Never Buried: A Leigh Koslow Mystery by Edie Claire

from the lounge she'd entered before. The door was ajar, and she could see the funeral director sitting behind a cluttered mahogany desk, phone in hand. She waited patiently in the hall and tried to put the obnoxious doorman out of her mind. Her tough nineties woman act wouldn't cut it with Vestal. If she wanted information from him, she'd need her smelling salts. When he hung up the phone, she knocked.
    "Come on in," he beckoned cheerfully. Leigh walked on bright red carpet in between dark red walls and sat on a chair covered with maroon-colored vinyl. She made a mental note to send over an interior decorator when her ship came in. "Hello again," she said demurely. "I'm Leigh Koslow. I'm not sure we were formally introduced yesterday at my cousin's house, but we've met several times over the years."
    "Of course," Vestal said with enthusiasm. His eyes, however, betrayed a hint of nervousness. He leaned forward over the desk and pumped her hand hard with damp, chubby fingers. "Oh yes, you're Randall's daughter. Good man, Randall. He always took great care of my Pete, God rest his soul."
    The words "God rest his soul" slipped off Vestal's lips like butter as he settled back in his chair. Leigh wondered if he used the phrase in ordinary conversation. Well, it certainly is nice weather we're having, God rest his soul!
    "I'm here because my cousin and I are concerned about the body that was left in her hammock," she said with downcast eyes. "It's just the two of us there, you know, and Cara's expecting."
    Vestal responded with a look of fatherly concern.
    "There's something that's been troubling me," she continued. "The police know now that the body we found is that of a man named Paul Fischer..." She stole a look at Vestal out of the corner of her eye, and was pleased to see the color draining from his face. She thought again of the headstones that were lined up in rows, close together. Too close together. "But according to Peaceful Acres, Paul Fischer' body was cremated here at your funeral home. So I'm wondering, how could his ashes be buried there, when his body is at the coroner's office?"
    Leigh looked up. For a moment, she thought she had actually killed the man. His face was a whitish gray, his eyes glassy, his chest unmoving. She sat up quickly. "Mr. Fields? Are you all right?"
    He blinked, shook his head, and quickly rose. Then he crossed to the door, closed it tightly, and returned to his seat. He grabbed for the glass of water sitting on his desk and took an interminable swig. Finally he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. Leigh said nothing.
    "Miss Koslow..." he began in a hoarse whisper.
    "Leigh, please," she said warmly, feeling more than a little guilty.
    His pasty white lips tried to smile. "Leigh. I see that an explanation is in order, here. But for reasons that will become obvious, I would appreciate your discretion."
    Leigh's heart skipped a beat. She leaned forward. Such speeches were generally followed by something worth hearing. If she played her cards right, Vestal might just wrap this case up for her. She was proving to be pretty good at this detective stuff after all.
    "I'm happy to help you and your cousin in any way that I can," Vestal continued stiffly, "but I really don't know how Paul Fischer's body got into your yard, or who could have put it there." He took a deep breath and ran a fat finger beneath his nose. "You see, I haven't seen the body since the day it was brought here, ten years ago."
    Leigh let that thought sink in, then asked another question. "Did you embalm it?"
    He nodded.
    "And you knew him, right? So why didn't you recognize the body?" Leigh asked. She knew the answer, but the innocent act had served her well so far.
    "I did, of course." Vestal admitted, with a touch of defensiveness. "But it spooked me. I knew that eventually the whole mess would come out. I was just trying to delay the inevitable so I'd have a chance to think."
    Vestal rose from his desk again and walked