Body Movers: 2 Bodies for the Price of 1 by Stephanie Bond

Author:Stephanie Bond
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 2007-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

22

The rest of the day passed in relative quiet, considering the prior few weeks of Carlotta’s life. The best thing about being dead, she realized, was that for the most part no one expected much from you.

Except your creditors.

Four more collection agencies called, with ominous warnings that she would regret not making arrangements to get her account up-to-date. With those words ringing in her head, Carlotta dove into the basket of unopened bills and began to try to decipher just how bad things were.

Using a service available to law enforcement, Jack ordered credit reports on her social security number from all three reporting bureaus. “Might as well get your cell-phone records, too.”

“Is that necessary?” she asked, wondering if the call from her father would somehow stand out.

“Since we know that someone bought an unauthorized phone on your account, it’s one of our best leads.”

If someone else was using her phone number or account, it would be the perfect way to explain away a strange phone number. Or she could always say that she answered the call, but no one responded.

If the Wrens had one talent, it was telling a good lie.

Plus ten points.

“What was the name of the florist who delivered the roses?”

“I don’t remember,” she said.

“Would you know it if you saw it again?”

“Maybe.”

He handed her the four-inch thick A to K volume of the Atlanta yellow pages and she begrudgingly turned to florists.

An hour later, to take a break from the yellow pages, she decided to clean the house. Armed with a vacuum and a can of Pledge, she gave the place a once-over to remove the worst of the accumulated dust and grime. From multiple surfaces in her bedroom, she gathered enough clothing for two loads of laundry—including Jack’s handkerchief that he’d wrapped around her thorn-bitten finger—and found a missing shoe.

All the while, Jack sat at the kitchen counter like an automaton and monitored the surveillance cameras, but only a kid selling magazines stopped by, and later Hannah to put a black wreath on the door.

Carlotta wanted to go to her, but Jack was adamant. So with a heavy heart she watched her Goth-garbed friend trudge back to her refrigerated van, grimacing at making her cry off her black eyeliner and blow her pierced nose.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Jack said, wincing at the monitor, “how on earth did the two of you become friends?”

“Uh…I don’t think I want to tell you.”

He lifted a dark eyebrow. “At the risk of incriminating yourself?”

“It’s not like we did anything illegal…really.”

“You talking about the party-crashing?”

“Yeah. She was catering a big party and let me in through the kitchen. We’ve been friends ever since.”

“Charming.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I’m just not into parties and fancy events. I look for excuses to get out of those kinds of things.”

“Like your awards dinner?” she asked, wondering if he’d go alone.

He pursed his lips, then nodded.

“So you never did tell me what the award is for.”

Jack shrugged. “It’s not for anything in particular I did.

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