Crowned and Moldering

Unfortunately, I was pretty sure the chief would be needing all of those services, along with the forensic odontology expert attached to the group, who would, with luck, be able to match the dental records.

And how weird was it that I knew all this stuff? After being involved with a few homicide cases up close, I’d become sort of an expert myself. And by expert I mean I just knew who to call to take care of things.

Eric frowned and rubbed his neck. “I don’t suppose we’re in a huge hurry, since those bones have probably been there for a while. But keep in touch with him, Tom.”

“You got it, Chief.”

“We’d better go take a look.”

Mac led the way back into the house, and Eric and Tommy followed. I looked at my guys and, without saying a word, the three of us walked quietly behind them. When Mac reached the hallway, he stopped. Shaking his head, he admitted, “You know, I’m not quite sure how to get to the basement. I’ve never been down there.” He looked back at me. “Sha

Since I’d spent a lot of time staring at the blueprints, I pointed the way. “Through the kitchen and out to the service porch.”

He jerked his head in that direction. “You lead the way.”

I got to the service porch and found the basement door. It was unlocked, so I opened it and stared down into blackness. I knew Mac had arranged weeks ago to have water and electricity restored to the place, so I searched the closest walls, found a light switch, and flipped it on. I looked back at Eric. “Here we go.”

“Wait.” He glanced at the others. “I’ll go first. Tom, Mac, you’re with me. The rest of you wait up here.”

Relief rushed through me. I didn’t mind staying upstairs at all. I’d had too many weird things happen in basements, the worst of which was stumbling over a dead body in one a few months ago. So I would’ve just as soon avoided getting any closer to that skeleton than I had to.

Sean, Wade, Joh

Once the call with Carla ended, the four of us chatted for a few minutes about work in general and then settled down with our own thoughts. I sat on the steps and sca

Eric was a newcomer to Lighthouse Cove, having moved to town four months ago to take over the job of police chief when Chief Ray retired after thirty years. I had a feeling there was something in Eric’s past that made him reticent to get involved with anyone too quickly. But that didn’t stop my girlfriend Lizzie from asking him on a regular basis if he’d like to go out on a date with one of her friends. So far he’d refused her attempts.

In Lizzie’s defense, she simply wanted all of her friends to be as happily married and settled down as she was. And we continually assured her that we wanted that, too. But not if it involved a blind date. I’d learned that lesson the hard way.

Mac had moved to town only about two months ago and he was already enveloped in the social life. It helped that he was handsome as sin, charming, and very wealthy. But he was also the sweetest guy in the world and so much fun and easy to talk to, and he loved animals.

I hadn’t needed Lizzie to set me up with Mac because we’d met by accident when I wrecked my bike out on Old Cove Highway between the lighthouse and town. He’d been driving by and saw me go flying over the handlebars. He stopped to help and ended up driving me home and carrying me up the stairs to my door. Shortly after that, he decided to rent one of my two garage apartments until his house was ready, and we’d been growing friendlier every day. Well, until that blond supermodel showed up. Mac had tried to explain about her, but I’d cut him off before he could say more than a word or two. I really didn’t want to hear about her.

I mean, come on. A supermodel? What was there to explain? She’s gorgeous. He’s a guy. End of story.

Looking around, I was struck by sudden guilt. Here I was, thinking about handsome men and my own feelings and petty jealousies in co

I checked my watch. Eric and the others had been downstairs for about a half hour. I couldn’t sit around a minute longer, so I pushed myself up from the steps and said, “I’m going to go find out if the chief needs us all to wait. If not, you guys can go off to another job site and get a good day’s work in.”

“Great idea, boss,” Sean said. I just noticed he’d been using a chisel to peel old paint from the window sills. Sean was someone who liked to keep busy, and I couldn’t ask for a better quality in an employee.

At that moment, I heard heavy footsteps approaching from inside the house. The front door swung open and Chief Jensen stepped outside, followed by Mac and Tommy. They looked somber, as anyone would who’d been staring at death for the past thirty minutes.

“Do you know who it is?” I asked.

“We might’ve found a clue,” Tommy said, earning a narrow look from Eric. Tommy was my best source of information and Eric probably knew it.

The chief seemed to argue with himself for a moment, then shook his head. “Might as well show you three since you all grew up around here, but I’d prefer you not spread the news all over town.”

“We won’t,” I assured him, and all three of my guys nodded in agreement.

Eric held something up in his gloved hand. “Did you ever know anyone who wore something like this?”

The three of us had to get close up to see the faded red letters stamped onto a thin silver band affixed to a cheap silver chain.

Sean gasped beside me.

Eric focused on him. “Do you recognize it?” His voice was steady, not accusatory, although I knew Sean would hate having the chief’s attention directed at him.

“I—I don’t know.”

“It’s one of those MedicAlert bracelets,” I said. “Did it belong to . . .” I hesitated before asking the next question, wondering what I was supposed to call those bones. A skeleton, yes, but was that what the police would call it? Or would they refer to it as a body? A human? A victim? Was it a man? A woman? “Did it belong to the . . . person in the basement?”

“That is yet to be determined,” Eric said, his tone turning official. He continued moving the metallic object this way and that so we could get a better look. “Look familiar?”

Wade squinted at the bracelet. “What’s it say on the back?”

Eric must have memorized the information and didn’t have to look to answer. “Bee allergy. Anaphylaxis.”

Sean gasped again, so abruptly I thought he might pass out.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Do you recognize it?” Eric repeated.

I scowled at the chief and grabbed Sean’s arm. “Come over here. Sit down.” Dragging him to the front steps, I practically pushed him to a sitting position, his elbows resting on his knees. “If you think you’re going to pass out, put your head between your knees and try to breathe.”

“Does he recognize the bracelet?” Mac asked quietly.