Free From Sin (A Possum Gap Novel Book 1) by Karen Ann Hopkins

Author:Karen Ann Hopkins [Hopkins, Karen Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

17

Sadie

The faint scent of formaldehyde made me exhale. I hated the smell. It added to the discomfort of the cold room in the basement of the morgue. The walls were a glaring white, and the body drawers, stainless steel. Coming down here never got easier, especially on the rare occasions when a body had to be identified. Most families were distraught, and the emotional aspect added a sickening realness that the corpse on the table used to be alive. The times when the family members were reserved, callously so, made it worse. Like now. I crossed my arms as I stood to the side, hugging myself.

This was Russo’s territory. I gladly let him take charge of the scene. He carefully draped the paper blanket back, revealing a redheaded man in his twenties—Jax Dover. His skin would have been tanned when living. A large red birthmark covered part of his left cheek. His hair had been pulled back in a ponytail when we’d bagged him at the trailer. Russo had let it down, showing its long length. Jax was tall and lanky. He would have stuck out in a crowd.

I studied the woman and man who stepped forward. They were his mother and stepfather—Geraldine Dover and Jessie Dixon. Her hair was gray at the roots, but the ends were the same bright color as Jax’s. The man’s bearded face was indifferent, but the mom sniffed a couple of times. They were both dressed like they’d just returned from a hike in the woods. It seemed people from the Dover clan were more at ease outside in nature than hemmed up in any room.

“Yep. That’s him,” Jessie said with no emotion at all.

Russo lifted the blanket to cover the man back up, but Geraldine stopped him.

“Wait!” She moved to her son’s side, bent forward, and kissed his forehead. “You’re a good boy, Jax. You done right. The family is grateful.”

Her mountain accent was thick, but I understood her plainly, and it caused my heart to stutter. What a strange thing to say to her dead son.

Russo eyed me as he finished covering Jax. He’d picked up on her statement as well.

I came forward and placed my hand on Geraldine’s shoulder. “Let’s go into the other room.” She let me guide her out of the morgue while Jessie and Russo followed behind. The conference room was small, but at least it had a coffee machine. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” I glanced between Geraldine and Jessie.

He gave a brisk shake of his head, and she said, “That would be appreciated.”

I started the coffee brewing and sat down across from the couple. “I’m very sorry about your son. We’ll release him tomorrow to the funeral home of your choice.”

“We’re taking him straight home. There’s a family plot on Jewelweed Hill. Like all our kin, he’ll be laid to rest in a pine box there.”

Burial laws in Kentucky were fairly lax, so I let it go. “I’m sorry to talk about anything upsetting, but I do have a few questions about Jax, if you don’t mind.

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