Page 161 of To Die For

While you still can.

CHAPTER

74

JUST SIGN HERE AND HERE,”said Chandler.

Devine was sitting across from her in the woman’s small office. Devine had passed a door markedMORGUEon the way. He had tried the door; it was locked.

Devine signed where she had indicated and handed the papers back.

Chandler provided him with a receipt and then pulled out two gray boxes. Devine saw that they were both identified with Post-it notes—one was labeledDWAYNEODOM, and the other was markedALICEODOM.

“So I guess you heard about what happened to Dr. Coburn?” Devine asked.

“Oh, yes,” said Chandler as she filed the paperwork Devine had signed. “What a tragedy. I heard it was a gas leak? At least she didn’t suffer.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she didn’t. So, is the tox report back yet? On the Odoms?”

“Oh, heavens no,” she said, chuckling. “The TV shows have those reports coming back right after the commercial break, but in reality they can take weeks, or months, depending on the backlog.”

“I see.”

“But it was a drug overdose. Dr. Coburn is,was, very good. And that’s what her preliminary report clearly said.”

“I guess I’m just dottingi’s and crossingt’s.”

“Is there anything else?”

“Is the mayor around?”

“I thought I saw her come in a few minutes ago. Her office is at the end of the main hall.”

“Thanks.”

“We take our obligations to be good neighbors with ourfederalfriends very seriously.”

And your “federal friends” take all of you very seriously as well, thought Devine as he walked out and over to the mayor’s office. He knocked on the door and was told to enter.

“Mr. Devine, what a pleasure to see you again,” said Mercedes King brightly as she rose from behind her desk, came around to greet him, and extended a hand.

Her dress was navy blue and her heels the same color. Her blond hair was swept back into a ponytail, and her smile was beaming. He could only imagine the woman had been ordered to play nice with him. Apparently, the Termites were getting nervous with Devine running around their little hamlet.

Good, because nervous people make mistakes.

He held both boxes of ashes in one hand and shook her hand with the other, then took a seat opposite her by a coffee table near the window and placed the boxes on the table.

“So what brings you back here?” she asked.

He tapped one of the boxes. “I was just retrieving the Odoms’ remains for their daughter.”

She made a mock pouty face. “Oh, how sad. And how is… what was her name again?”

“Betsy Odom.”

“I’ve never had children, but I imagine this has been very hard on her.”

“It has,” he said. “I was sorry to hear about Dr. Coburn,” he added.

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