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“Thank you, Chief,” said Devine quite sincerely.
“But if it’s all negative, will you stop with all this murder talk?”
“Yes. You have my word.”
“Okay, we’ll leave your truck here. You can ride with us.”
At the funeral home, they found Fred Bing and asked where his sister was.
“She’s just finishing something up. Should be done in a few minutes. I’ll let her know you’re here.”
“Thanks,” said Harper.
Five minutes later Guillaume appeared. She was wearing a full leather apron and was taking off a pair of sturdy gloves.
“What’s up, Chief?” she said after giving Devine a glare.
“I want you to run some tests on Earl’s remains.”
“Tests? On Earl?” she said, looking stunned.
“Yeah, blood and tox. We want to check to see if he was maybe drugged or something. Devine has a theory.” He added, “Probably won’t amount to much.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t run those tests,” she said quickly.
Devine stepped forward. “If you won’t, we’ll find someone else who will.”
“You don’t understand, no one can run those tests now,” she persisted.
“Why the hell not?” demanded a confused Fuss.
“Because Earl’s remains have been cremated. I just finished doing it.”
CHAPTER
62
ANNIE PALMER LOOKED TRAUMATIZED. SHEwas sitting in a booth at Maine Brew with Devine next to her and Harper and Fuss across from her. They had previously taken Devine back to retrieve his truck and then followed him here.
“I signed the papers for them to cremate Gramps. It’s what he wanted. Bertie was cremated and her ashes spread over the harbor. I was planning to do the same with his. Dr. Guillaume called and had me come in. She said everything was done and it was time to take care of the body. I was happy that he wanted to be cremated. I mean, I don’t have the money for a casket and burial plot and all. I was planning on having a celebration of his life here at the café, for his friends.” She paused. “I’m the only family left; my mom and dad had no siblings.”
Harper sighed and looked at Devine. “Just unfortunate, way I see it. But nothing out of the ordinary, either. They’re running a business. And they’d jumped through all the hoops. We knew the tests hadn’t been done, and I didn’t order any. Buck stops with me. We were a day late and a dollar short.”
Devine rubbed his brow, looking and feeling immensely frustrated.
“I’m sorry if I messed up,” said Palmer.
Fuss took her hand with a gentleness that surprised Devine. She said, “You did nothing wrong, hon. You did what your granddad wanted.”
They left Palmer there and walked out. On the pavement Harper studied his muddy shoes before looking up at Devine. “So what now?”
“I don’t know,” Devine said frankly. “I need to think some things through.”
Devine got into the truck and drove off. He popped in a tape and started listening to CCR. He eyed the sky where the sun was long gone and the darkness was coming for them all. He sang along with the lyrics on the tape:“Well, don’t go ’round tonight / It’s bound to take your life / There’s a bad moon on the rise.”
He pressed the gas and went faster.
His phone buzzed.
