Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Last Respects
Sadie stamped snow from her shoes and entered the back door of the funeral home. She passed the crematorium, the morgue, and the casket display room. Ignoring the acrid odor of embalming fluid, she eyed the steep steps to the first floor and decided to take the elevator. After 40 years as secretary-receptionist at Courtland Funeral Home, she should be used to the place, but she felt jittery; she seldom returned so late at night.
Being here now was her own fault. Leaving the elevator, she entered her office at the top of the steps and jotted a note on a memo pad. Had she remembered to place the address where Sam Jackson's services were to be held the next day on his casket where the hearse driver expected to find them, she would have been home now watching TV. She walked past the front reception desk and into the chapel. Poor Sam. His wife was one of the unlucky victims Sid had pressured into buying his most expensive casket. How unfair. That hadn't been old Mr. Courtland's way.
After taping the address to the casket, Sadie was heading toward the elevator when the front door opened and she heard Ruth and Sid's angry voices. Their arguments had grown more frequent recently, and now she debated on coughing to announce her presence or momentarily hiding in her closet to save everyone embarrassment.
As the voices grew louder and closer, she opted for the closet, leaving the door open a crack so she could see into the hallway. Surely they'd leave soon. Although she and Ruth had coffee together every morning, Sadie never pried into Ruth's private affairs. And Ruth never mentioned her arguments with Sid. That was as it should be. It would be unseemly for an employee to take sides in a marital dispute.
She had enjoyed working for Ruth's father, old Mr. Courtland, but she had disliked Sid Dedrick ever since she had seen him dining with another woman in the city. Luckily, he hadn't seen her and she had told no one of the incident. She also hated the way his business practices were driving Courtland into the ground in spite of the customer's paying top dollar. Ruth had turned all business arrangements over to Sid and Sadie wondered if Ruth knew they were facing bankruptcy.
"We can't afford it," Sid shouted. "I'm not made of money."
"Where does our money go?" Ruth asked. "We deserve a vacation. We barely had a honeymoon -- three days at the World Series. You hardly knew I was there."
"I saw enough of you, that's for sure," he snarled. They were in clear view of the closet door now, and Sadie saw Sid's face flush as suddenly he stepped behind Ruth, placed both hands on her shoulders and shoved. At first Sadie thought it was she who had screamed, then she realized the sound had come from Ruth. The scream seemed to last forever; then when it stopped, Sadie heard Ruth's body tumble down more stairs and thud against the morgue door. Fear paralyzed her. Was Ruth dead? What could she do? Dial 911? Sid would say Ruth fell. He might even say Sadie pushed her. It would be his word against hers. Before she could work out a plan, Sid entered her office, picked up the conference phone.
"Cassie, is that you?" Sid's voice gritted. "It's done. She just had an accidental fall. A very bad fall."
"Oh, Sid. Are you sure she's dead?"
"Of course, I'm sure. Broken neck."
"Did you check for a pulse?"
"I didn't need to. I could tell she's dead. Tomorrow Sadie will find her body when she arrives for work."
"What will you tell the police?"
"The story we planned -- we had argued and I thought Ruth had left me."
"This better work, Sid. I'm through waiting for you."
"Now, Cassie, you know it'll take some months to settle her estate with all her money being tied up in a trust fund. But I've enough cash to set you up in Des Moines."
"Des Moines! You're kidding! What about Rio?"
"Des Moines for now, Cassie. I'll join you on weekends. Once the estate's settled, we'll be rich, but until then we'll be living on a short string."
Once Sid left her office, Sadie wiped sweat from her upper lip. She waited until she heard the front door close. Then she waited a while longer, fearful and grieving for Ruth. She couldn't prove Sid had shoved her. If she called the police they'd ask what she was doing here and maybe they'd blame her. And once Sid learned she had witnessed his act, she might be the next one to take a fall.
Was there a chance that Ruth was still alive? Forcing calmness, Sadie inched down the steps. Slowly. Cautiously. She knew from the grotesque twist of Ruth's neck that she was dead and she wasn't surprised when she felt no pulse. Anger and sorrow formed an aching ball in her chest as she sat thinking. She formed a plan, but if it backfired, she might be the one accused of murder. She stepped into the morgue and found a pair of plastic gloves.
It was almost midnight by the time Sadie walked the short distance home. She had a hard time getting to sleep. The next morning she arrived at work promptly. The groundskeeper had cleared snow from the parking lot and the sidewalk. The hearse driver had come and gone. At 9:15 Sid called. Sadie willed her voice to be firm, normal.
"Sadie, have you seen Ruth this morning?"
"Why, no, I haven't. Is there a problem?"
The wire hummed for a long time before Sid spoke again. "Well, of course, I don't think... I don't know... It's just that Ruth was here when we went to bed, but she isn't here now. Her bed's made, but it isn't like her to go off without me."
"That's strange."
"Uh... Um... Look in her office, will you?"
"Of course. Hold on a second." Sadie walked to Ruth's office and back so the time span would seem correct. "She's not there, Mr. Dedrick."
"I'll... I'll be right down." He hung up.
When Sid arrived, Sadie hurried to the door to meet him. "Any news of her?"
"None." He passed the receptionist's desk on his way to check in his own office, then in Ruth's. "Let's take a look in the business office, Sadie."
"I went there first thing. Ruth wasn't there." She watched Sid walk down the hall and take a covert look down the stairs. His face had a green tinge.
"Maybe you should call the police, Mr. Dedrick. If she's truly missing..."
"What do you mean, truly missing?"
"Oh, nothing really. It's just that many people who are reported missing turn up of their own free will in a day or two. Maybe Ruth has just gone to visit family."
Sid looked sick. "This can't be happening. I mean, this isn't a bit like Ruth."
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Yes. Yes, there is, Sadie. Would you represent me at the Jackson service in Centerville? The Jacksons will understand once they hear the circumstances."
"Of course. I'll be glad to do that."
Sadie mourned for Ruth all the way to Centerville. And as she slipped into the back pew at the church, she thought it ironic that Sid had manipulated the Jacksons into choosing an expensive casket -- plenty of room for two bodies. And no danger of the second one's being discovered, since Sam's family wanted a closed-casket service.
As the organ began to play and the fragrance of candle wax drifted through the sanctuary, Ruth wondered if Sid realized that a missing person couldn't be declared legally dead for seven years. Somehow she doubted that Cassie would wait. And what if, after six years or so, the police received an anonymous tip as to the whereabouts of Ruth's body?
Being here now was her own fault. Leaving the elevator, she entered her office at the top of the steps and jotted a note on a memo pad. Had she remembered to place the address where Sam Jackson's services were to be held the next day on his casket where the hearse driver expected to find them, she would have been home now watching TV. She walked past the front reception desk and into the chapel. Poor Sam. His wife was one of the unlucky victims Sid had pressured into buying his most expensive casket. How unfair. That hadn't been old Mr. Courtland's way.
After taping the address to the casket, Sadie was heading toward the elevator when the front door opened and she heard Ruth and Sid's angry voices. Their arguments had grown more frequent recently, and now she debated on coughing to announce her presence or momentarily hiding in her closet to save everyone embarrassment.
As the voices grew louder and closer, she opted for the closet, leaving the door open a crack so she could see into the hallway. Surely they'd leave soon. Although she and Ruth had coffee together every morning, Sadie never pried into Ruth's private affairs. And Ruth never mentioned her arguments with Sid. That was as it should be. It would be unseemly for an employee to take sides in a marital dispute.
She had enjoyed working for Ruth's father, old Mr. Courtland, but she had disliked Sid Dedrick ever since she had seen him dining with another woman in the city. Luckily, he hadn't seen her and she had told no one of the incident. She also hated the way his business practices were driving Courtland into the ground in spite of the customer's paying top dollar. Ruth had turned all business arrangements over to Sid and Sadie wondered if Ruth knew they were facing bankruptcy.
"We can't afford it," Sid shouted. "I'm not made of money."
"Where does our money go?" Ruth asked. "We deserve a vacation. We barely had a honeymoon -- three days at the World Series. You hardly knew I was there."
"I saw enough of you, that's for sure," he snarled. They were in clear view of the closet door now, and Sadie saw Sid's face flush as suddenly he stepped behind Ruth, placed both hands on her shoulders and shoved. At first Sadie thought it was she who had screamed, then she realized the sound had come from Ruth. The scream seemed to last forever; then when it stopped, Sadie heard Ruth's body tumble down more stairs and thud against the morgue door. Fear paralyzed her. Was Ruth dead? What could she do? Dial 911? Sid would say Ruth fell. He might even say Sadie pushed her. It would be his word against hers. Before she could work out a plan, Sid entered her office, picked up the conference phone.
"Cassie, is that you?" Sid's voice gritted. "It's done. She just had an accidental fall. A very bad fall."
"Oh, Sid. Are you sure she's dead?"
"Of course, I'm sure. Broken neck."
"Did you check for a pulse?"
"I didn't need to. I could tell she's dead. Tomorrow Sadie will find her body when she arrives for work."
"What will you tell the police?"
"The story we planned -- we had argued and I thought Ruth had left me."
"This better work, Sid. I'm through waiting for you."
"Now, Cassie, you know it'll take some months to settle her estate with all her money being tied up in a trust fund. But I've enough cash to set you up in Des Moines."
"Des Moines! You're kidding! What about Rio?"
"Des Moines for now, Cassie. I'll join you on weekends. Once the estate's settled, we'll be rich, but until then we'll be living on a short string."
Once Sid left her office, Sadie wiped sweat from her upper lip. She waited until she heard the front door close. Then she waited a while longer, fearful and grieving for Ruth. She couldn't prove Sid had shoved her. If she called the police they'd ask what she was doing here and maybe they'd blame her. And once Sid learned she had witnessed his act, she might be the next one to take a fall.
Was there a chance that Ruth was still alive? Forcing calmness, Sadie inched down the steps. Slowly. Cautiously. She knew from the grotesque twist of Ruth's neck that she was dead and she wasn't surprised when she felt no pulse. Anger and sorrow formed an aching ball in her chest as she sat thinking. She formed a plan, but if it backfired, she might be the one accused of murder. She stepped into the morgue and found a pair of plastic gloves.
It was almost midnight by the time Sadie walked the short distance home. She had a hard time getting to sleep. The next morning she arrived at work promptly. The groundskeeper had cleared snow from the parking lot and the sidewalk. The hearse driver had come and gone. At 9:15 Sid called. Sadie willed her voice to be firm, normal.
"Sadie, have you seen Ruth this morning?"
"Why, no, I haven't. Is there a problem?"
The wire hummed for a long time before Sid spoke again. "Well, of course, I don't think... I don't know... It's just that Ruth was here when we went to bed, but she isn't here now. Her bed's made, but it isn't like her to go off without me."
"That's strange."
"Uh... Um... Look in her office, will you?"
"Of course. Hold on a second." Sadie walked to Ruth's office and back so the time span would seem correct. "She's not there, Mr. Dedrick."
"I'll... I'll be right down." He hung up.
When Sid arrived, Sadie hurried to the door to meet him. "Any news of her?"
"None." He passed the receptionist's desk on his way to check in his own office, then in Ruth's. "Let's take a look in the business office, Sadie."
"I went there first thing. Ruth wasn't there." She watched Sid walk down the hall and take a covert look down the stairs. His face had a green tinge.
"Maybe you should call the police, Mr. Dedrick. If she's truly missing..."
"What do you mean, truly missing?"
"Oh, nothing really. It's just that many people who are reported missing turn up of their own free will in a day or two. Maybe Ruth has just gone to visit family."
Sid looked sick. "This can't be happening. I mean, this isn't a bit like Ruth."
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Yes. Yes, there is, Sadie. Would you represent me at the Jackson service in Centerville? The Jacksons will understand once they hear the circumstances."
"Of course. I'll be glad to do that."
Sadie mourned for Ruth all the way to Centerville. And as she slipped into the back pew at the church, she thought it ironic that Sid had manipulated the Jacksons into choosing an expensive casket -- plenty of room for two bodies. And no danger of the second one's being discovered, since Sam's family wanted a closed-casket service.
As the organ began to play and the fragrance of candle wax drifted through the sanctuary, Ruth wondered if Sid realized that a missing person couldn't be declared legally dead for seven years. Somehow she doubted that Cassie would wait. And what if, after six years or so, the police received an anonymous tip as to the whereabouts of Ruth's body?
# posted by Jeff @ 11:42 PM 
