabbed at her eyes.
"So, where's he been for twenty years?” Beth asked.
"That would be the question, now, wouldn't it?” Mavis answered.
A man in khaki shorts and a green polo shirt walked up to the paramedics, who were standing next to the body.
"I'm the deputy coroner; Neil Drake.” He shook hands with all three. “What have we got here?"
Harriet drifted over to the group. A chubby paramedic with short blond hair and a sunburned nose answered.
"He was dead when we arrived. This here is Dr. Stahl. He was a participant in the re-enactment and heard this lady call for help. He can tell you the rest."
The paramedic stepped away and started gathering his tools and stuffing them into the large plastic box he'd carried to the scene.
"As the young man said, I heard this lady call for help.” Dr. Stahl gestured toward Harriet. “Her friend, the woman in gray over there...” He pointed at Mavis. “...was in distress. The younger lady pointed out the man and told me she'd found him like that. The older woman was in mild shock, and the paramedics verified her vitals were acceptable when they got here. As for him—he was dead when I came over to help the ladies. He appears to have a large, blunt-force trauma wound in the middle of his chest. I have no idea how he received the blow."
The coroner bent down on one knee next to Gerald's body. The blond paramedic returned and stood a few paces away.
Washington State uses a medical examiner/coroner system for death investigation. In smaller counties like Clallam, where Foggy Point was located, the prosecuting attorney is also the coroner, with deputy prosecuting attorneys also being deputy coroners. The larger counties have medical examiners or forensic pathologists who are medical doctors with specialties in forensics and death investigation.
It would be the coroner's job to decide whether Gerald's death was explainable or suspicious.
"Can you cut open his shirt for me?” he asked without looking up.
The blond paramedic pulled disposable gloves from his shirt pocket and put them on. He then plucked a pair of bandage scissors from a loop on the right leg of his pants. He bent down on the
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