toilet paper, a pillow and a washcloth with no evidence of gastric upset.
“Keep this up and you’re getting the crap with corn in it.” We beat a hasty retreat inside before anyone saw us.
I put the kettle on. Corinne had yet to make an appearance. She was staying away longer and longer. I had no idea where she went, but I was determined to get her crossed over, find a job and a new home for Billy and bag myself a doctor. Hopefully today. It’s good to have ambition.
But in order to call Aunt Susie, I needed Corinne. The card players had vanished during the night, and I could once more enjoy my kitchen table. I warmed my hands, wishing the sun would come out and bathe the room in golden light. Billy seemed impervious to the gloom and happily polished off his balanced meal. Then he entertained himself by savaging a terry-cloth wiener dog Corinne had insisted I buy for him. At least he was enjoying it.
I hate waiting. “Corinne?” I said sharply. “Where the hell are you?”
“Where do you think I am?”
She floated over my head. “Come down where I can see you without breaking my neck, please. We need to talk.” She drifted down, wafting from side to side like a feather settling. She seemed more ephemeral every time I saw her. “Do you still want me to call your Aunt Susie?”
“Yes, please. I need to know that she’s going to be okay.”
That actually sounded reasonable. “So when is a good time?”
Corinne glanced at the faux antique clock on my mantel. “She’s at work right now.”
“That might not be the best place. How about tonight? Will she be home?”
“How should I know?”
Corinne wasn’t going to make this easy. “Does she do anything on Thursday nights? Bowling league? Ladies’ Auxiliary? Gun club?”
“Of course not. She goes to bed pretty early.”
“Okay, then. Tonight, say six or seven o’clock, we’ll give Aunt Susie a call. Then you can cross over in peace.”
“Tonight?”
“Tonight,” I said firmly. “You promised. Billy is taken care of, and after Aunt Susie there’s no reason to hang around here anymore.”
Corinne’s lower lip trembled. Hephzibah had been right. Here it came. She was going to ask me to solve her murder.
“What’s going to happen to me?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure it’s something good. You seem like a good person.”
“Do you believe in heaven?”
“I guess so. I never looked at it that carefully.” In fact, I had spent my entire life running from the issue. I was afraid to look. You would think with a family in the death business I would be at peace with the issue of dying, but I wasn’t. Oh, I knew there was something more. I had always known there was more, but once people crossed over, I really had no idea. “My mother thinks so, and she’s been clairvoyant her whole life, so she should know.”
Corinne nodded. “I always went to church and I was pretty sure until...well...I’m sort of nervous.”
Where was Hephzibah now? I had no idea how to deal with these issues. This was why I hated working in the funeral home. “Perfectly understandable,” I said. “But I think it’s time to find out. Tonight.”
Corinne nodded. I could tell she was crying even though no tears streamed down her cheeks and she didn’t make a sound. “It’s just...never mind,” she mumbled.
“Tell me.”
“Somebody killed me. And now he’s going to get away with it.” Her shoulders shook, and she ducked her head, letting her honey-colored hair hide her face.
No, no, no. Not this conversation. “Do you have any idea who killed you?”
The hair curtain swayed as she shook her head. “I don’t know who. I don’t even know why.”
“Maybe it wasn’t murder. Maybe it was an accident.” I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to kill Corinne.
“That isn’t possible.”
“Maybe the police have solved it.”
She lifted her head. “Could you find out? Please? That would mean a lot. I don’t want him to get away with
“Keep this up and you’re getting the crap with corn in it.” We beat a hasty retreat inside before anyone saw us.
I put the kettle on. Corinne had yet to make an appearance. She was staying away longer and longer. I had no idea where she went, but I was determined to get her crossed over, find a job and a new home for Billy and bag myself a doctor. Hopefully today. It’s good to have ambition.
But in order to call Aunt Susie, I needed Corinne. The card players had vanished during the night, and I could once more enjoy my kitchen table. I warmed my hands, wishing the sun would come out and bathe the room in golden light. Billy seemed impervious to the gloom and happily polished off his balanced meal. Then he entertained himself by savaging a terry-cloth wiener dog Corinne had insisted I buy for him. At least he was enjoying it.
I hate waiting. “Corinne?” I said sharply. “Where the hell are you?”
“Where do you think I am?”
She floated over my head. “Come down where I can see you without breaking my neck, please. We need to talk.” She drifted down, wafting from side to side like a feather settling. She seemed more ephemeral every time I saw her. “Do you still want me to call your Aunt Susie?”
“Yes, please. I need to know that she’s going to be okay.”
That actually sounded reasonable. “So when is a good time?”
Corinne glanced at the faux antique clock on my mantel. “She’s at work right now.”
“That might not be the best place. How about tonight? Will she be home?”
“How should I know?”
Corinne wasn’t going to make this easy. “Does she do anything on Thursday nights? Bowling league? Ladies’ Auxiliary? Gun club?”
“Of course not. She goes to bed pretty early.”
“Okay, then. Tonight, say six or seven o’clock, we’ll give Aunt Susie a call. Then you can cross over in peace.”
“Tonight?”
“Tonight,” I said firmly. “You promised. Billy is taken care of, and after Aunt Susie there’s no reason to hang around here anymore.”
Corinne’s lower lip trembled. Hephzibah had been right. Here it came. She was going to ask me to solve her murder.
“What’s going to happen to me?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure it’s something good. You seem like a good person.”
“Do you believe in heaven?”
“I guess so. I never looked at it that carefully.” In fact, I had spent my entire life running from the issue. I was afraid to look. You would think with a family in the death business I would be at peace with the issue of dying, but I wasn’t. Oh, I knew there was something more. I had always known there was more, but once people crossed over, I really had no idea. “My mother thinks so, and she’s been clairvoyant her whole life, so she should know.”
Corinne nodded. “I always went to church and I was pretty sure until...well...I’m sort of nervous.”
Where was Hephzibah now? I had no idea how to deal with these issues. This was why I hated working in the funeral home. “Perfectly understandable,” I said. “But I think it’s time to find out. Tonight.”
Corinne nodded. I could tell she was crying even though no tears streamed down her cheeks and she didn’t make a sound. “It’s just...never mind,” she mumbled.
“Tell me.”
“Somebody killed me. And now he’s going to get away with it.” Her shoulders shook, and she ducked her head, letting her honey-colored hair hide her face.
No, no, no. Not this conversation. “Do you have any idea who killed you?”
The hair curtain swayed as she shook her head. “I don’t know who. I don’t even know why.”
“Maybe it wasn’t murder. Maybe it was an accident.” I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to kill Corinne.
“That isn’t possible.”
“Maybe the police have solved it.”
She lifted her head. “Could you find out? Please? That would mean a lot. I don’t want him to get away with
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