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“Well, if not, then deputy, who are you looking at?”
“Still looking at a number of people, Jeff, but I must tell you your brother is a person of interest.”
“That’s ridiculous. Eddie had nothing to do with Grant’s death. I know that for a fact. He always looked up to Grant growing up. You’re really missing the boat if you’re spending time on Eddie.”
“Thanks for your input, Jeff. I plan to follow the facts of the case wherever they lead. I’m ruling out nobody. I’ve got to go. Let me know if you come across anything that might help my investigation.”
Chapter twenty-nine
Grant’s funeral was scheduled for 1:00 pm on Saturday at the Schriver Funeral Home in Granite Cove. Jeff didn’t look forward to attending it. They delayed the funeral for the autopsy and the timing of getting relatives in from out of town. Funerals were not something Jeff enjoyed. Of course, nobody really enjoys them. However, this one for his brother meant he would be shaking hands, reminiscing, and hearing the same old condolences from half of Granite Cove. Jeff really wanted to get this over with and move on and try to help find Grant’s killer.
Jeff wore his brown suit, the only formal attire he still owned. He couldn’t remember when he last wore it. He had casually mentioned it to Francine when she asked why he had it hanging in the foyer. He told her he needed to get it cleaned. When he came home a day later, it appeared in the same place, encased in plastic, cleaned, and pressed. Francine said she took the liberty of getting it done along with a freshly pressed white shirt. She said she knew how distracted he’d become and didn’t want him to look disheveled at his brother’s funeral.
Jeff put on the suit and grabbed a red striped tie from the four hanging in his closet. He struggled to tie the necktie because his deceased wife Charlotte had always tied them in the past. Finally, he got a decent Windsor knot tied with some internet help. Now he felt ready to do his duty.
Jeff had to arrive at the funeral home by noon to greet the well-wishers. The Schriver Funeral Home was small, with only two viewing rooms. Sarah followed Grant’s wishes for a small quiet ceremony that would be performed by a local minister from the Presbyterian church. Grant didn’t belong to any church in Granite Cove. He did support many church projects and charitable events by donating time and money frequently. He became friends with Pastor Rawlings through his charitable contributions. The pastor eagerly agreed to conduct a ceremony for Jeff at the funeral home. Sarah dressed in a black Dior dress, and Jeff wondered if her fashion-conscious daughter helped pick it out.
Sarah introduced Jeff to many of her friends and relatives. Jeff also talked briefly with his niece Julie who had flown in from New York. He dutifully greeted every person and repeated the same message that they had not caught the killer yet, but the police would surely close the case very soon.
Eddie arrived late as usual but within minutes, greeted everyone in the room. Eddie became the focal point of every conversation due to his charisma and outgoing personality. He spent much of his time in the back of the room talking with friends who arrived to pay their respects.
Mooch and Frenchie arrived shortly after Eddie. Mooch wore a brown corduroy sport coat that looked like it had been made back in 1940 when they built the Roads End camp. Frenchie wore a western-style shirt with a string tie, making him look like Wyatt Earp. Jeff asked Frenchie about his look, and he admitted he didn’t own a suit, sport coat, or dress shirt. Mooch and Frenchie came early because both had other things to do that day. Jeff thanked them for coming, and they paid their respects to the family and left quickly, obviously relieved to be released from the solemn funeral home.
The next people Jeff saw entering the parlor were Cyrus and Martha Campbell. Jeff knew Cyrus wouldn’t miss Grant’s funeral. Jeff noticed Martha seemed much more frail than the last time he saw her. She walked very slowly with a lot of help from Cyrus. Grant greeted them warmly and introduced them around to the family. Cyrus pulled Jeff aside and apologized that they couldn’t stay long because Martha was not feeling good. He also asked Jeff about any news on the killer. Jeff said, “unfortunately, there is nothing solid. I’m concerned that the deputy on the case is in over his head and “barking up the wrong trees.” He reassured Cyrus he understood the reason they had to leave. Jeff also warned Cyrus he might get contacted by the authorities since his name was provided to police on a list of visitors to Roads End. He told Cyrus he looked forward to getting together with him later when things quieted down.
Jeff later hung out with Elk, who arrived just after Cyrus and Martha left. They stood near the back of the room while Sarah, Julie, and Grant’s mother-in-law, Irene, held court near Grant’s casket. Elk dressed in a dark pantsuit with a white blouse. Her look was quite different from the hunting garb she frequently wore. People were coming over to Jeff to offer condolences, and Elk was in rare form, critiquing some of the local “townies.”
“That’s Steve McMaster and his awful wife, Patty. What a blowhard that guy is. He wants to run for mayor badly. Nobody is going to vote for a crook like him. I also can’t stand his wife. She thinks she’s god's gift to men and tries to flirt with every guy she sees. Oh, No, Henry Hopp. I think he’s coming over here. He is the so-called cook at Bagley’s diner. I would rather eat my shoe than any piece of meat that man cooked. Oh, Jeff, look over there. See that woman with the low-cut black dress? That’s Jeanine Sparrow, who used to work for Grant at Koehler. They fired her because she was too lazy to do her work. She’s got that low-cut top on. Somebody must have told her “slutty chic” would be appropriate at a funeral. Some people have no class!”
A large rotund man about 50 years old came over to Elk and Jeff and introduced himself to Jeff as Benjamin Basley. He said he joined the Koehler office staff about 18 months ago and became a trusted confidante and financial advisor to Grant. When he left, Elk clued Jeff in on Mr. Basley. “That was BS Basley. Everyone in the office knows he’s the biggest bullshitter in the entire company. Nobody can stand the guy. He works with the office staff as a kind of “gopher,” running errands and doing odd jobs so the real workers can get stuff done. He goes around telling people he advised Grant on financial matters. What a crock! The only financial matter BS Basley ever advised Grant on was the amount of money he needed from petty cash for the Subway sandwiches he had to pick up for lunch.”
Jeff tried not to laugh at Elk’s banter, knowing laughter would not be appropriate at his brother’s funeral. It wasn’t that Jeff hadn’t grieved already since losing his brother. The thought had brought him to tears several times since it happened. Many people who cared little about Grant attended the ceremony, and it wasn’t a venue where Jeff could express his grief.
As Jeff stifled a laugh from Elk’s latest running commentary about a local “Jesus Freak,” he glanced toward the door as Carrie Cunningham entered the parlor. Carrie dressed conservatively in a black faux-wrap sheath dress that matched the occasion perfectly with a strand of white pearls. Jeff had never seen Carrie in a dress and couldn’t help but notice how attractive she looked. Carrie immediately approached Jeff and expressed her condolences again regarding Grant’s death. Jeff thanked her and introduced her to Elk. “Carrie Cunningham, this is Patricia Elkins. Carrie is the family practice doctor over at the clinic in town. Patricia owned a restaurant and later worked at Koehler Iron Works, running the food service for my father and brother.”
“Nice to meet you, Patricia. Do you go by Patricia or Pat?”
“Neither. Everyone just calls me Elk. It’s nice to meet you too.”
The three of them made small talk until Elk got summoned across the room by some employees from Koehler that missed her since she retired.
Jeff turned to Carrie, saying, “I appreciate you coming to this. I know these things are not fun. It means a lot. Hey, I just want to apologize for my conduct on our drive….” Carrie abruptly cut him off mid-sentence.
“No, Jeff, don’t say another word. I’m the one who should apologize. I totally overreacted. It’s not an excuse, but many things have been happening with my daughter and Todd’s recent marriage that knocked me off kilter. I hope we can just forget what happened and remain friends.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Carrie. I do agree that I’d love to forget about that whole thing and pretend it never happened.”
“Let’s do that,” Carrie replied. Jeff then took her around and introduced her to some people in attendance, including Sarah and Julie.
Later, Jeff left briefly to talk to a cousin he hadn’t seen for nearly ten years. Carrie found herself standing next to Elk, whom she liked almost immediately because of her candor and blunt demeanor.
Elk turned to Carrie and said, “So Doc, I like you. By now, I’m sure you know Jeff has a crush on you. Whatever happens, going forward, you better treat him right. I knew Jeff when he came into our restaurant with his father as a young boy. He’s a good guy who has been through a lot in his life. If you aren’t good to him, you’ll have me to answer to.”
“Elk, I can see Jeff is a lucky guy to have a friend like you. But I think you’ve misjudged our relationship because we’re just friends.”
“You may think that Doc, but I see the way he looks at you. I’m his friend, and I know almost every other friend he has. He doesn’t look at any of us the way he looks at you. In any case, that's between the two of you. As long as you’re good to him, you and I will be friends too. I’ve got to get going now. I’m going to pop over to Jeff and say my goodbyes. Nice meeting you, Doc.”
After Elk left, Jeff returned to Carrie, who prepared to leave. Carrie again expressed her condolences. “Jeff, I know this must be a terribly tough time for you, so keep me in mind if you ever need someone to talk to. Since I’m no longer your doctor, I can meet you for a sandwich or coffee sometime if you think it might help. Sorry, I can’t stay longer, but Tyler has a basketball practice that I must get him to.”
