Both paramedics were ridiculously young; they looked like they were barely out of high school, but they went right to work. I found myself shut out of their efficient circle.
I stood on the sidewalk and watched them roll John out of the alcove and place him flat on his back on the sidewalk. The paramedics methodically opened boxes of equipment as they spoke to each other in medical shorthand. Aaron lurked silently in the doorway, watching.
A small crowd formed around us. It was street theater, and they jostled for the best views. I wanted to scream at them, to tell them to go about their business. I wanted to call them vultures, feeding off of other people's misery. But I never took my eyes off of John, and I said nothing.
It was over very fast. An ambulance pulled up, and the paramedics loaded John inside. I started to climb in, but they closed the doors and pulled away, leaving me standing on the sidewalk.
I found Aaron at my elbow. He glanced at his phone. "Our ride will be here in five. I'll go with you," he said. "You shouldn't be alone."
People say that they remember these tragedies as a blur, but every moment of that night stands out for me in bright bursts: the short, noncommittal responses from the nursing station, Aaron and me squirming in uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room for hours, the crisp creases in the ER doctor's surgical greens when he came out to talk to me, the exact words he said.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Spencer – he was gone before he reached us. You have our sympathies for your loss."
I think now that the doctor must have practiced that line a thousand times in medical school, but to me his words were fresh and they cut deep. John was gone.
There's a ritual to these things. The bureaucracy is in charge of death. Reports must be written and documents filed. People who die suddenly or alone are not exempt. Unattended deaths are brought back into the system by autopsy.
It was hard for me to bear the notion. John wasn't vain, but he was proud of his body. An autopsy felt like a violation, but I needed to know how John had died. Still, I was pretty sure that medicine had no answers for me.
The emergency room doctors had no clue. John's defensive posture in the doorway suggested that he had been assaulted, but there were no external injuries – not even a bruise from when he fell. There was no sign of heart disease, no brain hemorrhage. The toxicology screen was clean.
The doctors were stumped. The cause of death was listed as heart failure, simply because when someone dies their heart stops. The police, having no other clues, were happy to accept that explanation.
But I knew the truth. John was not killed at our door. John was killed by the door. And I needed to know why.
♦ ♦ ♦
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A Note from Amanda
If you enjoyed Seer in Starlight, please tell a friend – or two or three.
I'd also appreciate it if you'd leave a quick review. There’s nothing mystical about book reviewing. All you have to say is whether you liked the book, and why. Honest feedback is important, and I need it from all sorts of readers.
Leaving a review is easy. The Pentacle Pawn series is published exclusively on Amazon, so just go to the book’s page. Under the title, you’ll see the number of reviews that have already been left. Click on that link, and it will take you to the reviews page, where you’ll find a button labeled “Write a customer review.” It’s that simple.
The online book market is huge, and even the most famous writers sometimes get lost in the crowd. You'll be helping me a lot as I start on this new adventure.
– Amanda Hartford
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Series by Amanda Hartford
See all of Amanda Hartford's books and join her mailing list at amandahartford.com
Pentacle Pawn
Paranormal cozy mysteries set in New Orleans and in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Pentacle Pawn trilogy: Maggie Flournoy runs a pawn shop for magical objects, but sometimes things can get out of hand.
The Stella Novellas: Stella can read people’s thoughts as easily as if she were watching a TV sitcom — and the thoughts coming to her from the backseat as she drives her rideshare passengers are about to get really interesting.
Last Word and Testament
Cozy mysteries set in Hollywood.
Deadly Deadline: Hollywood-based publisher Gracie Michaels specializes in finding manuscripts written by recently deceased authors. Sometimes getting their projects to the finish line can be murder.
Puppy Dog Eyes
Sweet holiday romances set in a day spa for pets.
A Home for the Holidays: Gert's Guy: Linnie was the popular girl in high school and MC was the class nerd, but they were best pals. Now they're back in each other's lives - but what does that really mean? It's complicated, and Christmas is coming.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Mhaire for being my editor and my friend.
Many thanks to Jim Fox for his help, counsel and high tolerance for fast food.
Intellectual property
Seer in Starlight, first electronic edition
Copyright © 2019 by Amanda Hartford. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in critical articles or in a review.
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