Page 69 of Deadly Lineage
“I…” For the first time, Elaine faltered, sounding unsure. Her emotional flailing didn’t last long. Shoulders thrust back, Elaine said, “Joel wants to bury you with your wedding ring. I told him it was a waste. That ring belongs with the family. I have a daughter, and she would—”
“You and I both know Dawn won’t wear my ring until your body is cold and in the grave, dear. I hardly think it will be in the same condition your father gave it to me in, either. Most likely you’ll have the stones removed and made into something hideously gaudy.”
“Mother!” Elaine snapped. “That isn’t true, I—”
“Hush, Elaine.” Rosemary waved off her daughter’s tirade. “Your father gave me this ring. When he put it on my finger, I told him I’d never take it off, and I don’t intend to break that promise over a little thing like death. It was a gift and a promise. It was a promise your father kept, and I intend to do the same.” Twisting her head, Rosemary’s attention fell on Elaine’s husband. “Craig, I believe you know the law well enough to assure your wife that this is my will. You will not remove this ring from my finger. I will be buried with your father’s promise.”
Craig’s reluctant, “Yes, Rosemary,” was met with Elaine’s furious eyes.
“Now, if that’s settled, perhaps you could send me back, Necromancer.”
I grinned, wishing I’d met Rosemary Weathers when she was alive. “As long as you’ve nothing else to say,” I answered.
Rosemary contemplated that before she said, “I love you both. I’d always hoped you’d be closer, but that does not appear possible. If you can’t like each other, then at least try and respect one another. Children”—Rosemary ended with a heavy sigh—“I’m ready to go now.”
“Then I release you, Rosemary Dawson Weathers. Go in peace.” I winced when Rosemary’s torso unceremoniously dropped back into her casket, her properly placed clothing now amiss. Her glasses were cockeyed now too.
Joel didn’t seem to mind. With shimmering eyes, he walked toward the casket and began the task of settling his mother’s body back into its pristine repose.
“I suppose you’re happy now,” Elaine spat, venom poisoning her words.
Joel’s shoulders stiffened before rounding in on themselves. From my side view, the man appeared exhausted.
“No, Elaine. I’m not happy. Mom’s dead and bringing her back just now opened a wound that had barely started healing.”
I didn’t think there was much hope for Rosemary’s respectful desire. Maybe on Joel’s part, but Elaine looked to be a lost cause. Either way, this particular dysfunctional family wasn’t my problem, and I was more than happy to hightail it out of there. The energy remains of the other bodies waiting their turn in the mortuary poked at my mental shields. If I were at 100 percent, they’d hardly be a blip on my necromancer radar. Right now, they were a bit more troublesome than I wanted.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Weathers?”
Joel shook his head. “No. Thank you for your time. If you don’t mind sending a bill…”
I didn’t mind. Typically, only clients who didn’t get the answer they wanted tried to stiff me. “That will be fine. I’m sorry for your loss,” I offered the typically mundane condolences.
“Thank you, Mr. Boone.”
I didn’t expect any thanks from Elaine Tompkins and was grateful it wasn’t her footing the bill. If it were, I’d most likely have to whip out my father’s name in order to light a fire under her check-writing ass.
Turning on my heel, I walked back the way I’d come. I gave a jerky nod in Zach’s direction as he plugged in the vacuum. Looked like my flip-flop prints would be gone soon enough.
Ieased through a fast-food drive-thru on my way home, loading up on sugary soda and salty, fried goodness. Pulling back out on the road, I noticed a familiar car in my rearview mirror. “Huh,” I muttered around a bite of burger. I could have sworn that car had been behind me earlier. Considering my little pit stop, it shouldn’t still be there.
Maybe I was just paranoid. Given events of late, Ishouldbe paranoid. That didn’t mean it was the exact same black SUV that had been behind me earlier. I mean, how many black SUVs were on the road anyway?
Deciding on a little test to prove I was losing my mind, I made a quick turn to the right, heading down a side road that didn’t offer much beyond a way to get from point A to point B. My mind eased as I got to the end of the road, ready to make another right. So far, so… And there the SUV was at the end of the road.
I turned right, heading back to the interstate while pressing the button on my steering wheel that connected to Bluetooth. Franklin answered on the second ring.
“Boone? I thought you had a job today.”
Despite my concerns, Franklin’s confident voice slid down my spine, easing the adrenaline slamming through my veins.
“Been there, done that,” I answered.
“How did it go?”
Wow, I had no idea how nice that would feel, having someone besides my momma ask me how my day had gone, or more precisely, how a job went. “Well, there was some snark and bitchiness I could have done without, but I got the answer the client wanted, and I think I made Rosemary happy. Maybe content.” That was probably a better word for it.
“Glad to hear it,” Franklin answered and did sound relieved. “You feeling okay after? Was it too soon?”
