Kyra watched for a reaction. Interesting, he showed no emotion at all, unlike most people.
“After you process everything, what do you do?”
“I place the remains in a plastic bag which goes into the cardboard urn. This is what I return to the funeral director or family.” Kyra held up an urn. “If the funeral director supplies an urn, I place the remains in it.”
“So once you can get into the oven, we’re out of here.”
“Basically. Got a date?” she joked. Stone face. The man’s a robot, she thought.
“Why can’t you open the oven now?”
“It’s called a chamber. There’s a safety on it and it remains locked until it’s safe to open without a person getting burned.”
“So, you can’t open it?”
“Not safely.” Kyra stared at him. She’d be damned if she’d endanger herself.
“Okay. I’ll take a cup of coffee now.” He nodded to her.
He thinks I’m going to wait on him. “I’ll show you where it is.”
Walking into the small kitchen right inside the front door, they were met with the smell of burned coffee. Kyra automatically poured the coffee out and started a fresh pot because she wanted a cup too. It was only the two of them. The funeral director had chosen to stay in his car for the duration of the burn.
Kyra’s head snapped up when he spoke. “How did you get into this line of work?”
“I worked here as a secretary. Thought it was wise to train as a back-up. Job security, you know. When my boss died, I took over.”
“Interesting.”
Still not a muscle moved in the man’s face. It reminded her of chiseled marble. “How did you come to work for Phil?”
He looked at her. Turned, poured two cups of coffee, handed her one, and took the other. Okay, he wasn’t going to answer. She turned to walk back to the chambers. He grabbed her arm. Her stomach rolled. Fear loosened her bowels, but she challenged him, looking down at his hand then up into his eyes. Dead, black pools of liquid void of feeling stared back at her. She almost backed away. This man would not think twice about killing her. She wondered if he’d killed the man she cremated today. Best not go there, Kyra.
“It’s for your protection that you don’t know—don’t ask questions.” He released her arm.
“Okay. Let’s check on our guy.” She turned, let out the breath she’d been holding.
When they reached the back room, her cellphone started ringing. She checked the time. Cutting it close, she knew she didn’t have much time to change into a different outfit for her date. Damn, I so wanted to change and sex up my outfit. Pulling the phone from her pocket, she looked at the number. Shit, it’s Jake. What should I do? Answer it or let it go to voice mail?
“Jake?”
Her eyes followed Phil’s man around the room as he poked his head into each room, lifting papers off counters. Nosy bastard.
“Kyra, it’s Jake.”
“We’re still on for tonight, right?” Apprehension echoed in her voice.
“Yes, but I’m running late. I wanted to give you a heads-up. It’s not a problem, is it?”
Awesome! “No problem. What time?” Kyra’s energy level took a boost. Jake’s just what she needed. “Eight?”
“Yes.”
“Are you still going to pick me up?”
“Most definitely. See you then.” She hung up.
“Who’s that?” the guard asked.
“My date for tonight.” She offered no more.
“He didn’t cancel, did he?” He actually smiled.
“No, he’s running late.”
After waiting the allotted time, Kyra pressed the button on the side of the chamber and its door glided open. The intense heat filled the room. The remains were a hot, glowing red. Grabbing her tools, she started to empty the chamber, pulling the rake-like tool back, hitting the guard in the stomach with the handle. He groaned, but she wasn’t going to apologize. Aware he hovered behind her, she wasn’t going to let him interfere in her job.
“If you wish to watch, it would be better off to the side. It takes about fifteen minutes to get all the remains out of the chamber.”
“What’s the metal thing there?”
“If the deceased wore any rings or other gold jewelry, it will be the base metal the jeweler used to form the jewelry design before he dipped it in the gold. The metal will warp during the burn. The dental gold in the deceased’s mouth will also have melted. If the person had a plate in his head or leg there’ll be a piece of unrecognizable metal at the end of the process. It will be removed and separated from the bone ashes. Sometimes, I even find remnants of the nails from the coffin.”
“You mean my rings aren’t pure gold?”
“No. Gold is soft. The higher the gold content, the softer the jewelry. A wedding band starts with a piece of metal formed into a circle. Next, the jeweler builds and bonds the gold around it. The metal doesn’t melt but it breaks down—only the gold melts at those temperatures. So before we process or grind the remains, we have to remove the metal.”
“What do you do with it?”
“We discard it.”
“You mean you throw it away?” Kyra turned her back to him, rolling her eyes.
“Yes.”
“I want the metal.”
“Okay.”
She didn’t question him. Who wore the ring was none of her business and she wanted to keep it that way. The less she knew, the better—she wanted to live. After removing everything from the chamber, Kyra carried the remains to the processing room and scanned them for metal. After she removed it and placed it in a box for the guard, she pulverized the remains in the grinder and placed them in a plastic bag before loading them into the cremation urn. Handing him the ashes, she escorted him to the hearse. He opened the back, took out a box and handed it to her.
“What’s this?”
“An urn.”
“Okay, come back in.” Really, why the wait, for Pete’s sake? I just want to get out of here and start my date.
He followed her into the processing room. She transferred the ashes from the temporary urn to the ornate one, handing it back to him when the transfer was complete. He reached into his pocket and handed her a thick envelope. She didn’t look inside. His smile surprised her—it brightened his whole face. What a handsome man, she thought. He should smile more often. She closed the garage after they pulled out, and set the alarm, locking up for the night. Kyra rushed across town to her condo to get ready for her date.
When she got home, she locked the door and pulled down the shades then she counted the money. One hundred thousand dollars, exactly what Phil had promised. Boy, if she didn’t have a date she’d be on her way to the casino.
Kyra walked into her bedroom and looked around. A cold room, not like the one she shared with Tommy. She hadn’t had time or money to decorate. A queen size bed, with a white comforter thrown over it, and a dresser made up the whole of her bedroom. The windows had shades and sheers covering them. She moved her bed, pried up a floorboard, and put ninety-five thousand dollars between the joists before putting the floorboard back. Then she moved the bed back into place. Tomorrow she’d have to think about buying a safe. She wasn’t going to put this money in her bank account or safe deposit box.
In her purse she shoved two thousand dollars. The other three thousand went into her suitcase in the closet. Kyra started to get ready for her night out. Surprised her conscience didn’t bother her. She’d only done her job today. Who knew if any of her regular funeral directors put an extra body in their coffins? Kyra never checked the contents. As long as they were dead, she didn’t care. She’d have to research the law to determine if the disposal of a dead body fell in the category of a misdemeanor or a felony in the legal code.
Chapter Nine
The mascara brush shook in her hand as she tried to apply it to her lashes. First dates always scared her. Kyra hadn’t been on one in nine years. She and Tommy hit it off imm
ediately back then, dating exclusively before tying the knot. Was she still in love with him or was it just the memory of love that stirred her? No if and or buts about it, she knew they could never go back. Thoughts of Jake filled her mind.
His sense of humor thrilled her though there was something dark inside him too—it drew her to him. Laughing at herself, she took care with her make-up. How do you know he’s dark, Kyra? You spent all of an hour with him. Finishing her make-up, she walked to her closet, eyed her clothes. Nothing sexy, she owned practical clothes. Maybe tomorrow I should go shopping and buy myself some new clothes. She picked a form-fitting shirt in black with white stripes, leaving the first three buttons open, showing off some cleavage. She put on her thigh high stockings, also in black and then slipped on the pencil skirt with the side slit that she wore for work. To finish off her outfit she put on her single strand of pearls and matching earrings. Classic, she thought.
Grabbing her purse off the bed she walked into the living room, and placed it on the chair by the door. As she settled into a chair to read a book, the doorbell sounded. Kyra pushed off the chair and walked to the door. Looking through the peephole, she spied Jake and thought, ‘all mine.’ Dressed pretty much the same way he dressed the night of the party in a light, linen jacket, oxford shirt, and jeans. No tie. Crap, I’m overdressed. Oh well, too late to change now.
She opened the door wide. Held it open with her hip. “Hi.”
“I’m sorry about the delay.”
“Not a problem. I’m a little overdressed, would you like to wait while I change?” She closed the door after he walked in and leaned on it.
“Don’t change, you look great.”
“Thanks. Where are we going?”
“I thought Maxine’s in Hartford. Have you ever been there?”
Nice restaurant. The man’s showing some class. “Yes, it’s great.”
Kyra grabbed a light jacket—the nights this spring had been cool. She picked up her purse from the chair, set her alarm, locked her door, and headed down the steps with Jake. In front of her condo a silver, Sebring convertible sat at the curb. Jake held the door for her, walked around the car, got in the driver’s seat. Kyra liked his manners. He pulled into traffic.
“Are you really busy at work?” she asked, to start a conversation.
“Yes and no.” He laughed.
“Believe it or not, I understand that.”
“We caught this guy today I’ve been looking for all month. He’s the reason I ran late. I walked him through booking. My partner needed to leave early, so he couldn’t do it.”
“As I said, it wasn’t a problem.”
“How was your day?”
How was my day? Well Jake, I disposed of a body for the mob, passed go, collected my two hundred dollars, and didn’t go to jail. “Fine, the usual.”
“You don’t seem sure.”
“Yeah, I am. I’m in a rut, I guess.” Good first date conversation, Kyra. Keep it up and you’ll having him running for the hills.
“I know what you mean, but summer’s almost here. That should brighten things up.”
“It should.” I didn’t know this would be so hard.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I need to be honest, Jake.”
“Okay.” He glanced at her sidewards. Here goes.
“This is my first first date in nine years and I’m petrified.”
“Is that all? Didn’t we go for drinks the other night? That makes this our second date, if it makes you feel better.” He smiled. What a smile. It lit up his whole face.
She smiled back, “Okay, no pressure. I’ll try to relax.”
*
She found Jake to be a great date. He put her at ease and spoke about his job, is recent promotion, but never about anything really personal. Kyra questioned him, trying to pull information from him, but he clammed up. He got a little moody and then turned the conversation back to her. Before she knew it, they were at the end of the evening, sitting in front of her condo. Ah, the awkward moment has arrived. Do you still lean over and kiss at thirty or do you shake hands? Chiding herself, she should have taken the time to look up first-date protocol on her computer before she went out. It’s such a different world today. Lost in thought, she felt the nudge.
“Earth to Kyra.” Jake laughed.
“I’m sorry, trapped in my head.” Poor response, Kyra.
“I get it.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly, brushing his lips over hers, and got out of the car. He walked around to her side, extended a hand, and helped her out.
Oh shit! What do I do now? “Thanks for a great evening, Jake.”
“I enjoyed it to. Would you like to do it again next week?”
“Yes, I would.”
They’d reached her door. Kyra, keys in her hand, turned to unlock it. He took them from her, opened the door and then handed them back.
“You really should leave a light on when you’re not home.”
“I normally do. Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee or a drink?” Her voice cracked.
“No, I think tonight I’ll just go home. Thanks for a wonderful evening. I’ll call you at the beginning of the week to set up a time for next week. Okay?”
“Yes, and thanks again.” Don’t get gushy. Enough already with the thanks. He leaned in and kissed her once more. A gentle kiss at first, it didn’t take long for him to deepen the kiss probing her mouth with his tongue. Kyra felt the urgency in his kiss as the heat built between her legs. Not thinking, she leaned further into the kiss, putting everything into it. Boy, this guy can really kiss. I wonder what else he’s good at.
He broke away, rubbing his thumb over her cheek, and smiled down at her. “Now you can relax,” he joked.
“I was relaxed,” she shot back.
He laughed. “No, you weren’t.”
“I guess you’re right. Bye.”
“Bye. Lock your door.”
“Really, Jake?”
“I love a smart-mouth.”
“Well, you came to the right place.”
“Not yet.”
“Bye.” Kyra pushed the door closed. Next, she put the locks on, set the alarm and leaned against the door, touching her lips, all the time with a big smile on her face. All in all, a great first date. Kyra liked how he didn’t pressure her for sex. Yeah, this guy presented a lot of possibilities. Damn his job.
Chapter Ten
Kyra slept soundly for the first time in a year, her dreams filled with images of Jake. Around eleven the next morning she woke, stretched then climbed out of bed and called Trevor.
“Hi Tommy, is Trevor there?”
“You know, Kyra, he waited for your call last night. What’s with you lately?
It’s the third time you missed calling him. Is the damn casino more important?”
“You know you’re not being fair. You better keep your thoughts to yourself, Tom. If I hear you told this to Trevor, you’ll pay.”
“Why? It’s the truth,” he yelled at her.
“It’s not.” It took everything in her to answer him calmly. “I love Trevor. He’s everything to me—you know that. I didn’t go to the casino last night. I worked late. A last-minute rush cremation which made me late for my date,” she said, just to anger him.
“A date?” He didn’t respond to anything else. A smile tugged at her lips. Gotcha ya!
“Yes, a date. I had a great time.” Rubbing it in, you bet. Childish, yes. It was about time I had a weapon to use against him.
“Oh…I still love you, Kyra. We could’ve been together forever if it weren’t for your gambling.”
What a load of crap! He’s really being a dick. “I still love you, Tommy, but I think that ship has sailed. We both need to move on. We’ll always have Trevor. He’s our greatest work.” On the verge of tears, she tried not to show it. How could she ever stop loving Tommy?
“Tommy, please put Trevor on.”
“Before I do, can you come to din
ner sometime this week?”
Hmmm. What’s this about? “Why?”
“Why? Because I think it would be good for Trev…I miss you, Kyra.”
“What game are you playing?” Boy, the bullshit’s getting deep here.
“Playing? I don’t understand, Kyra. I miss you. I know we won’t be together again, but I’d like to be friends. I think it’d be good for Trev to have both of us at dinner.”
He’s up to something, she just couldn’t figure out what. He’d been so mad at her when he found out about the 401K fund. The fight—a real knock-out, drag-drown—was the most vicious they’d ever had. They’d both said things they couldn’t take back. He told her there was no place in his life for her—to him, she was dead.
“Please put him on, Tommy.”
“Okay. I’ll call you Monday.” She heard him yell to Trevor. Then yell again, before she heard Trevor respond.
“Hi, Mommy.”
Her heart wrenched at his voice. Trevor represented everything good in her life. Guilt tugged at her heart strings. Praying he’d never know how she’d crossed the line. How she broke the law.
He sounded so excited. “Hi baby.”
“Mom, I’m not a baby. You promised not to call me one anymore.” She heard the frustration in his voice. God, how she missed him. Why, at six, did he want to grow up so fast? He would always be her baby.
“I know, Trev, but remember, I promised not to do it in front of other people, only when we’re alone or on the phone, okay?”
“Alright. I missed you last night.”
It tore at her heart. How could she have forgotten to call him? The date and work weren’t more important than Trevor. Nothing was more important than Trevor. Yet, she’d still forgotten about him three times this week. Could it be all the stress in her life? Am I a bad mother? Tears filled her eyes.
“I missed you too, Trev. I worked late last night. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Mommy. When am I going to see you?” He was still enough of a child that he switched between Mom and Mommy. She loved when he called her Mommy.
Burn in Hell_A Jake Carrington Mystery Page 6
