Up from the Grave Read Online Free PDF Page B

Hugh cautioned as he arched his left eyebrow, “mind how you go.”
    “I’ll try to be as civil as possible,” she promised her husband and watched the auto trundle down the road.
    Taking deliberate steps with Dr. Meredith toward the upturned earth, Berdie took in the full scene of the mad scramble: the disturbed earth, the guardian constable, and Wilkie’s toppled chair.
    “It’s quite mad,” she declared then stopped to question the pathologist. “Does Goodnight have just cause to call this a crime scene? People have been buried in church yards for hundreds of years.”
    Dr. Meredith tipped his head. “We need to examine it a bit more, but those are not ancient bones. Human remains in a shallow grave with no apparent vestige of burial, yes, we need some investigating.” Loren put his broad shoulders at attention. “I dare say Albert Goodnight has not handled the situation appropriately, but that doesn’t discredit the law entirely.”
    Berdie smiled. “Well said.”
    Lillie approached, appearing quite shaken. “Had a film writer created this whole event I wouldn’t have believed it.” With a bewildered look in her eye, she gave her hand to the doctor who caressed it gently. He pulled her near and placed a kiss on her cheek.
    “Are you all right?” he asked.
    “Far better than Mr. Gordon, I dare say.”
    “Hugh’s taken him to Honeywell’s,” Loren assured.
    “How are you fairing?” Lillie, Berdie knew, could read her uneasiness.
    She looked at the ground. “Frankly, I feel a bit responsible for Wilkie.”
    “You?” Lillie questioned with a wrinkled brow.
    “I made a promise to a parishioner concerning him, and I didn’t follow through. Perhaps he would be home with his Mary now instead of being dashed off to the doctor had I done my part.”
    “Stuff and nonsense.” Loren’s voice was soothing. “You can’t be responsible for another person’s behavior, promise or not.”
    Lillie nodded, her eyes expressing the kindness best friends share.
    “As you say.” Berdie understood the doctor’s point. Still, she’d let Cherry down. Perhaps a few words from Hugh could have settled Wilkie a bit. But that now was a moot point.
    “Moving on then.” Lillie looked expectantly at her love interest. “What did you think of our musical performance?”
    When he didn’t respond her smile left with the silence.
    “Ah, I see. Some desperate corpse needed a rush liver dissection I shouldn’t wonder?” Lillie had a splash of cold rain in her voice.
    “Something like that.” Loren took her other hand and focused his full attention on his beautiful woman. “This has all been a bit of an ordeal. Lillie, why don’t you go home and take a moment. I’ll be there in a tic to take you out for dinner.” The doctor’s smoldering brown eyes searched Lillie’s face.
    “Right,” she responded and looked sheepishly at Berdie. Then she directed her eyes to Loren, one hand on her hip. “Hopefully, no needy corpse will interrupt this time. Perhaps we’ll actually complete our meal?” She was curt.
    “Shortly then.”
    Lillie released the doctor’s hands and made for the road.
    “It’s not just today’s upset that’s troubling her, is it?” Loren observed out loud.
    “No,” Berdie offered honestly thinking of the conversation she and Lillie had earlier in the day. “But that’s a discussion between you and her.”
    “How long could investigating something like this take?” Goodnight, still standing by the dig, called to the doctor.
    Berdie and Loren moved next to the constable.
    “We’re quite busy in the lab. Short a person,” Dr. Meredith responded.
    Goodnight addressed Berdie. “You can run along home now, Mrs. Elliott. The vicar’s wife don’t hang about crime scenes.”
    “Constable, I was an investigative reporter. Crime scenes were everyday fare.”
    “Yes, but that was then. You’re with the church now, aren’t you?”
    “Mrs. Elliott could be a grand asset for you, if