Bluebeard 01-Fragments of Fear by Knightly W L

Author:Knightly, W L [Knightly, W L]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Suspense, American Suspense, Police Procedural, Crime Thriller, Murder Investigation, Serial Killer
Amazon: B0D7N1B8LZ
Goodreads: 215049704
Publisher: Star Key Press
Published: 2024-06-19T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

Seth pulled up at Endless Memories Funeral Home, hoping to determine whether Peter had stopped in like he was supposed to. Things with the mysterious, disappearing fiancé weren’t adding up. If Celia Long had been murdered, Peter Dougan was at the top of the list of suspects.

Seth walked into the building and a woman met him up front. She appeared a bit older than him, with light shoulder-length hair and a big smile that looked somewhat painful. “Welcome to Endless Memories,” she said. “How can I help you today?”

“I am Detective Riordan. I’m here to speak with the mortician. I wanted to talk to them about Celia Long. Her fiancé Peter Dougan was supposed to come and claim her body and handle the arrangements. I was hoping to find out who he spoke with.”

The woman’s face fell, and the painfully forced smile was replaced with a sour look. “Well, it’s about time someone came around asking about her. I just ordered the spot in the pauper’s graveyard for her this morning. I didn’t think anyone would come to claim her after such a long time. The poor thing.”

“So, wait, she’s still here?” Seth had wondered if that was the case. And while it was sad news for Celia, it might be good news for Seth. “What condition is she in?”

“We have been keeping her on ice,” she said, careful not to raise her voice despite no one else being around. “She’s been here for nearly two months now. We simply do not have the space for bodies to be piling up. Or the money to do embalming for free.”

“Well, perhaps I can help. I’m pretty sure she was murdered. I’m going to want to see the body and talk to anyone who may have come in contact with her. As well as anyone who spoke with Mr. Dougan.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Mr. Dougan will not return my calls. It’s like he’s fallen off the face of the earth. I guess he didn’t want to deal with the financial burden of burying her. And to be honest, I’m not even sure I have the right number for him. The one I was given rang for a few days, but now it’s not even working.”

“Can I see the number?”

“Sure,” she said. “She walked over to the desk and handed him a tablet. “I wrote it there.”

“That’s not her fiancé’s number,” said Seth. “It’s Celia’s.”

“Well, no wonder I didn’t even get a voicemail. I was told that he would be claiming her when he got back in town from a business trip, only he never called me.”

“I see. So, you never saw him?” That would rule out any surveillance footage. He might have better luck with cameras around the spa.

“He hasn’t been here, as far as I know. And if you ask me, it’s disrespectful to let someone sit there in the cooler. If we had had a disaster or a situation with multiple clients, we would have had to do something with her.

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