Milford Coal & Ice by J A Hoda

Author:J A Hoda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John A. Hoda

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Several days pass. Erin updates me regularly. There has been no word from Shafer. I wasn’t expecting anyone to walk into his offices and confess. Yoga, meditation, and long walks allow me to concentrate on the double homicides from years gone by. I work tirelessly with Emelina on the hundred and one little things that need to be done for the funerals. Today, the images of the skeletons on the dusty mansion floor give way to more acceptable ones. I stare at two polished silver urns in front of a decent gathering in Milford’s largest funeral home. Doc Cleary had given permission for the cremations after the skeletal remains of both Mr. and Mrs. Bidwell were identified by DNA.

Stands of flowers from the Chamber of Commerce and other civic organizations flank the urns. Their colors and scents make for a warm contrast to the gloom outside and the subdued drapery of the main viewing room. Soft organ music is piped in through speakers in each corner.

I sit next to Emelina, who is the only Bidwell family member present. Abe sits next to her on the other side, and my family sits behind us. She has outlived all her kin. Elderly Sorrento cousins from out of town and their children come to pay their respects to Antoinette, who has been missing from their lives for over half a century. It’s an act of familial obligation that Emelina appreciates.

Unmarried and childless, Emelina fawned over her niece, and she appreciates the outpouring of condolences on this damp, bone-chilling February day. Foul play was not suspected when Antoinette disappeared, but then everyone had thought Andrew skipped town when the police started looking at him as a suspect. It was then when people began wondering what happened to her. The sheer number of years of not hearing from either of them left a hole in Emelina’s heart. It is now filling with grief and maybe something else, but I can’t put my finger on it. I must admit that over the years I have known her, I was the one needing her wisdom and solace. My stepmother, Jean, and my father were there for me when it involved anything to do with my kids, but Emelina was there for all the issues of being a kindergarten teacher. As budgets shrunk and the state mandated all forms of testing, I needed her desperately as a sane sounding board.

I can only think of a handful of times when I could help her on some matter. Feisty and independent, Emelina Bidwell made it clear that she could take care of herself. She never seemed to age. Her indomitable spirit and infectious good cheer were the outpouring of her energy to live life even more fully after her retirement from teaching. Since discovering her niece’s death, I have seen Em’s pain transform her into a tired old woman whose better years are behind her. I am hoping that after today, we can help restore her liveliness and spunk.

We know most, if not all, the folks who have gathered.

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