Page 52 of Grave Danger

Of course, Lucia had done the honors of taking Cody’s statement. She’d peppered him with questions about the incident and stared with a cool, detached expression as he responded. Sometimes she just sat and stared, and he knew enough to let the silence play out. It had been hours since the attack, and Cody was tired, hungry, and worried about Demmy. He lost his temper more than once, but he had to give Lucia credit. She never flinched or got angry herself. The questions she asked, and in most instances repeated, were relevant, seeking clarification of the event. Eventually, she either grew bored of talking with him, or truly thought his only motivation had been to protect Demmy. She released him with the all too familiar warning not to leave town, and told him she’d be in touch once the autopsy on the mechanic’s body was completed.

With the Critter Catchers office off limits as a crime scene, that morning Lucia had stopped by their house. The man who attacked Demmy had been named Phil Wolek. He was a mechanic at Drives Rite, a repair shop three blocks over from the Critter Catchers office. Harvey, the owner of Drives Rite, had told Lucia and Zellmer that Phil came in late to work one day with a crazy story about confronting an old woman going through his trash the night before, and she’d bitten him on the arm. In the days afterward, Phil had complained about feeling ill, and he hadn’t shown up to work or answered his phone the day prior to his attacking Demmy, so Harvey had decided it was time to fire him.

Cody supposed he could expect a thank you card from Harvey for saving him the paperwork.

The autopsy had already been completed because the state police wanted to understand the crazy shit going on, once again, in Parson’s Hollow. Lucia informed them Phil had been dead for at least two days before Cody had bashed in his head, so technically Cody hadn’t murdered him.

First time he’d avoided a murder charge based on a technicality. Hopefully the last.

“How’s Jugs seeming to you?”

Demmy’s question pulled Cody out of his thoughts.

“Seems okay, I guess. Why?”

“Just wondered. He got scratched, so…”

“Oh. No. I haven’t noticed anything like that. He’s ordered thoroughly cooked meat at lunch, and hasn’t once tried to bite me.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“That it is. I saw him as a werewolf. I definitely don’t want to see him as a zombie.”

“You okay?” Demmy asked, leaning in again to squeeze his thigh.

“Yeah. I’ll just be glad when we can figure out what to do with this fucking car.”

“Maybe her sister will want it?”

“God, I hope so.”

“We could offer to use it as a hearse for the Widow’s funeral tomorrow.” Demmy looked into the backseat. “We could probably fit her coffin back there.”

Cody grunted. “There goes my plans with you for that backseat.”

“You had plans for me? In this car?”

“Hell, yeah. I was going to get the most out of this thing. Show it a good time.”

“You don’t think the Widow had sex in the backseat all the years she owned this car?”

“Why would you put that image in my head?”

Demmy smiled and gestured out the windshield. “Don’t miss the driveway to Parson’s Pine.”

After making the turn, Cody drove past the nursing and convalescent building where his Grandma Felicia was being cared for. He really needed to get out here and pay her a visit. As he navigated the gentle curves of the asphalt road leading to the condominiums and apartments, Cody appreciated the handling of the Cadillac. It glided along the road, and the steering wheel felt natural and responsive. If it wouldn’t end up bankrupting them filling the tank every other day, he’d seriously consider keeping the damn thing.

Cody parked at the curb in front of Amelia and Otis’s condo and shut off the engine. He had to put some effort into pushing the door open, and wondered how the hell the Widow had gotten in and out. Rounding the long, gleaming front of the car, he joined Demmy on the grassy berm and together they headed toward the door. Neighbors stood on porches or looked out windows, whispering to each other as they stared at them and the car.

“Everyone knows this car,” Cody said.

“Oh yeah. It’s like a town attraction.”

“Pretty much the worst one ever. And I’m including the largest ball of twine and biggest rocking chair.”

“Hey,” Demmy said with a smirk. “That rocking chair was pretty damn cool.”

The door to the condo opened before they reached it, and Otis stepped out on the porch. “Hi, boys.”