release, track down the missing million dollars, and buy a new bed to replace the one we’re about to burn. Then we can go to work.
‘We’ll be back as soon as we can. Remember, don’t be a hero, okay.’
‘Try looking in the mirror, Superman.’
I end the call. It’s good to know she’s holding up well. Which is more than I can say about myself. I’m coming down off another adrenaline rush and the lack of sleep is catching up with me. I feel lethargic and nauseous.
‘She’s fine,’ I announce. ‘She wants us back there in double quick time.’
Paavo backs the van up to an entrance into the fallen down mill. It probably hasn’t operated since the nineteenth century. The roof and floors have long since tumbled in and parts of the upper walls have followed. In places, small bushes cling precariously onto the brickwork.
We clamber out, head to the rear of the van and open the doors. Jason’s six boxes of crap have spilled everywhere.
‘Fuck!’ He bounces up inside, chucking the bags of bloodied shee ts and clothes out, and starts to gather up his precious junk and re-box it. ‘These are collector’s items,’ he moans. ‘You ever send my mother to my room again and I’ll KILL you!’
Paavo and myself drag the mattress out and in through the mill entrance, placing it on a bed of bricks, leaving Jason to repack his boxes. On top of the mattress we place the bags and the remains of the bed.
I head to the cab to retrieve the petrol can. When I return, Paavo and Jason have placed the Marino mummy on top of the pile. Instinctively I know it doesn’t feel right. The plan was to get rid of the bodies, not to get rid of the bodies. Dump the stiffs and incinerate the stuff. We’re in big trouble, but we have to retain some level of humaneness.
‘No , no. We’re not burning the bodies. We’re just leaving them here.’
‘We need to burn them,’ Paavo says, heading back to the van. I’m assuming that’s the army training talking, not the real Paavo. But I could be wrong.
I trail after him. ‘We’re just dumping them, okay; burning everything else.’
‘They’re evidence.’
‘They’re people.’
‘Bad people.’
‘It doesn’t matter. We’re not burning them.’
Paavo pulls Junior forward across the bed of the van, then flips him up onto his shoulder and starts to head back to the mattress.
‘They’re wrapped in your sheets, ’ he says.
‘I know, I know, but we can’t. She’ll need to be able to bury him.’ I can’t get the image of Denise in the diner out of my head. It’s a body in a sheet to us, but it’s a loved one to her. ‘We’re just dumping the bodies. Nobody will be able to connect them to my house.’
‘DNA.’
‘Possibly, but why should they think that the bodies were in my house in the first place?’
Paavo shakes his head and moves to one side, placing Junior against a wall. He clearly thinks that I’ve lost the plot. On a balance between avoiding twenty years of prison and humaneness, avoidance wins hands down. Nevertheless, I still can’t bring myself to burn the bodies.
‘It’ll be you going to prison, ’ he warns. He heads to Marino and points at the mummy’s legs.
Reluctantly Jason picks them up. ‘You’re frigging nuts, Tadhg,’ he says, wheezing with the strain. ‘Goddamn certifiable.’
I don’t disagree with him. It’s the logical thing to do, but somehow they’re still people, not simply bodies. They deserve some level of dignity in death.
They drop Marino down next to Junior.
I uncap the petrol canister, attach the nozzle and soak the bed, mattress and clothes. Once I’m finished I throw the empty canister on top.
‘ Have you got the matches, Jason?’
Jason looks at Paavo and then back at me.
‘No.’
‘I told you to get them at John Philips’.’
‘No, you didn’t.’
‘I did. I said I’d get the canister and the gas and you
‘We’ll be back as soon as we can. Remember, don’t be a hero, okay.’
‘Try looking in the mirror, Superman.’
I end the call. It’s good to know she’s holding up well. Which is more than I can say about myself. I’m coming down off another adrenaline rush and the lack of sleep is catching up with me. I feel lethargic and nauseous.
‘She’s fine,’ I announce. ‘She wants us back there in double quick time.’
Paavo backs the van up to an entrance into the fallen down mill. It probably hasn’t operated since the nineteenth century. The roof and floors have long since tumbled in and parts of the upper walls have followed. In places, small bushes cling precariously onto the brickwork.
We clamber out, head to the rear of the van and open the doors. Jason’s six boxes of crap have spilled everywhere.
‘Fuck!’ He bounces up inside, chucking the bags of bloodied shee ts and clothes out, and starts to gather up his precious junk and re-box it. ‘These are collector’s items,’ he moans. ‘You ever send my mother to my room again and I’ll KILL you!’
Paavo and myself drag the mattress out and in through the mill entrance, placing it on a bed of bricks, leaving Jason to repack his boxes. On top of the mattress we place the bags and the remains of the bed.
I head to the cab to retrieve the petrol can. When I return, Paavo and Jason have placed the Marino mummy on top of the pile. Instinctively I know it doesn’t feel right. The plan was to get rid of the bodies, not to get rid of the bodies. Dump the stiffs and incinerate the stuff. We’re in big trouble, but we have to retain some level of humaneness.
‘No , no. We’re not burning the bodies. We’re just leaving them here.’
‘We need to burn them,’ Paavo says, heading back to the van. I’m assuming that’s the army training talking, not the real Paavo. But I could be wrong.
I trail after him. ‘We’re just dumping them, okay; burning everything else.’
‘They’re evidence.’
‘They’re people.’
‘Bad people.’
‘It doesn’t matter. We’re not burning them.’
Paavo pulls Junior forward across the bed of the van, then flips him up onto his shoulder and starts to head back to the mattress.
‘They’re wrapped in your sheets, ’ he says.
‘I know, I know, but we can’t. She’ll need to be able to bury him.’ I can’t get the image of Denise in the diner out of my head. It’s a body in a sheet to us, but it’s a loved one to her. ‘We’re just dumping the bodies. Nobody will be able to connect them to my house.’
‘DNA.’
‘Possibly, but why should they think that the bodies were in my house in the first place?’
Paavo shakes his head and moves to one side, placing Junior against a wall. He clearly thinks that I’ve lost the plot. On a balance between avoiding twenty years of prison and humaneness, avoidance wins hands down. Nevertheless, I still can’t bring myself to burn the bodies.
‘It’ll be you going to prison, ’ he warns. He heads to Marino and points at the mummy’s legs.
Reluctantly Jason picks them up. ‘You’re frigging nuts, Tadhg,’ he says, wheezing with the strain. ‘Goddamn certifiable.’
I don’t disagree with him. It’s the logical thing to do, but somehow they’re still people, not simply bodies. They deserve some level of dignity in death.
They drop Marino down next to Junior.
I uncap the petrol canister, attach the nozzle and soak the bed, mattress and clothes. Once I’m finished I throw the empty canister on top.
‘ Have you got the matches, Jason?’
Jason looks at Paavo and then back at me.
‘No.’
‘I told you to get them at John Philips’.’
‘No, you didn’t.’
‘I did. I said I’d get the canister and the gas and you
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