4

After the funeral, the guests proceeded to the veterans’ hall in downtown Freeport for the reception Jo Blakely and friends had prepared. Emily wanted a few minutes alone with her father before Cathy closed the casket. They would do a private burial the next morning at the cemetery, and her father would be laid to rest next to her mother, Mary, who had passed thirteen years ago.

Nick and Brandon hung back and helped Cathy load the floral arrangements into the hearse so they could deliver most of them to the hospital and nursing home. Cathy closed the French doors to the viewing room so Emily could have privacy.

Emily stepped up to her father’s casket and touched his cold, rubbery hands folded across his abdomen. Hands that had done so much in their lifetime. Hands that had taught her so much.

“Dad, I don’t think I ever thanked you enough for everything you did for me.” Her voice hiccupped, and she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I ran away, and I’m sorry for the lost years in between then and now. I know we can’t ever make those up. I regret that.” She drew in a couple of deep breaths to try to calm her nerves, which were quaking. “I’m really confused by what you told me. And I’m really scared about what I might find. But I know it’s important, and I know you wanted to give me the truth. I just wish you were here to explain it.” So many conflicting emotions were trying to sort their way to the surface. “I want you to know I’ll look into it. I hope what I find doesn’t … I don’t even know how to put it … I just don’t want to think badly of you again. And I’m afraid that what I find might do that.”

She stopped, utterly exhausted. She let her head drop as a little sob shook her chest. “I thought we’d have more time. I’m gonna miss you, Dad.”

Her body convulsed with grief, and tears blurred her vision. She stepped away from the casket and fell into a plush armchair to the side. After a good amount of tears had fallen, she reached for the tissue box on the side table. Cathy always kept the place stocked in tissues. Emily wiped her face, figuring her mascara had created dark blotches under her bloodshot eyes. She would have to use the bathroom to wash them the rest of the way off before heading to the veterans’ hall for the reception.

She gave her nose a good blow and took several more inhales and exhales. Soon Cathy would be in, ready to shuttle her to the reception, where she would have to face the masses who loved her father. She would have to sit through endless stories about the kind of father she had never gotten to experience. How beautiful it was that there had been so many who respected and adored him. But should they respect him? And would they continue to, once they found out about this other woman? How would they feel about their beloved Doc then? How would she feel?

“Em? Can I get you anything?”

Emily turned to see Brandon by her side. He would be tethered to her all day if she didn’t say something now.

Can I just send him away? No, that would be rude.

“Yes. You can do something. Please don’t ask me anything more about our relationship today. Soon I’ll come down to Chicago and we can discuss it more when I come to get my things. But on my terms.”

“I’m here now, and I want to be with you.”

“I know. But I need some time.”

Brandon did nothing to hide the distressed look on his face. He nodded, then turned on his heel and padded out. She heard the doors click shut and let out a sigh.

After a few more moments of silence, there was a soft knock. Emily turned her head toward the back of the room and saw Nick’s urgent face poking around the door.

“Em, I’m so sorry to interrupt. Do you have a minute?”

“It’s okay. I was just finishing.” She didn’t bother to get up. She was too drained to move.

Nick opened the doors further, and Emily saw a police officer standing behind him. They entered in silence.

“What’s going on?” Emily said as they positioned themselves in front of her. She sat up a little straighter.

“Em, this is Officer Matthews. He’s the police officer I sent to Pinetree Slopes,” said Nick.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Dr. Hartford. And my condolences on your father’s passing. He was a great man and a pillar of this community.”

“Thank you for paying your respects,” said Emily as she rose to shake his hand, before realizing her own were full of soiled tissues. She drew her hand back.

“He’s not here just to pay respects,” said Nick.

“Oh?” Emily’s inquisitive eyes searched the officer’s.

“It’s about the call from Pinetree development.”

“The ten-fourteen?” asked Emily. “Can it wait?”

“The contractor over at Pinetree found something this morning when they broke ground on a new house. It’s obviously a bone of some kind. We’re just not sure if it’s human or animal.”

“I had them halt all excavation efforts, but we need you to make an identification,” said Nick.

“I … Nick … Please … I don’t think I can … I’m not an anthropologist,” stuttered Emily, who as a surgeon and medical doctor was qualified to act as medical examiner in her father’s stead. And her recent success in the Dobson death investigation had proved her astute for the job. But bone identification was an entirely different science. This day was getting stranger and stranger.

“We need to get to this before sundown,” said Nick. “If it’s something other than animal bones, we don’t have the resources to secure the scene overnight.”

“And the construction boss has been harassing us all morning about how this is delaying him and costing him a ton of money,” added Officer Matthews.

Emily wanted to moan, My dad just died. I don’t give a hoot about your greedy boss.

“Please, Em, you’re the only one I trust on this,” Nick said into her ear. “And obviously, the only one in the county qualified.”

“What time is sundown?” she asked, knowing that October evenings were growing shorter and shorter.

“Sun sets around five thirty, in a little more than four hours.”

“Okay, here’s what I can do,” said Emily mustering some thoughts together. “I suspect you already cordoned off the area?”

“They did,” said Nick.

“I need to attend my father’s funeral reception. In the meantime, take all the photographs you need and collect all the evidence you can without touching the body—I mean, bones. I’ll make my appearance at the reception for an hour, then meet you at Pinetree Slopes.”

“That seems fair,” said Officer Matthews. Emily didn’t care about fairness. This was pushing the limits. Even for her. She hoped this was just a very inconvenient false alarm that would become a minor speed bump to her day.

“Emily? I’m heading to drop off the flowers now,” called Cathy from the doorway. “Everything okay?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you. I’ll see you at the reception.” Emily gave her a weak smile.

“I don’t mean to rush you, but I need to lock up after everybody.”

“Of course. I’m ready. We’re ready,” said Emily.

“After you,” said Nick, indicating that the officer needed to exit first.

Emily turned and took a few steps back toward her father’s casket. Nick stayed at her side, wrapping an arm around her, and she felt truly comforted. The grief would linger for a while. She knew that from her mother’s death.

They turned from Dr. Robert Hartford’s casket and walked slowly together in reverence until they were under the awning outside near the hearse. Brandon’s car was still sitting in the lot. He was in the driver’s seat, eyes locked to his phone, not looking up.

“What do you think about those bones?” said Emily as Nick opened the passenger door of his squad car for her.

“I hope they are from a deer,” he said.

She glanced up at Nick, surprised to find his face drained of color.